"It's a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World" is the fifth episode of Season 3, and overall the 25th produced hour of The Leftovers. It originally aired on May 7, 2017.
Convinced it is Kevin's destiny to be in Miracle for the coming seventh anniversary of the Departure, Matt Jamison (Christopher Eccleston) impulsively heads to Australia in an effort to bring Kevin home. Unfortunately, God gets in the way.
Analysis[]
Recurring Themes[]
Animals: The sex cult worships Frasier the lion, and is taking his descendant around the world to different zoos to spread his seed. The caged lion appears throughout the episode, and ultimately is set free and eats David Burton. Laurie begins to tell a joke about a panda before she is cut off.
The Bible: On the cargo plane, Matt reads Daniel 6:20-23. Notably, this passage involves God saving Daniel when he is cast into the lions’ den by shutting the lions’ mouths. Matt reads portions from David Burton’s FAQ card referencing the creation of Eve from Adam’s rib (from Genesis 2:21-22), and the story of the Binding of Isaac (from Genesis Chapter Chapter 22, last referenced in “Crazy Whitefella Thinking”). The printed card (as seen via freeze frame) also references Noah, again continuing the season’s motif of the flood narrative (Genesis Chapters 6-9), and also references the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Matt quotes Galatians 6:7 when trying to convince John that Burton must be “dealt with” (“Be not deceived. God shall not be mocked. For whatosever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”). Matt asking Burton why he has not transformed the ropes into serpents seems to be conflating various biblical narratives where God frees prisoners from their chains (e.g., Acts 12:7), and Exodus 4:1-5, wherein God turns Moses’s staff into a serpent to demonstrate his power. The whole dialogue between Matt and Burton seems to recall the one between Job and God in the Book of Job.
Frasier the Sensuous Lion was a real-life, short-lived cultural phenomenon. He was transported from Mexico to the Irvine, California, Lion Country Safari in 1970, and a myth grew up around him more or less as Laurie relates. Frasier passed away in 1972, and in 1973, Lion Country Safari tried to prolong their asset by producing a poorly-received feature film about Frasier, which featured the title song performed by Sarah Vaughan which appears in the episode.[1]
Matt references the British victory over the French in the 10/25/1415 Battle of Agincourt, in the Hundred Years’ War.
David Burton reads Lonely on the Mountain, a novel in Louis L’Amour’s Sacketts series published in 1980.
Matt reads from David Burton’s FAQ card, which references the Big Bang Theory and the Crusades. Additional printed material on the card which Matt does not read aloud mentions astronomer Galileo Galilei (famously punished for heresy by the Catholic church for embracing the heliocentric model of the universe). The FAQ also appears to name Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 film The Bicycle Thief (original Italian title Ladri di biciclette) as Burton’s favorite film.
Captain Henig says David Burton was a broadcaster in the Sydney Games, referencing the 2000 Summer Olympics, which were hosted in Sydney.
In the exact moment Laurie curses God, the plane bumps into a turbulence scaring all of them. A similar thing happened with Kevin and his car in B.J. and the A.C.
Ironically, Matt never realizes that he wrote about Burton in his book (as “the hangman,” recounting Kevin’s experiences in the other place, as read aloud by Nora in “G’Day Melbourne”). Likewise, Michael seemingly remains unaware that he mailed a letter to Burton at the behest of Pillar Man in “Axis Mundi,” and Laurie does not make a connection to the news piece on Burton she watched in “Off Ramp.”
Matt doesn't believe Burton came back to life after dying, while he thinks Kevin did the exact same thing.
When arguing with each other, Matt screams while Burton is calm and quiet, but Matt is lit while Burton's face is totally dark.
Burton says Matt that dying in order to save the world from his sins "seems a lot to ask to anybody". Matt often thinks himself as the hero that suffers in order to help people (he says this soon after, too).
Burton says Matt "you're saved". Matt is not saved from cancer (as we imagine and he knows too, given the following "I'm dying"), but he's saved because he acknowledges his idea as wrong and he changes his mind, using his trip to Australia in order to help his sister Nora instead.
As Burton is being tear to pieces by the lion, Matt says "That's the guy I was telling you about" by looking into the camera to us.
Through the whole episode, heavy religious discussion are juxtaposed with people dressed as lions having sex in the background.
Trivia[]
The French sailor’s opening prayer over the main titles translates roughly to: “I'm the only hope, the last defense of a species about to be extinct. Demonists warned us, the wise scientists of the truth, they said these creatures would come, seven years after the first ones were taken, seven years after the Departure. And God, we were blind, blind to what we didn't want to see, now we're about to stagger to the precipice of destruction; as soon as this monster was born, we ended. Because this monster is about to end mankind. With its seven heads, and its seven firing mouths. We only have one last hope, the Egg. In the demonists’ cards I found it, hidden in a nest, a volcano in the sea. Thank God for technology. In our progress we made the weapon to end all weapons, the nuclear bomb. Now its terrible power can be our salvation. If its explosion can break the fragile shell and melt the demon inside, God, may this missile fly right, and let him find the nest of the volcano and may the egg be not hatched, so this beast about to born could be destroyed, before it rises to destroy the world.”[2][3]
Damon Lindelof partly conceived this episode in reaction to Vulture critic Matt Zoller Seitz’s love for Matt’s character and the prior season’s “No Room at the Inn,” as well as a piece Seitz had written about the struggle for meaning following the passing of his wife.[4]
The ferry portion of the episode was actually filmed nights on a ferry, circling the sea off of Melbourne, with a live caged lion on board.[3][5]
In a possible bit of foreshadowing, the French sailor’s last name is Lyon, as seen on his uniform.
Matt references Laurie blowing a whistle in his face at the Guilty Remnant complex in “Gladys.”
Laurie’s interrupted dirty joke begins, “A panda goes into a...” She was presumably going to tell a well-known joke about a panda entering a whorehouse and, after finishing, not understanding that he has to pay. The exasperated prostitute tries to explain using the dictionary definition of prostitute. The panda responds by displaying the definition of panda: “an animal that eats bush and leaves.”[6]
"I Live Here Now" featured a line which was ultimately cut, where Kevin asks David Burton in the karaoke bar who he is, and Burton winks and responds, "I'm God."[7]
David Burton’s card as seen in the episode has more FAQ answers than Matt reads aloud. After the mention of the hammer throw, there is a short portion that Matt omits: “No, there isn’t any other intelligent life in the universe.” After the portion that Matt reads, the card continues: “The Bicycle Thief. I prefer your fear to your love. Noah was daft, but I had to pick someone. Marriage wasn’t my idea, it was yours. The egg and the chicken came simultaneously. I don’t take credit, nor take blame. Galileo’s last words were ‘Can I take it back?’ I fell a distance of 80 meters from the rock face. Chocolate. The Tower of Babel wasn’t meant to be taken literally. Suffering is part of it, mate. The human brain can’t comprehend the afterlife, so please stop asking. I am everywhere and nowhere, but right now I want to [...]” (Matt's thumb blocks the last few words.)
David Burton's FAQ card was inspired by actor Thomas F. Wilson, who is most famous for playing Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future movies. Wilson became so tired of being asked the same questions, he began handing out an FAQ card when fans asked him about the films.[7]
The ferry service is called Van Diemen Voyages. While this does not appear to be a real company, it references the original name of Tasmania, Van Diemen’s Land. The land’s first European discoverer, Abel Tasman, named the land after Anthony van Diemen, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies who had sent Tasman on his voyage. The name was changed in 1856 to honor Tasman himself.[8]
Matt carries Burton on a wheelchair, continuing the recurring parallelism with Lost's Locke. From now on, he's also in Australia.
Matt staring at the sea after have talked to "God" seems to recall the scene where Jack do the same thing in The Lighthouse episode.
Matt and Burton's final confrontation was meant to act as the culmination of the series' Matt/Job parallel, mirroring the end of the Book of Job when Job confronts God and God refuses to explain himself. However, unlike Job, Matt does not subsequently have his health and family magically restored by God.[7]
The use of bolt cutters to free the lion calls to mind Matt using bolt cutters to try to break into Miracle in “No Room at the Inn.”
The lion attack may call back to Meg’s Siegfried & Roy monologue in “The Book of Kevin.” Although it was a tiger that attacked Roy, the duo worked extensively with lions as well.
Director Nicole Kassel claims Matt’s look directly into camera for the final line was Christopher Eccleston’s idea, although Eccleston himself does not recall this.[9]
Book to Show[]
Laurie says she was married to Kevin for 15 years, whereas in the book they were married for 23 years.
When Matt says that he sacrificed his happiness and let his family abandon him, Burton asks why, and Matt angrily yells, "For you!" This is reminiscent of Matt in the book complaining to Nora about being left behind by the "Rapture": "I gave everything to Him. My entire life. And this is the thanks I get?"
Matt tells the group, “I’m glad you’re here,” the same thing he said to Nora when she arrived in Miracle in “A Matter of Geography.” This is the title of the final chapter of the novel.
Music[]
Ashrei: Ashrei Yoshvei Veitekha (composed by Leib Glantz: As Sung by M. Koussevitzky) / Einei Khol (arr. R. Goldstein) / Va’anahnu (composed by Joshua Lind); performed by Benzion Miller, Neil Levin & the Schola Hebraeica (main title, combined with the French sailor's prayer; Matt leaves Kevin a voicemail on the tarmac; Captain Henig tells Matt about David Burton)
"Je ne peux pas rentrer chez moi" by Charles Aznavour (the French sailor blares this song on the sub as he runs to launch the nuclear missile)
Avinu malkenu (traditional), performed by Scholera Hebraeic, Benzion Miller & Neil Levin (Matt gets a nosebleed on the plane while reading from Daniel; Matt gets a wheelchair and ax)
"Frasier (The Sensuous Lion)" by Sarah Vaughan (the ferry leaves port)
B'motza'ei M'nuha: B'motza'ei M'nuha (arr. A. Miller) composed by Joshua Lind, Meyer Machtenberg, Isaac Kaminsky, Ira Bigeleisen & Herman Zalis; performed by Simon Spiro, Benzion Miller, Schola Hebraeic, Neil Levin, Ira Bigeleisen, & Julian Jacobs (in the bathroom, Matt meets the first mate who asks if God punched him)
"Do You Believe" by the Supreme Jubilees (Matt goes to speak to Laurie outside)
"November" by Max Richter (Matt confronts David Burton/God over his cancer)
"Que c'est triste Venise" by Charles Aznavour (the ferry docks; the lion is released)
"Frasier (The Sensuous Lion)" (live version) by Sarah Vaughan & the Jimmy Rowles Quintet (end credits)
