The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother)
Kevin returns to the undead realm to avert a prophecy.
The 24th episode of *The Leftovers*, and the penultimate installment of both its third season and the series as a whole, aired on May 28, 2017. Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof wrote it, with Craig Zobel directing. It functions as a follow-up to the second season's “International Assassin,” with Kevin choosing to re-enter the land of the dead to stop a supposed apocalypse on the seventh anniversary of the Sudden Departure.
In a flashback, Kevin and Nora bathe together, discussing their preferred burial methods. Nora wants cremation; Kevin jokes about being taxidermied. On the Departure's seventh anniversary, Kevin Sr., Grace, John, and Michael find Kevin trying to drown himself in a pond. They pull him out so he can recall their requests: John wants him to speak to Evie, Grace wants him to find her children, and Kevin Sr. wants him to locate Christopher Sunday and learn an indigenous song to prevent a prophesied flood. Kevin confirms he remembers and is submerged again.
Kevin wakes on a beach, where a Russian operative calls him “Kevin Harvey,” his assassin alias. The Russian prepares to kill him but is shot by a masked sniper—Dean. Dean takes Kevin to a bungalow, telling him his mission is to assassinate the U.S. President, who plans an unauthorized nuclear strike in two hours. Dean destroys reflective surfaces and finds a typewriter with an unfinished romance novel page. Kevin agrees to the mission after Dean promises he can find the people he's looking for—Evie, Grace's children, and Christopher Sunday. Dean gives Kevin an earpiece connecting him to David Burton, who has Kevin repeat what Burton whispered to him on a bridge: that Kevin is the “most powerful man in the world.”
Ignoring Dean's warning, Kevin looks at his reflection in a broken mirror shard. He suddenly appears in a white suit, preparing to address a crowd of Guilty Remnant members outside the Melbourne capitol. He realizes he has swapped places with his identical twin brother—the President. During the speech, Kevin calls on Liam Playford, one of Grace's children, to read an essay about not needing his parents. Kevin tries to ask Liam about his mother, but Liam gives no meaningful answers.
Evie interrupts, protesting the GR. Kevin is escorted to his presidential limo by security, including Australian police chief Kevin Yarborough.
- Episode
- The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother)
- Series
- The Leftovers
- Season
- 3
- Episode number
- 7
- Air date
- May 28, 2017
- Writers
- Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof
- Director
- Craig Zobel
- Series episode number
- 24
- Total episodes
- 28
Lore & Background
The episode opens with a flashback of Kevin and Nora in a bath, discussing their preferred burial methods. On the seventh anniversary of the Departure, Kevin Sr., Grace, John, and Michael find Kevin attempting to drown himself in a pond. They pull him out to ensure he remembers their requests: John wants him to speak to Evie, Grace wants him to find her children, and Kevin Sr. wants him to find Christopher Sunday and learn an indigenous song to prevent a prophesied flood. Kevin is then placed back in the water. He awakens on a beach, met by a Russian operative who calls him "Kevin Harvey," his assassin alias. The operative is killed by Dean, who informs Kevin his mission is to assassinate the President of the United States, who plans an unauthorized nuclear strike. Kevin agrees after Dean promises he can find the people he's looking for. The episode ends with a flood occurring at the Playford ranch, leaving the prophecy's truth ambiguous.
Reader's Guide
The episode was widely acclaimed by critics, who praised its surreal design, absurdist humor, visuals, and Justin Theroux's performance. It was written as a spiritual sequel to "International Assassin," with the same creative team. The writers took influence from spy films like James Bond and Jason Bourne, and the premise began with a presidential assassination. The climax was built around an ethical question posed to Nora in a prior episode about killing an infant so its twin could cure cancer. Writer Lila Byock suggested having Kevin cut a nuclear launch key from his twin's heart, naming it the "Fisher Protocol" after Harvard Law professor Roger Fisher, who proposed the scenario in 1981. The episode's ending, revealing the apocalyptic prophecy was false, represents a key metaphor for the writers.
Did You Know?
- The episode was written by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof and directed by Craig Zobel.
- The Fisher Protocol was named after Harvard Law School professor Roger Fisher, who proposed the scenario in 1981.
- The episode's climax involves Kevin cutting a nuclear launch key out of his identical twin's heart.
- The episode reveals that the apocalyptic flood prophecy associated with the seventh anniversary was false.
More in The Leftovers episodes 1-24
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