Complex: The Best TV Shows of 2020 (So Far)

Homecoming’s near-perfect debut season was a tough act to follow, particularly without Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail behind the camera or Julia Roberts in front of it. But R&B iconoclast-turned-movie star Janelle Monae confidently stepped in as Season 2’s protagonist, a woman whose erased memory leaves her piecing together clues about who she is, why she can’t remember anything, and whether she’s a good guy or a bad guy in this story.

Homecoming could have continued like Lost, piling on more and more unsolved mysteries about the shadowy military contractor Geist Emergent Group. Instead, Season 2 entertainingly pulls back the curtain on the ascent of Geist employee Audrey Temple (Hong Chau), and the power struggles between owner Leonard Geist (Chris Cooper) and Department of Defense rep Francine Bunda (Joan Cusack). And in a climax that once again leaves Homecoming without any clear path forward for future installments, Season 1’s tragic figure Walter Cruz (Stephan James) gets a surprisingly satisfying conclusion to his character arc. —Al Shipley