Homecoming

Homecoming is still one of the biggest Amazon Originals to hit the streaming service since it started producing original content.

With two seasons available, it is a psychological thriller based on the podcast of the same name, created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg.

The show was developed for television by Sam Esmail, best known for his work on the critically acclaimed series Mr. Robot.

So if you missed when it originally aired, is it worth going back and watching it now?

What Is Homecoming About?

Julia Roberts plays a therapist called Heidi Bergman, who is based at a live-in facility called Homecoming.

This is a new concept in rehabilitation set in a safe and nurturing setting. The focus is only on soldiers who have returned from active duty.

By simulating the real world, Homecoming provides these men with the tools needed to live a happy and to transition to civilian life back in the real world. Or does it?

In season 1, the story starts in 2018 with Bergman sitting in her office, starting her first therapy session with military veteran Walter Cruz. Then everything changes.

We are now four years ahead, and Heidi is back home and working as a waitress in a diner. An investigator from the DOD, Thomas Carrasco, is looking into a complaint about Homecoming.

And his attempts to question Bergman result in her claiming to have almost no memory of her time at the facility or Walter Cruz (Stephan James).

So the show jumps back and forth as the true story about Homecoming unfolds. Bergman is the main administrator of the facility. But it's Colin Belfast (Bobby Cannavale) her boss, who ultimately controls things on behalf of a company called the Geist Group.

Between Carrascos' investigation and Bergman's search for the truth, the whole house of cards is ready to come crumbling down around Homecoming, Belfast and the Geist Group.

Homecoming Official Trailer

Homecoming Season 2

The second season of Homecoming premiered in May 2020, with Janelle Monáe joining the cast as a new lead character named Jackie.

The season follows Jackie as she wakes up in a rowboat with no memory of who she is or how she got there.

As she tries to unravel the mystery of her identity, she becomes entangled in a web of conspiracy surrounding the Geist Group, the corporation behind the Homecoming program.

As she digs deeper, she uncovers dark secrets and a larger conspiracy that threatens her life and sanity.

Is Homecoming Worth Watching?

Homecoming is a psychological thriller with 10 episodes. However, there is a feeling, somewhere around episode 6 or 7, that the story is really being eeked out.

Yes, there are plenty of twists and turns, and everything is not what it seems. The script is compelling and engaging and the relationships, especially between Bergman and Cruz, are genuinely top-notch.

However, it is drawn out, and the pacing of the story is very slow despite it only being 30 minutes an episode. The thing is, you really, really want to find out what happened. And that's where the second problem with Homecoming lies.

The end is, well, unsatisfying. Now I don't expect a nice neat bow to wrap everything up, but something other than a really vague conclusion would have been nice.

Oh, and you absolutely have to watch right through to the end of the credits to get an extra hidden bit of the storyline!

Overall, if you enjoy psychological thrillers then Homecoming is worth watching. It received critical acclaim for its unique narrative structure, strong performances, and thought-provoking themes.

Julia Roberts delivers a compelling performance in the first season, and while the second season received mixed reviews, it still offers an intriguing storyline and explores new facets of the Homecoming universe.

Homecoming TV Series Cast

Julia Roberts as Heidi Bergman (season 1). She is Walter's caseworker who is employed at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center.

Bobby Cannavale (The Watcher) as Colin Belfast, Heidi's supervisor.

Stephan James as Walter Cruz. A young military veteran and client of the Homecoming facility who, after a gradual transition, is eager to rejoin civilian life.

Shea Whigham as Thomas Carrasco (season 1). A bureaucrat from the Department of Defense investigating the Homecoming Center.

Alex Karpovsky as Craig, an employee at the Homecoming facility.

Sissy Spacek as Ellen Bergman (season 1), Heidi's mother.

Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion) as Jacqueline Calico (season 2), a woman who wakes up on a rowboat and goes on the search for her identity.

Hong Chau as Audrey Temple, an assistant at Geist Emergent Group.

Chris Cooper as Leonard Geist, the owner of Geist Emergent Group.

Joan Cusack as Francine Bunda, a representative from the Department of Defense who becomes a partner at Geist.