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The Leftovers – “B.J. and the A.C.” – Review & Recap

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Leftovers“Cause I’m not the one
No I’m not the one
You wanted it all
But I’ll give you none
Cause, I’m not the one”
– “I’m Not The One” – The Black Keys

I am sure there are a lot of people who take everyday matters for granted such as work, family and religion to name a few. Sunday night’s episode of The Leftovers hinted a little at that last one, filled with symbolism about what believing and having faith means and how it affects people in different ways. It was another great chapter in this equally amazing series. The show is not for everyone, I understand, and I believe quite a few people will find it artistic and dramatic enough for their tastes. I love seeing in the comments, after I post an advanced preview or a review, how fans initially didn’t care for the series and then came to love it, discovering little nuances that made all the difference. That is the genius with the creative team behind The Leftovers, whether it is the writing, editing or directing.

Last week we were treated to a whole hour of the Reverend and what he has been going through post Sudden Departure. B.J. and the A.C. gave us the whole cast again and what they have been up to. The town of Mapleton is gearing up for the big Holiday Dance fundraiser for the new library. After that interesting cold open, which I will get to later, we see Kevin pulling a fast one on Patti, the leader of the Guilty Remnant. The GR is quickly becoming the object of our animosity and Kevin brought Patti in to his office to, secretly, make sure her and her clan will make an appearance much like they did at the parade in episode one. He sees them as a nuisance and wants to arrest them all for trespassing, but being The Leftovers I imagined something else entirely was going to happen during the dance. Kevin definitely doesn’t hide his hatred towards Patti and the GR, especially when he casually offers her Drano to drink.

“There is no family”, reads the sign that Patti draws for the chief, reflecting much of what this episode is about. This brings me to the difficult time I had deciphering the cryptic episode title and, during a revealing moment watching with a friend, I think I figured it out. B.J. and the A.C. possibly has many meanings when interpreted by different people and yes, I am using that as a cop-out in case I am wrong with my meaning. The “B.J.”, I figured, means “Baby Jesus” and the “A.C.” took some time, but I came to the conclusion that, based on the theme of the episode, represents “Abandoned Children”. “Baby Jesus and the Abandoned Children” is the perfect title for this episode. Abandonment issues play a central role not only in this episode but the series as a whole. The fundamental element of the Sudden Departure was the majority of the remaining population feeling abandoned by their families and friends and left behind by their God.

Kevin spends the majority of the episode reluctantly locating the “Baby Jesus” figure that was stolen from the Nativity Scene. In one of the best cold open scenes, we see baby dolls being created from scratch in a factory. We view every step that is taken to produce the dolls from which one will be used to represent Mapleton’s Baby Jesus. The imagery used was perfect in how it symbolized Mapleton’s current religious outlook. The solution the mayor gave Kevin was appropriate as well, “Go buy a new doll and say you found it in a ditch or a Dumpster”, giving measurements as if the Baby Jesus were as interchangeable as that. The scenes spoke volumes and is one of the reasons why this series is so impressive.

Tom and Christine’s story line is one that I enjoy seeing every week as I find it so interesting. I wonder if Christine or Tom are falling for each other and you can see hints of it in this episode. They are in a cafeteria when a half naked man approaches them while shouting at Christine to “get out of his dreams” and that he knows what’s inside of her. His dream is that of Christine, walking over the dead who are all in white. Not necessarily a dream sequence that I have come to love from The Leftovers, but dreams do play an important role in this series and that, I suppose, counts as one. The crazy man roughs Christine up a little until Tom intervenes, having to take her to the hospital as a result for a checkup on the baby. Tom begins to lose faith in his whole journey due to the fact that Wayne has not called yet to instruct them what to do. He definitely feels ‘abandoned’ by his former mentor and father figure, Holy Wayne. For those of you confused about what happened next I will explain. If you do not want to be spoiled (like I haven’t spoiled the episode already for you, sorry) then stop reading. The call was a recorded message asking if he wants to join the Barefoot People. We have not been introduced to them until now. They wear no shoes and color a target on their foreheads so they become invisible, so the “creator” can find you easier. They do this so they can remain inconspicuous to the authorities looking for anyone associated with the Holy Wayne Movement. We learn quite a bit about Tom and Christine as well as our other favorite characters in this episode. (Spoilers ahead) Tom is apparently not Kevin’s natural child, revealing to the officer in the hospital that he was ‘abandoned’ by his real father.

At the Holiday Dance, Kevin greets everyone with the news that he located the Baby Jesus, which turned out to be stolen by his daughter, but returned by the twins. It seemed fitting that virtually no one cared, given the current religious tone of the series and episode. Mapleton has definitely lost faith and it shows. They feel ‘abandoned’ by their God. They feel ‘abandoned’ by their family. This is the source of constant adjective I see used to describe The Leftovers, bleak. “Baby Jesus and the Abandoned Children” speaks to the whole of the series as much as it does this particular chapter. Jill Garvey feels abandoned by her parents, especially her mom. Why else give a gift asking, “Don’t Forget Me”. No one wants to be forgotten or abandoned, let alone a child by her mother. Tom feels so abandoned after the SD that he jumps from one group to another looking and hoping to find a home. Maybe he is so protective of Christine and her baby because he doesn’t want it to suffer the same fate of feeling the way he does, knowing that Wayne is probably long gone and not coming back.

Kevin’s initial plan to apprehend the GR backfired. His reference of the situation with them as a ‘briar patch’ seemed apt by episode’s end. A briar patch is a term used to describe a theoretical quandary or impasse. It is An intellectual or philosophical issue abounding with seemingly unresolvable problems, which, at this point, is exactly what the Guilty Remnant is to Kevin. He wants to catch them, but they seem to be a step ahead solidifying themselves as the villain of the season. They knew Kevin was trying to catch them during the dance so they planned to execute a plan of their own. While the police resources were being utilized in one area they decided to break into people’s homes and steal their photos of the Departured, leaving the frames. To what end, I have no idea, but I imagine it is because they think people have forgotten about the SD and what happened. When people come back from the fundraiser they will see their loved ones gone, in a sense. People will come and feel ‘abandoned’, again. I assume this what the GR hopes to accomplish. They don’t steal anything of monetary value, however, they just go house to house and rob people of what they treasure most…family. And remember what Patti wrote to Kevin at the beginning of the episode…”There is no family”.

This episode, B.J. and the A.C., is filled with thought provoking scenes and excellent acting. After last week’s episode we are asked again, “What does it mean to believe?”. What does it mean to have faith? Were all these people of Mapleton abandoned by their God or was something else at play? Kevin, who is definitely losing his grip with everything around him, barely believes anymore proclaiming to Nora in the hallway at the dance, “It’s not real”, referring to the Baby Jesus doll in his hand. I know he was just saying it about a doll, but I think he meant a lot more. It would explain his action of tossing it out the truck window as if it means nothing to him or anyone anymore. And, hey, he can always just go to the store and buy another one, right?

Thoughts and Discussion

– This episode had some great music throughout. Besides the one I referenced above, here are the rest for those that want to know:

“Joy To The World” – Christmas Carol — Right before Tom & Christine’s encounter with the crazy half-naked man
“I Don’t Want No Bloodstains” – Smokey Hogg — Kevin brings the doll back to the Nativity Scene
“All These Lights” – The Grouch and Eligh — The Twins get pulled over by Kevin
“I Must See Jesus For Myself” – Lin Greenwood — Closing Credits

– I wondered how the Rev would be dealing with matters in his own life after the events of last week and thought it was really cool how he was the one who “saved” the town and brought his “spare” Baby Jesus to replace the one that was stolen. Apparently his faith has not wavered even after everything that transpired.

– To play off of the ‘abandonment’ topic again, I thought it was fitting that Kevin’s car stopped working (probably also symbolic of this broken world and town) after he used the Lord’s name in vain and, therefore, had to use the truck he was given from the man who shot the dogs in previous episodes.

– Did you notice…The doll company is called “Aforda”. As if it is not a slight already that the Baby Jesus is being replaced by a generic doll, the name of the company alludes to something that is of a cheap and poorly made origin.

– Did anyone else think the operator from the recorded message when Kevin was calling Tom sounded very annoyed? Lol.

– Did you notice…The Guilty Remnant member that came up to Tom outside the hospital had a wound on her forehead. Apparently Mapleton is not the only place where they get attacked.

– Did you notice…We finally get a closer look at the “Loved Ones” company we have been seeing and hearing ads about. The company creates life-like bodies that people who lost someone in the SD can purchase for burial. That’s uber creepy. Also, did you notice the logo for the company? It is a stick figure drawing of a family with the “mom” floating up. I thought that was clever.

– Does that sheriff in the very beginning of the title sequence remind anyone of Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead?…no?…ok, forget it…

– Did you notice…The cold open ended with the Baby Jesus there one scene and gone by the end, mirroring the Sudden Departure. Also, probably mirroring how some people felt about their God abandoning them during the Sudden Departure.

– Did anyone else think of the scene in Game of Thrones, where Lord Edmure fails three times to set the funeral boat ablaze with a flaming arrow, when Jill was about to do the same thing with the Baby Jesus?

– What does everyone else think about Kevin’s car abruptly not working and Tom’s phone ringing at the appropriate time? Is it something supernatural?

The Leftovers – Two Boats and A Helicopter – Review

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Leftovers“Take me to church
I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your light
I’ll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

No masters or kings when the ritual begins
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene
Only then I am human
Only then I am clean
Amen. Amen. Amen”
– Take Me To Church – Hozier

Spoilers for Episode 3 of The Leftovers Below

I struggled with writing this Review. It took me some time to understand how the title, Two Boats and a Helicopter, related to the story being told in this chapter of The Leftovers. I was stumped for a little bit. I usually spend some time analyzing what message writers are trying to get across to the audience and it most often does not take that long. I suppose the reason this episode took a bit longer is because it is religious in context and maybe there is no definitive way to explain the meaning because it will have different meanings to everyone who watches. For those of you who do not know the origin of the episode title let me explain. It is a very old joke that when told brings to mind theories of faith, blind faith, miracles and hope. I believe there is a lot of wisdom in jokes. In fact, while watching this episode I was reminded of a joke I heard Woody Allen tell in the movie Anything Else. It must have been over 6 or 7 years ago, but I always thought about it when giving advice to someone about doing things for themselves and not rely on outside assistance, even from their faith. Here is the joke:

“There’s an old joke
about a prize fighter in the ring.
He’s getting his brains beat out.
And his mother’s in the audience,
and she’s watching him getting beaten up.
There’s a priest next to her
and she says, ‘Father, pray for him.’
And the priest says, ‘I will,
but if he could punch, it would help.'”
– Woody Allen – Anything Else

This episode of The Leftovers deals primarily with the trials and tribulations of Reverend Matt Jamison. I have to say that this was one of my favorite hours of television. I think the story was put together so creatively and the dream sequences in The Leftovers keep getting better and better. I would imagine that anyone not a fan of this series, or ‘on the fence’ since the pilot, is a fan now after watching this episode.

Until now, Reverend Matt Jamison was a minor character. He was largely in the background and we only saw him for a few moments; once at the parade when he was handing out fliers, hugging Nora when she was being followed by Aimee and Jill, and a few other times. The cold open involves the Rev in front of his small congregation due to its dwindling attendance as a result of the Sudden Departure and followers waning faith. You would think after witnessing the SD that people would have a renewed interest in faith and religion, wanting to be on top of the list if it were to repeat itself. That’s what I think anyways. There’s a lot of aspects of civilization I imagine happening as a result of experiencing a Sudden Departure, but maybe the creators will delve into that area as the season or series progresses. He finishes telling the story of when he was a little boy with cancer when a man enters and kicks and punches Matt. The man did this because the Rev hands out fliers alerting people to the malevolent actions of some of the Departured, one-by-one.

The reverend does this because he believes the people that ‘left’ must be exposed for who they truly were and what they truly did, because if you can’t separate the innocent from the guilty, everything that has happened to them, all of their suffering, is meaningless. Most people believe that the Departured were ‘chosen’ for the Rapture by God. If that is true, then they must have been good people and everyone not taken is bad. The reverend hopes to alert the community that there was no method to who was taken or why. He creates fliers of each individual announcing their atrocities while alive.

This episode is my favorite for many reasons. One is the fact that it elicited so many intense, edge-of-my-seat, scenes and moments. The first 30 minutes were all set-up and the final 30 was like soaring downhill of a roller coaster ride. When the Rev was at the Roulette table I was actively cheering him on, wanting him to win and catch a break. He may do some dumb things (like the fliers), but deep-down he a very good person. He baptized Craig’s baby “on the house”. He donates clothing to the Guilty Remnant. He pays his wife’s caretaker when he has nothing left for himself.

Reverend Matt’s impetus was his vision of the painting in his wife’s bedroom. The painting is the left panel of the Jabach Alterpiece by Albrecht Dürer in 1503 or 1504. It depicts the prophet Job sitting, with a desperate expression on his face, after Satan has defied him to keep his allegiance to God even in the most tremendous afflictions [1]. If you notice in the painting, his properties are on fire (much like the in the dream sequence) in the upper left. His wife is pouring water over him while a small devil flees in the background. Reverend Matt is very similar to Job. Job was beset with horrendous disasters that took away everything he holds dear; his family, health, and prosperity. This mirrors the Rev’s life in many ways. The Reverend kept waiting for the two boats and the helicopter, knowing that God will reward him. He kept his faith through all of his adversity.

The episode’s title is “Two Boats and A Helicopter” and is a reference to a very old joke. It mirrors what Reverend Matt has been dealing with throughout the episode. Is he holding out for hope? Is God testing his faith like the Rev mentioned to Nora? He had opportunities to avoid being robbed and subsequently smashing that man’s head on the ground. He also didn’t have to help the Guilty Remnant member that was struck by a rock thrown by the same person that incapacitated him by the same device.

Here is the joke for those who have never heard it:

There’s a huge flood and a man climbs onto his roof as the waters rise around him. A boat shows up and the guy says, “Climb in, I’ll get you out of here.” The man replies, “No, I’m waiting for God to save me!” The boat moves on. Soon the waters are half way up the roof and another boat comes by. “Get in,” The guys says, “I’ll get you out of here.” The man replies, “No, I’m waiting for God to save me!” So the boat moves on. Now the waters are really raging and the man has to climb on top of his chimney to stay above them. A helicopter flies up and they throw down a ladder. “Grab the ladder and we’ll get you out of here,” they yell. “No,” replies the man, “I am waiting for God to save me!” The helicopter flies away and the man clings desperately to his chimney as the waters rise. Soon he is overcome by the flood and drowns. When the man arrives in heaven and sees God, he is very upset. “Lord,” he says, “I trusted you to save me? Why didn’t you deliver me from the flood?” “What do you mean?” God replies, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter!”

There are, of course, many versions, but that is the basic telling. The Rev is the man turning down the boats and the helicopter. God is testing him by giving him many outlets for his situation. He needs $135,000 to keep his church from being sold. He only has a day and in that day goes to great lengths to accomplish what he set out to do. However, there are obstacles in his path that he must continually overcome. Are the obstacles a metaphor for the tests God puts in front of him? I would love to hear all of your thoughts regarding this. Is it God that put the pigeons in front of the Rev? The first pigeon showed up on the front steps of the church, then two showed up on the roulette table he used to win all that money. Was that God delivering a boat or helicopter to the Rev? Three pigeons sat on a traffic light that blinked red, which the Rev took to mean that God wants him to bet on that color. Is the whole episode a tale about how miracles can come from anywhere? That God may be watching over all of us and helping us on our path? Is the ending supposed to mean that even though God helps us along the way we still must be able to fight? That is what I believe the episode is about in all its complex glory. The writers are trying to tell us that God may be watching over all of us, but that doesn’t mean we are helpless. We must exercise our free will to be able to continue the fight. You must do more than just believe. It may not end the way the Rev wanted, but at least he gave it everything he got. And who’s to say that it won’t pay off in the end?

Thoughts and Discussion

– Did you notice…The cork board in the Rev’s office has fliers of some of the Departured and newspaper clippings I imagine are for future fliers. One article reads, “U.S. exports toxic waste to third world countries.”

– The lyrics at the very top are from the song that plays at the very end of the episode when the Reverend views all that he has worked to preserve being transformed by the new owners, the Guilty Remnant. The music selection so far in The Leftovers has been excellent. The writers have picked the best tunes and lyrics appropriate for the scenes they overlay or the episodes they represent.

– The other song in the episode is Captain and Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together”. I thought the placement of the song was funny as it was right after the Rev smashing the man’s face form the casino into the ground for stealing his winnings. Also of note for all you LOSTies, this song was in the LOST episode, “Some Like It Hoth”.

– I thought it was interesting that during the dream sequence a young Nora repeats the phrase, “Why isn’t anybody doing anything?” and the Rev’s wife says, “Why do you persist?”. Again mirroring his quest to follow the path to his ultimate goal.

– Nora mentioned Matt’s issue with a certain judge. I assume this is the judge whose flier Matt created is framed and on the wall in his office. It is also the flier that Kevin’s father wrapped the money in that Matt found under the grill. It basically states that the judge collected illegal bribes, but we are still uncertain about the connection to the Rev. We are also uncertain as to why the Rev took down the street signs with the judge’s name on it. Hopefully we will find out in future episodes what it all means. Something to make note of.

– Did you notice…There were many LOST Number references in this episode. I don’t like to compare anything to LOST, but thought it was ok to put in this section of the Review. The judge paid $42,000 for a cigarette boat. The Rev’s first winnings gave him a total of $40,000, his second $80,000, and third $160,000. The roulette table the Rev is gambling at is located in Pit 4. The second number the Rev wins on is Red 23.

– Did you notice…The book on the nightstand in the Rev’s house is “Perforated Heart” by Eric Bogosian. It is about a man who discovers his old journals from when he was much younger and discovers how much he has changed over time and the pivotal moments of his life.

– In the church scene in the beginning of the episode behind the Rev is the word Epiphany. This word is used in the New Testament to mean several things, one of which is the Second Coming of Christ.

– Keith Gordon directed the episode and I think he did an incredible job especially with the dream sequence. Damon Lindelof & Jacqueline Hoyt wrote the episode.

Thank you for reading my Review! I hope you enjoyed it. Please comment below, I would love to hear all your thoughts on this awesome and amazing episode!

[1]-Wikipedia