From Damon Lindelof, the creator of LOST, The Leftovers began with the premise: "What would happen if 2 percent of the world's population suddenly disappeared?" Interesting enough to hook viewers in, the first season proved to be a lesson in how much punishment viewers could take, as each episode was another journey into misery, and in true LOST fashion, refused to answer the question that was foremost on the viewers' minds: what exactly happened to the people who disappeared? Season 2, however, was one of the finest seasons of television this year, as despair suddenly turned to hope, and the show became less about what happened to the people who left, and more about what happens to the people who remain. Kevin Garvey (played by Justin Theroux) ups and moves his family to Jarden, Texas, the one town in the world that had zero departures. The season twists and turns, telling the same story through the eyes of different protagonists. The real gem of the season was the trip to the Purgatory Hotel in the episode, "International Assassin." It gave some LOST fans some familiar vibes, where you didn't really know what was going on, but you were really enjoying what you were watching. Thankfully, the show was picked up for Season 3, which was no sure thing, because Season 1 had alienated a lot of viewers, and the viewership numbers were down for Season 2. Thankfully, the great writing and acting saved the show for another year.
