Series : Homecoming

Homecoming is the nice surprise of the end of the year 2018. Originally, the story of the series was created via a podcast but I did not have the opportunity to listen to it. But what made me want to see this series is that behind this project, we have Sam Esmail, the creator of Mr Robot, who produced and directed the 10 episodes of this season 1 (a season 2 is already ordered).

And it is clear enough quickly that he is behind this project given the originality of the staging and the artistic touch already present in Mr Robot. Casting side, we also have Mr Robot with the excellent Bobby Cannavale who will give the reply to Julia Roberts.

The story

Season 1 is articulated around two distinct periods where the spectator will try, like certain characters, to guess what could have happened between these two moments separated by several years. Through these two periods, we follow the story of Heidi Bergman (played by Julia Roberts). In the past period. She works in the homecoming center where her goal is to help several war veterans through psychiatric sessions so that they can return to their families.

In the present period, several years have passed and Heidi is a waitress who is questioned by a defense officer who is investigating Heidi’s past period while still in Homecoming. The first highlight of Sam Esmail’s staging will be on the image format that the series will adopt to clearly identify the two time periods.

A dazzling staging

Sam Esmail had already made a completely crazy sequence shot in Mr Robot (Season 3 Episode 5), he took the opportunity to do another one. So much more minimalist (less than 3 minutes) but that makes its effect anyway. What better way to present Homecoming Therapeutic Center than through a long sequence shot of Heidi wandering the corridors and stairs followed by the camera that crosses the infrastructure, giving the impression that we are flying from room to room . This scene also gives an overview of one of the 2 central dynamics of the series, as Heid is all the time on the phone with Colin.

The use of light is excellent especially in the second time period (in 4/3) which reinforces the dark and cold side. The play of light in the archive room is particularly striking.

Many shots are aerial like the sequences where you follow a vehicle like in a video game in the third person where the camera rotates at the same time as the vehicle.

Paranoia at the heart of the series

Since the series revolves around the character of Heidi Bergman (played by Julia Roberts), the series develops an agonizing, stressful and paranoid atmosphere that only increases as one moves forward in the plot.

Like his character, one wonders what could have happened during his period in the center of Homecoming and the goal that his former employers had through the character of Colin (played by Bobby Cannavale). While the dynamic between her and the soldier Walter Cruz (played by Stephan James) is a breath of fresh air for Heid. His dynamic with Colin becomes more and more toxic and calls into question the nature of his work.

The parallel with the sequences of the second time period in which she tries to unravel the truth from the false, makes everything even more frightening and terrifying. Moreover the series does everything to destabilize the viewer to reinforce this paranoid atmosphere. We have no clue about the period of the series (70’s atmosphere on one side but still very current on the other).

Conclusion

This first season is for me a great success. Sam Esmail confirms all his potential of realization already seen in Mr Robot. Homecoming is quickly consumable (by its 30-minute format) but also highly relevant and very effective in both substance and form.