Where We Call Home

The first season is better than the second season. The homes in season one seem to be more personal and comfortable. I could see myself living in a couple of the structures. The second season does nothing for me. Structure after structure looks the same. Huge spaces with impersonal industrial design owned by people with far more financial resources than most viewers could scrape together. I'm happy that old buildings are being preserved. However in a time when homelessness is rampant someone living in a 50,000. Sq foot McMansions seems unreal. If you have the money to have a huge garage for your car collection perhaps you should look at your perspective on life.

I'm not sure what inspired the shift in tone after the first two excellent seasons. Season Three feels like a different show that was re-edited into the format. I can't help wondering if these episodes were filmed to be a different show that didn't get picked up so they just tweaked them a bit and called it season three of this one. Instead of the original concept of remaking existing non-traditional structures into homes, it shifted into typical makeover stories (well done makeover stories, to be fair.) We're still watching but hope that If it gets a fourth season they'll go back to the show's roots.

The houses are amazing and diverse and the series is worth watching. That's where the diversity ends. Mostly Christian, fabulously wealthy though they never show you where the hired help sleeps. An occasional gay couple or Hispanic. Hard to pick a favorite. The Fettermans 1920's car dealership house, compacted dirt house, even the Hawaiian school bus house. Highly educated white people with educated modulated voices. I hope if the show continues they can use more imagination to become more inclusive and self-aware. I have to admit that I will keep either way. And easy to re-watch - so many good ideas...