S01.E01: Homecoming

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

A woman missing for seven years turns up at a hospital with strange scars on her back but can't or won't – reveal where she's been.

 

[Primetimer]

After disappearing seven years ago, Prairie Johnson comes back home, but she's not the same. Should you hear her story?

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[Infie]

This is fascinating.  I don't mind the near-death stuff - it's just the price of admission.  Overall, this is a tremendously interesting story.

[Arynm]

Wow! Ok, I didn't know what to expect when I saw this, but it is intriguing. The main character is so good! Steve needs to grow up a little, he's a punk. I can't wait to see the rest, good thing I have plenty of free time, between this and The man in the High Castle starting today, I will be very busy.

Can't wait to find out what  the OA really means.

[zxy556575]

It's enough to keep me interested so far. Rousing sentiment, I know.

Edited December 16, 2016 by lordonia

[jmonique]

I couldn't. I found it dull and I'm rather over the "I disappeared and am back, but will only speak in riddles" approach to stories like this.

I admire those of you who could.

[Sakura12]

Ok, I'm intrigued. I'll see where this is going. 

[millennium]

retracted

Edited December 20, 2016 by millennium

[numbnut]

Interesting first ep but I'm always intrigued by the premises of Marling's projects only to be underwhelmed by the execution. Also, her performances have a sameness from project to project. Guess I'll see if this one breaks the mold.

Edited December 20, 2016 by numbnut

[justcris]

I really enjoyed this! I'm not sure where the previously.tv reviewer got 'aliens' from, I did not get that sense at all, I thought the end was a sort of afterlife representation. But I'm open to anything really.

I didn't feel manipulated by the lack of immediate answers, and it makes sense to me that she can more easily talk to strangers than to her parents. 

As far as I can tell, this is just my kind of show. I'm in.

[KaleyFirefly]

I will see where this goes.

[Enigma X]

After three episodes, I gave up. 

[hincandenza]

Just started watching yesterday and got through the third episode before bed last night, but wanted to come in and start commenting before I finish the series (which I'm hoping as I type this doesn't become disappointing in the back half).  I'm still intrigued through 3 episodes, but almost gave up halfway through this one until things started speeding up with the Prairie/Nina back story.  The into/return from the afterlife sequence was quite lovely, and 3 episodes in I wish there was more of that sort of fantastical look and feel.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet the really, really odd placement of credits so late in the episode, just after Prairie begins her story in the attic.  I actually rewound a bit wondering if somehow the episode had gotten edited wrong, or if these were closing credits, or if it was some weird originally-aired-on-TV two-parter edited into one episode, or if it had simply slipped into episode 2 without me noticing.  Then I realized two things:

• That gimmick was a really cool meta/4th wall callout to both Netflix and the growing art of storytelling in our lives in general: the in-show characters were sitting back and listening to the story the same way we are in our own homes, as if Prairie's life is a new Netflix original they're binging, night after night.
• That has to have been a record for the absolute latest in an episode that an opening credits sequence has occurred.  I've seen shows that go ~10 minutes in, but never more than an hour in, and with like 10 minutes to go in the show.

[Guest]

Oh yeah, that was weird.  I thought maybe I'd not noticed it had slipped into episode 2 or something so I had to pause and see that it was nearly an hour into ep 1, with not much left. 

[LeGrandElephant]

Just watched the pilot. I think the timing of the credits thing was really clever, but otherwise I'm not so sure about this. I am intrigued, especially by the ending segment, but after years of experience, I'm skeptical they're going anywhere that's worth it.

I was also really really bothered by Steve's throat punch and how we are still apparently supposed to be sympathizing with him. He could have killed that other guy punching him like that, and he definitely chose it not just to physically hurt him but to psychologically hurt him by taking away his singing voice, possibly forever. I was bothered that all the focus was on Steve and the good sides of his character and not on the serious harm that he caused that poor kid. Isn't it unrealistic that a teacher could know about that and not report it - aren't they mandated reporters for that kind of thing? Forget expelled, at that age and under those circumstances he should be in jail for assault and battery, and I'm worried for the physical safety of anyone around him, especially that girl who seems to think its cool to practice sex with him - though she's not such a great person herself if she's still willing to sleep with him after he did that, apparently to a guy she liked?

Edited January 21, 2017 by LeGrandElephant

[Parker]

Really enjoyed the first episode.   Britt is a very good actress and all the performances were really good.

While I've seen this premise before, I have never been this surprised at the last 30 minutes of this ep.  

New material and looking forward to see where this goes.

[Wiendish Fitch]

On 1/20/2017 at 8:18 PM, LeGrandElephant said:

Just watched the pilot. I think the timing of the credits thing was really clever, but otherwise I'm not so sure about this. I am intrigued, especially by the ending segment, but after years of experience, I'm skeptical they're going anywhere that's worth it.

I was also really really bothered by Steve's throat punch and how we are still apparently supposed to be sympathizing with him. He could have killed that other guy punching him like that, and he definitely chose it not just to physically hurt him but to psychologically hurt him by taking away his singing voice, possibly forever. I was bothered that all the focus was on Steve and the good sides of his character and not on the serious harm that he caused that poor kid. Isn't it unrealistic that a teacher could know about that and not report it - aren't they mandated reporters for that kind of thing? Forget expelled, at that age and under those circumstances he should be in jail for assault and battery, and I'm worried for the physical safety of anyone around him, especially that girl who seems to think its cool to practice sex with him - though she's not such a great person herself if she's still willing to sleep with him after he did that, apparently to a guy she liked?

That's exactly why I stopped watching after the first episode. Steve is a miserable little shit, and what he did to that poor kid was unforgivable. I'm also amazed he framed as sympathetic, since the impetus for the kid initially telling him off was because Steve made a homophobic remark about one of his friends.

 This is a prevalent trend in TV and I'm sick of it. Yeah, maybe Steve's daddy or whatever made him a jerk... but he didn't make him punch the kid in the throat and ruin his singing! Steve did that all on his own! When the hell does personal responsibility come into play? And the OA spouting New Age-y pyschobabble about how Steve's the one who deserves sympathy and attention stunk to me of blaming the victim (just because the other kid presumably had an easier life, that doesn't mean he had it coming). 

Also, the OA is a complete Mary Sue and basically a cult leader. That's why I stopped watching.