After hearing a lot of good stuff about this show, I decided to finally start watching it. I haven't read the novel it's based on, but I am a fan of co-creator Damon Lindelof's previous series "Lost". I didn't quite know what to expect from this pilot episode, but after watching it I was suitably impressed and definitely interested in continuing with this show.
Unlike "Lost", which had an explosive first episode that really hit the ground running and left the audience gasping for more, "The Leftovers" is very different. This first episode is deliberately paced and meditative, with far more focus going to the characters rather than the story. The focus on character was always my favourite part of "Lost", so it's pleasing to see that Lindelof is giving an even stronger focus to character in this show.
Despite having a high-concept premise (the sudden disappearance of 2% of the world's population), the premise doesn't drive this episode. The premise forces the characters into action, and it's the characters who make this episode so intriguing and it's the characters who I'm most interested to learn more about, not the mystery.
Overall, "The Leftovers" begins with a solid pilot episode that has a lot of potential and drew me enough to make me want to keep watching this show. That's what a pilot episode is meant to do. Unlike "Lost", this show doesn't hit its stride in the first episode, so I imagine it will take a few more episodes for me to decide if this show is as good as many people claim. But, on the basis of the first episode, I'm intrigued in what this show has to offer.
