# The Leftovers season 2 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865 "2015-10-07T21:48:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/61 "2015-11-12T16:21:59Z")
I will have to rewatch that scene, I did not get the feeling Nora asked enough questions to make a conclusion on the departure. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/62 "2015-11-12T17:12:45Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The lensing idea was plausible until the scientist told Nora on the phone that the demon Azrael was behind it. Well, the whole Departure thing, including the lensing, is implausible. Invoking demons does take it up a notch, but we’re already well into the supernatural. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/63 "2015-11-12T17:37:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The lensing idea was plausible until the scientist told Nora on the phone that the demon Azrael was behind it. Yeah, but that was just one group. It seems obvious that the Department of Sudden Departure also thinks there may be something to it. Just because some weird group believes it is caused by demonic forces doesn’t mean that the theory doesn’t have some truth to it. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/64 "2015-11-12T17:39:02Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Because she was desperate to believe that they _didn’t_ depart. Erika’s answers indicated to Nora that, in fact, they did, and she lashed out in fear and anger. Not only that, but Erika’s fear that she, in some way, caused Evie to depart tugged at Nora who has been feeling the same thing with her family, whether geography or lensing. She was desperate to clear her guilt at causing Departures and became anger and aggressive to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/65 "2015-11-12T17:52:52Z")
> [@Gothic](#): > > is handcuffing herself every night to a person that says he is losing his mind, To be fair, she’s handcuffing him to the bed, not to herself. The question I have is, why did Nora, before she learned of the lensing or gave the questionnaire to Erika, throw the rock through the window at the beginning of the episode. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/66 "2015-11-12T18:03:07Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > The question I have is, why did Nora, before she learned of the lensing or gave the questionnaire to Erika, throw the rock through the window at the beginning of the episode. Erika’s husband was a pretty big dick to Matt, Nora’s brother, resulting in Matt not being readmitted to Jarden. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/67 "2015-11-12T18:06:19Z")
Nora was the one who threw the first rock, right? I thought it was her. Was the reason for this explained? I think I may need to rewatch her scene with Erika too. I thought I understood she was just getting emotional thinking of her children and their departure but that doesn’t explain much either. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/68 "2015-11-12T18:46:15Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Erika’s husband was a pretty big dick to Matt, Nora’s brother, resulting in Matt not being readmitted to Jarden. Yeah. And then when John was like, who would do this, I loved Erika’s response which was basically: Really, dude? Like half the fucking town. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/69 "2015-11-12T18:51:36Z")
When Nora launched into that whole spiel about absolving oneself of blame, it was so condescending and complete bullshit too. There is no tidy solution, no absolution, coping with loss. And it didn’t matter that it was about a supernatural departure, we tell ourselves all kinds of crazy things just trying to make sense of it. If Erika and Nora shared a weepy hug at the end of that scene, it would have been awful. Erika getting angry and turning it around on Nora, even cruelly, felt natural. I really liked that scene, obviously. This season is a pleasant surprise. I binge watched the first season last fall and by the end had no interest in another. Now I’m disappointed that there are only four episodes left in season two. ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/70 "2015-11-13T15:44:20Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The lensing idea was plausible until the scientist told Nora on the phone that the demon Azrael was behind it. It makes me wonder if the departure event has blurred the lines between church and state. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/71 "2015-11-13T15:54:55Z")
I don’t think it’s done that. Instead scientists and laymen _everywhere_ are trying to find the cause of the departures. Some of those theories are more outlandish than others. And there’s certainly a Nobel Prize (and a bunch of other awards and acclaim) for whoever figures this out. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/72 "2015-11-13T16:12:45Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The lensing idea was plausible until the scientist told Nora on the phone that the demon Azrael was behind it. Yeah, that was weird that the scientist would say that on the phone. I would think she might say that they are investigating different things without being specific, or saying that some people think it’s X, or Y, or something demonic. And the Department of Sudden Departures guy I think also said something about lensing, but with some other explanation, like light or something like that. But I guess that the Departures are such a crazy event, that supernatural stuff needs to be investigated. It’s been a few years since the Great Departure, and they’ve investigated all the more science related explanations and haven’t found anything, it makes sense by now that even sensible scientists would be looking into demons, angels, aliens, and anything else like that. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/73 "2015-11-13T16:23:25Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > Yeah, that was weird that the scientist would say that on the phone. I would think she might say that they are investigating different things without being specific, or saying that some people think it’s X, or Y, or something demonic. And the Department of Sudden Departures guy I think also said something about lensing, but with some other explanation, like light or something like that. > > But I guess that the Departures are such a crazy event, that supernatural stuff needs to be investigated. It’s been a few years since the Great Departure, and they’ve investigated all the more science related explanations and haven’t found anything, it makes sense by now that even sensible scientists would be looking into demons, angels, aliens, and anything else like that. Why exactly do people think they are ‘sensible scientists’ rather than the science arm of some conservative Catholic organization (they told Nora they were going to submit the findings to the Vatican)? No one indicated that this was some university or secular science lab. ---
**Author:** ![nate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nate/32/13085_2.png) [@nate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nate)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/74 "2015-11-13T16:40:44Z")
I don’t recall anything in this episode that aluded to this group being sensible scientists. I think Nora had a little bit of hope when hearing about lensing, but was deflated when it turned out this group was pushing the idea of a specific demon. The guy near the beginning of the episode using the detection equipment on the houses reminded me of someone off of a ghost hunter TV show. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/75 "2015-11-13T18:51:56Z")
Don’t know if the line between church and state has been blurred in terms of state endorsing religion, but last season the state was definitely shown as taking a much more active role in suppressing/murdering new religions. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/76 "2015-11-13T19:59:49Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Why exactly do people think they are ‘sensible scientists’ rather than the science arm of some conservative Catholic organization (they told Nora they were going to submit the findings to the Vatican)? > > No one indicated that this was some university or secular science lab. I think I’m misremembering, because there were MIT scientists, but those were the people who bought the house from Nora a few episodes ago. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/77 "2015-11-13T20:18:53Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > I think I’m misremembering, because there were MIT scientists, but those were the people who bought the house from Nora a few episodes ago. It was misleading, for sure. I think intentionally. The “Previously on…” recap showed the ethnic MIT guy sitting at Nora’s kitchen table saying they wanted to buy the house for research, and that the departure might happen again. Cut to the opening, where we see a kinda-sorta similarly ethnic “scientist” knock on Nora’s door. It’s easy to think it’s the same guy, but it clearly isn’t. I rewound to check as soon as he said he was a scientist, but I shouldn’t have bothered. Nora already met the guy from her kitchen, and she was meeting this different guy for the first time in this episode. duh. ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/78 "2015-11-16T13:59:48Z")
Being a guide in the after life sure takes a toll. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/79 "2015-11-16T15:12:02Z")
I literally yelled out loud at the end of the episode. Whoa… Holy crap. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865/80 "2015-11-16T15:18:50Z")
So why did John try to kill Virgil? It wasn’t clear from what Virgil said. Did he molest John or Michael? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-leftovers-season-2/733865.md?page=5)