That discussion (about the bald guy) occurred briefly last night with one of my friends. Just when I thought I understood the bald guy's character, I now am uncertain again. Was it his voice on the phone several episodes ago? Is he some kind of uncover agent who's trying to eradicate cults? What/who is this guy? As I was watching last night, I kept telling myself that there's no way everything that was happening was real; I thought it was one of Kevin's fucked up dreams. But, once it was like 25 minutes into it, I was like, the show definitely isn't wasting half of an episode on a dream. So, once I fully accepted that it was all real -- damn that was nuts.
The story is trying to confuse people with the opening sequence, showing ascendance to heaven yet during the show a priest is trying to prove that only many of the departed were terrible people. The people in this show live in an artistic version of purgatory. That's why not all of the departed were innocent or virtuous. And that's why there are no real villains in this show, and spare me the desperate drug addict at the casino or the angry kid throwing stones at a remnant. Somebody please name one innately virtuous or evil character. Just one.
I agree with your view on the purgatory aspect. I've called it a state of limbo (not in this thread, but other discussions I've had), and so, I understand what you mean. Regarding the pastor, Matt Jamison: I think one of the reasons (if not the main reason) that Matt is compelled to expose the people has something to do with himself and his role as a servant of God. If the departure was religious and the people taken were the chosen ones because of their virtue (or for another reason related to religion), then how could a pastor - a messenger of God - explain that he was NOT chosen? He can't. Therefore, he must cast aspersions on the people who were chosen. Now, I'd think there are other factors driving him (for example, I think he is trying to "bring back" people from the GR), but I think the main impetus for his actions is his need to show that the departed individuals weren't chosen because of the relationship to God/religion, else it renders his life of religious devotion bogus. And good point about there being no true villains. I guess now that we learned the GR was behind Gladys' death (to ensure her a martyr) -- that's something of villainous nature, but obviously, the intent wasn't straight malice and the way Patti (the GR leader) spoke of it, she made it sound like Gladys was on board with it. So even the brutal murder of Gladys wasn't entirely the stuff of villains. So, yeah, good call on that.
I hope you are wrong. That would mean one of the creators of Lost, a 5-6 season show that ended up being about purgatory just penned a new series that is mysteriously about.........purgatory?
On a unrelated note...I just caught the first episode of The Knick The show by Steven Soderbergh starring Clive Owen is like a 1900 House MD. Clive and a bunch of doctors take on some fucked up medical situations at the Knickerbocker hospital in NY. I like it so far, but I dont know if I can stomach the gruesome surgeries they will probably have each episode. Anyone here see the first episode? It airs on Cinemax, but HBO has the first episode up on demand
Just watched it last night, another great episode that again casts doubt about a lot of things I previously believed. The dog shooter? Is he really real? Or his he a ghost. Is Kevin really crazy or partially dreaming. Obviously he's in the cabin for the glass shard stabbing, but what's with all his shirts nailed up to trees? Did Patti really stab herself or was it Kevin? The daughter just blew our chance of seeing her friend's boobies (on this show). That was an awfully painful exchange. Not sure what Meg is griping about. The DR are invading the rest of the towns personal space, good for Matt doing the same. The only part that really drew on too long for me was Patti's speech/sermon. I wanted to stab her with a shard of glass halfway through. _
I was curious what poem Patti was reciting to Kevin; it seemed important. Turns it out, it's from W.B. Yeats "He Bids His Beloved Be at Peace:" (the bold is where Patti begins) I hear the Shadowy Horses, their long manes a-shake, Their hoofs heavy with tumult, their eyes glimmering white; The North unfolds above them clinging, creeping night, The East her hidden joy before the morning break, The West weeps in pale dew and sighs passing away, The South is pouring down roses of crimson fire: O vanity of Sleep, Hope, Dream, endless Desire, The Horses of Disaster plunge in the heavy clay: Beloved, let your eyes half close, and your heart beat Over my heart, and your hair fall over my breast, Drowning love's lonely hour in deep twilight of rest, And hiding their tossing manes and their tumultuous feet. Breaking this down, there's a possibility that this past episode wasn't real (the parts with Kevin) and was one big metaphor. The combination of the poem and some other weird things make it seem not entirely real. Just some food for thought -- Cairo (where Kevin, the bald guy, and Patti are in the episode) is 5 hours from their hometown, Mapleton. And it only begins there.
Chilling episode. That just about explained every character. Kinda interesting how this could have been the pilot and wouldn't nearly have had the effect it had at this point in the season.
Fuck, that was sad. Seeing what everyone was to what they've become, especially emotionally & psychologically. And this is an excellent point. I tried explaining this to a friend, but I didn't use the contrast you made about if it was the pilot or aired earlier in the season. But I will now (don't worry, I'll include you in my Works Cited haha). Now that we know these people, the timing of this specific type of episode (flashback to pre-event) was very well placed, directly prior to the season finale. I could probably ramble on for hours about this episode. I'm gonna re-watch a few scenes at some point, and then post some thoughts.
So "The Departure" - in actuality- should have made everyone's life easier. By taking away all the stress related factors, is "The Departure" is really God/the Universe's way of showing people what is truly important in life? Someone at the Science Fair wanted to win so badly they wanted their best competitor gone. I really love this show now. I want to go back and watch those episodes from the beginning.
Yeah, I can't imagine the guilt that Nora must carry, as she was so frustrated by the things that were trivial (compared to what ultimately happened). In the first episode, she gives a speech at that remembrance day gathering, and I think that that's what she was intimating -- she would gladly welcome back those stupid little things that used to piss her off if it meant the return of her family.
Was Tom (Kevin's son) holding someone's hand when that someone departed? And was Kevin physically in the act of sex when the chick departed? I'm trying to follow up on the idea that no one saw it. Because this prolly debunks that.
You might be onto something here. If we look at the departed as stressors (or something of that ilk) in particular individuals' lives at that time, then maybe that's the common link. Science fair Nora's family Laurie's unborn baby That leaves the chick Kevin banged. Maybe he didn't feel good about himself for doing it and she caused him anguish. And then poof.
What I remember is how she was feeling prior to Kevin banging her. She felt sad, but I don't think it was because of the deer, it was something she couldn't explain ... Kevin somewhat "took advantage" of her in her vulnerable state which caused her to disappear?
Yes, but don't focus on the departed victim; focus on the other person/people in their life at that moment. In basic terms, imagine someone saying something like, "Goddamn, I wish person X would just disappear." Except multiply that by 100 million.
