The Returned is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Carlton Cuse. It's an adaptation of the French series Les Revenants, which was broadcast internationally with the title The Returned. It stars Kevin Alejandro, Agnes Bruckner, India Ennega, Sandrine Holt, Sophie Lowe, Mark Pellegrino, Jeremy Sisto, Mat Vairo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Tandi Wright.
The series follows residents in a small town whose lives are disrupted when people who have been dead for many years begin reappearing, seemingly without memory of exactly what happened to them. It's really only the tip of the iceberg, however, as increasingly creepy events start occurring.
Tropes
- Angsty Surviving Twin: Lena, although the difference in age between her and Camille means they are no longer identical.
- The Atoner: Peter seems to be this.
- Back from the Dead: The entire premise of the show revolves around the realistic psychological ramifications of loved ones returning from the dead.
- Beard of Sorrow: Jack has one.
- Creepy Child: Victor. Camille, though a teenager, has her moments.
- Driven to Suicide: Helen's husband jumps off the dam the night she returns. "Victor" apparently can do this to other people, inducing Tony to kill himself.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Jack turns to vodka after Camille comes back; not because he's upset she's back, but because she's come back to a broken family and he doesn't know how to cope with something so unexpected. It's implied he's been doing that since Camille's death tore his family apart.
- Embarrassing Hospital Gown: Lena is rushed to the backless hospital after the permanent scar on her back starts to get worse, and the open back conveniently gives the audience Toplessness from the Back shots of her. When she escapes from the hospital (still in her gown) and ends up at Adam's house, she's quick to want to change out of it, claiming it's "kind of gross", leading to an embarrassing moment where she has to ask Adam to turn around so she can change.
- Good Bad Girl: Lena. Camille's death messed her up hard.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Each episode is titled after a specific character. Except for Tony and Claire, each eponymous character had previously died.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Tom's actions toward Rowan are invasive and really creepy, but Simon did commit suicide on their wedding day. It doesn't excuse any of Tom's behavior, but it sheds a different light on things.
- Nosy Neighbor: Julie has one, who asks many questions about Victor. She's murdered in episode 5, with her tongue ripped out. One of her cats is seen
chewing on it. - Outliving One's Offspring: Jack and Claire lose their child, Camille. Then she comes back, but the grief and marital problems don't stop.
- Parental Substitute: Julie is this for Victor, until Nikki makes her hand him over to the shelter. Neither Victor nor Julie is happy about the separation.
- The Quiet One: So far, Victor has said exactly one word: "Victor". He starts talking after he meets his killer, Peter.
- The Sleepless: All the Returned.
- Someone to Remember Him By: Chloe was this for Rowan.
- Stalker with a Crush: Tom is an odd example. He and Rowan are engaged, but what she doesn't know is that he's installed cameras in every room in the house, and watches them at work on his laptop every chance he gets. It also turns out that he lied to her about the circumstances of Simon's death, ostensibly to protect her. She's not pleased by any of this.
- Survivor Guilt: Peter tells Camille this is likely part of Lena's problem with her return. Lena was supposed to be on the bus the day it crashed, but faked sick to skip school.
- 30-Second Blackout: Happens to the entire town when Camille returns, and in more localized areas when Simon, Victor, and Helen turn up.
- Thousand-Yard Stare: Helen sports one in the church in episode 5.
- Wham Line: "Sing a song inside your head." Peter is one of the robbers who broke into Victor's house, and his partner murdered Victor and his parents.
- The end of episode 9: Peter: "Because [Camille] is like me. I died 29 years ago".
- Wound That Will Not Heal: Lena has one of these on her back, origin unknown. It looks exactly like the one Camille had when she died in the bus crash.
- The Unfavorite: Lena sees herself this way, since she feels that her parents were too busy mourning Camille to be there for her.
