I'm sad to admit that I'd never heard of the HBO series until you mentioned it. (I actually watch very little television: I spend all my free time online, no surprises there ;)
I'm glad Lydia's explanation worked for you (and I'm particularly glad about the crop circles, as that bit was one of mine: I'm fond of giving little references like that).
I agree with you about the shared tragedy - though I think it's tragedy that they surmount, together.