Jeff Bedrick

Sam Esmail is a genius and I don't throw that term around lightly. After being blown away by the brilliance of Mr. Robot, I was curious about whatever he would do next. I finally took the time to catch the pilot episode of Homecoming and was immediately hooked by the intriguing premise and Esmail's unmistakable directing style. Where Mr. Robot was frenetic and hard to follow with the unreliable narrator at the center of the story, Homecoming is easier to follow, but just as suspenseful and conspiratorial with characters' compromised memories as the core premise, as told through multiple timelines. All this is embellished by uniquely creative cinematography, editing, match cuts, and some fine performances by the great cast. One device in particular that stands out to me are the peculiar final shots of each episode where Esmail allows the camera to linger on some seemingly banal moment after each episode's suspenseful climax, almost like some Jim Jarmusch movies. This produces a kind of temporal disorientation, much like the characters themselves. I just binged the first season and can't wait to see what happens next.

This is like two completely different shows uneasily grafted together. One is a gritty, realistic drama about a dysfunctional family. The other is a campy, cartoonish horror story. And yet, good writing with rich back stories and superb acting somehow hold it all together. This cocktail may not suit everyone's taste but I'm hooked