Critic Consensus: With "Axis Mundi," The Leftovers opens its second season by offering promises of compelling storylines, terrific acting, and a cinematic aesthetic.
Episode Info
Season 2 opens in a Texas town that was renamed Miracle for having no departures, but longtime resident John Murphy is skeptical of charlatans and carpetbaggers who are trying to profit from this good fortune. Meanwhile, the Murphys welcome new neighbors when Kevin, Nora and Jill relocate from New York, hoping to start a new life.
| Genre: | Drama |
| Network: | HBO |
| Air Date: | Oct 4, 2015 |
| Directed By: | Mimi Leder |
| Written By: | Jacqueline Hoyt,Damon Lindelof |
Cast
as Kevin Garvey
as Laurie Garvey
as Nora Durst
as Matt Jamison
as Patti Levin
as Meg
as Jill Garvey
as Mary Jamison
as Erika Murphy
as John Murphy
as Tom Garvey
as Michael Murphy
as Evie Murphy
as Isaac
as Dr. Goodheart
as Virgil
as Cedric
as Savior
as The Woman
as Taylor
as Violet
as Reverend Massey
as T.J.
as Jerry
as Pillar Man
News & Interviews for Axis Mundi
Axis Mundi Trailers & Photos
Critic reviews for Axis Mundi
With any luck, the creators kept all of the good things from last season -- the great dialogue, the fantastic acting and character development -- and let the rampaging deer and inflatable penguin go free.
It is a fascinating start to a new season promising big, meaningful changes. The series is still about grief and anger and depression, but it manages to explore these themes in a way that feels accessible to a broader range of personalities.
There are a number of levels in which [it] is a profoundly adept episode of television, but perhaps none is so unnerving as is the way in which Lindelof and his team manage to make everything in the episode both welcoming and deeply discomfiting.
This is the type of premiere that only works when you have a show that's so firmly rooted in good writing and acting like The Leftovers is. With a clear sense of itself. Yes, including all the riddles and happenstance.
The whole [opening] sequence takes more than 10 minutes to enact, and it's with this lingering on the cinematic rather than a quick plunge into the indignities of plot that the series demonstrates its sophistication, in the form of patience.
"Axis Mundi" is a wonderful, immersive dive deep into the troubled waters of this show, and I'm glad to be back in them, even though we're still just getting to know all these new players.
Discussion Forum
Discuss The Leftovers on our TV talk forum!