The series takes on a new direction in season 2. The cast is refreshed and deviates from the original series. The first season was closely based on the podcast that you can listen to on spotify https://gimletmedia.com/shows/homecoming
The original premise is as follows
Heidi Bergman had been a social worker at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center, a live-in facility run by the Geist Group; the facility ostensibly helped soldiers transition to civilian life, though why they needed this help is unclear. Four years later, Bergman has started a new life working as a waitress but has difficulty remembering her time at Homecoming. After a U.S. Department of Defense auditor inquires as to why she left Homecoming, Bergman comes to realize that she had been misled about the true purpose of the facility.
The second series starts the main character waking up on a boat with no memory of how she got there or any memory of who she actually is.
The story is told in reverse chronological order and concludes with the revelation of how she got there and the outcomes of her choices.
The use of music or more specifically the lack of music at certain key moments really aids in telling this story. Employing split screen shots is a bold choice as it can be visually distracting for the viewer. I had visions of Brian DePalma with these techniques as they are rarely employed nowadays.
The soundtrack to season 2 can be found here
source: youtube
The story while intriguing does not live up to the high standards set by the first season. The addition of Chris Cooper and Joan Cusack does bring some prestige to the cast.
Even so I ended up binge watching this in one evening. The episode runtime of 30 minutes never felt like a slog and I was invested in the story.
This is worth a watch but keep you expectations tempered.
source: youtube
