Homecoming - General Discussion

[CRT]

It's not entirely a new storyline,  but the new season does does begin with 80 seconds or so of "Last season on Homecoming" clips to refresh your memory. I didn't rewatch the first season and had no trouble watching season 2.

[cmfran]

Just finished season 2. With only 7 eps at 30-ish minutes apiece, it was an easy watch. I enjoyed the first season, but this one didn't do anything for me. The first season was much more creative visually, and there were more layers to the story to keep things interesting. Season 2 was basically one thread with no real surprises, and by the end, I was underwhelmed. It felt more like a standard drama.

I noticed Esmail didn't write or direct any of the S2 eps, so maybe that had something to do with the dip in quality.

[SunnyBeBe]

8 hours ago, TimothyQ said:

Non-spoilery question for people watching Season 2: is it a continuation of season 1 or basically a new storyline? Does it behoove me to go back and rewatch season 1 before I dive in to season 2?

I’ve just watched Episode I and I think you need some idea of what happened in season 1. They show a short montage that might suffice. 

Edited May 24, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[Neurochick]

19 hours ago, cmfran said:

Just finished season 2. With only 7 eps at 30-ish minutes apiece, it was an easy watch. I enjoyed the first season, but this one didn't do anything for me. The first season was much more creative visually, and there were more layers to the story to keep things interesting. Season 2 was basically one thread with no real surprises, and by the end, I was underwhelmed. It felt more like a standard drama.

I noticed Esmail didn't write or direct any of the S2 eps, so maybe that had something to do with the dip in quality.

I respectfully disagree. 

In season 1, I had no idea what was going on.  I didn't know anything about Homecoming.  Then when I found out, I was like, "WTF, I didn't see that coming."  This season, I knew a little bit more, I knew what happened to Alex, but I didn't know the why and that was interesting to find out.  This season reminded me of How To Get Away With Murder, you'll see a scene in the present and then go back in the past to see what led up to it. 

And I was surprised at the end of season 2 as I didn't see THAT coming. 

Spoiler

Well, I kind of did when I saw Cruz in the server's uniform; but I had no idea he'd spoken to Leonard.

As far as Esmail not writing or directing, this series had his style written all over it, the opening credits, the music, the ending sequences.  BTW, I loved Nina Simone's "My Way."

I would LOVE to discuss this season!

Spoiler

ETA:  At the end, do you think Walter was going to see Heidi?

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Neurochick

[SunnyBeBe]

38 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I respectfully disagree. 

In season 1, I had no idea what was going on.  I didn't know anything about Homecoming.  Then when I found out, I was like, "WTF, I didn't see that coming."  This season, I knew a little bit more, I knew what happened to Alex, but I didn't know the why and that was interesting to find out.  This season reminded me of How To Get Away With Murder, you'll see a scene in the present and then go back in the past to see what led up to it. 

And I was surprised at the end of season 2 as I didn't see THAT coming. 

  Hide contents

Well, I kind of did when I saw Cruz in the server's uniform; but I had no idea he'd spoken to Leonard.

As far as Esmail not writing or directing, this series had his style written all over it, the opening credits, the music, the ending sequences.  BTW, I loved Nina Simone's "My Way."

I would LOVE to discuss this season!

  Hide contents

ETA:  At the end, do you think Walter was going to see Heidi?

 

I liked this season MUCH better that last! Last season was a chore to get through, but this one was awesome. I do have some questions. Will post details later.

Edited May 24, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[txhorns79]

I've been mixed on Season 2.  I liked seeing Walter again, but was surprised we have spent so much time with someone who was mostly a more minor secondary character in the first season. 

I'm also not quite sure what to think about  about Alex.  I don't know that I think Janelle Monae is a strong enough actor to make the character work.  Based on what we see, it feels like Alex is a mostly morally bankrupt person.  I mean, her job is to manipulate people who have been victims into not making a fuss or going away, and she has a fairly elaborate set up in her home to help her change her identity to con people as needed for her work.  I don't know why she's so invested in her girlfriend's job success to the point she's staging an elaborate con on Walter, or getting involved in what happens later in the season.   

Having said that, I do like what Joan Cusack is doing.  She plays her character as kind of a menacing soccer mom.  She's polite and cheery, but it also feels like if you cross her or get in her way, she can have you disappeared.     

[Neurochick]

I think season 2 asks a lot of questions about morality.  Is Alex morally bankrupt?  Is Audrey?  At one point Audrey tells Alex that they do what they do "for their family and everybody else are just people."

Was the conclusion morally bankrupt? 

I can't call Walter a secondary character because it is because of him and Heidi's friendship with him that she did what she did, and really caused the actions in season 2.

Edited May 24, 2020 by Neurochick

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, Neurochick said:

I can't call Walter a secondary character because it is because of him and Heidi's friendship with him that she did what she did, and really caused the actions in season 2.

My fault.  I should have clarified that I meant Audrey as the secondary character I was referring to, not Walter. 

[Mabinogia]

2 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I don't know why she's so invested in her girlfriend's job success to the point she's staging an elaborate con on Walter, or getting involved in what happens later in the season.

I just finished Season 2 and while I liked it, this was my biggest question with it. Why were they doing what they were doing? I'm guessing it was all about power/money but it never quite felt that way. 

I didn't watch the first season because I'm not a fan of Julia Roberts and tend to avoid things she's in, so maybe it was addressed there that there was some deeper purpose to Audrey just wanting to get ahead at work and who cares how many people's minds get destroyed in the process, but it all felt a little off as far as motivations work. 

Totally got Walter's motivations and was rooting for him the whole way through. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Are we supposed to hide details here in spoiler tags? I’m not sure, due to how it’s already available to see entire season. I want to post some questions about the finale. A few things seemed odd to me. 

[CaptainE]

Is the season too short to have individual episode threads?  Does it cost more somehow?  I have one episode left, but don’t want to be spoiled. 

[paigow]

20 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I don't know why she's so invested in her girlfriend's job success to the point she's staging an elaborate con on Walter, or getting involved in what happens later in the season. 

She seemed burned out and ready to be a stay-at-home mom for a few years. Neutralizing Walter would guarantee financial security.

[Neurochick]

20 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

My fault.  I should have clarified that I meant Audrey as the secondary character I was referring to, not Walter. 

She was a secondary character, until the last scene of the first season.  I think that was the point.  She knew more about the company than those who had higher positions.  I think that happens a lot in companies.

[SunnyBeBe]

I'll put some things in spoilers, in case others have not seen the later episodes or finale of season II. 

From season I, I loved the scene where Audrey has the sit down with Belfast and totally takes him down, without him knowing.  lol I knew that something was going on in her head as she did it, the first time we saw it.  Watching it later, was even better.  I really liked Audrey, faults and all.  

Spoiler

 

My questions are how did the DOD uniform lady get from the inside the building to out in the field?  She drank, collapsed and then was just out there. How?  And, she seemed to remember what had happened? How is that possible?  

So, what will Alex do with the information she does have? Assuming, there's a season 3. 

 

Spoiler

 

I generally thought the lax security in the building was not realistic, but, accepted it. 

 

[SoMuchTV]

18 hours ago, CaptainE said:

Is the season too short to have individual episode threads?  Does it cost more somehow?  I have one episode left, but don’t want to be spoiled. 

Looking back to the beginning of this thread, it appears this used to be a forum with individual episode threads that all got merged together at some point. Now it makes no sense for people just now watching season 1, and people are unclear on the spoiler policy for season 2.  I can’t tell who the current mod is, but I’ll post this and flag it, to see if anyone can address it. I don’t know if it’s possible to restore what was there for season 1, but maybe we can at least get a topic for folks who have finished s2...?

[Bort]

To answer questions that are apparently coming up: there isn’t enough traffic for this show to warrant a full forum. No spoiler tags are required. If you haven’t finished the season and don’t want to be spoiled, it’s best to wait until you’re done  watching the season before venturing in the topic.

[paigow]

What happens when everyone wakes up? Hundreds of 911 calls. Global media coverage. Somebody will find evidence about the berries and reconstruct the serum.

[CaptainE]

9 hours ago, kariyaki said:

To answer questions that are apparently coming up: there isn’t enough traffic for this show to warrant a full forum. No spoiler tags are required. If you haven’t finished the season and don’t want to be spoiled, it’s best to wait until you’re done  watching the season before venturing in the topic.

Then perhaps the thread title could be fixed to let people know it encompasses all of two seasons?   
Does a “full forum” somehow cost extra?

[Bort]

4 minutes ago, CaptainE said:

Then perhaps the thread title could be fixed to let people know it encompasses all of two seasons?   
Does a “full forum” somehow cost extra?

The thread title has to be the show title. And it has nothing to do with cost, it’s about mod resources. Please address any further inquiries to me via PM, as the discussion here needs to be about the show.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 5/26/2020 at 8:14 AM, paigow said:

What happens when everyone wakes up? Hundreds of 911 calls. Global media coverage. Somebody will find evidence about the berries and reconstruct the serum.

Well, maybe, they'll get creative and just say that everyone drank too much alcohol or, they'll get up and keep going.  I would expect them to not know where they are or how they got there.  With that many people not knowing their address, their name, their families, I'd expect some kind of fallout. 

[Neurochick]

On 5/27/2020 at 3:02 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

With that many people not knowing their address, their name, their families, I'd expect some kind of fallout. 

Maybe, but how long would it take for them to link it to the berries?  By that time Geist could have burned the crops to the roots.

I think the lady from the Pentagon had some memory because she had not drank as much some of the other people, then she passed out. 

[tennisgurl]

Very different season two, and on the one hand, I missed some of the more artistic directorial choices of season one, and I thought that season one was more mysterious and eerie, but on the other hand, I thought that Audrey and Alex were more interesting protagonists than Heidi (plus I am not generally a big Julia Roberts fan) and I thought the plot itself made a lot more sense. I like artsy in my TV shows, but sometimes I felt that season one was being artsy for the sake of being weird, while this season was more straight forward, which made it less mysterious, but allowed me to enjoy the plot and the ethical questions more. 

Audrey was an interesting character, and I left the season wishing I knew more about her. She was really ambitious, and with Alex pushing her to take more power at work, that led her to becoming increasingly morally bankrupt, but I wanted to know more about how she ended up in the place where she could casually plan to mind wipe even more people. I am curious as to where things go after this, especially considering amnesiac Alex deliberately let Audrey drink the berry juice. Alex, in her normal self or having lost her memory, can really be stone cold. 

I did love Audrey telling the women who treated her like shit when she was a secretary that she should either change her personality, or never let her see it. "I love how proactive you are." 

The memory stuff and the ethical questions are decently interesting, and the more straightforward story lets us question it more than we did last season, now that we know what is going on. What they are doing is clearly unethical and horrible, but if someone had traumatic memories and is struggling with functioning in their daily life, and they consented to it, is it alright for them to get rid of some of their worst memories? Or would that do more harm than good, like putting a band-aid over a gaping wound?  

I really loved Joan Cusack this season, she was like a kindergarten teacher who could easily have you killed at a black site with one text.

Edited May 29, 2020 by tennisgurl

[SunnyBeBe]

Well, to me, it seemed that Audrey actually wanted the company to go big with the formula in a good way. As in the seeds being used as a calming agent, but, not to destroy memory.  It wasn't until the DOD lady bulldozed her way in that things turned around. As she saw it, she was accepting reality.  If she had stepped away, it would have changed nothing, plus, she might have placed herself in danger, since she knew so much. 

I never could tell where Alex was coming from.  I wasn't clear on her motivation.  I know what she said, but, her behavior seemed confusing. 

[txhorns79]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I never could tell where Alex was coming from.  I wasn't clear on her motivation.  I know what she said, but, her behavior seemed confusing. 

This.  It was confusing.  Pre-memory loss Alex was a really bad person to the point where I wondered how much of a false front she must put on with Audrey to keep that relationship going.  Just think of it this way: Alex had no idea whatsoever how Walter might react to being injected with the serum.  For all she knew, the direct injection of the stuff into his bloodstream could have killed him, but she considered silencing Walter more important than anything else.   

Post-memory loss Alex seemed to be going along with things without much rhyme or reason.  I realize for story purposes, they needed to get Alex back to Geist quickly so she could make the party, but it felt like she was doing things without really knowing why.         

[SunnyBeBe]

I did lol when Alex was sitting in the room for the scent test and she was freaking out thinking that some kind of torture thing was going to take place and it was just a aerosol spray with citrus.  lol  I loved that. It's sad to think that these unsuspecting random people doing the tour and getting free food are robbed of their lives, because they hit the punch bowl.  

[Haleth]

Quote

 It's sad to think that these unsuspecting random people doing the tour and getting free food are robbed of their lives, because they hit the punch bowl.  

And the employees who thought they made cleaning products, or at most just the roller things.  Most of those people had no idea about the DOD use of the berries.  They were innocent victims just like Walter.

I finished the show last night and must say I enjoyed the tight storytelling.  Janelle was good, easy to sympathize with at first until we gradually saw that she was not a good person.  Loved seeing Walter again.  Joan Cusack and Chris Cooper are always a delight to see.

[toomuchtv]

At the end of season 1, I was thinking maybe Audrey really was the head of the company and was a secretary/desk position to see what was going on better. While secretly running it all with a “don’t look at the man behind the curtain” type of thing. Of course season 2 changed all that and it seemed a stretch that she advanced in her position so quickly.