WARNING: THE LEFTOVERS SPOILERS AHEAD!
Perfects Strangers has been all over the news recently. First, stars Bronson Pinchot and Mark Linn-Baker reunited on the radio. And most recently, The Leftovers executive producer Damon Lindelof spoke with TVLine about his homage to the ’80s sitcom on the latest episode of the HBO TV show.
Based on the Tom Perrotta novel, the drama explores what happens when 2% of the world’s population inexplicably vanishes. The cast includes Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Amy Brenneman, Kevin Carroll, Christopher Eccleston, Scott Glenn, and Lindsay Duncan.
Sunday’s episode of The Leftovers was all about Perfect Strangers. Not only did Mark Linn-Baker guest star, but the sitcom’s theme music played over the opening credits. EP Lindelof said the idea to bring Linn-Baker back was “crazy.”
The idea was so ludicrous, we were like, ‘Who should present it to Nora? Maybe the messenger should be as ridiculous as the idea itself?”
So Lindelof invited Linn-Baker back to the HBO series for a big sendoff:
But I told him that he was going to have something big this time. This was going to be the payoff for everything we’ve been leading up to. And he was like, ‘When and where?! … It was just an exhilarating scene for us to write and I think he turned in an incredible performance. So if people don’t like it that’s on us. It’s certainly not on him.”
What do you think? Do you watch The Leftovers? Did you enjoy the Perfect Strangers homage?