Penguin One, Us Zero
"Penguin One, Us Zero" is the second episode of the first season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta.
The series is set three years after the "Sudden Departure" – an event which saw 2% of the world's population (approximately 140 million people) disappear and profoundly affected the townspeople.
The characters of police chief Kevin Garvey and his family (wife Laurie, son Tom, daughter Jill and father Kevin Sr.) are focal points, alongside grieving widow Nora Durst, her brother Reverend Matt Jamison, and the mysterious cult-like organization the Guilty Remnant (GR), led by Patti Levin.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.55 million household viewers and gained a 0.7 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Two Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, and Cults (ATFEC) agents investigate Holy Wayne (Paterson Joseph), deeming him a threat to the country based on his profile, with possible indication of sex offenses.
In part that's because it's taking the scattered, meandering threads of the pilot and pulling them taut — it's wasted no time in bringing some characters to a position of reckoning, forcing them to make choices that are defining and eventful.
And while 'Penguin One, Us Zero' starts to open a window on what life is like for someone like Nora Durst, whose whole family vanished, its main focus is on examining how people like the Garveys and Meg Abbott have unspooled themselves from all the existential weight of a world where something like the Departure can happen.
"[8] Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "It's too early to push away The Leftovers, but the second episode did closely echo the premiere in particular ways, with the payoff being a surprising link between characters.
"[10] Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave the episode a 3.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The Leftovers continues to move forward without pouring on exposition too thick.
"[11] Matt Brennan of Slant Magazine wrote, "Stripped of the superegos that maintained the old world now gone, the residents of Mapleton revert to the id of animal instinct.
"[12] Michael M. Grynbaum of The New York Times wrote, "After two lugubrious episodes of The Leftovers, we've seen two endings featuring the exact same scenario: a tortured character finds solace in a spontaneous act of violence.
The site wrote, "HBO's The Leftovers has a tendency to put us through a gamut of emotions, and Liv Tyler encapsulated each one of them in her portrayal of Meg Abbott in this week's episode.
And considering The Leftovers' basic premise is one that we can't fathom happening in real life, Tyler's ability to make Meg relatable deserves the highest praise.
As she turned to Amy Brenneman's Laurie and said, simply, 'I don't want to feel this way anymore,' we felt deep compassion for a character we'd only just met.
