Last week, I put out a call on my Instagram for a new prestige drama to binge, as I’d just torn through both The Sopranos and Better Call Saul (and have seen a lot of the biggies). MANY people suggested The Leftovers and the funniest thing to me was that almost every single person’s comment was like, “you should watch The Leftovers because [different, smart and thoughtful reason]. Also Justin Theroux is very hot in it.” As I said to those folks at the time: You truly do know how to appeal to me! Anyway, I am working my way through the current season of Unsolved Mysteries and then it’s ON for me and Justin and the rapture (or whatever The Leftovers is about). Did this cover tip me over into making that choice…friends, it did.
In addition to this visual treat, the accompanying lengthy profile is worth your time. I, for instance, did not know that Apple TV+ was adapting The Mosquito Coast, and also the interviewer presses him on his relationship with Aniston in a way that you actually don’t see happen to men very often, and it’s pretty interesting:
I point out that most people don’t stay in touch with their exes—the pain on one or both sides renders communication, let alone friendship, too much to bear. Time passes, the emotional ties weaken, and life moves on. He nods in recognition. “I think that when you get good at relationships—and here I am, single—if you love the person the same way you loved them in the relationship, it would behoove you to love them the same way out of the relationship,” he says. “Who wants to take a shit while you’re walking out the door?”
That seems pretty emotionally healthy, so congrats! The rest of it is really interesting and surprisingly emotional — I learned some stuff about Theroux that I didn’t know, especially about his family, which is unusual for these sorts of profiles — and including some talk about how he was objectified on The Leftovers, about which he is sanguine and thoughtful (and which feels notable given that he’s shirtless on the cover here). Anyway, it’s a good read, if you’re looking for one. Also: more dog content.
