The Leftovers: "Take On Me" by A-Ha

The Leftovers is a three-season HBO show that ended this summer. It deals with various themes ranging from mental health issues to religion. One of the aspects that stood out the most (especially the final season) was the soundtrack; if I were to make a list of the songs it featured during some of its most emotionally affecting scenes, I'd end up with a pre-2000s greatest hits compilation. ABBA's "S.O.S." was used in the third season's trailer, while introducing an "end-of-the-world" premise. In the show's penultimate episode, a character cuts his alter-ego's chest open to find the key to a nuclear weapon in his heart, while "God Only Knows" plays by the Beach Boys (unfortunately I couldn't find this scene on Youtube). The clip above is another major plot point in the final season: the main characters (played by Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon) have an argument, she sets a book on fire in their hotel room, and he abandons her as the fire extinguishers are set off. In terms of its consequences in the episodes that follow, this scene is one of the saddest in the entire show; the choice of song here was A-Ha's hit "Take On Me". I find this an interesting example to the debate addressed in Claudia Gorbman's article: the use of music was once a source of controversy, yet it is accepted as a convention, and an '80s pop song may even enhance our emotional responses to a dramatic scene despite being an odd choice.