[initial reactions] Homecoming (Ep 1-10)

[grimorie]

I just finished Homecoming on Amazon Prime. Homecoming has an interesting pedigree since it started as a podcast show, I listened to the first episode but for one reason or another never managed to pick it back again. 

It stars Julia Roberts and Stephan James and it’s just -- I said You was mesmerizing, if horrific but Homecoming? I just couldn’t stop watching all ten episodes. 

It’s a conspiracy story and unrequited love story, and it’s a story about memory and memory loss. 

It’s such a sweet story and an inverse to the standard older man falls for sweet and open young girl. Julia Roberts plays Heidi Bergman, a case worker who helps soldiers transition back to society (or so it seems), and Stephan James is Walter Cruz. 

And oh man. Oh man. 

It would be a crime if Stephan James doesn’t become a major star because he has such a confident demeanor to him, a confidence and sweetness and bright eyes I can see in a romantic lead, in an honorable drama lead. In a major starring role lead. 

There is an instant connection between Heidi and Walter and it’s a little hinky, she’s not his therapist but serves a similar function but I think what makes it work is that there’s no power imbalance there. And Walter has a certain magnetic charisma that gets people to both like him and follow him but all the best things that happen to Walter and Heidi are all in conversation. 

(No surprise since this did start in an audio format.)

But the scene where both sort of fall into this closeness, almost falling in love-ness is the conversation they have talking about a road trip. Stephan James brings you in and Julia Roberts’ reaction as Heidi seals the deal. It’s so well acted.

There’s a lot in the middle that’s harsh but the ending for both is so gentle. Heidi finds Walter again, and because of circumstances and the conspiracy of Homecoming, he doesn’t remember her. But he is better than Heidi expected and they meet in a diner, in a small out of nowhere town they were both talking about and fall into conversation.

Heidi never reveals herself but you can feel the poignancy of the moment as they both fall into an easy conversation. Walter leaves the diner, off to live his life, none the wiser... or maybe not. The ending is left ambiguous. 

Oh, but there’s this moment near the end where the Worst Boss Ever gets his just desserts from an unlikely source (and I honestly thought he got away with it but nope!) and what a comeuppance. I loved it. 

This whole miniseries (and I hope that’s the extent of it because this feels like a good end to it, and I’m disregarding the epilogue) is brought together by the wonderful direction of Sam Esmail, the creator of Mr. Robot. 

At the end of the day Homecoming isn’t an original story but it’s how it’s told that made it interesting and how it’s directed. The visuals in this show exemplifies all the things that made Mr. Robot great without all the convoluted self-indulgent things Esmail gets to in the later seasons of Mr. Robot. It might also be because there’s a time constraint, which USA Network stopped giving Esmail. 

Directors and directing used to be an invisible thing to me, I just took it as a given that episodes just flowed, I didn’t realize that a large part of that component was the director and their vision. 

Greg Plageman’s directorial debut in Person of Interest and Jamie Childs’ directions in Doctor Who made me really, really aware how important a role they are because if it’s not a good fit or if someone is a neophyte director (Plageman. Sorry man, good writer and showrunner but you shouldn’t have directed the penultimate episode of Person of Interest), the episode/movie will feel like it’s not working. 

Childs directing cozy, atmospheric, and slightly claustrophobic episodes works to his strength. Big epic set pieces, and he starts working against his instincts. If it’s one thing I learned from watching RTD’s work in Doctor Who going against his natural instincts (cynical, snarky, and dark stories)  will burn people out -- er, aside from the overwhelming time/work pressure. 

Also, I learned limitations on creatives actually help because it forces them to think outside of the box. It’s why I am kind of getting convinced for some writers, the half hour drama works. 

More running time doesn’t instantly equate great episodes.