Following the divisive first season, The Leftovers is facing a soft reboot of sorts.  Deadline reports that the second season will see a major shakeup in the cast, and that out of the fourteen regular cast members, only the major players are set to return.  The show is also set to relocate from the fictional town of Mapleton, New York to an as yet unknown new setting.  Given the mixed response from fans and critics, and the fact that the first season burned through most of Tom Perrotta's source material,  it makes perfect sense to alter the formula of the show a bit.  I really hope they can hone in on the elements that made the first season so engaging while improving the bits that were a total drag to get through.  Hit the jump to find out who's on board to return for season two of The Leftovers.
Fans of the show can rest easy knowing that The Leftovers' central characters are locked to return.  According to Deadline, that includes the all the Garveys - Mapleton's maybe-crazy sheriff Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), and his estranged wife (Amy Brenneman) and children Jill (Margaret Qually) and Tom (Chris Zylka). Also coming back are Nora Durst (Carrie Coon) and her brother/local ex-reverend Matt Jameson (Christopher Eccleson).  Liv Tyler and Ann Dowd, two key members of the Guilty Remnant, are also likely cast members for season two.
the-leftovers-season-1-episode-7-justin-theroux So who does that leave out? First to come to my mind is Aimee (Emily Mead), Jill's best friend and Kevin's occasional confidante. She added a much-needed levity to the Garvey household and really helped to make Jill's storylines more palatable. Also missing from the roster is Mapleton's maybe-crazy ex-sheriff Kevin Garvey Sr. (Scott Glenn) and Kevin's mysterious dog-killing buddy Dean (Michael Gaston), around both of which there are still a ton of unanswered questions.
Perhaps most interesting is the news that The Leftovers will be relocating.  So much of the first season hinged on the small-town mentality of Mapleton, and how that community prevented the characters from escaping their grief.  Kevin lived under the constant shadow of his father's mental instability and everywhere Nora went she confronted the pitying faces of people who knew her tragedy.  It's yet to be seen if the show is in fact leaving Mapleton behind or just expanding the scope of the drama, but either way it will likely have a drastic impact on the way this story is told.