Summary
Still shrouded in mystery, Episode 2, “Pineapple”, offers another intriguing instalment in Sam Esmail’s Homecoming.
This review of Homecoming Episode 2, “Pineapple”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.
The reason why the second episode of Homecoming is called “Pineapple” is because of Walter Cruz’s (Stephan James) friend Shrier (Jeremy Allen White) questioning the purpose of this facility, and whether or not they have given consent to be on this programme. Walter, in trying to console his friend, is met by resistance, and Shrier has a mental breakdown, shouting “Pineapple” repeatedly.
Of course, questions are put forward because of Shrier – can the returning soldiers leave whenever they want? And is this homecoming facility in Florida? Sam Esmail’s Homecoming broaches the subject of returning from the perils of war, with soldiers struggling to adjust to normal civilised life. But at the same time, the story gives you a twisted outlook, forcing the audience to view the facility from a skewed perspective.
There’s a beautiful scene in “Pineapple” between Heidi (Julia Roberts) and Walter Cruz in a lightly-run counselling session. Walter discussed a genuinely funny story of a time when they were in the army, and one of their men was obsessed with the movie Titanic, and they teased him by telling him there was a sequel. The story ended with him stating that one of his men was unfortunately killed. Homecoming made Heidi look out of depth for the role; she is complacently relaxed at this moment, almost like she is talking to a friend, and then the reality of these soldiers hit her.
“Pineapple” is once again a wonderfully shot and constructed bite-sized episode in the thriller series. Homecoming is determined to keep its cards close to its chest, with an impactful leading performance from Julia Roberts. Heidi, in the present day, is piecing together her time at the homecoming facility, and there is a scene in particular, where she is tempted to give the Department of Defense a call. Heidi’s resistance to remembering the past is a clear indicator that there is much more to learn in this series.
I’m only two episodes in, but Homecoming is a little gem so far on Amazon Prime.
