For the most part, Damon Lindelof's "The Leftovers" has followed very closely Tom Perrotta's "The Leftovers". Tiny tweaks have been made here and there to make the story more cinematic and set it up for a longer life, but the main plot points remained in tact. That was until the tv series hit episode eight, "Cairo".
Book comparisons, and what the deviations could mean for the future of the show after the break. Book spoilers, obviously.
In the book:
- Kevin Garvey is not the police chief, he is the mayor
- Laurie and Meg have a tighter bond, even breaking the Guilty Remnant rules by talking to each other when no one is around
- Nora Durst and Matt Jamison are not siblings
- Nora does not have a job
- Matt Jamison publishes the story of Nora's husband
- Holy Wayne does not have multiple pregnant wives. Instead the son he promised Christine ends up being a daughter
- There is no Dean the Dog Hunter
- There is absolutely no mention of Kevin Garvey's father or his deteriorating mental state
Now, most of these changes are minor, just upping the stakes and making things more cinematic. By making Kevin the police chief, he has more obstacles to go through to get things done. The reveal of Wayne's multiple pregnant wives leads to the same conclusion, Wayne seemingly being a false prophet, but it's a lot more of a jaw drop. The only major change in the first half of the season has been the idea that Kevin Garvey might be going crazy. This idea leads to an overarching show mystery, more viewer engagement, and most importantly takes people's minds off the biggest mystery of all: what happened on October 14th?
These relatively minor changes took a hard left turn toward unfamiliar territory in the episode "Cairo". Tom Perrotta's book only left enough material for one season worth of show, so it's no surprise that things would start deviating. The interesting thing is how the show deviates. "The Leftovers" book ends with:
- Kevin and Nora breaking up (Nora does not ever get a Holy Wayne hug)
- Meg, not Patti, killing herself for the Guilty Remnant cause
- Jill reaffirming that she'll never join the Guilty Remnant
- Holy Wayne in prison
- Tom leaving Christine's baby on his father's doorsteps
- Kevin and Nora reunite, potentially raising this baby together, neither knowing where it came from
When it comes to Holy Wayne, his authenticity is much more ambiguous in show form than in the book, where he is very obviously a fraud. We see his hugs work in the show, but we see his lies when it comes to Christine's baby. I think the show can ride this ambiguity out for a while longer. If a son has been born unto him he can still play up his second coming angle and the show can still tease the possibility of the Anti-Christ.
Unlike the book, I do believe Tom Garvey will return home to see his family. Whether it be a permanent stay or one equivalent to Francis on "Malcolm in the Middle", returning home every once in a while to make comments on how Mapleton has changed and hear how much the world has changed him. Maybe Holy Wayne follows Tom to Mapleton. What happens when a Guilty Remnant is given the special hug?
The biggest story ramifications come from replacing Meg with Patti. By doing this, Damon Lindelof has changed the outcome of Laurie's story and opened up a huge well for future storylines. It doesn't look like they plan on having Laurie leave the Guilty Remnant any time soon in the show. Having Laurie be aware of Meg's sacrifice to the cause as in the book would be a step too far. The audience would lose all sympathy for this character who's already a tough nut to crack. By having Laurie assume Patti's leader position, an entire new status quo is created for the character heading into season two. How will Laurie deal will all the members and enforce all those tough rules? How will Laurie react to her daughter's involvement? What will Laurie think when she finds out that this organization she's dedicated her entire life to is murdering their own members? And how will Kevin react to the ever-building hate toward the Guilty Remnant now that his wife is their de facto leader? It's all very interesting stuff that I can't wait to see play out on screen.
There's sure to be more twists of the story and crazy revelations in the final two episodes of season one. For this writer, Lindelof has proven his grasp over this story, so I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
Again, thanks for bringing us viewers who have not read the book up to date about the changes. As for Wayne, he might have some healing gifts but he is obviously using them for personal gain. I thought about the anti-Christ angle but then those other pregnant girls showed up.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see them change a bit as the novel was only one book and can take a show so far. Now, even the fans of the book have no clue as to what will happen.