Homecoming

We have Amazon Prime so I was able to stream this through my Roku.

It stars Julia Roberts, who was also a producer, as Heidi Bergman. She is a therapist assigned to help returning military men adjust to being home again and to develop the temperament and skills necessary to get into the workforce.

At least that is what we are told in episode #1. But not everything is as it seems and there is something very experimental going on.

I like Julia Roberts, and she is fine here, but as producer I suspect her main goal was to make a good chunk of money from Amazon. There really isn't anything much new here, it could have been a pretty good 90 minute movie, but the story is stretched out over 10 episodes, as has become the new mode of operation for sources like Amazon and Netflix. Which is fine for those who want to spend time leisurely watching everything unfold slowly

Count me among those disappointed with this series, it is much ado about very little.

NOTE: This review applies only to Season 1.

The premise is intriguing and the acting is quite good, but the pacing is so slow that it often becomes boring. The story would have been more effective as a 2-hour movie than it is as a 10-episode series. You can tell that every episode was padded with yawns to fill the 30-minute time slot. The plot is so simple, it could be written in no more than five paragraphs.

Julia Roberts, Stephan James and Bobby Cannavale all turn in good performances, but there just isn't much to work with here.

Julia Roberts is laid back most of the time and seems to be on sedatives. I've seen the film described as a "thriller" so I watched all 10 episodes waiting for some thrills. They never happened. It just isn't worth the time.

Just finished season 2, it was definitely a shift from season 1, however it is a continuation of the original story line. The first episode is a change in tone from the first season, but stick with it - it is an aggressive approach to establishing the setting. So many nods to film techniques used in the 1970's & early 1980's. Excellent acting, and great appearances from familiar faces. Don't buy the negative hype!

Enjoyed the show and would give it a solid recommendation. My interested peaked around the midpoint of the season then gradually dissipated. The acting was superb.

Season 1 of Homecoming is interesting. It unravels in a way that intrigues and holds you in suspense until the end. I was thoroughly invested and binge watched and was satisfied with the storyline. 8/10.

Season 2 of Homecoming is super boring. Why was it even made? Janelle Monae is fine. But her character just isn't interesting, and nor is the story. 5/10. I don't know the person who really wants to sit through this slog.

My average is 7/10, but season 1 is definitely of a different caliber than season 2, and I wish I could rate them separately.