Running Head: THE LEFTOVERS: CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES 1

The Leftovers: How Traditional Gender Stereotypes Are Challenged

In an Untraditional Television Series

Kenneth J. Hyllberg

Carthage College
THE LEFTOVERS: CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES 2

Abstract

This paper explores how the Home Box Office television series, The Leftovers, challenges

traditional gender roles and addresses feminism in a positive and progressive way. It does these

things by having solid, complex female characters with their own plots and devices and placing

these female characters in roles that go against the stereotypical female role of television.
THE LEFTOVERS: CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES 3

Though many people consider contemporary TV to be the Golden Era of Television,

there still are many shows that possess the same patterns of conservatismspecifically regarding

gender roles. However, there are some that do not fit the mold. Television shows that stand out

are the ones that are increasingly becoming more liberal in how they take on the challenges of

gender roles and stereotypes on screen. One of these shows is HBOs The Leftovers, from

novelist Tom Perrotta and creator Damon Lindelof. In this show, traditional gender roles are

challenged by giving female characters unique, complex roles while upholding postmodern

feminism in the process.

The Leftovers is a seemingly somber series of only three seasons with the premise that on

one random day, two percent of the worlds population, or approximately 150 million people,

suddenly disappeared (or departed as is termed in the show). The show begins three years after

this worldwide event, and follows the journey of the characters as they struggle to find meaning,

stability, and hope. Critically, the show has done very well, with an average Rotten Tomatoes

score of 90%. Seasons 1 and 2 received an 82% and 93% respectively while the third and final

season received a whopping 98% critical rating (The Leftovers, n.d.). Though there are

numerous reasons why the show is such a big hit among critics and general audiences, something

that distinguishes The Leftovers from other shows is its uncanny ability to portray strong and

complex female characters.

In stereotypical (for good reason) television, many shows feature a strong white male

protagonist along with some supporting male and female characters. Though they may have

their own side plot points, they mainly serve to add to the narrative of the protagonist. Female

characters especially are shown to not be as strong as men, or at the very least are shown to

screw up more. If not, then they are usually shown to be nurturing and motherlythey are
THE LEFTOVERS: CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES 4

there to pick up the mess left behind by men. In The Leftovers, female characters are built to be

more than just a supporting role. They are their own complex characters with their own plot

devices and narratives alongside the male characters. There is significant importance placed on

each individual character. One of the female characters storyline, Nora Durst, is so prevalent

that one could easily claim she is the main character of the series even though the audience is not

introduced to her right away in the show. In the second season, the Murphy family is introduced

and the audience meets Evie, a Black teen who also becomes central to the plot. In season three,

the showrunners especially wanted to make sure there was a strong female dominance in order to

ensure that the female characters were just as intense and watchable as their male counterparts.

Besides being strong characters themselves, the show depicts the villains as mainly

women (there are no clear-cut bad guys) in the form of a religious-type cult called the Guilty

Remnant. Those in the Guilty Remnant, formed after the Departure, believe there is no such

thing as the institution of family, and remind others by breaking and entering into houses,

stealing, and stalking other civilians. Laurie Garvey, the wife of Kevin Garvey (arguably the

main protagonist), is one of the many women in this cult that is led by a strong-willed woman

named Patti. There are a few important things to note from this: though the Guilty Remnant and

those in it are made to be villains, the show allows the audience to see and explore the characters

within it so that the audience understands their motivations behind being in such a group. The

members/women are not the bad guys just for the sake of being a plot device. One of the themes

of the show is that everyone is searching for answers their own way, including those in a cult.

Additionally, creator Damon Lindelof was a fan of the idea of having these darker roles for

women because it is not what is normally seen. He says for himself it is scarier for women to

say there is no family than for men to say that, as men are typically the ones portrayed as
THE LEFTOVERS: CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES 5

having one foot out the door (How HBO's 'The Leftovers', 2017). Generally, people are not

as likely to understand why Laurie, a female, would leave her family and join the Guilty

Remnant compared to if Kevin, or any other man, were to do the same. The fact that this was

thought out and explained by the creators, writers, and directors shows that The Leftovers is

much more than just a modern post-apocalyptic drama.

Besides putting a spin on gender roles, The Leftovers portrays feminism in a unique way.

Though about equality, feminism in the show sometimes is not portrayed as happy and healthy.

This can be seen regarding the Guilty Remnant which represents feminism quite well despite

being the antagonists. Even Evie, a Black female, joins them and becomes another bad guy.

Meg, a woman who rises to power in the Guilty Remnant, at one point rapes a man as a power

play in the narrative. This is something that even fringe shows do not depict. The scene was

done differently than most though; instead of showing this instance of rape as forceful and

graphic, it was handled almost calmly as Meg gets on top of the man whose hands are bound

with the man even giving in and deriving some pleasure from it (the whole thing was still

nonetheless clearly addressed as rape). Having women behind the camera helped further the

delicateness of the scene and the overall feminism aspect of the show, as well as having a female

executive producer and director (Mimi Leder) on set. In fact, the first season (10 episodes) had a

50-50 split between male and female directors which helped in the thoughtful development of

both male and female characters (Kang, 2014, n.p.).

The female characters are not without agency, meaning that they are able to act

independently and make their own free choices. Oftentimes, the male characters are the ones

who seem to not know what they are doing. In the case of Laurie and Kevin Garvey, Laurie

decides to join the Guilty Remnant and Kevin is the one who is unstable and more emotional. In
THE LEFTOVERS: CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES 6

terms of conversations between women, many episodes of The Leftovers pass both the Bechdel

Test and the Mako Mori test. Creator Damon Lindelof said that they went out of our way to

pass the Bechdel test and when an episode does not pass the Bechdel test, the female characters

use Kevin as a proxy to talk about other things (Houston, 2017, n.p.). This further exemplifies

the determination of the showrunners to make a show that is not afraid to address feminism in

mainstream media and culture.

Despite all the progressive and positive stances on gender roles and feminism in The

Leftovers, there are some who view the show doing just the opposite. One argument is that the

supposedly strong female characters are actually weak and made to break down when push

comes to shove. An example would be the strong Black mayor early on in season one who, by

the end of the season, ends up lost and confused when the town ends up in chaos. Subsequently,

Kevin shows up to attempt to bring order (though his purpose is to just find his daughter).

Another point made is that Patti and the Guilty Remnant (made up of primarily women) plans all

fail in the end because they are not capable of following through all the way (Hirtz, 2014, n.p.).

Concerning traditional gender roles, things seemingly go back to normal once Kevin

decides he wants to take on the traditional role of a father and be a part of a nuclear family again.

This coincides with the idea that women should stay in the home. Nora throughout the series

tries to go against these traditional roles by prioritizing her career and exhibiting a no-bullshit

attitude in the face of all of the zealous people with their own eccentric theories about the

Departure. However, she ends up finally being happy when she finds a baby and becomes part

of Kevins family (Hirtz, 2014, n.p.).

The Leftovers is has been called the best show of all time and, when looked closely at,

it is not hard to see why. Featuring powerful male and female characters, all with their own plots
THE LEFTOVERS: CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES 7

and complex story arcs, the show is one of only a few to address the issue of feminism and to

challenge gender stereotypes in a way that positively reinforces a progressive mode of thought.

The Leftovers is proof that it can accomplish this while still remaining a compelling and

masterfully made television series.

THE LEFTOVERS: CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES 8

References

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show-on-television-or_us_5761b9e8e4b057ac661b5417

Hirtz, J. (2014, September 09). What are your impressions of HBO's The Leftovers? Retrieved

September 11, 2017, from https://www.quora.com/What-are-your-impressions-of-HBOs-

The-Leftovers

Houston, S. (2017, June 13). You Had Me at Departure: Damon Lindelof Talks Love, Evolution

and Feminism in The Leftovers. Retrieved October 12, 2017, from

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/06/you-had-me-at-departure-damon-

lindelof-talks-love.html

Kang, I. (2014, July 30). Why You Should Stick with The Leftovers. Retrieved October 13,

2017, from https://www.villagevoice.com/2014/07/30/why-you-should-stick-with-the-

leftovers/

How HBO's 'The Leftovers' Became A Feminist TV Show In The Unlikeliest Yet Fascinating

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hbos-the-leftovers-became-a-feminist-tv-show-in-the-unlikeliest-yet-fascinating-way/

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