Warning: I started "The Leftovers" thinking it was 3 seasons of chill drama. 2 months later I'm still broken.

I figured hey, 28 episodes, that's a weekend or two. Nope. After episode 3 I was hooked and couldn't stop, but each episode left me more confused than the last. I'd watch three in a row and then just stare at the ceiling for 20 minutes trying to process. It took me 63 days to finish because I kept having to take breaks to recover. Has anyone else had a show that just wrecked you emotionally for way longer than you planned?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.cameron11d ago

The real dark horse of that show is how it messes with your sense of time. You'll be fine for a few days then out of nowhere you're reliving a random scene while trying to make coffee. Like the show doesn't end when you turn it off, it just lives in your head rent free forever.

gavin_hill2711d ago

The best thing you can do is find someone who went through it already and just vent. I watched it back when it first aired and had to schedule recovery time between seasons. The trick is to treat it like a serious emotional ordeal, not just a TV show, because that's what it is. Space out the episodes more, two a week max, and give yourself permission to stop and breathe. Also, avoid the soundtrack on Spotify unless you want to randomly start crying at the grocery store.

lindaowens8d ago

The grocery store soundtrack thing hit way too close to home, @gavin_hill27. I made the mistake of putting on one song from the show during a quiet evening and ended up sitting on my kitchen floor for twenty minutes. Two episodes a week is smart advice. I tried binging the last season in one night and had to call out of work the next day because I was just emotionally wrecked. Treating it like a real ordeal is exactly right, because it sneaks up on you in ways you don't expect.