Amazon's Homecoming season 1, episode 2 recap: Pineapple

Ever wondered what a Titanic sequel might be like? This episode of Homecoming sets it all up for you.

Homecoming is two episodes in at this point and it’s getting creepier, more mysterious, and haunting in a way that I can’t quite describe. The episode begins with a focus on Shrier (Jeremy Allen White) and Walter (Stephan James) in the cafeteria eating. Now, if you recall, eating meals together is part of the Homecoming rules, and this will make sense as the series goes on.

Momentarily, the camera stops on Shrier who is playing around with a harmonica and then on a can of pineapples (which happens to be the name of this episode). As the episode progresses, we are then taken to a session between Walter and Heidi where the story of Titanic Rising is told.

This particular story and memory come into play later on in the series, but for now, we’ll just stick to what Walter tells Heidi about it in this episode. Walter reflects on a joke that the guys told in regards to a Titanic sequel. It turns out one of the guys in the unit, named Benjy, was obsessed with Titanic, so one of the other guys, Lesky, told him about a supposed sequel to the movie.

Of course, everyone knows this isn’t true, but Benjy got sucked right into the joke and began researching to see if he could find anything pertaining to it. But when he tells the guys he can’t find it anywhere, they tell him its an indie film so it’s not just readily available.

Credit: Amazon Prime Video

The joke goes on for some time, but then something tragic happens. Lesky dies after driving over an IED and sometime later when Benjy brings up the movie again, the guys have to tell him it was all a joke. Ouch.

Heidi latches on to the part of Walter’s memory that relates to Lesky’s death, but he’s not so eager to talk about it. We can assume he saw it go down and it’s a memory that’s so painful it hurts to talk about it. So all we really know is he, Shrier, and the other guys in their unit had experienced something traumatic in seeing their friend die unexpectedly.

Therapy and mealtime aren’t the only requirements for the men in the Homecoming facility, along with activities, they also have to check in with a doctor to ensure their vitals are within normal limits. Given that their food is being dosed with who knows what, a physical is definitely a good thing. At least Walter has a clean bill of health for now, except maybe an ailment of the heart–a crush on Heidi.

Things take an interesting turn at dinner when Shrier starts to spew his idea of a conspiracy amidst them. He doesn’t think they are actually in Florida, and that they have just been told they are. He thinks everything from the pineapples to the palm trees, to the “Welcome to Florida” sign is fake. While Walter isn’t convinced whatsoever, Shrier reveals he hasn’t been taking the meds they’re giving them at night.

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So Shrier’s point of view is a stark difference from everyone else’s, and he truly believes that they are trapped at the Homecoming facility.

And if his paranoia wasn’t making him look a bit crazy, then standing up on the tables and screaming did not help his case. He proceeds to ask who believes this is all real or that they’re actually in Florida.

In the present, Thomas (Shea Whigham) is reeling from the vague conversation he had with Heidi, and he is no closer to finding out what he came to find out.

While persuing through paperwork, we see that the Homecoming facility was in Tampa and that Walter was discharged for misconduct on May 15th–approximately a month after first meeting with Heidi.

Trying to piece together what’s going on, Thomas calls Walter’s mom in regards to the complaint but when he mentions Heidi’s name, she expresses a lot of anger. Thomas tells her that Heidi claims not to know Walter, and according to his mom, there is no way Heidi could forget him.

Meanwhile, Heidi heads home to have dinner with her mother Ellen (Sissy Spacek) who does not have any qualms about the fact that she doesn’t like that Heidi works as a waitress. She’d rather she be back at Homecoming, working an elite job.

During their conversation, it becomes very clear that Heidi is more confused than she ought to be. In fact, she has no recollection of her previous job and that she returned home because Ellen fell and broke her hip.

Ellen insists that happened way later, and we’re left wondering what the heck is going on, and what happened to Heidi during her time at Homecoming. It’s all very intriguing and the way Sam Esmail illustrates every scene makes it more and more addicting.

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Back in the past, Colin (Bobby Cannavale) calls Heidi after learning about Shrier’s freakout but Heidi isn’t that worried. Since Walter and Shrier were bunking together, Colin now wants Shrier out of the room because he’s a flight risk to what they’re trying to accomplish.

As the episode comes to a close, Walter is moving out of his and Shrier’s room, as Shrier has a look of confused anger upon him. In regards to him leaving, Walter tells Shrier it’s alright and as he heads out of the room, Homecoming employee, Craig (Alex Karpovsky) locks the door behind them leaving Shrier all by himself.

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