‘Homecoming’ Recap: ‘Redwood’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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The truth is something that all of us seek in our lives and with good reason. After all, it really does set us free since we are able to learn more about a particular situation in our lives and if we come to discover that something is no longer beneficial to us, we can leave it behind once we know the truth about it. But there is an inherent danger that comes with the truth sometimes, in that, the search to discover it can be a long and arduous process, one that uncovers dark and ugly facts once we have completed the proverbial digging, the kind that unsettle us and can potentially hurt us, and the good and the bad of searching for the truth just so happens to be the central focus of the next episode of Homecoming.
 
Because ‘Redwood’ does indeed provide our characters quite the sweet and sour hunt for knowledge. But oddly enough, the future is where answers awaited the audience and before we get into the uglier side of this quest, let’s talk about the good side of things first, since the search for answers in this tale only helped to embolden Thomas Carrasco. For his investigation led him to Geist Headquarters, and an odd interaction with Colin, only reinforced the fact that he was on the right trail, and that something supremely suspicious was going on here, and digging deeper would benefit him greatly and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him scare the crap out of Colin by letting Heidi’s former boss know that he had a solid lead when it comes to getting to the bottom of what happened at Homecoming.
 
But while it was good to see Thomas finally find a good lead on this whole mess, it’s time we talk about the ugly side of searching for the truth, which came about from Heidi’s story in the future. Because after coming to the realization that she didn’t remember a thing about her time in Homecoming, she felt the need to seek out answers and dug into the box of her personal effects from the hospital and came to discover a map of California, and the fact that for quite some time in early 2018, all she did on the phone was speak with a man named Colin over and over again and well…with a little prodding from a friend from work, she steeled her nerves and called Colin in the hopes of learning something about her former life, only to receive a chilly and disturbing reception on the phone, the kind that involved uncomfortable silence and a quick exit from the call on Colin’s part and regret and fear upon his face when he realized that Heidi made an effort to reach him.
 
Yet, these little twists and turns weren’t the only treats this episode had to offer, because as is always the case in this series, we needed to spend a little time in the past as well, and back in the day we were treated to a fascinating sequence that helped us learn how the drug that Geist is feeding the veterans is processed and delivered to Homecoming, and that…something quite intimate and powerful is brewing between Heidi and Walter. Because the more they interact, the more they come to realize that feelings are bubbling up between them and Heidi’s decision to rescue Shrier’s harmonica to help Walter cope confirms that, as does the embrace they shared in private. For that was the kind of embrace that sends one’s heart soaring and I’m wondering if this budding relationship is part of what went wrong on May the 18th.  
 
Time will tell of course, but in the here and the now, it was nice to see the characters working hard to uncover some truth at last and I dig the fact that the series continues to slowly unravel this nightmare and that nothing is stopping the characters from uncovering all the facts in the slightest. But, judging from Heidi’s story in this tale, she may not like what she finds when total recall arrives, and likely neither will the audience since clearly something ugly happened and man, this grand mystery more or less makes this series irresistible when all is said and done. So, on that note, I too need to continue my own search for the truth with this show, regardless of the consequences, which means it is time to start the next episode and return to the horrors of Homecoming. Until next time.

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