The Leftovers ending with Nora's story about going through to the other side - do you believe her? The Leftovers ending is one of those conclusions that's more about emotional truth than literal truth. Some people found The Leftovers ending deeply moving while others thought it was a cop-out. Personally, I think The Leftovers ending works perfectly for the show's themes of grief and belief. Whether Nora's story is true or not matters less than what it means to Kevin and their relationship.
The Leftovers ending is perfect because it doesn't matter if Nora's story is true. What matters is that Kevin believes her, and their love survives the unimaginable. The Leftovers ending is about choosing to believe in connection even when the world makes no sense. It's one of the most emotionally satisfying conclusions I've ever seen.
I choose to believe Nora's story in The Leftovers ending. After three seasons of magical realism, why not believe she went through? The Leftovers ending gives us the emotional truth we need - that she found peace with what happened to her family, and that allows her to return to Kevin. Whether it literally happened is less important than what it means for her healing.
The Leftovers ending frustrated me because after all that mystery, I wanted answers. Did 2% of the population really disappear? Was there a scientific explanation? The Leftovers ending focusing on personal healing felt like a cop-out when I wanted cosmic answers. Still, I can appreciate why others loved it.