Wayne preps Tom for his still unknown trip with Christine, snapping his phone in half and handing him a new one. “When it’s time for what comes next, I’ll call you on this,” he says, handing him a new phone (though he doesn’t have a charger for Tom). Then, Wayne turns to Christine and whispers, “I love you.” She says the same back, and Wayne says to Tom, “This girl is everything, yes?” Tom agrees. He’s obviously troubled by Wayne and Christine’s relationship. As Wayne drives off, they get in their car – which won’t start. After a few tries, Tom loses it, hitting the steering wheel and cursing loudly. “It’s gonna be okay,” Christine assures him. “How?” He asks. “Wayne told me,” she says.
Back at his house, Kevin answers a knock at the door to find the bald man. “Why’s your pickup truck parked in my driveway?” Kevin asks. “Heard you were looking for it,” comes his answer. “Where?” “Around.” He asks for the bald man’s name but doesn’t get it. Jill and Aimee walk up to the doorway, confirming (maybe) that he is in fact real. The bald man passes a six-pack to Jill, who takes it inside. “So I found another pack,” he says. He asks Kevin out on another shooting expedition. “Why can’t you do it yourself?” Kevin asks. “Because I’m lonely,” he responds. When Kevin pushes the bald man to take his truck, all the guy will say is that he’s done with it. “Who was that?” asks Jill after the bald man departs. “Nobody,” Kevin says assertively.
Kevin goes to visit his father (Scott Glenn) in a nursing home. Lucy is visiting him as well (are Lucy and the old police chief married?), but when Kevin shows up, she gives them some space. They talk about the family situation, with Kevin’s father telling him that just because Tom’s distant, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love him. “How’d it start for you, Dad?” Kevin asks, talking about his father’s eventual mental collapse. “If you’re asking me when I started losing my shit,” his father says, “contrary to the professional opinion of others, I maintain my shit remains intact.”
His father reveals that Lucy told him about Kevin’s nighttime escapades beating up cult members and shooting dogs. Like Lucy, Kevin’s father advocates for Kevin simply telling the shrink that he’s very sorry and was drunk. Then, however, his father goes into a sidebar with someone Kevin can’t see (his own bald man?). The invisible presence wants Kevin to know something. Finally, his father agrees to tell Kevin. “Someone came to see you?” He asks, not really a question. “They said they sent or are sending somebody to help you.” When Kevin presses him for more, Kevin’s father simply shrugs.
Frustrated, Kevin returns to the precinct and drills open the toaster, looking for his AWOL bagels. Reaching his hand in, he pulls out one burned bagel… and then the other. Looks like he may still have his marbles, for now at least.
Back at the GR compound, Patti wakes Laurie up with a sign reading, “She’s gone.” However, we see that Meg has gone back out to the woods with an ax and is swinging away at the tree, laughing and then crying as she does so, looking more unhinged than ever.
That’s all for this week on The Leftovers. Not much of note happened in this episode, honestly. Tom and Christine setting out on their journey is the biggest development, and we still know next to nothing about that. Kevin is still grappling with his personal demons, and Jill is careening down a path to self-destruction with Aimee by her side. Meg is still under the influence of the GR, for reasons unbeknownst to us. And Nora is one stone-cold bitch – why, we don’t know.
So, mysteries remain (duh). Is the bald man a figment of Kevin’s imagination, a guardian angel, an enemy hidden in plain sight, or something even more strange than that? What is Wayne’s deal, and why does he think Christine’s so special? What does joining the GR actually entail (aside from the all-white get-up and vow of silence)? And perhaps most importantly, will Tom ever pick up the fucking phone?
We may have to wait until the end of the season to get answers to all of those pressing questions – but will you be waiting around to see what comes next on The Leftovers? Or has this dull second installment caused you to lose interest? Sound off below!
