Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the hallway scene with Nora and Kevin, one that’s dripping in a mixture of sadness and sexual tension. That’s going to end well.
The Guilty Remnant are in full force in “B.J. and the A.C.” as they first creepily stand on the perimeters of the school during an adult dance. Kevin warned them not to come, stating “I’m not going to protect you.” They come anyway but technically aren’t on school property so they aren’t trespassing. But Kevin, who is always on the edge of breaking and who has been transformed into a darker and more complex character from the book, goes after them anyway, saying it’s his word against theirs (which is maybe the funniest line he’s delivered so far). The G.R. are hauled to jail but Patti’s wry smile suggests it’s not over that night.
The Leftovers, at first, felt like a quiet and subtle show (even during last week’s crazy hour!) but a lot of scenes in “B.J.” were a little trying. The bodies on the road wrapped in white, the Baby Jesus flying out the window, Laurie doubling back to get the lighter but her fingers being just out of reach, the layers behind Tom gravelly saying “I was abandoned by my father,” and so on. But, as I said, it wasn’t a bad episode. And it did have one of my favorite scenes so far: Guilty Remnant snuck into people’s homes and took away their family photos, so when they woke up the next morning every frame would be empty. It’s so creepily unsettling, which is what The Leftovers does best.