Lens

"Lens" is the sixth episode of Season 2, and overall the sixteenth produced hour of The Leftovers. It originally aired on November 8, 2015.

Analysis[]

Animals: Erika reveals the reason for the buried sparrow in “Axis Mundi,” and has been unsuccessfully trying to replicate the "miracle" ever since. Virgil raises birds. Jerry again attempts to kill a goat at the fundraiser, and the origins of his ritual are revealed as well.
The Bible: A page containing John 11:12 is on Dr. Cuarto’s board. Psalm 120:1 is mentioned in Hayli P.’s email to Erika from Sacred Mission Church.

Dr. Herbert mentions “the demon Azrael.” In Hebrew and Islamic tradition, Azrael is the angel of death. He is not typically viewed as a demon, and in fact he serves a necessary purpose, as death and renewal are part of the cycle of life; his Hebrew name means “angel of God,” “help from God,” or “one whom God helps.”
There is a poster for Dee Dee & the Beagles (a band fronted by Australian actress Aisha Dee) in Evie’s room.

In Orange Sticker, Nora chained up Kevin to herself. Now, Kevin is chained up to the bed.
The conversation between Nora and the fundraiser volunteer about PayPal mirrors the dialogue between Nora and Wayne’s assistant Ray in “Guest", connecting the two events.
Erika was going to leave her family just before the events of Axis mundi. That means Erika was going to do the exact thing Nora thinks Evie has now done.
As Erika herself underlines, she desidered Evie was okay without her. The next day, Erika is without Evie, and she's not okay.
Through the discussion between Erika and Nora, the shots make increasingly narrower on the two womans' faces, symbolizing the claustrophobic and without escape situation Nora is in.
Nora thinks Kevin want to talk about her, while he wants to talk about his self.
The episode title Lens refers to the crazy Azrael theory and above all to the different points of view this episode (and the whole series) offers, making us see the world through different lenses, and explain it in a different way accordingly to them (for example, when Nora goes upstairs to talk to Kevin, he is obviously talking to Patti, but like Nora we don't see her this time).

Dr. Cuarto references Dr. Denziger, last seen in the Pilot: “Even fucking Denziger can show correlation.”
Dr. Cuarto says Evie disappeared “on the twenty-second.” Given the season two timeline, this almost certainly refers to September 22. September 22 was also the date that the plane crash of Oceanic Flight 815 occurred on Damon Lindelof’s prior series Lost, which, like Evie’s disappearance, was a major inciting incident.
Sonya Walger provides the phone voiceover for Dr. Allison Herbert. Walger played the recurring role of Penelope “Penny” Widmore on Damon Lindelof’s previous series Lost. Walger is the only actor to have “appeared” on both Lost and The Leftovers.
The Murphys’ house number is 426. The name of their street cannot be seen, but their house is on the corner of Cibilo Street.
Nora refers George Brevity to Smitty’s, a real barbecue restaurant in Lockhart, Texas, which doubles as Jarden on the show.
The Scientific American article mentions the Brandenburg Carousel, first referenced in the Pilot. Nora claims this particular “Departure cluster” was never confirmed, and she believes “some genius in German tourism cooked it up.”
A pill bottle labeled divalproex is seen when Erika retrieves her earpiece batteries from the closet. Divalproex is an anticonvulsant, and likely was used to treat Evie’s epilepsy.
The new DSD questionnaire is labeled Questionnaire 260-B.

"State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)" by Jim James (opening montage of Dr. Joaquin Cuarto)
"That Solitary Moment Together" by Max Richter (Nora and Kevin's early-morning attempt at romance)
"A Bird in a Box" by Max Richter (Erika unburies the bird)
"Goin' to New Orleans" by Little Sammy Davis (Kevin stripping wallpaper)
"Peace on Earth" by the Coleman Family (playing in the encampment; was previously featured as the end credits to the prior episode)
"Erika and John" by Max Richter (Erika confronts John over just needing to hit people)
"Great Big Things aka Till You Came" by Barbara & the Browns (Erika dresses for the fundraiser)
"The Departure (Phone Call)" by Max Richter (Laurie calls Nora)
The Four Seasons (Winter) II. Largo, composed by Antonio Vivaldi (unknown recording) (Kevin and Nora enter the fundraiser)
"Miracle Anthem" by cast (performed by the choir at the fundraiser)
"Stay" by Rihanna (featuring Mikky Ekko) (photo medley at the fundraiser)
"The Departure" by Max Richter" (Nora and Erika do the DSD questionnaire)
"Dona Nobis Pacem 2" by Max Richter (closing scene: Kevin's confession to Nora)
"I Am a Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel (end credits)