‘The Leftovers’ season 2 finale review: Miracles happen

Given the wide array of different stories that “The Leftovers” presented to us over the course of two seasons, it was not entirely clear just where we were going to go for the finale Sunday night. This finale help nothing back, presented some answers, and of course raised many more questions.

For one, did the show really just go there with Kevin Garvey … again? Is he the Kenny of this show? The unusual thing about this episode is that it ran for over an hour, had a multitude of different endings, and yet it was still stellar and we leave here with very few complaints. Kevin is still alive, despite being shot point-blank by John Murphy in front of all the dogs. We ventured back into the hotel, watched him sing karaoke (really his version of him accepting death, odd as it may seem), and then watched him stumble through a new Jarden before running into John once more. He went from being a killer to a rescuer, and eventually he did make it back to his home. For the first time all season, a complete sense of stability was waiting for him. Matt was there, Nora Durst was there, Tom was there, and even Matt’s wife Mary is now on the other side and no longer has to fight her way back.

The only twist is that Jarden is no longer there, in one of the most shocking twists of the season, many at the refugee camp of sorts outside Jarden were Guilty Remnant, waiting to take away everything that Miracle National Park once held dear. They were waiting for Meg’s order, and they were the bomb they set off. The town is ravaged, decimated, and no longer a beacon of hope.

Yet, Kevin has what he has long hoped for in the midst of the rubble. It’s a complicated end to the story, one that puts Kevin in the role of the constantly redeemed, and John suddenly in the role of student. It was beautifully-shot, masterfully-written, and for a show that is very bleak, it told us that sometimes, there is nothing wrong with a little bit of faith. Grade: A.