The Book of Kevin

Last updated
"The Book of Kevin"
The Leftovers episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 1
Directed by Mimi Leder
Written by
Produced by
Featured music
Cinematography byMichael Grady
Editing byDavid Eisenberg
Production codeT13.19801
Original air dateApril 16, 2017 (2017-04-16)
Running time64 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"I Live Here Now"		Next →
"Don't Be Ridiculous"
List of episodes

"The Book of Kevin" is the first episode of the third season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers , based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the 21st overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Patrick Somerville, and directed by executive producer Mimi Leder. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on April 16, 2017.

Contents

The series is set four years after the "Sudden Departure" – an event which saw 2% of the world's population (approximately 140 million people) disappear and profoundly affected the townspeople. The previous season featured the characters moving to the town of Jarden, Texas, where no one vanished during the Departure. In the episode, Kevin is now the Chief of Police in Jarden, although he still questions his own mortality after surviving so many death scenarios.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.895 million household viewers and gained a 0.4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received critical acclaim, with critics praising the prologue, performances, writing, new storylines, themes and curiosity surrounding the final scene.

Plot

Prologue

In 1844, a professed prophet tells his consegration at a rural town that the end of the world will occur in January, which proves to be false. He repeats the same prediction now for August, with a storm slightly convincing them, but once again disappoints the consegration when nothing else happens. A woman in white clothing, who spent the whole night on a rooftop while it was raining, comes down to rest, with her faith shaken.

Present day

In the aftermath of the attack on Miracle, Meg (Liv Tyler) and Evie (Jasmin Savoy Brown) talk about Meg's ideology. Noticing a person inserting something in the GR's hideout while making a hole, Evie runs outside, finding authorities fleeing the area. She looks up, discovering a drone overflying the area before dropping a missile heading to them. A shocked Evie closes her eyes before the missile strikes the place, killing everyone.

Three years later, Jarden is now open to the public. Kevin (Justin Theroux) is now the police chief in Jarden, with Tom (Chris Zylka) also serving as a police officer and Nora (Carrie Coon) returning to her DSD job. John (Kevin Carroll) has married Laurie (Amy Brenneman), and poses as a mentalist, with Laurie telling him what to say through an earbud. During a birthday party for Tom, Jill (Margaret Qualley) visits the family, already going to college. One day, Kevin is visited by Dean (Michael Gaston), who claims that a celestial event will happen but Kevin dismisses his claims, disappointing Dean.

Questioning his mortality, Kevin tries to kill himself by suffocating with an plastic bag, but does not go with it. He is called to the lake, where a group of protestants polluted the water in the name of the GR. As the police try to control the situation, Kevin shocks them by jumping into the lake, telling them the water is fine. Michael (Jovan Adepo) then baptizes Kevin in the water, in front of the crowd. As Tom drives with Kevin, they are shot by Dean, who causes the car to crash. As Dean is about to kill Kevin, Tom shoots him dead.

Later, Kevin finds that Mary (Janel Moloney) is planning to move back to Mapleton with her son Noah, feeling Matt (Christopher Eccleston) is restraining her in the town. She also informs him that Matt is writing a gospel about him, fascinated by his resurrection. Kevin confronts Matt, who was working with Michael and John on the gospel. They are convinced that Kevin is a Christ-like figure, seeing that he survived so many possible death scenarios, with a role to play in the coming anniversary of the Departure. Kevin takes the book with the gospel and prepares to burn it, but stops himself from doing so.

Flashforward

In rural Australia, a woman takes some of her pigeons from a house and rides a bike to a local church, providing the pigeons to a community center. A nun pays her for the service to the woman, named Sarah. The nun asks if she knows a person named Kevin. The camera reveals that "Sarah" is actually Nora. Nora replies, "no".

Production

Development

In March 2017, the episode's title was revealed as "The Book of Kevin" and it was announced that series creator Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Patrick Somerville had written the episode while executive producer Mimi Leder had directed it. This was Lindelof's twentieth writing credit, Somerville's third writing credit, and Leder's eighth directing credit. [1]

Writing

Like "Axis Mundi", the episode also started with a prologue set in the past. [2] The scene was inspired by the Great Disappointment, a reaction by the Millerite movement when the prophecies of the arrival of the Apocalypse in October 1844 did not happen. Perrotta brought up the idea of the Great Disappointment after reading a book, with Lindelof also finding its connection to the series' theme by tying it to Australia, a prominent place in the season. [3] As part of research, Lindelof had the writers read When Prophecy Fails , feeling that the concept of people continuously failing in predicting the end of the world was "a cognitive dissonance, and that became an interesting idea." [3] Lindelof also explained, ""We're not being ambiguous for ambiguity's sake. We have a very specific intention. I do think that by the end of the first episode of the show, it's no secret that we told you a story about a group of people who clearly thought that the world was going to end on a specific date and then it didn't, and what the consequences are of that belief system failing them." [4]

Regarding the ending, Lindelof explained, "One of the things we wanted to do in choosing to end the first episode the way that we did was create a little bit of comfort for the audience and show them where we were going. There's no desire to actively troll the audience. So our intention of ending Episode 1 the way that we did was to alleviate a little of the tension of, 'How is the series going to end?' by beginning the ending in that very first episode." [5]

Reception

Viewers

The episode was watched by 0.895 million viewers, earning a 0.4 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale. This means that 0.4 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. [6] This was a 10% decrease from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.993 million viewers with a 0.5 in the 18-49 demographics. [7]

Critical reviews

"The Book of Kevin" received critical acclaim. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 9/10 for the episode, based on 14 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Tense, evocative, and packed with strong performances, 'The Book of Kevin' exemplifies why The Leftovers is among the best of HBO's recent series." [8]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8.8 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "The Leftovers jump starts its final season with a time jump, a flash-forward, and a gorgeous and clever tale about a possible End Times scenario. A potential apocalypse that, perhaps, doesn't adhere to all the rules and regulations that people would like it to. The characters are rich and rewarding, the music delightfully sets the stage, and the story oozes freshness and fierceness. The Leftovers inhabits such a wonderful space, showcases cracking confidence, and exhibits perfect pitch." [9]

Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "Once again, the Leftovers team outdid itself with an opening so mesmerizing, human, and evocative, it almost seems like they've done themselves a disservice by coming so hot out of the gate." [10]

Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx wrote, "I can't wait to see what brought Nora here — even if, based on her new identity and her expression when she hears Kevin’s name, she's surely lived a hard life between then and now. That's how much faith The Leftovers has generated within me over these two-plus seasons." [11] Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "'The Book of Kevin' was a terrific bolt of a premiere, reframing everything's that happened in two seasons, shuffling some of the essential relationships, and doubling down on clues that once seemed too preposterous to be anything more than the ravings of a lunatic. I'm happy to play the role of the Millerite woman for seven more episodes." [12]

Sean T. Collins of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Comedy, tragedy, horror, symbolism: The Leftovers fires them at you one after the other and doesn't much care whether you're able to field them." [13] Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "As I said in my spoiler-free review, I spent more time thinking about The Leftovers since it's been off the air than any other show. Unafraid to lean into unconventional ideas while also letting the mystery be, the series features devastatingly realistic performances, characters that unravel in the most interesting ways, and a tone that effortlessly shifts from hopeless to humorous at the drop of dime. I'm so glad that The Leftovers is back and can't wait to hear that spine-tingling score soundtrack the next jaw-dropping moment." [14]

Matt Brennan of Paste gave the episode a 9.2 out of 10 wrote, "'The Book of Kevin', yet another in The Leftovers' string of extraordinary episodes, is an attempt to chalk the lines of this painful longing, this profound sense of loss; it moves with awful power between the stories with which we salve our wounds and the recognition that there is no satisfying grief, only surviving it." [15] Noel Murray of The New York Times wrote, "Sunday's episode, titled 'The Book of Kevin', is an atypical chapter for this series, because it doesn't tell one complete story the way the best Leftovers episodes do. It's more concerned with catching viewers up with what everyone has been doing since the Season 2 finale, and then creating some new problems that are likely to drive the action in the remaining weeks." [16]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Leftovers</i> (TV series) 2014 American supernatural television series

The Leftovers is an American supernatural drama television series created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta that aired on HBO from June 29, 2014, to June 4, 2017. Based on Perrotta's 2011 novel of the same name, the series begins three years after the "Sudden Departure", a global event that resulted in 2% of the world's population disappearing. The lives of police chief Kevin Garvey and his family, along with grieving widow Nora Durst and her brother, Reverend Matt Jamison, are the focal points of the series as they struggle to adjust to life after the Departure.

"Pilot" is the series premiere of the HBO drama television series The Leftovers. It aired in the United States on June 29, 2014. The series is based on Tom Perrotta's novel of the same name. It received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising its themes and the performances of the cast.

"Axis Mundi" is the first episode of the second season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the eleventh overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and co-executive producer Jacqueline Hoyt, and directed by executive producer Mimi Leder. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on October 4, 2015.

"A Matter of Geography" is the second episode of the second season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the twelfth overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, and directed by executive producer Mimi Leder. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on October 11, 2015.

"Off Ramp" is the third episode of the second season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the thirteenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and co-producer Patrick Somerville, and directed by Carl Franklin. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on October 18, 2015.

"Orange Sticker" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the fourteenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and executive producer Tom Spezialy, and directed by Tom Shankland. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on October 25, 2015.

"No Room at the Inn" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the fifteenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and co-executive producer Jacqueline Hoyt, and directed by Nicole Kassell. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on November 1, 2015.

"Lens" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the sixteenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, and directed by Craig Zobel. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on November 8, 2015.

"A Most Powerful Adversary" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the seventeenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and co-producer Patrick Somerville, and directed by executive producer Mimi Leder. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on November 15, 2015.

"I Live Here Now" is the tenth episode and season finale of the second season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the twentieth overall episode of the series and was written by series creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, and directed by executive producer Mimi Leder. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on December 6, 2015.

"Crazy Whitefella Thinking" is the third episode of the third season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the 23rd overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and executive producer Tom Spezialy, and directed by executive producer Mimi Leder. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on April 30, 2017.

"Don't Be Ridiculous" is the second episode of the third season of the HBO drama television series The Leftovers, and the 22nd overall. The episode was written by showrunners Tom Perrotta and Damon Lindelof and directed by Keith Gordon. It aired in the United States on April 23, 2017.

"G'Day Melbourne" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the 24th overall episode of the series and was written by Tamara P. Carter and Haley Harris from a story by series creator Damon Lindelof, and directed by Daniel Sackheim. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on May 7, 2017.

"It's a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World" is the fifth episode of the third season of the HBO drama television series The Leftovers, and the 25th overall. The episode was written by Damon Lindelof and Lila Byock and directed by Nicole Kassell. It aired in the United States on May 14, 2017.

"The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother)" is the seventh and penultimate episode of the third season of the HBO drama television series The Leftovers, and the 27th and penultimate episode of the series overall. The episode was written by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof and directed by Craig Zobel. It aired in the United States on May 28, 2017.

"Certified" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. It is the 26th overall episode of the series and was written by supervising producer Patrick Somerville and co-producer Carly Wray, and directed by Carl Franklin. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on May 21, 2017.

"The Book of Nora" is the series finale of the HBO drama television series The Leftovers. It is the eighth episode of the series' third season, and the 28th overall. The episode's script was written by series showrunners Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, based on a story from Lindelof and Tom Spezialy, and directed by Mimi Leder. It aired in the United States on June 4, 2017.

"Penguin One, Us Zero" is the second episode of the first season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. The episode was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Kath Lingenfelter, and directed by executive producer Peter Berg. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on July 6, 2014.

"Guest" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. The episode was written by series creator Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Kath Lingenfelter, and directed by Carl Franklin. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on August 3, 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "(#21/301) "The Book of Kevin"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ Mason, Charlie (April 16, 2017). "The Leftovers Season 3 Premiere Recap: Kevin Garvey Superstar?". TVLine . Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Kachka, Boris (April 16, 2017). "Damon Lindelof Explains The Leftovers' Opening Prologue". Vulture . Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  4. ↑ Renfro, Kim (April 16, 2017). "'The Leftovers' director explains the historical inspiration behind the mysterious season 3 opening". Business Insider . Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  5. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (April 16, 2017). "Leftovers EP Damon Lindelof Promises a 'Resolution' to That Big Nora Twist". TVLine . Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  6. ↑ Porter, Rick (April 18, 2017). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Leftovers' premiere improves, NBA playoffs dominate". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ Porter, Rick (December 8, 2015). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Leftovers' finale rises, 'Into the Badlands' takes a hit". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  8. ↑ "The Leftovers: Season 3, Episode 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ Fowler, Matt (April 16, 2017). "The Leftovers: "The Book of Kevin" Review". IGN . Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  10. ↑ Alston, Joshua (April 16, 2017). "The Leftovers returns in all its weird, wonderful, beautiful, terrifying glory". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  11. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (April 16, 2017). "'The Leftovers' Final Season Begins With The Surprising 'Book Of Kevin'". Uproxx . Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ Labrecque, Jeff (April 16, 2017). "The Leftovers premiere recap: The Book of Kevin". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  13. ↑ Collins, Sean (April 16, 2017). "The Leftovers Season-Premiere Recap: Stairway to Kevin". Vulture . Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  14. ↑ Harley, Nick (April 17, 2017). "The Leftovers Season 3 Episode 1 Review: The Book of Kevin". Den of Geek . Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  15. ↑ Brennan, Matt (April 16, 2017). "The Leftovers' Season Premiere Is a Twisted, Terrifying Devotional". Paste . Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  16. ↑ Murray, Noel (April 16, 2017). "'The Leftovers' Season 3 Premiere Recap: Revival". The New York Times . Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.