The Leftovers

Go behind-the-scenes of the highly anticipated HBO drama series 'The Leftovers' which follows the people left behind after a global rapture.

Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta reveal the origins of the series' most mysterious antagonists. Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Liv Tyler and Ann Dowd describe the acting challenges presented by playing scenes in which characters do not speak or reveal their motives.

In this informal, entertaining discussion, Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta share insights about the challenges of telling a complex, daring story that blends sci-fi, religion, and social commentary to tackle universal themes.

Three years after millions of people – some 2% of the world’s population – vanished into thin air, residents of Mapleton, NY weigh the pros and cons of a “Heroes Day” tribute to the local “Departed.” Attempting to maintain a sense of normalcy in his strained community, police chief Kevin Garvey faces additional challenges at home with his daughter, Jill, who’s lost in a cloud of apathy with her friend Aimee, and son, Tom, who has gravitated to a cult led by the charismatic Holy Wayne. Also of concern is a silent, white-clad group of chain-smoking men and women called the Guilty Remnant, who team up in pairs to stake out people and places around town. As tension in Mapleton escalates, the lives of Laurie, an unexpected member of the Guilty Remnant, and Meg, a recently engaged young woman, converge.

In the wake of a series of disturbing encounters, Kevin pays a visit to a therapist. Tom finds himself in a precarious situation with Christine, a favorite of Wayne’s. A frustrated Meg is asked to part with pieces of her past. Jill and Aimee tail Nora Durst, who became a local celebrity when her entire family disappeared in the Departure.

In the face of dwindling church attendance and threats on his life, Reverend Matt Jamison continues to preach his gospel: that many who disappeared in the Departure were sinners and not saints. Matt’s campaign is detoured when he learns he may lose the church to foreclosure, forcing him to launch a desperate, last-minute plan to come up with the cash to keep it.

Jarden, Texas was renamed “Miracle” after it was discovered that no one had departed. The town has since become a magnet for tourists and people who are convinced it is special and can keep them safe. Among the local families is the Murphys: the father, John, the mother, Erika, and their twins, Evie and Michael. While trying to protect his town from frauds and charlatans, John gets an ominous warning from a man who claims to have psychic powers. Soon afterwards, Kevin Garvey, Nora Durst and Jill Garvey show up in Miracle. This newly formed “family” left Mapleton to start over, but Kevin cannot seem to escape his past. The Murphy family and Kevin subsequently experience a mysterious event that will that change their lives forever.

Kevin, Nora and Jill try to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of the Mapleton riots, but problems from the past keep resurfacing. The new Garvey clan finds a fresh start in the safety of Miracle. Nora makes an impulsive choice, while Kevin gets entangled in the Murphy family’s problems.

Laurie and Tom Garvey’s work to rescue lost souls takes a toll on theirs. Laurie seeks to spread the word about the Guilty Remnant’s dangers, while Tom’s infiltration of the cult uncovers a whole new nest of problems.

Three years after Miracle, Texas was overrun by the Guilty Remnant, Kevin Garvey has returned to his role as chief of police. Although he seems to have moved past the incredible events surrounding his “resurrection,” the Seventh Anniversary of the Sudden Departure is just two weeks away and many believe another apocalyptic event may come with it.

In her official capacity as fraud investigator for the Department of Sudden Departure (D.S.D.), Nora travels to St. Louis to investigate a possible scam that involves convincing the family members of The Departed there’s a way to see their loved ones again.

With the clock ticking towards the anniversary of the Departure and emboldened by a vision that is either divine prophecy or utter insanity, Kevin Garvey, Sr. wanders the Australian Outback in an effort to save the world from apocalypse.