Homecoming: Season 2 **WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS***
Episodes and My Ratings:
Ratings are IMDB scores
1. People (7.4/10)
2. Giant (7.4/10)
3. Previously (7.7/10)
4. Soap (7.6/10)
5. Meters (7.8/10)
6. Needle (7.8/10)
7. Again (8.0/10)
Percents are my opinionated score
My Rankings
1. Again (90%)-The season finale of the second season is definitely the strongest episodes of the bunch as it finally has a fast-pacing and meaningful storyline that the other episodes lacked very apparently. It finds a clever way to answer all your questions and uses stellar writing to create a bunch of twists and turns that captivate the audience finally. In my opinion, this episode is better than some of the episodes from the original season as it feels like the season finally learned what to do and how to convey their story in the most entertaining way. After pretty much knowing the main mystery of the season (how Jackie/Alex got in the rowboat and lost her memory), this episode expertly handles the outcome of it and what Walter would do next and how Alex/Jackie would be able to handle the shocking news she just received from Audrey. The acting is also top-notch as we are finally introduced to different sides of each of the characters that greatly impact the show and its flowing plot, creating a much more multi-layered story that if we had all season would almost surely help the plot greatly. This episode definitely has its issues and is by no means perfect, but the superb, stylistic and artistic ways of writing really make this an amazing episode that grabs your attention and keeps it until the ending especially with that gnarly ending that is almost unforgettable. (I bet no one will struggle with remembering the end of this season like they did with season 1).
2. Needle (82%)-The second to last episode of the season is also a stronger episode of the season which shows how the season gets better and develops through its seven episodes and making some of the most interesting and impactful moments later in the season. This episode digs deeper into the mystery about Jackie/Alex and scratches the surface very delicately on how to answer those questions and how to involve each of the characters we know by now. The thing that stands out to me in this episode is the development of Walter as we are finally seeing him with fresh eyes compared to the first season which I was very happy with. I also enjoyed the development between the relationship between Walter and Jackie/Alex as we finally dig down deep into their complex yet crucial relationship and are introduced to brand new plots met with amazing acting from the both of them. The problem with this episode is it doesn't know what to focus on and is too shaky for its entirety as the storyline is so rushed for this episode, it almost seems like the show is just throwing out random dialogue that doesn't have any meaning, all leading to one giant cliffhanger. The unique writing that we saw in the last episode is lacking here and makes this episode shockingly empty and underwhelming that could have just been combined with another episode as it never establishes itself to be a proper and really unique, important or individual episode in the season.
3. Previously (80%)-This is the first episode where we experience the time jump and are learning more about why this happened to Jackie/Alex and the meaning behind it and the rushed and rapid way of doing this is effective but also confusing. The show doesn't hint to it being in the past for a while and makes it something the audience has to infer, therefore audiences might be left confused for about 10 minutes of a 30 minute episode. Despite that, I really enjoyed the episode and thought it was strong as it finally improved what the last episodes lacked which was more characters, their development and stronger relationships that connect to the plot and make the show more entertaining. The introduction of Audrey and her connection to Alex/Jackie and the relationship explored really conveys the strong writing of the show and introduces a new style to the season. The story flows mainly ok for this episode but the risks taken really help it develop and move the show into a more interesting and mature direction. But, with this, the mystery, eerie and strange tone that was well established in the first season and the previously two episodes is taken away with this episode as we are met with a more informative and forward tone instead. With this episode, the strengths such as the pacing are too apparent and at times overshadow its strengths, but this episode tries its best to introduce new ideas to the season and successfully changes the direction of the season that helps the transition make the season better than it originally was.
4. Meters (78%)-This episode is really good at exploring Audrey's character as we learn her motivation and who she really is and what she will do for success. It shows a strange turn for the original character we were introduced to as it finally explains more about questions we have (both from the first and second season), that overall lead to some pretty cool writing and cinematography choices. This episode is also flawed though as again this episode doesn't separate itself and doesn't provide a unique enough storyline that makes it feel more fragmented and almost too chopped up for a season. I was quite shocked though at some of the choices make throughout this episode but was let down with Walter and Jackie/Alex as I was expecting to finally see a connection between the two characters and dig deep into their relationship, but was meant with an awkward confrontation that never conveyed their relationship or chemistry in any way and the acting although nice for their individual characters doesn't work together and similar to Audrey and Jackie/Alex's relationship makes an awkward connection that lacks chemistry and often comes off as boring. I overall feel like there were better ways to handle the storyline in this episode and more mature ways to deal with the characters that help the plot move especially since I thought this episode was more of a stopping point for the season and was unable to move the plot along, emphasizing the flowing problem with the show. But, this episode does fill in the gaps and although it feels like a side story, it does its best to work with a weakly written plot and create a decent episode.
5. Giant (71%)-This episode slightly improves on some of the problems the premiere had and continues the idea of the audiences not knowing anything, but beginning a brand new journey with the most minimal information possible. The storyline is rushed, but I was impressed with the artistic introduction of Geist and relevance to the plot of the whole season which the previous episode lacked. This episode is unique as the plot spirals down instead of rises up and almost becomes less broad the more the episodes progresses including the strange introduction of Audrey and new characters and the inclusion of unknown aspects of Geist that add to the eerie and mysterious tone of the season. I will say that this episode disappointed me in its writing ironically as we are missing so much flavor from the plot and are faced with a one-dimensional story that seems too stretched out at this point, basically showing how the first two episodes could be combined instead of so fragmented and isolated. This contributed to the slower movement of the show which was one of my main problems and this episode definitely keeps up that trend despite its best efforts to avoid it. But, I did love the development of characters such as Audrey and Leonard that we were finally met with as it helped the storyline develop and helped it fit in more with the season and its tone or message. This episode also was a little bit weaker than I was hoping and not impactful in a sense, but I was very happy with the overall tone and flow of this episode despite the major flaws that make it stand out but not always in the best way.
6. Soap (69%)-I was impressed by how this episode handled Audrey and Alex/Jackie's relationship as we finally see the problems such as the kid issue and more bumps in the road for them which to me only enhanced their connection and made their relationship more realistic due to the nice and developed writing. But again, it felt more of a continuation of the previous episode and didn't separate itself and introduce anything new but felt very plain and almost parts of it felt useless to the series and could have been avoided. This episode's really high strength is character development which was a weaker part of the season as we see a different side of Audrey that changes the storyline and drifts the character far away from what we originally thought she was. Despite the really great strengths of this episode, this episode just can't find its pace and doesn't know how to work with the storyline given and lacks the creativity the previous episode did with how it handled the past, but was more of an excess to the overall plot. It is interesting, but with the mysterious tone gone pretty much, it can leave the audience quite bored with how it is handled and very underwhelmed with how it is directed and written, but the cinematography continues to be unique and adds the artistic ideas to the show especially in this episode.
7. People (66%)-The first episode of the season is ironically the weakest as I thought it tried to follow the original season so closely that it self-destructed on itself and led to a very weak storyline compared to the original season. The storyline starts out very interesting as we are met with Jackie and have no idea who she is and neither does she, but due to how the writing handles this, the episode starts to drag and have too much repetition to it. The acting from Janelle Monáe is stlll great though and we are introduced to a strange new character that in my opinion was crafted nicely for this episode, but the very plain plot in this episode doesn't stand out and makes it feel very weak in comparison to the other episodes and not have the necessary entertaining aspect that I admired in some of the other episodes. The episode also feels very isolated which is supposed to be a reflection on Jackie's confusion and loneliness at the beginning, but I think if they were going to pull of a strange and eerie storyline like they previously did, they needed to somehow introduce more aspects or in this case characters that would help stabilize the plot and make it more entertaining and captivating with more diversity instead of just one character that we haven't seen much of right from the beginning. The episode is interesting and introduces the show in a decent way, but I definitely think it could have been much better and thought of it as more of an epilogue that never established a strong storyline but led to a more confused and bored audience due to standout storyline problems.
Cast/Crew
Cast:
Janelle Monáe........................Jackie/Alex
Hong Chau........................Audrey Temple
Stephen James........................Walter Cruz
Chris Cooper.......................Leonard Geist
Joan Cusack.....................................Bunda
Alex Karpovsky.................................Craig
Mary Holland.................................Wendy
Tyler Ritter.......................................Lane
Bobby Cannavale........................Colin Belfast
John Billingsley......................................Buddy
Jimmy Bellinger........................................Chad
Fran Kranz..................................................Ron
Brooke Bloom............................................Pam
Christopher Redman..................................Kyle
and many many more:
Click Here for a Full list:
Crew:
Kyle Patrick Alvarez................................................Director
Micah Bloomberg...........Writer/Creator/Executive Producer
Eli Horowitz..................Writer/Creator/Executive Producer
Casallina Cathy Kisakye..............................................Writer
Patrick Macmanus........................................................Writer
Erica Rosbe..................................................................Writer
Zachary Wigon.............................................................Writer
Evan Wright.................................................................Writer
Sam Esmail................................Creator/Executive Producer
Matt Lieber.............................................Executive Producer
Alex Blumberg.......................................Executive Producer
Chris Giliberti........................................Executive Producer
Marisa Yeres Gill............................Co-Executive Producer
Lisa Roberts Gillan.........................Co-Executive Producer
Chad Hamilton.....................................Executive Producer
Julia Roberts........................................Executive Producer
Jas Shelton..............................................Cinematographer
Matthew Ramsey.......................................................Editor
Nathan Gunn.............................................................Editor
Nora Takcas Ekberg..........................Production Designer
and many many more:
Click Here for a Full list:
Storyline:
"The critically-acclaimed series Homecoming returns for its second season with a fresh new mystery and an exciting new star, Janelle Monaáe. Her character wakes in a rowboat adrift a lake with no memory of how she got there -- or even who she is. Her ensuing search for identity will lead her into the heart of the Geist Group, the unconventional wellness company behind the Homecoming initiative "
-rotten tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/homecoming/s02
"The second installment in an anthology series centered around the mysterious Geist Group, an unconventional wellness company and their equally unorthodox program, the Homecoming initiative."
-IMDB (IMDB Editors) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7008682/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Stuck in a rowboat with no memory of who she is, Jackie wakes up and attempts to find out who did it to her and why. Her journey leads to a variety of dangerous but fascinating things such as the Geist company and their hidden secrets or people with vengeance. As we and Jackie both learn more about what happened, the truth becomes even more apparent and shocking all leading to one final climax between all of the involved characters.
Would I Recommend?
The second season on Homecoming is interesting and just as strange as the first one, but this season is so much shorter and feels quite slow and underwhelming most of the time. While I was a big fan and advocate of the original Homecoming, I can't say the exact same for this season as it lacks a lot of things the first one did so perfectly which is ironic as it tries so closely to follow the first season. It's not that it isn't interesting because the last couple episodes amp up the entertaining aspect, but it's just harder to get into the season and you have to keep watching through the first episodes that are slightly slower to really like the show and want to watch more which is different from the first season which really grabbed my attention right away and held to it throughout all ten episodes. Despite this, it is also really quick to watch and can be fun to watch and the new mystery is still a fine story that will entertain most audiences with how it is structured. Overall, I would recommend this season if you are looking for something with a new style or just something to bingewatch in a day, but I would probably not set your expectations super high at the same time.
Overall/Review:
The second season of Homecoming continues the strange, unique style the first one followed and creates a brand new mystery that slowly unravels and unlike the previous season, answers all of them by the last episode. The eerie tone is continued and almost emphasized even more within these seven episodes as the show starts out even stranger than the last season and eventually just spirals out of control in an interesting writing move that is quite bold and intriguing. The writing is the main thing of the season that stands out to me as to me it improves on a lot of flaws the first season has and finds a more creative way to tell this mysterious tale by jumping time periods over the course of different episodes instead of in the same episode which I personally enjoyed more as it allows for a more flowing plot that is less complex and confusing.
That being said, the season mainly suffers from a forgettable first season that even I had a hard time remembering before watching these seven episodes which really makes it hard to began the next season, but I was impressed with how the writers decided to start with a brand new storyline and increase their scale the further into the season as it allows for a more approachable story that audiences can ease into. The cinematography is also just as fantastic as the first, bringing in this new unique and raw style to television that really emphasizes the fascinating writing and highlights on the relationships between the multiple characters especially when they are splitting the screen into two sections with one for each character. The artistry of this season continues the excellence of the first one and matches the fragmented style that benefited the first season so much. In similar fashion, the acting is stellar especially from Janelle Monáe as she conveys the lost and confused feeling in a subtle and held back way that benefits our understanding of this new character and as the episodes go on and we learn more about her character, we see a bit more of her acting skills as Alex which never disappoints. Hong Chau also does an extraordinary job in the show, but I will say the chemistry between Monáe and Chau struggles throughout the show and in many scenes, I found their relationship awkward.
Also, the show has a very hard time finding its rhythm and although the style of going back in time as the season progresses is effective and easier, it makes the show seem lost and unlike the first one in a weird spin, takes away the suspense and provides a more relaxed mystery for most of the show that doesn't captivate the audiences as much. Also, the show is too simple and familiar for me especially with its connection to the first season as I felt it never spread its wings and flew on its own, but always relied on the formulaic technique from the first season because it proved successful then. But, with this season, I feel like that style didn't match up and actually resulted with many flaws in how the story flows and took away the main entertainment aspect that was so successful in the first season, consequently if this season would have built its own system, it might have been more free and successful instead of feeling more like an epilogue. In addition, the things that the season changes backfire such as moments throughout the series being useless and not crucial to the story which in such short episodes shows the storyline problems which the first one expertly avoided somehow and had almost every scene be impactful. I also never got that sense of liking (or knowing) the characters or really wanting to return to them as Alex's character is the only development we see in the season with all the rest of the supporting characters remaining how they are with little change and a whole lot of underdevelopment in their roles in the season especially involving Walter (beautifully played again by Stephen James) as his appearance is vital, yet so rushed, it seems almost hasty to the show.
The characters seem like they have run their course and never touched me in a way that Heidi and Walter did in the first season as most of them are either very simplistic with little depth (sometimes having depth that is hidden too deep for an audience) or lack the qualities that people generally enjoy in characters in a TV show. Overall, season 2 is a mildly successful return of this show that almost traces the first season in a destructive way as it continues the unique style of writing, haunting score, exceptionally powerful cinematography and great performances but also in its attempt to do so, creates a rushed and shaky storyline, too robotic of a season almost and characters that are justified decently but lack the build up and depth necessary, creating a season that tries almost too much but never exceeds or reaches the success and captivating strange storyline of the first one.
Rotten Tomato Score: 50%
IMDB Score: 7.5/10
Rating: 76%
*Homecoming is available to watch on Prime Video and is rated TV-MA
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