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Jun 27, 2014 By Zach Hollwedel Web Exclusive

It’s been three years since two percent of the world’s population instantly and inexplicably disappeared. Mapleton, NY police chief, Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) does his best to maintain order, but the world is no longer the place it had been before the vanishings. Religious cults, paranoia, guilt, and rogue violence have supplanted every-day life. Garvey’s own children are adrift in the confusion, struggling to find a sense of normalcy, if not a place of belonging, as their father grapples with inner demons that put his career and his sanity at stake.

Damon Lindelof, creator of the series (which is based on the book by Tom Perrotta) and one of the minds behind Lost, doles out far more questions than answers in a show intrinsically rife with unknowns. Fans of Lost will instantly see similarities between the two-mystery with a slice of sci-fi that begs continued viewing. Lindelof is adept at opening a show with a humdinger of a hook, and while parts of The Leftovers unfold slowly, it’s hard not to take the bait and come back for more. As disparate stories gradually come together, the connections between characters serve to spark further questions about the world. Was this the Rapture? Why did those who vanished disappear? What are those who remain supposed to do? There’s enough intrigue driving the premise to set The Leftovers up as a promising series; whether the show can maintain its momentum or succumbs to the weight of the myriad, potentially frustrating mysteries behind it remains to be seen. (www.hbo.com/the-leftovers)

Author rating: 7/10