"Guest" is another episode focusing on a single character. This time the writers turn their attention to Nora Durst, who lost her entire family in The Departure and is still struggling to cope three years later. This week on The Tupperware Party, Andrew and Charlie discuss why these narrow-focused episodes work so well, and what the show seems to be implying about Wayne and Nora. Why does she do what she does in the cold open? What's the deal with Question 121 on the survey? How does this episode flesh out the world the writers are working in? And are Wayne's powers for real, or is he a fraud? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:26 - Intro

5:35 - General thoughts

10:25 - Hope, moving on, and question 121

16:35 - What's going on in the cold open?

22:53 - Missing identity

27:10 - Fleshing out the universe

31:30 - Confrontations

36:23 - The impersonator

42:10 - Boring protagonists

45:20 - Is Wayne for real?

51:27 - Foreshadowing?

54:19 - Listener feedback

1:01:25 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

That's one way to open an episode of television. "Gladys" gives new meaning to the phrase "let's get stoned," and begins with one of the most depressing cold opens in recent memory. Andrew and Charlie debate whether a hook can be effective while still arguably ethically unjustifiable. What do we learn about the Guilty Remnant in this episode? Why is Kevin still losing random things and freaking out about it? Is the climactic confrontation between Laurie and Matt compelling? And when does a show just become misery porn? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:26 - Intro

4:17 - General thoughts, Christine's dream

8:49 - The opening scene

13:08 - Who did it?

16:40 - Feeling vs. not feeling

22:00 - Jill cares

24:49 - Let's talk about Kevin

31:30 - Dealing with the feds

33:30 - Gladys' body, lack of Tom

36:41 - Meg is becoming more committed

38:33 - The climactic confrontation, the curfew

46:40 - Listener feedback and voicemails

1:07:30 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

Is The Leftovers the most bi-polar show on television? After last week's fantastic episode, the show churns out "B.J. And The A.C.," which could be the most pointless and heavy-handed episode to date. Does the confrontation between Kevin and Laurie work, or is it just a lot of yelling? What's the deal with Tommy's spiritual crisis? What makes Jill and her friends such poorly-developed characters? And what moment in the episode is genuinely poignant? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:26 - Intro

3:08 - General thoughts, Christine's dream

11:40 - Divorce papers, heavy-handed screenwriting

16:07 - Magical babies and stupid teenagers

20:33 - Kevin and Nora, stealing photos

24:55 - The Guilty Remnant and tv leftovers

29:08 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

It turns out the third time's the charm for The Leftovers, because "Two Boats And A Helicopter" is a genuinely great episode of television. The show takes a break from its ensemble cast to focus on a single character, and it's a decision that pays off. How does this sudden format change impact the structure of the series? Would this have worked better as the second episode? What's up with all the biblical imagery? How has the reverend transformed by the end of the episode? Tune in to find out. Plus, Andrew and Charlie discuss a listener voicemail.

SHOW NOTES:

0:26 - Intro

3:55 - General thoughts on the episode

12:24 - Emotional violence vs. physical violence

17:50 - The dream sequence

22:18 - What's up with the judge?

25:16 - Biblical imagery

32:16 - Thinking about structure and format

45:11 - Listener voicemail and episode titles

55:29 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

Well, that was a weird episode. It's only week two, but Andrew already thinks the show might already have gone off the rails. Charlie disagrees. Listen in as they debate what works and needs to be improved. What makes the Kevin storyline feel so clunky? Has the Wayne plot thread jumped the shark by moving too quickly? Why is the Meg subplot the best overall? And, perhaps most importantly, what's the deal with the bagels?! Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:26 - Intro

3:21 - General thoughts on the episode

13:15 - Is Kevin going crazy?

16:25 - Opening credit sequence

20:27 - Wayne, structure, and the random dead guy

25:11 - Jill and Nora, Meg and her tree

32:10 - Burning fences and hand cream

35:30 - The case of the missing bagels

40:20 - Dennis as audience surrogate, Meg's fiance

43:33 - Why the scene with Scott Glenn works

47:34 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

This week, Charlie and Andrew chew on some leftover dead dog in their discussion of the pilot of The Leftovers. The show follows the chief of police in a small town after a mysterious event results in the disappearance of 2 percent of the world's population. Is the tone too bleak? What is the primary idea or theme that will drive the show forward? What does the series seem to be saying about the loss of loved ones? And are concrete answers to "sci-fi" questions actually needed, or will they just derail the central drama? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:26 - Intro

4:18 - General thoughts on the pilot, characters

16:32 - Is the tone too bleak?

21:02 - The driving idea or device

27:00 - Cults and villainous forces (or lack thereof)

35:08 - Familial loss as separate from the disappearance

37:05 - Are answers actually needed? What if they can't be Googled?

52:32 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!

Andrew and Charlie are back with a new weekly television podcast! Join them every week at The Tupperware Party to hear them discuss the new HBO series The Leftovers. In this introductory episode, they talk about the basics of the show and what they're anticipating. Is the new Damon Lindelof project worth getting excited about? What about the cast? Aren't there already too many television shows about groups of people disappearing and/or reappearing? Tune in to find out.

SHOW NOTES:

0:26 - Intro

3:51 - The Lindelof conundrum

8:18 - The cast and what we're looking forward to

15:06 - The latest in a trend?

20:50 - Similarities with The Walking Dead

27:25 - Show close

DON'T FORGET: You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at 336-793-2509. Thanks for listening!