"The Book of Kevin" is the first episode of the third season of the American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.895 million household viewers and gained a 0.4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
A woman in white clothing, one of the remaining congregants, who spent the whole night on a rooftop waiting for the Rapture in the storm, comes down to rest, with her faith shaken.
Noticing a person inserting something in the GR's hideout while making a hole, Evie runs outside, finding authorities fleeing the area.
Later, Kevin finds that Mary (Janel Moloney) is planning to move back to Mapleton with her son Noah, feeling Matt (Christopher Eccleston) is restraining her in the town.
Perrotta brought up the idea of the Great Disappointment after reading a book, with Lindelof also finding its connection to the series' theme by tying it to Australia, a prominent place in the season.
The site's consensus states: "Tense, evocative, and packed with strong performances, 'The Book of Kevin' exemplifies why The Leftovers is among the best of HBO's recent series.
Club gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "Once again, the Leftovers team outdid itself with an opening so mesmerizing, human, and evocative, it almost seems like they've done themselves a disservice by coming so hot out of the gate.
"[10] Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx wrote, "I can't wait to see what brought Nora here — even if, based on her new identity and her expression when she hears Kevin’s name, she's surely lived a hard life between then and now.
"[11] Jeff Labrecque of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "'The Book of Kevin' was a terrific bolt of a premiere, reframing everything's that happened in two seasons, shuffling some of the essential relationships, and doubling down on clues that once seemed too preposterous to be anything more than the ravings of a lunatic.
"[12] Sean T. Collins of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Comedy, tragedy, horror, symbolism: The Leftovers fires them at you one after the other and doesn't much care whether you're able to field them.
"[13] Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "As I said in my spoiler-free review, I spent more time thinking about The Leftovers since it's been off the air than any other show.
Unafraid to lean into unconventional ideas while also letting the mystery be, the series features devastatingly realistic performances, characters that unravel in the most interesting ways, and a tone that effortlessly shifts from hopeless to humorous at the drop of dime.
I'm so glad that The Leftovers is back and can't wait to hear that spine-tingling score soundtrack the next jaw-dropping moment.