The mystery gets even deeper when you watch "Homecoming" Season 2 online, which launches Friday on Amazon Prime Video The drama series will replace Julia Roberts with Janelle Monae in the new lead role, and more secrets, lies, and intrigue await viewers

"Homecoming" Season 2 builds on the storyline of Season 1, which was based on the popular podcast of the same name Roberts plays Heidi Bergman, a social worker who once worked at the Homecoming Transition Assistance Center, a facility that housed soldiers transitioning to civilian life four years later, Heidi has no memory of her time working there, but through her investigation, she realizes that the facility had a very different and dark purpose She realizes that the facility had a very different, darker purpose

In Season 2, she plays a woman who wakes up in a rowboat drifting on a lake The search for her identity leads her to the Geist Group, the unconventional wellness company behind the Homecoming Initiative

The Homecoming season will consist of seven episodes Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Homecoming Season 2 online

If you are away from home and in one of the few areas where Amazon Prime is not available, you don't have to miss Homecoming Season 2 With a proper VPN (Virtual Private Network), it is very easy to watch along with the rest of the internet and stream the show wherever you are

Our pick for best VPN is ExpressVPN It meets the VPN needs of most users, offering excellent compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds It is also affordable at $1295 per month (Signing up for a longer term, such as 6 months or a year, brings the cost down even further)

Anyone with access to Amazon Prime Video worldwide can watch season 2 of Homecoming online starting May 22 Prime Video is included in Amazon Prime with a 30-day free trial If you are traveling and Prime Video is not available in your area, you may want to check out "How to Use a VPN to Stream Homecoming Season 2" above

Season 1 of Homecoming starred Julia Roberts, and season 2 features a new lead, Janelle Monae, playing a mysterious woman who cannot remember who she is

However, two cast members return from season 1 Stephen James reprises his role as Walter Crews, "trying to build a new life after the trauma of the war and the Return Initiative, he begins to realize that an even more insidious version of the program is afoot, if only he can remember"

And Hong Chau returns as Audrey Temple

Other returning cast members, including Bobby Canavale as Colin Belfast, Shea Whigham as DOD employee Thomas Carrasco, Alex Karpovsky as homecoming employee Craig, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Walter's mother Gloria Cruz, will return for season 2 It is unknown if they will return for the second season

Two high-profile actors will join the Season 2 cast of Homecoming Oscar winner Chris Cooper will play Leonard Geist, the company's eccentric founder, and Emmy winner Joan Cusack will play Francine Bunda, another eccentric military officer

Amazon has released a trailer for season 2 of Homecoming The trailer begins with Monay waking up in a boat When people ask her name, address, and date of birth, she can only answer, "I don't know" We then see her enter the Geist Group headquarters Something very sinister seems to be going on, Monet says

Amazon also previously released a teaser trailer It is more atmospheric than revealing, but gives glimpses of Hong Chau and new cast members Chris Cooper and Joan Cusack

Reviews of Homecoming season 2 were mixed, with critics generally less enthusiastic than for season 1

Says Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall" The story itself is much thinner than the original, as if it exists only to fill the slight void left by something that was already quite accomplished and satisfying"

Dan Finberg of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The script is understated and the direction is bland, but at least there is the pleasure of watching the actors Roberts gave an excellent performance in the first season, but his performance was inexplicably underrated Monáe is far too interesting to be an understudy, a performer with an overwhelming presence and deceptive stillness that works well as her character's disorientation grows"

"The cast is also very good"

Slashfilm describes the new season as "a new director, a new lead, and sadly, none of the sparkle and flair that made the first season so eye-catching Certainly a well-crafted season of TV, but without the standout features"