'Homecoming' Is an Underrated Thriller on Prime Video

Homecoming, adapted from the Gimlet Media podcast, debuted on Amazon Prime Video in November 2018 and spans 17 episodes across two seasons, with Season 2 arriving in May 2020. The series was created by Micah Bloomberg, Eli Horowitz, and Sam Esmail. Season 1 attracted attention for casting Julia Roberts as Heidi Bergman, a therapist at the center of the show’s mystery.

Stephan James plays soldier Walter Cruz, and the chemistry between the two anchors much of the story. The first season also features Sissy Spacek, Shea Whigham, Bobby Cannavale, Dermot Mulroney, and Jeremy Allen White. Rather than leaning on action, Homecoming takes a slower, more contemplative approach, exploring memory, agency, politics, corruption, and society’s treatment of veterans.

The show asks difficult questions about reintegration and mental health, and it delivers a memorable plot twist while treating its characters with care.

homecoming, prime video, julia roberts, sam esmail, gimlet media, heidi bergman, stephan james, walter cruz, veterans, mental health