The Guilty Remnant — the nihilistic cult from The Leftovers whose key aim, apart from destroying societal notions of “family,” is to shake smothering traditions of post-Labor Day fashion to their core — is no longer fictional.
No, the Season 2 finale of The Leftovers seems to have (as we’ve seen before on the show) created a mysterious porthole into the fabric of earthy existence. For just this morning, following the episode, super fans dressed as the Guilty Remnant lined up outside HBO’s New York headquarters sporting the cult’s standard blank-slate garb. There they stood, slowly self-destructing via chain-smoking and holding up sharpie-scribbled picket signs.
However, unlike on the series, these particular members of the Guilty Remnant were not concerned with how people perceive the Departure, around which Damon Lindelof’s now-masterful series centers. Rather, their silent, static fight was for the continuation of The Leftover. The fans’ signs read, “Renew,” based on the concern that — due to low ratings — this season could be the show’s last. (There’s definitely hope: Damon Lindelof is already discussing his desire for more of the series, and nothing definitive has suggested there won’t be another season; however, HBO has not yet officially renewed it.)
According to Enstars, HBO hasn’t responded affirmatively or negatively to this real-life manifestation of their own fictional protesters. Thankfully for the cable network, the real-world Guilty Remnant seems just a little less severe than the scheming, self-stoning group from the series.
Here are some images from the (small) protest:
https://twitter.com/coachcarternyc/status/673908976023638016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw