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Episode 7 Notes – The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical

Twin Brother)

Summary

This episode is about the dualities that exist in the world around us. This is Kevin’s story, which has nothing to do with the Book of Kevin or him being Jesus.

Although he cares about helping people as evidenced by his willingness to engage with the delusional fantasies of his father, Grace and John, he wants to kill himself and go to the other side primarily to escape what he sees as the one great failure in his life, his relationship with Nora. Kevin is forced to confront his fear through escaping. Ultimately, he will have to make a decision whether to continue on the same path to escape through this world or He can continue on the same path or blow it all up.

Title

The title is a funny take-off on David Burton’s explanation for the resurrection of Jesus; that he was replaced by his identical twin brother. A few people see that

Kevin is some sort of Christ-like figure because of his ability to come back from the dead. David Burton also asks Kevin in his ear piece on “the other side” if he remembers what he told him when he was on the bridge during the International Assassin episode in season 2. David told Kevin that he was the most powerful man in the world.

 Is Kevin the most powerful man in the world? If so, what is the basis of this power?

Opening Credits and Theme Song

The show opens with the same credit sequence but with Max Richter’s Leftovers theme song from Season 1, which in

RECAP

It’s a 1-800- Suicide

The action opens with Kevin and Nora sitting in a tub discussing how they would like their remains to be disposed of when they die. Nora wants to be cremated and

Kevin wants to be stuffed. Lily is heard crying on the monitor. They make jokes and Nora asks Kevin to grow a beard. We are fast-forwarded to the present with Kevin drowning himself on the seesaw in the pond. Around the same time, Kevin, Sr. and gang (Grace, John and Michael) wake up from Laurie’s drug-induced nap inside the house. They initially think that Laurie convinced Kevin not to kill himself and then quickly realize what he’s doing and rush out to save him. Kevin tells them that he is doing what they wanted. Kevin, Sr. wanted them to do it together. Kevin asks them what else they want. John, Grace and Kevin, Sr. reiterate the same basic things. They put him under again and as he’s dying, the Verdi opera associated with other side plays.

 Lily is used as a plot device here to illustrate the timing of this event and that everything is still good between Kevin and Nora. It also suggests that when Nora gave up Lily, she started becoming dour again.

 Kevin, Sr. appeared to be frustrated with his son because he wanted to kill himself alone. Kevin, Sr. still believes that his story is true and that the apocalyptic rain floods are imminent. Therefore, he should be a part of the process. He is willing to sacrifice his son like Abraham sacrificed Isaac, to show his faith and to follow through on his grand messianic vision of how to save humanity.

The Other Side Part 1

Assassin Kevin and Dean

Kevin wakes up in the ocean naked without a beard and is dragged out by a Russian man who calls him Kevin Harvey right before he slits his throat with a knife. The man is shot by Dean the dog killer who is in a Navy Seal suit. They arrive at a hut that Kevin says is his. Dean smashes the mirror and Kevin’s sunglasses because they are reflective surfaces. Dean tells Kevin to not look into reflective surfaces because, “That’s how they found you.” Kevin notices he has an incision near his heart. Dean reads a page from the typewriter and asks if he is writing a book (we find out later that he is writing a romance novel). Dean tells Kevin that the target is the President of the United States and that in two hours he will start an unsanctioned nuclear war. International Assassin Kevin is the only man who can get to the president before he takes this action. He agrees to kill the President if Dean helps him find the people he is looking for. Dean gives him an earpiece.

 Dean says the Kilo Hotel is secure after rescuing Kevin. What does that reference?

 Dean reads a book excerpt relating to Nora. Dean reads the following from the typewritten page: “The water endlessly stretching to the infinite horizon as he contemplated the impossible distance between them but he would not stop until he found her.”

 What do reflective surfaces mean in this Bizzaro world for Kevin? Who isDean referring to when he says, “That’s how they found you?”

 He chose his outfit in the International Assassin episode in season 2. Is they any significance as to why it is chosen for him here?

 This is also the first time that doubt is cast on the importance of Kevin’s finding the people for his family and friends.

David Burton and “The Most Powerful Man in the World”

After putting in the ear piece Dean gave him, he opens a box with a suit to wear for the assassination. David then talks to Kevin. Kevin doesn’t remember who it is and

David reminds him by singing part of Homeward Bound. David also reminds him

of what he said on the bridge, that he was “The Most Powerful Man in the World.”

David tells him to find a piece of mirror to look at himself against the wishes of

Dean to “get what he came here for.”

 It’s confusing when Dean tells Kevin not to look at reflective surfaces while

David tells him the opposite (as it appears they are on the same team). David

seems to be helping Kevin for a specific purpose. Is this to help Kevin

personally or is it because he wants Kevin to blow up the World on the

Other Side because maybe David doesn’t want to exist in it any longer

either?

 Lost and Alice in Wonderland reference; Through the Looking Glass.

The Playford Children

After looking at his reflection into the mirror, part of the opera again plays and

Kevin has a beard and now is wearing an all-white suit in front of a crowd of

people dressed in white. President Kevin reluctantly reads his speech from the

monitor and the crowd cheers and applauds with every statement. He speaks

strongly against marriage and family, including outlawing marriage for being the

most destructive human institution. A worldwide essay contest was initiated to

help answer the question of what will happen to the children without family. The

winner is one of the Playford children, Liam Playford. His siblings are sitting next

to him. The essay is entitled, “Why I Don’t Need Daddy and Mommy Anymore.”

Kevin asks Liam why he isn’t wearing shoes.

 Liam Playford answers Kevin’s missing shoe question by saying “Why does

it matter?” When Kevin says that someone in his family wants to know,

Liam said, “But you said there is no family.” This again illustrates that what

Grace was holding onto was an illusion.

 Kevin references the Guilty Remnant early in the speech by saying that they,

were stupid in the beginning by making everyone smoke cigarettes and

outlawing speech.

 No one who departed exists in this world. Most notably, the Playford

children’s father because it is clear the children had no interactions

with him.

Evie

Evie barges into the crowd during the speech wearing a red shirt that says I

Remember and sings, “Love will keep us together.” Kevin is hurried out by

Australian Police Chief Kevin because of a situation requiring him to be whisked

away to secure location. Kevin agrees only if they take Evie with them. While

walking to the cars to leave, he receives a phone call. A man updates him on the

security status and wants him to increase the threat level for an attack from DefCon

3 to 2. Kevin wants more information but the man says the secretary of defense if

not going to like that. He gets into a limo with Evie and they talk. At the end, she

says, “What do you want?” Kevin then starts to spit up water, we hear the opera

music, he sees flashbacks and then wakes up in the real world.

 The I Remember sign references season one in Mapleton when the Guilty

Remnant “made” everyone remember the Departure with the dolls. This is

also a take-off on the parade from season one when they are all holding

signs saying, “Stop wasting your breath.” This time Evie is speaking instead

of holding a sign.

 Ukrainian separatists have taken control of a nuclear submarine and they

will have launch capabilities within two hours.

 Kevin is informed that he will be able to access the secure facility because of

his unique biometrics. He can only unlock it, unless he “has an identical twin

brother. But that would be ridiculous.” This mocks what David Burton told

Matt before.

 Kevin initially thinks that Evie is completely conscious and knows who he

is, where they are and what happened to them. Evie believes that he is just a

puppet and that the government is responsible for killing her family with a

drone. She goes onto say that Kevin didn’t believe in what he was saying

and that he just does what “they” tell you to do. This refers back to

everyone’s desire to have him kill himself in the real world for their own

selfish purposes.

 Evie helps Kevin see that he needs to figure out why he’s there on the other

side, and not because of other people by saying, “What do you want?”

 It seems that much of what happens on the other side is the exact opposite of

the “Real World.” Evie was killed by a government drone, but she believes

her family was killed by a drone.

What Does Kevin Want?

Kevin is revived and taken into Grace’s house because the ranch is flooded. He

tells John and Grace that he saw and spoke to their respective children. As they are

preparing to kill Kevin again in the tub, they discuss the importance of stopping the

flood. Michael says that this isn’t the reason that Kevin is willing to die again. A

flashback of Nora in the tub from the first scene immediately enters Kevin’s mind.

Kevin, Sr. then closes and locks the door abruptly. After a brief exchange, Kevin,

Sr. tells his son that he loves him. Kevin then tells him he will have to hold him

down to kill him.

 Kevin tells John that he saw Evie and told her what he wanted to say. He

also tells Grace that her kids didn’t know what happened to their shoes. John

appeared to take comfort in knowing his message was passed on and Grace

had to let go of her shoe story.

 Kevin, Sr. tried to justify killing his son by saying if I could go in your

place, I would.

 Kevin didn’t get his answers yet and that is why he was willing to go back

again.

 For the first time, it looks like there is a bit of doubt on Kevin, Sr. face when

he has to put him down.

The Other Side Part II

President Kevin

After dying, President Kevin is being scanned for his “unique biometrics.” This

includes whipping out his dick and placing it on another scanner. The Australian

police chief Kevin makes a joke about it saying that no one would go to “that

length” to copy his penis. He answers 3 authentication questions, including naming

his Secretary of Defense, Patti Levin. The opera music plays again and he enters

the secure facility.

The Situation Room

They enter the situation room and President Kevin is apprised of the Ukrainian

separatist threat. Patti said that the only way to stop it is by striking first, which

means going to DefCon 1. This will afford him access to a special suitcase with the

red button to launch a nuclear strike. He will only agree to go to DefCon1 if he can

speak to Christopher Sunday. Patti gets angry and attacks Kevin.

 Patti says that we will give the people what they are too chickenshit to want

or do themselves and why the GR was elected.

The Fisher Protocol

The Vice-President, Meg Abbott arrives and tells Kevin that he is being played by

Patti and that there are no Ukrainian separatists. Patti then tells Meg and Kevin that

in honor of the 7-year anniversary they are going to launch nukes and that the

Russians will follow do the same. Meg says that they can’t do it without following

the Fisher protocol, which is described as an ethical deterrent. The nuclear launch

key has been implanted next to a volunteer’s heart. To start a nuclear war, the

president would have to first kill the volunteer to retrieve the key. Kevin realizes

that his “identical twin brother” is the volunteer and he is on his way. After telling

Meg, she leaves seemingly defeated.

 What did the name of the Fisher Protocol come from?

International Assassin

After Meg leaves, Patti presses President Kevin again to lower the threat to

DefCon 1. She will only let him make the call if he lowers it. Once he does, all the

doors lock and he no longer has access to the means to contact Christopher

Sunday. Realizing this, he snatches Patti’s glasses and stares into them transporting

back into his identical twin brother, the assassin’s body. The music starts again and

he is looking through the lens of a gun locked on the remote facility holding the

president. David Burton speaks to him through an ear piece knows that it is a trap

to get Kevin in there. David tells Kevin he has an asset that will help him if he

enters the secure facility.

The Asset

After establishing his unique biometrics with a thud, he goes in and is stopped by

Australian Police Chief Kevin and another man. Meg then kills them from behind.

After a brief conversation illuminating that Meg is clearly a different person in this

reality, he asks for the directions to the COM room to contact Christopher Sunday

and then kills her. He takes off the ear piece.

 David Burton responds to Kevin being frustrated to David not telling him

what his plan was by saying: “Hence it comes about that all unarmed

prophets are victorious and all armed prophets have been destroyed –

Machiavelli

 After killing the men, Meg looks at Kevin and says, “Jesus, you look just

fucking like him.”

 Meg says she knows the president and that he is cold and merciless and

doesn’t care about him because he wants to destroy the world.

 A happy Meg denounces the Guilty Remnant, confiding that she feels and is

in love with God. In a humorous moment, David Burton (as God) says, “Tell

her I love her too.” He says that calling himself God was just a pickup line.

Christopher Sunday

After telling Christopher Sunday that he is not the Prime Minister of Australia, he

asks him for a song to stop the rain. Chris tells him that he told his father that there

is no song to stop the rain. Kevin says he needs to bring him something

(presumably to satisfy his need) and to stop the flood. When Chris asks him if

Kevin believes that (there is a flood and that this song his father will sing will stop

it), he says no. Chris then reiterates the theme of the episode asking him, “Then

why are you here?” Kevin is then attacked by Secret Service men and during the

scuffle he looks at broken glass again and returns to the President’s body.

 It appears there were flooding conditions in the real world while Kevin is

down under. While Chris said that the song couldn’t stop the flood, is that

metaphorical? Or, is it possible that Kevin blowing up the other world

somehow saves the real world?

Reality Check

President Kevin is looking through the glasses of Patti Levin. After Patti asks for

the glasses back he smashes them to pieces. They have a brief conversation

discussing the situation and what he wants for himself.

 Patti has been and is Kevin’s reality check.

 Kevin says he doesn’t want to do this anymore and that he is not the

president. Patti tells him that he named her the Secretary of Defense and

summoned her out of retirement. Patti came back because she owed him and

wanted to help. Her help means blowing up the world.

 How is Patti still “alive” on the other side? What did she exactly retire

from and where did she retire to?

 After Patti asks Kevin what he wants, he tells her he wants her help to go

home. She reminds him that he always says that but he keeps leaving home

to come there. Patti says I’m sensing a lot of contradictions from you Kevin

and sounds like it’s something you have to work out with yourself.

The Two Kevins

Patti takes off International Assassin Kevin’s hood and starts singing a song about

the identical Kevins. They stare at each other and Patti invokes the Fisher Protocol

granted by Constitutional powers, which provides very specific and detailed

instructions of how to remove the key from the volunteer. She hands a scalpel to

President Kevin. IA Kevin and President Kevin say no. When IA Kevin asks why

would he go through with this, she says that he knew exactly what was going to

happen but he kept moving forward to the situation room and the one person who

was powerful enough to take him out. Patti then tells President Kevin to confess to

IA Kevin about the book he wrote.

 Great shot of them on opposite sides of the table in black no bearded Kevin

and white bearded Kevin.

 In a bit of humor, the volunteer will win a Congressional Medal of Honor

provided that the government still exists after they blow up the world. Patti

also says may God have mercy on your soul, which there is not.

The Book

Patti tells President Kevin that he wrote a romance novel. President Kevin says that

IA Kevin wrote the novel, not him. IA Kevin says he didn’t write it even though he

was in the hut where the page from the novel was found. Patti says that they both

wrote the same book. Patti pulls out a book she claims to have received from the

CIA and asks President Kevin to read it. Both Kevins refuse and after struggling

with her broken glasses, President Kevin reads from the book, entitled “Untitled

Romance Novel.” Patti asks him to read the last page. As he’s reading it to IA

Kevin, he has flashbacks to the past between him and Nora, ultimately leaving her.

Sobbing, IA Kevin asks President Kevin to take the key out of him. When the

President asks him why, IA Kevin says, “So we can’t ever come back here again”

 The first part of the passage describes a broken-down Ship called the

Merciful. He was escaping but in his escape his thoughts turned to her.

 “She had suspected it all along, but now she knew that he was a coward. He

did countless brave things to follow her but in the end, he was terrified of

baring his innermost soul to her. All he knew to do was run. He sailed alone

toward the horizon and all was well.”

God Only Knows

Both Kevins get up to perform the procedure with “God Only Knows” by the

Beach Boys playing the background. President Kevin removes the key from IA

Kevin’s chest and he dies. He then places the key in the suitcase and turns the key.

Patti and Kevin then walk outside holding hands and watch the end of the world

with Max Richter’s theme music playing. Everything turns white.

 If International Assassin Kevin killed President Kevin instead what would

have happened? Would things have remained the same without any change?

 Does the song suggest that God only knows what happens; again

emphasizing that we will never know why 2% of the people departed

suddenly?

Rebirth of Kevin

Kevin wakes up covered in a white sheet as if he’s dead inside of the stripped

church on Grace’s land. Michael and John are sleeping close to him. He walks to

the house and sees his father sitting on the roof. Kevin, Sr. admits that he was

scared when it started raining. He says to his son that he’s not ready to come down

and looks at him and says, “Now What?” Kevin just looks on.

 The boat that was being built on Grace’s land is no longer there. Was it

swept away with the flood?

Questions

 What is this other world exactly? Is this some kind of purgatory? Most of the

people aren’t aware of what’s happened to them. Where does one go if you

die there? Can you die there? No one who moved on from the Sudden

Departure are in this World. Where are they?

Ideas

 The irony in all of this is that people are looking at outside events like the

Departure, or turning to their spiritual beliefs/stories to make sense of the

grief or loss they experience, instead of looking within to find the peace they

seek. Everyone should be their own personal Jesus.

 Kevin’s Story in the end was not about being Jesus or someone with “special

abilities.” It was about love and his relationship with Nora. If everyone

found something to connect with in this world, there would be no need to go

somewhere else to figure things out.

 

Kevin returns to the other side and Axel & Aaron are totally along for the ride. Another fantastic episode.

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Episode 6 Notes – Certified

Summary

This is presumably Laurie’s goodbye episode and also the beginning of the end,

marked by the 7-year anniversary of the departure. We see her journey from the

day of the Departure until now and she has never been able to get over her guilt

and loss. Laurie, a.k.a. Judas, with the assistance of Matt helps Nora find the two

physicists and their radiation machine because she wants to connect with her

departed children. Laurie then goes to the ranch to find John and help Kevin. She

realizes that everyone is on a path to suicide or death based on their beliefs and can

no longer help them as a therapist and because it’s not her place.

Title

The title relates to the fact that Laurie is both a certified as a psychologist, scuba-

diver teacher and suicidal.

Opening Credits and Theme Song

After the Laurie’s prologue, we hear the powerful Gravediggaz song “1-800

Suicide.” This song works better with the opening credits than every song except

the Iris Dement’s original song.

RECAP

Laurie’s Pain (Prologue)

Approximately two years after the departure, the woman who lost her baby during

the first scene of the entire show is being seen by her therapist, Laurie. After

relaying the heartbreaking tale of how her baby boy departed, the woman asks her

for help. Laurie freezes and says “I don’t know” because this hits too close to

home. We relive Laurie’s tragic experience and flashback to her in the doctor’s

office losing the baby on the day of the sudden departure. Laurie is then in her

office and she tries to commit suicide by taking pills. She writes a note that she at

first tapes to the door and then lies down and holds. After closing her eyes for a

beat, Laurie gets up frantically and finds charcoal in her medical kit to vomit up

the pills. Laurie then gets some white clothes together and puts them on and goes

out to meet the two members of the Guilty Remnant that have been monitoring her.

 Laurie was looking for an escape from her pain at least in part because she

felt guilty and responsible for the baby departing. As we find out later when

she is talking to Kevin, Laurie didn’t want another baby at that point in her

life.

 When faced with having to help other people who have gone through losing

a loved one to the departure (either with this woman or when she and John

give readings), she can’t give them any answers to help ease their suffering.

She can’t deal with her own pain, how can she help others with the same

thing? This is why she tried to kill herself. At the last minute, Laurie decided

that another avenue of escape would be joining the Guilty Remnant.

Laurie and Nora

Laurie, Nora and Matt are conducting surveillance in a van parked outside of the

house of physicists, Drs. Aden and Becker, who are linked to a radiation machine

that can purportedly send people to the same place as their departed loved ones.

They follow the physicists to what appears to be a mobile science lab using 18-

wheelers near the ocean. Seemingly ready to believe this is real, Nora is

determined to follow through. Matt decides to stay with her and Laurie goes on to

the ranch.

 Laurie sees that Drs. Aden and Becker appear to be romantically involved

when staring though their house window.

 We find out the French naval crewman lost his mind and blew up the island

because he believed events in the book of revelations, including a 7-headed

monster was about to hatch like Godzilla. Matt seemingly for the first time

takes something in the Bible as being figurative, not literal. This shows that

Matt has indeed changed as events in the last episode illustrate.

 Nora is obsessed with death and shares with Laurie that the cleanest way to

commit suicide without anyone knowing would be to do it while scuba

diving because no one would be able to ascertain whether it was an accident.

 Nora, really off-kilter, asks Laurie to give her a palm reading. She wants to

find out what Laurie would say to her if she was one of her (and John’s)

clients. Nora pushes Laurie to talk about her kids, but Laurie reiterates that

they don’t do departures because it’s too hard and people get angry.

 Laurie uses Nora and Matt’s parents to share what the process would entail

if they were her clients. Nora and Matt recall the days after their parents died

when they were kids.

o She fondly recalls a childhood trip to a baseball game, where the fans

took more joy out of the beach ball that was batted around the stands

than the game on the field. Even young Matt got into the act, smiling

and smacking the inflated sphere. But then the stadium usher grabbed

the ball and squeezed the air out of it, drawing boos from the crowd

and upsetting Nora. “He just ruined it for all of them,” she says, tears

running down her face. “Why would he want to do that job? Why

would anyone?” Laurie answers that the usher acted because if he

didn’t, the ball would go on the field and potentially cause chaos.

Laurie is the usher!

 Laurie and Nora fight over her zippo lighter that Jill gave to Laurie as a

Christmas present (or is it Kevin?). Because Laurie quit smoking, Nora

wants to keep it. They get into a tussle and Nora accidentally gives Laurie a

shiner on her eye.

 As seen in the previous episode, Matt appears to have found some peace and

changed his priorities in terms of what matters to him. Matt decides to stay

with Nora when they find the facility to be with family. He gives Laurie the

burnt copy of the Book of Kevin and wants her to tell Kevin, Sr. that he’s

sorry he didn’t put him in the fucking book.

The Ranch

Laurie arrives at Grace’s ranch in the bus that presumably Nora and Matt stole.

John and Michael have already arrived. Michael called Laurie while she was with

Nora to let her know that John was picked up by Kevin, Sr. at the airport. Michael

then followed John to the ranch to keep an eye on him. Laurie speaks with Kevin,

Sr. who she affectionately refers to as Pop. Laurie inquires as to what they are

planning on doing with Kevin. She finds out that Kevin is off reflecting on the

issue of whether to kill himself or not to help save humanity. A policeman visits

the ranch looking for the murdered police chief Kevin. Before the policeman gets

too close to the church (where the police chief is buried), Kevin, Sr. knocks him

out. Kevin, Sr. then drives him far away in the outback to drop him off. To allay

Laurie’s concerns, he says he won’t take him too far and will presumably give him

some supplies.

 This is the first time we see Laurie and Kevin, Sr. together but they clearly

had a strong relationship in the past.

 John doesn’t completely trust her motives for being there. He doesn’t know

that Michael is the one that told her of their whereabouts. John still believes

that Evie is alive in some way. She tells John that he should see it through to

the end.

 Laurie appears to not believe in what they are doing (at least at first). Kevin,

Sr., John and Grace tell Laurie what they want to accomplish by killing

Kevin.

o Kevin, Sr. wants Kevin to learn the last part of songline he thinks will

stop the coming floods.

o John wants Kevin to pass on a message to Evie that she was loved.

Laurie can’t understand his pain and realized that she has no place

getting in his way, just like Nora.

o Grace wants Kevin to ask her children where they left their shoes

when they were wandering and died in the desert. She has been

searching for their shoes ever since.

The Last Supper

Laurie, Michael, John, Grace and Kevin, Sr. have dinner and is referred to as the

Last Supper by Kevin, Sr. He also said that the only thing missing was Jesus or

Kevin.

 They have a funny discussion about who each disciple was based on the

Bible and each of the character’s individual stories. Kevin calls himself

Peter. Michael passes on his role (and doesn’t really seem to be a part of all

of this).

 Laurie first calls herself Mary Magdalene, but Kevin, Sr. corrects them and

said she was Thomas. Nora is Mary Magdalene because of being in a

relationship with Kevin. Laurie then says her role is more like Judas by

saying that doubting is easy because doubting costs you nothing. But Judas,

he was surrounded by people going on and on about how special Jesus was.

But he betrayed him anyway. Laurie says that Thomas took the easy way out

by becoming a skeptic while Judas did the harder work of setting the

crucifixion in motion.

 When it was brought to Laurie’s attention that part of Judas’ story involved

him committing suicide, she claimed to not know that part. She “betrayed”

them by drugging everyone’s food so that she could talk to Kevin alone. The

irony here is that Judas and Laurie take the easy way out by committing

suicide.

 Laurie still doesn’t believe that Kevin is now Jesus or some sort of spiritual

guru, but she doesn’t try to talk anyone out of their beliefs which is

somewhat consistent with how she dealt with Nora. Laurie wanted everyone

to find peace, no matter how much she didn’t agree with the why or how.

 Although it appeared initially that Laurie might be a real Judas by drugging

everyone, she just wanted to speak to Kevin alone. Laurie is not Judas

because she didn’t betray anyone, other than not sharing her pain.

Kevin and Laurie

While everyone is sleeping inside, Laurie waits for Kevin. Kevin returns on a

horse. They sit on the porch and have probably the most real conversation they

ever had. Laurie shares with Kevin (or anyone else) for the first time that she was

two months pregnant during the Departure and that she lost the baby while visiting

her obstetrician. She is also honest and tells Kevin that she didn’t want another

baby. Laurie asks him if he would have wanted another kid and he says no.

 They both confess to some other things that they kept hidden from each

other while married probably because they know that this will be the last

time they see each other. Laurie went to an expensive spa when she was

supposed to go to a conference and Kevin accidentally killed Jill’s hamster,

Mr. Funny from neglect.

 Laurie just wanted to make sure that Kevin was on the right path and not

forced into doing something based on others’ beliefs that they project onto

him.

 Kevin tells Laurie he is not scared and that life on the other side is more real

than his current life.

 Laurie gives Kevin the Zippo Jill gave her for Christmas. This foreshadows

her death because she would never part with it because of the sentimental

value it holds. She broke her Guilty Remnant vows by going back to

retrieve the lighter after she tossed it into a sewer.

 When they look at each other and say goodbye, this is one of the saddest,

tear jerking scenes in the entire show. They clearly love each other and if not

for the Departure, they probably would have stayed together.

 It feels like they were robbed of this moment because of the Departure, but

they finally say goodbye to each other.

Laurie’s Departure

Laurie charters a small boat to take her as far out on the ocean as possible. Before

she jumps in, Jill calls her (and Tom is with Jill) and they briefly talk about

mundane things. Jill asks Laurie for her whereabouts and we find out it is the 7-

year anniversary of the departure. Laurie answers that she is spending the day by

herself and neglects to mention that she left with Matt, Michael and John to

Australia. In an eerily bittersweet moment, at the end of the phone call, Laurie tells

Jill and Tom that she loves them. After hanging up, she takes a moment to collect

herself, as if taking the deep breath before the plunge. She then smiles, puts on her

goggle and falls in. The camera focuses on the empty boat for a couple of beats and

the screen cuts to black.

 Is this the end of Laurie or did she just go for a dive?

 Jill mentions that she and Tommy are debating what the name of a show

they used to watch is called, a 1980s Canadian TV series “Today’s

Special.” This was about a department store mannequin who comes to

life at night and learns about life. According to the theme song, which

Laurie was not fond of says that the show was set in a place “With magic

everywhere, a world for us to share, and friendly faces hoping that you’ll

want to meet us there.” This again foreshadows what she is about to

experience and she will go to a world that Kevin said was more real than

here.

 Hearing that Jill and Tom sound happy and are doing well seemingly

makes her choice much easier.

 Laurie is good at hiding her pain from others and no one is remotely

aware of what she is experiencing.

 Everyone was focused on Nora and Kevin and their impending

“suicides,” and didn’t see this coming. Throughout this season and last, it

appeared that Laurie was well on her way to recovery or at least to

finding some measure of peace. Nothing could help her let go of the

guilt she felt. Just like everyone else, she wasn’t okay.

Questions

 Will the flood actually occur on the 7-year anniversary? If so, how does

Kevin, Sr. know? Why does he know and seemingly no one else.

 Will Kevin do something on the other side that will help save humanity

other than learning Christopher Sunday’s song to complete the songline to

prevent the great apocalyptic flood Kevin, Sr. foretells?

 Does Nora use the machine? Will she go to the other side (or wherever the

departures are) and communicate with them. and then we see her at the end

of episode one

What an episode. Aaron & Axel Take a deep dive into Certified.

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Episode 5 Notes – It’s a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World 

Summary

Matt, with the reluctant support of Laurie, John and Michael, books a trip to Australia to find Kevin to bring him home. Matt is convinced that Kevin needs to be in Jarden (Miracle) during the 7-year anniversary of the departure because everything “special” that happened to Kevin, occurred when he was living there. (As the episode was aired on Mother’s day, there were many instances where it shows that women are just as important as men when talking about faith.)

 

Title

It’s a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World is a take on the title of the American 1963 comedy movie, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Spencer Tracy starred). The movie is a commentary on American greed.

• Plot: A caravan of motorists who witness a terrible accident on a dangerously winding California desert highway. The auto-crash victim, reveals in his dying words that he has hidden a fortune of stolen cash, sending the drivers on a crazy race to see who can claim the loot first. A cop goes undercover and colludes with some of the motorists to get the money. After the money is retrieved and they are splitting it up, he reveals his identity and recommends that they turn themselves in as he takes off with the money. He is busted and loses everything in the process.

 

Opening Credits and Theme Song

• The credits open with a French man speaking very low. Not sure what he says, but I believe it is the French crewman aboard the nuclear submarine.

• The opening song in French is entitled in English “I Cannot Go Home.”

o After the crewman unlocks safe and takes the key, he swaps out his iPod to attach to the boat’s com system. Is the man speaking French over the credits what he was listening to on his iPod?

o This song is the opposite of Homeward Bound that Kevin sang in the finale of season 2.

 

RECAP

 

The “Explosion”

In last week’s episode, we know there was a large explosion of some kind that was grounding all flights and taxis in Melbourne.

• This week’s episode begins on a French nuclear sub somewhere in the South Pacific near an uninhabited island (homage to Lost? First episode of season 6). A crewman unlocks the safe to get a key to unlock the nuclear missile capabilities. He blares the episode’s theme song, Cannot Go Home on the com of the submarine. He then strips completely naked and kills another crewman for his key and then locks himself into the Missile Room where he proceeds to turn both keys at different stations using one arm and a foot in a very graceful and ballet-like pose. A joystick with a red button unlocks and he presses it. The action then opens up in Texas.

 

Airplane Trip to Tasmania

• As all flights are grounded, Matt charters a plane and pilot under the guise of foreign aid. Matt gives the pilot $20,000 while also appealing to his faith (the same amount that Nora brought to Australia coincidentally).  

• While on their plane trip, we see the first tension that Matt has with Laurie. He makes it clear throughout most of the episode that he is displeased that she is there with him due to her not being a true believer or someone who directly experienced one of the miraculous events with Kevin. Laurie is there because she believes that Kevin might be more willing to listen/speak with her based on their previous relationship and the fact that Kevin called her when he was in trouble.

• Matt and Laurie – Before getting on the plane, we see the first sign of tension with Laurie that pervades the episode. Matt calls himself, Michael and John the Three Wise Men. He doesn’t want a woman who also is not a believer, getting in the way of his divine mission.

o We find out that Laurie is married to John for the first time.

o When Laurie says, “What happens in 4 days?” Matt says indignantly, “It’s the 7-year anniversary of the Departure.” Laurie responds by saying, “So” throwing shade on the whole premise that just because it’s the 7-year anniversary and has biblical context, doesn’t mean anything related to the first departure will happen again. There is no evidence. Laurie says that she was married to Kevin for many years and that at no time did he fit the Jesus profile.

o Matt has a problem with women in his life. His only concern is for retrieving Kevin and has forgotten all about his sister, Nora. He also forgot all about his wife, Mary and their son Noah while on this mission to anoint Kevin as Jesus Christ. Throughout the episode until the end, Matt dismisses Laurie and wishes she wasn’t there. When John suggested that maybe Laurie is a disciple too, Matt didn’t like it.  

o Matt reads the following from the Bible: Daniel, Chapter 6, verses 21 and 22. This is a story about a man’s faith convinces God to save him from certain death in the jaws of the lions (see special notes below).

 

Satan’s Ferry and the Frasierites

• After landing in Tasmania, Matt and the disciples are faced with the choice of either having to wait a couple of days to take the Ferry because it is booked and risk being late for the 7-year anniversary back home or they can ask to join the private party who has booked passage that evening.

• Frasier – The private party is a group of libertine sensualists who plan to spend the entire ferry trip having an orgy. They’re celebrating the life of an elderly lion named Frasier — one of whose offspring they’ve brought with them. The woman welcoming guests on the boat asks Matt to tell a dirty joke (not believing he is capable). After Matt relays the joke, the woman says they can travel with them on one condition: if anyone says the name Frasier after midnight, that person will have to become Frasier.

o Frasier the Lion’s story is that a number of lionesses were not interested in having sex with the other lions at a zoo. An older lion, aged 91 by the name of Frasier was brought in and they all immediately had sex with him and gave birth to 35 cubs. This is based on a true story and Sarah Vaughan wrote a song about it named after the 1973 film inspired by these events, entitled “Frasier, the Sensuous Lion.”

• Orgy – during the voyage, or the voyeurage, the disciples go about their business with this crazy orgy backdrop. Everyone is making out in a free-for-all, while they are debating how to rescue Kevin. This can be seen as symbolism for the World at large.

o Most of the people in the orgy don’t care about anything except pleasure and escape.

 

Matt’s Journey and the Disciples

• Matt always has a mission or purpose. In season 1, it was helping the Guilty Remnant; in season 2, it was believing in the power of Jarden and helping his wife Mary; and in season 3 it’s to help Kevin find himself and to return him to what Matt views as the holy land of Jarden (Eden).

• Matt is very frustrated with the dwindling time to complete his mission and Michael says that they should give Kevin space to make up his mind about coming back. John points out that even if they are able to convince Kevin to come back. They would not make it back to Jarden in time for the 7-year anniversary of the Departure.

• Matt believes that Jarden is a magical place because his wife was saved and he had a son even though they weren’t able to medically conceive before moving there. John reminds him that it’s not, because he lost Evie and his wife Erica.

• As the episode progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that John and Michael are there for Matt maybe as much as Kevin, as they are familiar with his terminal illness and worried about him.

• Michael and John want Matt to come to terms with the fact that he is dying. This probably has something to do with the reason why Matt wants to get Kevin back to Jarden so badly. This is his last mission.

• Michael suggests to Matt that he should let Laurie help him cope with his approaching death because she was able to help cure John’s delusions of grandeur. Matt believes his spirituality will guide him above all else and doesn’t need psychotherapy.

• Matt fights with Laurie a good deal about science/faith. Matt believes he was appointed by God to help Kevin become Jesus. Laurie doesn’t believe in any of it and thinks that Kevin and Matt have deep-seated psychological problems. Matt is in the clouds and Laurie is grounded on Earth.

 

David Burton, “a.k.a. God or Yahweh”

• Matt is told about David Burton. When Matt meets David, he is reading a Louis L’Amour novel entitled, Lonely on the Mountain. David, clearly annoyed, just hands him his F.A.Q. card and gets up and walks away abruptly (which corrects some of the Bible’s mistakes). It says, Yes I am God on one side (see special notes for other side).

o When Matt reads the card, his nose bleeds for the first time, signaling his own mortality and the onset of Leukemia.

• The next time Matt sees David is at night when he just happens to see David throw someone off the ship’s deck. Frantic, Matt tries to get everyone’s attention and help. The passengers are in the middle of a sex orgy and they don’t want to be disturbed, nor do they care. He jumps in the water in vain.

• The Captain tells him that although David was his personal friend and a local hero/legend that everyone likes and doubts that he would kill someone. He tells him the story of how David became God.

o David died in a rock climbing accident, his friend took him to a cave, and when his friend came back, David was alive and just fine and said he was God. (This presents the possibility that David and his friends made it up since they were the only witnesses to his death, but probably not true because we see him on the other side with Kevin after these events.)

• After another terse conversation with Laurie, Matt becomes maniacal and goes on a rampage after David Burton, or God. He wants answers!

• Matt finds David, knocks him out then ties him to a wheelchair in front of the lion cage to question him.

o David admits that he threw the man overboard but he would not tell the authorities because he was “the Authority.”

o David said he won the bronze medal in the decathlon because that was, “before.” This suggests that after his resurrection, he was someone else entirely.

o David said that Jesus was not his son and he never came back to life, as Jesus’ identical twin brother pretended to be him.

o He claimed credit for the departure and said he did it just because, “He could.”

o The lion appears to roar at important points in the conversation, almost making it look like David had something to do with it.

• Matt tells David about all the sacrifices he’s made to serve him. David says “Everything you’ve done because you thought I was watching, because you thought I was judging. But I wasn’t. I’m not. You’ve never done anything for me. You’ve done it for yourself.” Matt then says, “Is that why you are killing me?” David says he can heal Matt if he unties him. Burton appears to clinch his fist as if he was going to hit Matt and then reaches out like he is going to touch him. Before doing so, he just snaps his fingers and says he is cured.

o David Burton conflicts with Matt’s image of God in that he is more in line with Yahweh who can be vengeful than the image of Jesus Christ he has painted on Kevin. Or is David more representative of Satan than God?

 

Transformation

• Matt tells his friends (they are no longer the disciples to Matt) that he is dying and he accepts his fate. Laurie also opens up about Kevin seeing Evie to everyone. John is very understanding that she didn’t tell him before because it probably would have made him crazy. This scene shows they are all resigned to their fate and that love conquers all.

• Matt is very changed by this experience. When the ferry captain asks him if he has any pressing business in Melbourne so that he can answer some questions about the David Burton business, Matt says, “No, I don’t” contritely. It appears that Matt is defeated and no longer believes in his mission and Kevin but also is finding peace. Just like Grace, Matt realizes that his mission was just a story he told himself.

• At the end of the episode, David is killed by the offspring of Frasier the lion as he tries to escape when the police are searching for him. Matt says, “That’s the guy I was telling you about” nonchalantly. God is now dead! Commentary anyone?

o Who is David Burton and what is his primary motivation? Is his story the same as Kevin’s or different? Has he experienced the same things that Kevin has with people worshipping David after he came back to life and this is why he takes the persona of God? (refer to special notes below)

o We heard that David emerged from the cave resurrected prior to this episode. This would mean that David returned to the “other side” when he saw Kevin in season 2.

o Is it a coincidence that Matt and the other disciples are on this boat with David Burton?

o The lion plainly kills David for everyone to see. Will David come back to life? If he doesn’t, will this hold any significance?

o Who is the person that David throws off the boat and why?

 

Other Items of Interest

• Maybe Burton and Kevin experienced the same things in resurrecting from the dead, but they are very different in their reactions.  

o Is this David the same David from International Assassin or is a God-like figure just using his face?

o Is David Burton really God or some other manifestation? What about Kevin?

o If David Burton is not God, how does he know so much when Kevin sees him on the other side? Is he just a guide? David doesn’t appear to know everything about Patti when he meets him for the first time in International Assassin.

• French music again plays at the end of the episode. What does this mean for the coming weeks in a larger world context? Will anything happen in response to the French nuclear bomb blowing up a remote island?

Special Notes

Daniel, Chapter 6, verses 21 and 22

The story of Daniel in the lion’s den teaches us about the promises and faithfulness of God, even if we feel like everything has been lost. Daniel was a faithful servant of the King but prayed to the God of Israel. He was given power by the King. Others in the King’s court did not like Daniel and they conspired to change the law knowing Daniel’s faithfulness to God, so that the King’s subjects would only pray to him. Those who disobeyed were thrown into the Lion’s Den. The men outed Daniel and the King had no choice but to follow the law. The lions did not eat him and he was saved by God’s angel. The King then swore allegiance to Daniel’s God.

​21:​Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!

22:​My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

 

David Burton’s Yes I Am God Card

I am the one true God. I go by many names but Mr. Burton is fine. I will not take a photo with you. There was no Big Bang, just nothing then light. Yes I created you. No I didn’t create unicorns. Eve was not made from Adam’s rib, it was his tibia. I asked Abraham to kill Isaac just to see if he’d do it. Yes evolution is real but it doesn’t work how you think it does. I won the bronze medal for decathlon and the one you can’t remember is the hammer throw. No I had nothing to do with the crusades nor any type of genocide/Holocaust.

 

Who is David Burton?

• The first time we hear about David Burton was in Season 2, episode 1 where Michael received an addressed letter from “Pillar Man” to David Burton in Sydney, Australia.

• In Season 2, episode 3, a news broadcast mentions a resurrection claim coming out of Australia, where a man that witnesses said was dead came out of a cave in Wanneroo, just outside of Perth, now alive. Witnesses said he “walked out covered in mozzie bites and said he’d just been in a hotel.”

• In Season 2, episode 8, International Assassin, after drinking the poison to die, Kevin sees David Burton for the first time when he was on the “other side.” David pulled Kevin out of a car that was stopped on the bridge with child-Patti. He put a noose around Kevin’s neck and dragged him on the bridge, asking him what he was doing with the girl. Kevin said he was taking her to the well to throw her in. David asked if she was resisting and he said no. David said that she wanted to be thrown it and that it was just like a woman, thinking she could improve him. Kevin replied, “I don’t understand” to which David says, “That’s bloody obvious.” David then gave Kevin a choice to either “cross or jump.” He told Kevin that if he killed Patti, he would never be the same. Kevin replied, “None of this is real.” David then said, “Friend, this is more real than it’s ever been” and then whispered something into Kevin’s ear that seemed to impact Kevin greatly.

• In the season finale of Season 2, after John shoots Kevin in the chest, Kevin goes to the “other side” and meets David again at the hotel lounge bar during karaoke wearing his Mapleton police uniform. David tells Kevin that he can’t return to his world until he sings karaoke. David says, “You love your family, it’s not your time, still have so much to live for…Come on, be original mate, why should you go back and the rest of us…” Kevin says, “Because I deserve to…Now tell me now.” David says, “If you want to get out of here, all you have to do is sing…The trial, it’s beneath you, it’s not elegant enough, it’s too easy. You pushed a little girl into a well, you don’t want to sing? Kevin sings Homeward Bound and wakes up alive.

 

Lonely on the Mountain Plot Summary

• This is Louis L’Amour’s eleventh book chronicling the lives of the Sackett family from Tennessee. In Lonely on the Mountain, William “Tell” Sackett receives a brief note from his cousin Logan stating that Logan will face starvation or hanging if Tell can’t drive a herd of 1,100 cattle to British Columbia before winter. Tell and his brother, Tyrel, commandeer a nine-man cattle drive across the Dakota Plains to British Columbia. Along the way they experience food shortages, prairie fires, and the ever-present risk of an attack by Indians or cattle rustlers. There is also the matter of a mysterious stranger who is clandestinely pursuing the Sacketts. While on the journey, an ambush party of Sioux Indians attacks the men and scatters the hundreds of steer.

• Orrin Sackett, the Sackett’s middle sibling, hears not only the disturbing news of the attack, but that his two brothers (Tell and Tyrel) were killed. Orrin must now assemble his own group of men to follow the trail to British Columbia and find out the truth. Louis L’Amour provides realistic and fascinating details of what life was like for the brave men and women who traversed the Western frontier. From Indian attacks to killer mosquitoes, L’Amour leads his readers on a trek resplendent with unexpected and suspenseful events. His rich characterization of the Sacketts, along with that of their friends and foes, is enhanced by colorful rough-and-tumble dialogue as they cross the barren countryside of Western Canada.

This episode was a sleeper and both Aaron & Axel had more of an appreciation for it after the recap.

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