![]() Matt, from all indications, genuinely did believe she woke up and that their sex was consensual. Mary’s not-quite-immaculate conception certainly shall pose a new conundrum to the television-think-piece industrial complex (guilty!) that evaluates depictions of rape. But if you think about it, the rest of the show is also full of people punishing themselves in one way or another what’s the Guilty Remnant about, if not that? (Kevin and Norah have of late tried to move past the cycle of self-flagellation, but it’s not resulted in any great spiritual gains so far.) Matt’s life with Mary is familiar to many real-world caretakers, and usually pop culture’s impulse is to look away. Matt, obviously, has the same martyrdom impulse, choosing to put strip naked and enter bondage at episode’s end. I took the “Brian!” guy and the man in the stocks to be on similar spiritual missions, atoning for nebulous crimes by denying themselves freedom, comfort, dignity. The encampment outside of Jarden is a bit Mad Max and a bit Burning Man, but amid all the junkyard opportunism and libertine behavior were people obsessed with the idea of self-punishment. Which is not to say this episode didn’t advance the show’s larger themes or plot at all. Someone’s already written a blog post called “10 Ways Rev. (There was even a predictable and awful violent encounter with a desperate motorist in each episode.) When, this time out, Matt said that his favorite bible story is Job’s, I nearly groaned. Three episodes into the first season, viewers spent an hour with Matt, seeing him do many of the same sorts of things he did in this episode, with the takeaway being that the guy is extremely faithful and extremely gullible. The repetitious, punishing nature of the opening also reinforced the fact that The Leftovers itself is often repetitious and punishing. Matt’s life is familiar in one way or another to many real-world caretakers, and usually pop culture’s impulse is to look away. But you could argue that the show’s also being brave in going this route. ![]() It almost felt like an act of emotional violence against the viewer for the show to open with a loop of his daily routine (review tapes of Mary sleeping, care for her, feed her, get ignored at church, tuck her into bed, kiss her and hope she wakes up, do it all again to the sound of the Bellamy Brothers). The Magic of Pee-wee Herman in a Dark Year Dan SinkerĮven without the hijinks and the swindling and extreme displays of devotion this episode, Matt’s situation is about as tough to watch as TV gets.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |