20 Best TV Shows Of 2018

16. Homecoming

Julia Roberts Homecoming
Amazon

Homecoming stars Julia Roberts as a woman called Heidi in two time periods: 2018, where she works at a facility for U.S soldiers to prepare them for reintegration in society, and 2022, where she works as a waitress at a ramshackle diner, with no recollection of working for Homecoming. In fact, there's little record of Homecoming at all.

The first thing to note is just how good Roberts is. I mean, of course she is, it's Julia Roberts, but this isn't your typical A-lister-makes-her-TV-debut performance. The actress mostly turns off her famous smile and plays everything else down too, giving a performance of real subtlety that only hammers home just how terrifying to must be to realise you've no memory of your past life.

It's also notable for bringing all the best of Sam Esmail's gifts over from Mr Robot, with the creator pairing a thrilling mystery box narrative with some of the most stunning and complex direction you'll see all year. Best of all, though, is that all of the pieces fit together by the end, and with each episode only 30 minutes long it's that rare TV drama with no bloat on it.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.