Homecoming

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Season 1
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 129 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 91 out of 129
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 129
  3. Negative: 14 out of 129
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User Reviews

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  1. aka2k
    Dec 2, 2018
    7
    Good show, but all "The Parallax View" vibe dies out pretty quickly and it becomes more and more a Julia Roberts' vehicle than the great series it seems to be at the start.
  2. jgzeger
    Dec 10, 2018
    5
    While Julia Roberts is good, as usual, and the visuals are as well, this series is painfully boring and I bailed after the third episode, as it was like a Chinese water torture.
  3. night4
    Jan 17, 2019
    6
    Omg we get it: there's a mystery. You don't have to bash us over the heads with it for an entire season before you reveal what it is.

    I lost interest halfway through because every episode is exactly the same thing.
  4. Eman0221
    Nov 5, 2018
    8
    This is actually a pretty good show. It has all the mystery, mood, and intrigue of a Hitchcock flick as its one of the few, truly intelligent mysteries left out there. It's also good and interesting to see Julia Roberts move away from the popcorn movies and Oscar bait that she's used to and take on a small screen, art-house mystery like this, which she does a fairly good job at doing so,This is actually a pretty good show. It has all the mystery, mood, and intrigue of a Hitchcock flick as its one of the few, truly intelligent mysteries left out there. It's also good and interesting to see Julia Roberts move away from the popcorn movies and Oscar bait that she's used to and take on a small screen, art-house mystery like this, which she does a fairly good job at doing so, although that huge fake smile she's famous for gets old after a while. Stephan James, as well as the always reliable Bobby Carnivale is fantastic.

    It is a slow potboiler, though, and if these sort of slow-moving, hard thinking, aren't your thing like it seems to be for many of the fanboy and trolls that inhabit Metacritic, then comic book fare and zombie shows are more your speed. This is a terrific, tightly strung tale of deceit and memory and something new, novel, and different for a change.    … Expand
  5. nlefevre
    Nov 6, 2018
    8
    Homecoming is for grownups. It has no explosions. It requires attention and thought. It is not tidy. That said, for people willing to invest some thought into their entertainment, it is profound and emotionally wrenching. I always expect great performance by Spacek and Roberts. Robert's performance in intentionally somewhat flat but you will see the reason for that. The most standoutHomecoming is for grownups. It has no explosions. It requires attention and thought. It is not tidy. That said, for people willing to invest some thought into their entertainment, it is profound and emotionally wrenching. I always expect great performance by Spacek and Roberts. Robert's performance in intentionally somewhat flat but you will see the reason for that. The most standout performances come from Stephen James, a wonderfully smarmy Bobby Cannavale, and Shea Whigham. I had not seen Whigham before but his performance as a DOD Inspector General's Office inspector is underplayed and ego-less. As I said at the outset, it's not tidy and ends ambiguously...like life.… Expand
  6. lucybimble
    Nov 15, 2018
    10
    If you exclusively enjoy Marvel action movies or the like of Tom Cruise Reacher films, this superbly intelligent and judiciously tempered drama isn't for you. It is beautifully filmed, directed, acted, paced and structured. A measured drama with a sparse deck of actors that delights with the layered but surprisingly neat story line. Julia Roberts is a revelation but some of the shots youIf you exclusively enjoy Marvel action movies or the like of Tom Cruise Reacher films, this superbly intelligent and judiciously tempered drama isn't for you. It is beautifully filmed, directed, acted, paced and structured. A measured drama with a sparse deck of actors that delights with the layered but surprisingly neat story line. Julia Roberts is a revelation but some of the shots you will want to freeze frame or replay just for the visual feast that is Esmail's direction. Lots of delicious hidden motives and cross referencing. Enjoy and relish.… Expand
  7. srs911tech
    Nov 5, 2018
    4
    Maybe this would have worked as a 90 minute movie, as it is it's dragged out to the point of boring
  8. Progres_sive777
    Nov 3, 2018
    5
    Don't waste your time, boring: first 2 series of session-talking, after that i just press button to delete. Julia Roberts and Sam esmail (mr.robot) just the reason of watching, but didn't work out for me;)
  9. shoulderoforion
    Nov 3, 2018
    1
    Homecoming starts strong, but by the 5th episode it gets sooo draggy than even the reveals, which by that time are painfully obvious, become tedious. Again, an interesting premise, with top notch casting & production value doomed by the need to fill a seasons worth of episodes. This all could have been wrapped up nicely, and much more satisfying in a 3 hr movie.
  10. Spaulding1980
    Nov 30, 2018
    3
    The others reviews of a sloooow show are spot-on and I did not listen to them to my own detriment. I never knew 30-minutes could feel so long. The "mystery" in the show is puddle deep, but is dragged on and on and on. There is decent acting, but the people they portray don't act like real humans. If this was a 2hr movie, it would still have thin plot and not much else going for it. If youThe others reviews of a sloooow show are spot-on and I did not listen to them to my own detriment. I never knew 30-minutes could feel so long. The "mystery" in the show is puddle deep, but is dragged on and on and on. There is decent acting, but the people they portray don't act like real humans. If this was a 2hr movie, it would still have thin plot and not much else going for it. If you want entertainment or a thinker, look elsewhere.… Expand
  11. Slagathoor
    Nov 3, 2018
    2
    This show is total garbage. Once again do not listen to the critics. Wierd does not equal good. The first 2 episodes are total nonsense. Julia Roberts is way too good to be in this nothing show. I guess cropping the screen is now supposed to be compelling TV. I’m sick of TV shows like this where the viewer is supposed to be dazzled by the weirdness. If you are a normal person, youThis show is total garbage. Once again do not listen to the critics. Wierd does not equal good. The first 2 episodes are total nonsense. Julia Roberts is way too good to be in this nothing show. I guess cropping the screen is now supposed to be compelling TV. I’m sick of TV shows like this where the viewer is supposed to be dazzled by the weirdness. If you are a normal person, you will not like this show.… Expand
  12. everett
    Nov 7, 2018
    5
    Flashy direction and capable performances can't compensate for subpar writing: Stilted dialogue and underdeveloped characters and relationships (especially between Heidi and her mother). Despite the s-l-o-w pace, I lasted through all ten episodes, but wondered if it had been worth the time, especially after the implausible premise was finally revealed.
  13. Lahuzer
    Nov 13, 2018
    9
    Im a "normal" person and I LOVED this show... Some1 here said "normal" people wouldnt like this show. The stupidity has reached a new lvl with "reviews" like that.
    I loved the pacing of the show. The acting. How it was shot. The photo and editing is amongst the best I've seen for a tv-show. The story that kept things intersting through the entire season. Twisting and turning all the way    Im a "normal" person and I LOVED this show... Some1 here said "normal" people wouldnt like this show. The stupidity has reached a new lvl with "reviews" like that.
    I loved the pacing of the show. The acting. How it was shot. The photo and editing is amongst the best I've seen for a tv-show. The story that kept things intersting through the entire season. Twisting and turning all the way to the end leaving you wanting more.
    Sure its a slow burn, but I found it fresh. No silly Hollywood explosions etc. Give it a shot. I binged this in one day. Loved it.    … Expand
  14. DaroSyko
    Nov 4, 2018
    0
    Out of your tiny minds!
    This seemed intetesting however nothing happens.
    It starts slowly and never gains any momentum. Give this a miss you have better things to do with your life. The critics get it wrong again, stop paying the critics to promote garbage. Critics text book quotes on the style of filming do nothing to keep the viewer engaged. Julia Roberts deserved better than    Out of your tiny minds!
    This seemed intetesting however nothing happens.
    It starts slowly and never gains any momentum.
    Give this a miss you have better things to do with your life.

    The critics get it wrong again, stop paying the critics to promote garbage. Critics text book quotes on the style of filming do nothing to keep the viewer engaged.

    Julia Roberts deserved better than this rubbish.    … Expand
  15. LamontRaymond
    Nov 3, 2018
    7
    Intriguing start, but I want to see much more relatively quickly or I may stray.
  16. caterina_magn
    Nov 8, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I cannot lie: I started this, like many did, because of Julia. Often when I do the same with other series, I end up with a let down. This is not what happened with this artwork: after a challenging pilot (even if the episodes are short, the pace is not very fast, not slow either) I looked up on line the rest of the cast and is filled with stars, starting from the director himself, Sam Esmail a.k.a. the creator of Mr. Robot: everybody has a chance to shine in the little time they are given and overall the perfomance is very well blended.
    The entire series is very pleasant to the eye, I found myself rewatching many shots.
    One con I found is the soundtrack, which I didn't find very appalling, but I get that it is not the point of a phycological thriller in itself.
    The story unravels slowly, as I said, but the rhythm is constantly flowing: there are not many scenes that you can find irrelevant by the time you reach the end.
    Also the characterization of the lead, Heidi Bergman, which one of the few characters we really see through, is very interesting and goes really deep even if the series is very short.
    Many aspects of Heidi make sense all at once, end maybe this is the best surprise, given that the end is not something shocking or groundbreaking, à la Girl On the Train.    … Expand
  17. OlivierPiel
    Nov 7, 2018
    1
    This kind of TV show is very pretentious and manipulative and not in a good way. It's a very simplistic and rehashed story of a "them" conspiracy about government agencies/contractors and army vets.
    All the clichés of the genre are here, of course, to comfort the average middle-class viewer. The worst is the use of the ominous scores and camera framing of the 1970 Tv shows. Just like    This kind of TV show is very pretentious and manipulative and not in a good way. It's a very simplistic and rehashed story of a "them" conspiracy about government agencies/contractors and army vets.
    All the clichés of the genre are here, of course, to comfort the average middle-class viewer. The worst is the use of the ominous scores and camera framing of the 1970 Tv shows. Just like these shows that were trying to hype tension where there was none in the script or action, this artifice is no longer in use in serious thrillers where character nuances, analysis and psychology are vastly superior (Better Call Saul or Patriot).
    As other reviewers have pointed out this show could have been wrapped up in 2 hours, and not be milked for the ten hours. Completely useless dialogues that repeat things the viewer has seen 2 or 3 times are par for the course for our ADHD internet generation, I guess (ironic since this show is about erasing memories).
    On the acting part Cannavale plays again the same insufferable douche he's always been playing. Julia Roberts is lost in this as a reverse Erin Brokovich.
    In short, this show is the modern pendant of those little novellas that were sold in train stations in the 1950s. Little escapism, little "what if the government?", but ultimately end up being forgotten in a couple of weeks.    … Expand
  18. crankyerma
    Dec 16, 2018
    2
    Honestly, the only reason I finished this dreary, boring, death march of a program was because I adore Julia Roberts. There is no other excuse for wasting that much of my life on a show so snail paced and ultimately unsatisfying. If you are not someone who has to watch everything Ms. Roberts is in, avoid this like the plague. Predictably, critics love it. It seems these days that any filmHonestly, the only reason I finished this dreary, boring, death march of a program was because I adore Julia Roberts. There is no other excuse for wasting that much of my life on a show so snail paced and ultimately unsatisfying. If you are not someone who has to watch everything Ms. Roberts is in, avoid this like the plague. Predictably, critics love it. It seems these days that any film or TV show that offers even a glimmer of entertainment value is shunned by the critical community while stuff like this is showered with praise. Don't believe the hype.

    And contrary to what a couple of reviews have inferred here, while I truly disliked this empty void of a series, I am a grown-up with an appreciation for Film/TV (or at least my Masters degree in these disciplines suggests it) and I work in the industry. So, it's not that I'm some ignorant plebeian incapable of appreciating "great art" as these seeming elitist prats would have you believe. It's just that the show really is not good.    … Expand
  19. adverb
    Dec 4, 2018
    10
    Deliberately paced doesn't necessarily mean boring. I have watched and read stories that escaped my grasp but I didn't automatically blame it on the art. I found "Homecoming" to be extremely watchable and satisfying.
  20. mellonhead
    Apr 14, 2019
    6
    Interesting premise, but the show seems more focused on teasing a climax that never actually happens than the follow through. The set-up is good enough to keep the viewer intrigued but there isn't much of anything in terms of original, interesting, well-executed content in the last couple episodes. The final episode tries to recover with a meaningful finish, but the finish is built on aInteresting premise, but the show seems more focused on teasing a climax that never actually happens than the follow through. The set-up is good enough to keep the viewer intrigued but there isn't much of anything in terms of original, interesting, well-executed content in the last couple episodes. The final episode tries to recover with a meaningful finish, but the finish is built on a faulty foundation. The relationship that this show wants you to focus on, that's meant to make all the show's shortcomings worth it, was weak and generic as were its characters. Many of its parts are strong and well executed by the sum of its parts is awkward, incomplete, and ultimately not worth the investment (albeit only 30 minutes per episode). The show needs the viewer to be invested in the main characters and their relationships, but neither are all that strong. For anyone who connected to the characters and found the central relationship genuinely unique, this show might make sense and be worthwhile. But for anyone who doesn't "get it", the only thing that makes this show passable is that it's not a movie. Because if it were a movie, it would quite frankly be pretty bad -- an intriguing start with some good acting ends poorly and abruptly, highlighted by a couple of the lead characters being highly one-dimensional.… Expand
  21. prms
    Feb 12, 2019
    4
    If you're into style over substance you'll probably like this (though i'd say a show with greater style and almost sufficient substance is 'Legion').

    If you expect the story to draw you in and to feel worthwhile, and as though it's going somewhere you'll be disappointed. I, at least, was after 6 episodes. I then read a synopsis of the remaining episodes and it sounded like nothing    If you're into style over substance you'll probably like this (though i'd say a show with greater style and almost sufficient substance is 'Legion').

    If you expect the story to draw you in and to feel worthwhile, and as though it's going somewhere you'll be disappointed. I, at least, was after 6 episodes. I then read a synopsis of the remaining episodes and it sounded like nothing progresses there either.    … Expand
  22. GrantD243
    Dec 20, 2018
    8
    Distinctly a Sam Esmail show. If you like Mr. Robot, odds are you'll like Homecoming. It's a very interesting and somewhat mysterious story with a satisfying conclusion. Also it's shot in a very unique way, which kept me enthralled the entire time.
  23. rjbree
    Nov 23, 2018
    9
    Not a show for viewers who need explosions and special effects to satisfy their attention spans. If you absorb yourself in this tense, edge of your seat dialogue you will be rewarded by the one of the most gripping, best written and acted (across the board) shows this season,
  24. dennis_gt
    Nov 27, 2018
    8
    Background: Homecoming is based on a popular podcast of the same name. So popular that there was a bidding war for the TV rights. That war was won by Universal with Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) attached to produce and direct. The original writers adapted the show and it was sold to Amazon with Julia Roberts attached to star.

    If you consider the peak of television to be shows like Mad Men    Background: Homecoming is based on a popular podcast of the same name. So popular that there was a bidding war for the TV rights. That war was won by Universal with Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) attached to produce and direct. The original writers adapted the show and it was sold to Amazon with Julia Roberts attached to star.

    If you consider the peak of television to be shows like Mad Men or Mr Robot, then this show is probably up your alley. If you dislike those shows, then this is probably not for you. If you're just a massive Julia Roberts fan (they exist?) who likes 90s rom-coms or Erin Brockovich, then this is probably not your cup of tea.

    Homecoming is a slow-burn, sci-fi, conspiracy series. It's heavy on dialog and uses a lot of time-hopping to tell the story. It's beautifully directed, similar to Mr. Robot, but not nearly as chaotic. The basic premise is that Roberts is a counselor at a facility to helps soldiers returning home with PTSD. But pretty early on it becomes obvious that not everything is as it seems.    … Expand
  25. Konathecat
    Jan 28, 2019
    0
    The acting is good and that's the one and only positive element of this painfully boring show. No episode was worth the half hour of my time. I kept expecting that something would happen in the next episode, but nope. Another unoriginal clue would be dropped (Oh, she doesn't REMEMBER? Was she DRUGGED then? Yes. Mystery solved. )The premise is ridiculous and the lack of cohesion andThe acting is good and that's the one and only positive element of this painfully boring show. No episode was worth the half hour of my time. I kept expecting that something would happen in the next episode, but nope. Another unoriginal clue would be dropped (Oh, she doesn't REMEMBER? Was she DRUGGED then? Yes. Mystery solved. )The premise is ridiculous and the lack of cohesion and credibility make me think of a lazy production staff; there is nothing deep or complex here. I won't be back for season 2. If it takes that long to develop a story, there's something very wrong.… Expand
  26. Zurlistuta
    Jan 29, 2019
    6
    Interesting plot but it runs at a slow pace and pretty boring development of the overall story line. Julia Roberts is the best thing about this show, the rest is pretty forgettable.
  27. Floydsframes
    Oct 26, 2020
    8
    Great season of television; great performances across the board, excellent writing, stellar cinematography.
  28. geewah
    Jan 9, 2021
    8
    Esmail's stylings are all over this neatly crafted series.
    Always thought provoking, mysterious and moody, Esmail has delivered here.

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best TV Season of 2018
34
#34 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
37
#37 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Under The Radar
    Reviewed by: Matthew Passantino
    Nov 7, 2018
    80
    Ostensibly, Homecoming might appear uneventful and slow but it's deliberately and skillfully languid, ratcheting up tension with purpose and ease.
    Read full review
  2. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Nov 5, 2018
    80
    The result is a television series that’s frequently breathtaking. Each frame of Homecoming feels meaningful, and most feel at least vaguely familiar. ... As Homecoming unfurls its mystery through 10 half-hour installments, the stylistic choices can seem more like aesthetic overdecoration than vital components of something fully cohesive. ... It has the potential to expand its story in a way that melds the narrative organically with Esmail’s stylistic flourishes, rather than layering one on top of the other.
    Read full review
  3. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
    Nov 2, 2018
    100
    Each episode of Homecoming is about a half-hour, leaving no room for placeholder sequences or needlessly distracting subplots. Every scene, every character, every development is a key component of a jigsaw puzzle that admittedly takes quite some time to develop into something we can truly see for what it is.
    Read full review
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