2014 HBO Series Ranked One of the 'Best TV Shows of all Time' - Yet It Remains Underrated
HBO has had a majority of the all-time classics on TV. The usual suspects dominate most lists - The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Game of Thrones, and Succession. One show is just as good as any of these, and it's finally getting the recognition it deserves.
The Leftovers follows a post-apocalyptic world that is recovering from a random, unexplained disappearance of 140 million people. There is no reasoning or logic behind what happened, which makes the fallout of the event particularly fascinating.
Instead of focusing on the science-fiction aspects of this thought experiment, as so many other TV creators would, Damon Lindelof (who also created Lost) used the plot to establish themes that focused on human mystery, betrayal, loss, and ambiguity. So much of humanity's existence makes no sense; it's a complete unknown. In this way, the unfathomable events of the show become no more dissimilar than a random occurrence in the audience's lives.
The characters spend much of their time grieving the ones they lost, turning to religion to find answers to their problems, and even struggling with mental health issues like suicide. The morbidity of the series might be too much for some, but the events that take place throughout the three seasons never become as depressing as they sound. It's a beautiful depiction of love and perseverance.
So many of HBO's dramas are centered on crime. The mafia, police, gang violence, or even historical accounts of war are the main subject matter of the best HBO hit series. Perhaps that is why The Leftovers is more of a cult show than one that receives widespread adulation.
The show was ranked the 17th best of all time in a recent Empire ranking. It holds a ranking of 8.3/10 on IMDb from 130,000 reviewers. It starred Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston, Ann Dowd, and Liv Tyler. Unfortunately, known of these incredible actors were recognized with an Emmy Award for their work on The Leftovers. With 12 years in the rearview mirror since its premiere, it's wonderful to see more people connecting with this haunting series and the tales it tells about the eeriness of the human condition.