HBO’s drama The Leftovers is making some big changes during Season 2. This week, news broke that the show will be switching up locations during the upcoming season. Because of the changes, a good chunk of the show’s cast is also getting cut from the new season. Reportedly, many of the supporting roles in the series will not be back for Season 2, although some people could return in a guest starring capacity.
Season 2 isn’t expected to begin airing until the summer of 2015, so it could be some time before the entire new season totally comes together. The show is currently figuring out where it will go during the next set of episodes, and Deadline reports that many of the side characters will be cut. That could include Charlie and Max Carver, Annie Q, Amanda Warren, Michael Gaston, Emily Meade and more, although other side characters may pop in for guesting roles. Currently being looked at to guest during Season 2 are Liv Tyler and Ann Dowd. As Dowd’s character, Patti, has already committed suicide on the show, her stint would probably have to be via the flashback sequences the show has already committed to using.
If you’ve been watching The Leftovers and are fans of many of the leads, the entire Garvey family (Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Margaret Qualley and Chris Zylka) are expected to return for Season 2. Carrie Coon, who plays Nora Durst on the series, is also reportedly signed on to return next summer, as is Christopher Eccleston, who plays Reverend Matt Jamison on the series. The outlet’s report doesn’t mention characters like Scott Glenn, who plays Kevin Garvey’s father in the series, so it’s still a bit unclear how much these casting changes will end up affecting The Leftovers moving forward.
When The Leftovers last left off in September, we last saw panic ensue as the cult-like Guilty Remnant group left life-like burial dolls of departed family members in their former homes. Some Mapleton community members were angry while others were devastated. Nora nearly left new beau Kevin but stuck around after finding a baby left on his doorstep. Kevin and the former reverend also cleaned up after the death of Patti. Throughout the season, the show also hinted at larger plot threads going on in the country at large. For instance, Kevin worked with the government on the Guilty Remnant problem and learned they weren’t the only group causing headaches and panic. Apparently, the show wants to pursue the world at large during Season 2 and casting changes are a part of that.
When The Leftovers premiered, the ratings were a little lackluster, considering the show came from Lost producer Damon Lindelof and seemed like it would probably have a fanbase built in. The Leftovers is a darker and more depressing endeavor than Lost and its fanbase is predictably more niche. Still, HBO showed confidence in the drama, renewing The Leftovers a few weeks before the Season 1 finale.
Obviously, it’s a little early to tell how much the changes will interrupt the flow of the narrative, and it doesn’t seem like HBO has even wholly figured out who will be back for Season 2. However, we do know that changes are afoot and that The Leftovers is totally switching up gears for the new season. Maybe that will amp up the action a little during Season 2, as well.
