MovieChat Forums > The Leftovers (2014) Discussion > Can I get a clarification on Virgil, Joh...

Can I get a clarification on Virgil, John, and Erika?

posted 9 years ago by emmanuellemilaszewska
9 replies | jump to latest

PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ALL OF SEASON 2.

I had thought Virgil was John's father and that Virgil had molested John when he was a boy and it was for this reason that John eventually shot and tried to kill Virgil. Kevin Garvey even thinks this in the Animal quarantine scene and says as much to John...who denies it with his words, while his face belies it might be true.

But in one scene with Michael with his Mom, Michael clearly says that Virgil is Erika's Dad, so does this mean that Erika was the one molested by Virgil long ago and that John shooting Virgil was her having been molested?

Or were John and Erika childhood friends, and it was while they were kids that Virgil met Erika's friend John...and molested him?

I like the show, I don't LOVE it, and I get that they like to not lock anything down...but am I right to be confused by all this molestation stuff? Or is it clear and I simply missed it.

Having said that, Love him or hate him, but Kevin Carroll as John is fantastic.

[–] msnboy_69 9 years ago

Yes, I think Kevin got that wrong and John wasn't the one being molested, so maybe Erika was.

But, keep in mind that Virgil also had a "dead person (like Patti)" on his back who told him to do bad things.

In the conversation with Kevin, Virgil said that he hurt John long time ago.

Another thing: I think John was in prison before Michael and Evie were born.

When Erika tells the story about Michael and Evie flooding the house, they were 5. John says he was in prision for more than six years and he wasn't home when that happened.

[–] vinicius-oliveirapaiva 9 years ago

I really enjoy how the writers kept us in the dark about this thing with the Murphy's. Quite frankly, I don't think Erika was the one that got molested, but Michael was. There's a very interesting scene on the Lens episode that gives us a hint about this: right after Erika finds out Michael had been praying with Virgil, she asks him not to see his grandfather anylonger. I can't remember the scene 100%, but Michael says something like: "everyone needs to be forgiven, even him". It's my interpretation of the dialog, but I don't think he would have said this to his mother if she had been the one who got molested. That would have been highly insensitive.

Not to mention that tehy were very clear about the fact that John shot Virgil and got arrested for this - though none of this is explicitly said. Considering he was in prison during his kids' childhood, it's safe to assume it happened during that time.

[–] Paul_Ke 9 years ago

Erika is Virgil's daughter.

My impression was that Virgil molested John. This would help explain why John is so angry all the time. (And maybe that's why he's so bitter against anyone implying that miracles happen in Miracle Tx.)

It would also help explain why John shot Virgil, and why he shot him below the waist.

[–] emmanuellemilaszewska 9 years ago

I agree that Erika is Virgil's daughter.

But then if you also believe Virgil molested John, then mustn't we as viewers assume a lot of things that the show has never yet told us?

For one...Erika and John MUST have been childhood sweethearts, or at the least friends, which would have given Virgil the opportunity to molest John as a boy. ( I don't remember any scene between Erika and John telling us that.) Otherwise, how and when does John get molested by Virgil if not when he was a boy or a teen and presumably hanging out with Erika because he knew her?

So if the molestation did happen...then would it not have been very strange for John to remain close enough to Erika - AND THUS TO VIRGIL ALSO - to marry her?

I have no knowledge of the effects of Childhood molestation, but it seems to strain credulity that John, if he had been molested by Virgil, would then decide to enter even deeper into a relationship with Erika, knowing what her father has done to him. I would assume one might break free of ALL contact with Erika and Virgil.

So what is going on? Who really was molested? Obviously Virgil has molested someone...but how can it be John, and then John form a marriage with Erika after the fact?

Very confusing. Anyone else have thoughts??

[–] Jonstoni 9 years ago

I always thought it was John who got molested but you make a very good point. But then again Virgil himself said he did bad things to "him", not "her". You might have caught a real big plot hole here :)

Aaand then again, molesting Erika would also be doing bad things to him. I guess we never learn the real deal.

Yo momma

[–] Thomasina 9 years ago

For one...Erika and John MUST have been childhood sweethearts, or at the least friends

Why does this seem implausible to you? Miracle was an extremely small town. Since John and Erika both grew up there and they were about the same age, it would be extremely unlikely if they hadn't known each other when they were younger.

[–] emmanuellemilaszewska 9 years ago

You completely got it wrong. I NEVER said it was implausible. Where did I write that?

I'm the one who offered up the idea in the first place that they were probably childhood sweethearts...as a way of trying to figure out who got molested by Virgil...John or Erika? Or both?

In my opinion the show has not made this clear at all.

If you wanted to help, you should have given your opinion on who got molested, since that was what I have been asking in all of my postings, instead of "correcting" me for something I never wrote.

Apology accepted. Thomasina...just be sure you know what you're talking about before you make a posting. Buh.bye

[–] doroha2188 8 years ago

I think John & Eriika are actually brother & sister or something creepy like that

All Hail me the king of all losers! Or don't I give up easy

[–] Paul_Ke 9 years ago

so does this mean that Erika was the one molested by Virgil

In last episode of S2, Kevin tells John: "The old man told me what he did to you."

So we can safely conclude that Virgil molested John, not Erika.