Spells, sacrifices, romance, rivalries – Homecoming, Part I, had a bit of everything. Though Jack and Alyssa’s budding romance took a step forward, Episode 5 teased that their secrets and opposing allegiances might drive them apart sooner than later. And Jack’s friction with Lilith in the Knights continued. By the episode’s conclusion, the Knight’s disruption of the Elemental Transference spell left the necromancer, Renee, dead. Now Homecoming, Part II, promises big fallout for the Knights.

Homecoming, Part II, Divides and Conquers With Its Two Story Threads

As Homecoming, Part II, opens, Jack and Alyssa are ‘making cute’ in their hotel room. At a loss for words, Jack actually says ‘hella cool’ un-ironically. But Jack can’t help himself and peeks through Alyssa’s stuff, discovering the ‘Necrophone’. For all the neophytes, Alyssa explains that the Necrophone lets you talk to the dead. More importantly, it compels the dead to answer your questions. Their mission – deliver it to Edward so he can locate the final pieces of the Vade Maecum.

At a loss for words, Jack actually says ‘hella cool’ un-ironically.

Unfortunately, Renee’s aforementioned and unnamed sister shows up, finds her dead sister, and desecrates her body (offscreen) to learn her wishes. This leads to an awkward phone call where she warns Jack and Alyssa to say in their hotel room so she can retrieve the Necrophone. Of course, Jack and Alyssa don’t listen and set one of Episode 5’s two story threads in motion. Meanwhile, Kyle discovers The Order’s mauled sacrifices; he figures out that werewolves were responsible. Instead of telling the Temple Magus, Kyle assembles Brandon and Gabrielle to hunt the werewolves using an Oculus Veritatis potion that allows them to see a magical creature’s true form.

Secrets Are Revealed in Homecoming, Part II

For most of Homecoming, Part II, the unnamed sister hunts down Jack and Alyssa. Jack worries that she’s watching them with a crystal ball. To the contrary, Alyssa assures him that Necromancers use organs – not crystal balls – to see the future. Regardless the Necromancer can possess people from a distance. What follows is a road trip with the Necromancer using hapless passerby as minions. Tensions also surface over Alyssa’s allegiance to Edward and the Necromancer’s ability to sense something different about Jack. Eventually, the Necromancer uses a pickup-driving hillbilly to kidnap Alyssa. She tosses the Necrophone out of the truck. Too bad Jack still brings it to the Necromancer … because love.

Everything culminates with the Necromancer revealing Jack’s secret to Alyssa – his magic is powerful because he’s a werewolf. With the cat out of the bag, Jack ‘wolfs out’, kills the minions, and wounds the Necromancer. Rather than finishing her off, Jack opts to save Alyssa. So Renee’s sister lives to pop up in another episode. Nonetheless, the damage has been done. Alyssa knows Jack’s secret, and calls him a ‘monster’. With nowhere to go, Jack takes Alyssa to Grandpa Pete’s to heal. In an emotional scene, Jack and his grandfather use the Necrophone to speak to Chloe, Jack’s dead mother. Much to Grandpa Pete’s dismay, Chloe isn’t at rest – she wants to be with her lost love, Edward Coventry. Not surprisingly, this doesn’t go over well and Grandpa Pete destroys the Necrophone in a fit of rage.

Hamish Isn’t Just a Werewolf, He’s a Professor

In Homecoming, Part II’s other major story thread, Kyle and his acolytes – Brandon and Gabrielle – wander the campus looking for the werewolves. And they find one – Hamish teaching a class. Kyle stabs him with an enchanted blade, but Hamish escapes. Neither Brandon nor Gabrielle saw Hamish, which is an important plot point. As Hamish scrambles across campus, his wound not healing, Randall and Lilith cook up a healing spell. Because we’re only halfway through Season 1, Hamish makes it home and gets healed. Again because magic and bigger storytelling needs.

Still the Knights have a problem – Kyle knows Hamish is a werewolf. To trick The Order, the trio decide to give Kyle and his acolytes what they want – a werewolf. In a clever plan, Hamish et al unleash the Hide of Midnight onto Kyle, which then chooses him as its ‘champion’. When Gabrielle and Brandon show up, they find a werewolf, and Gabrielle kills it with the enchanted blade. As the dead werewolf reverts to human form, Gabrielle finds Kyle, not Hamish. While Hamish’s identity is safe, Gabrielle later admits to the Temple Magus that more werewolves may be on campus. Back at their house, Hamish, Gabrielle, and Lilith celebrate while they watch Midnight’s hide return to its box.

Homecoming, Part II an Exciting Race of an Episode

A lot happens in Homecoming, Part II. This is The Order’s most eventful episode to date. It’s also a nice bit of trim, fast-paced television. Where the series goes now that Alyssa knows Jack’s secret should make for an interesting remainder of Season 1. On the one hand, the reveal feels like it came too quickly. But The Order seems to have more secrets up its sleeves. As such, it might be smart storytelling to get this reveal out of the way. Keeping Renee’s sister around a little longer was also wise – she made for an entertaining villain. Aside from these developments, Homecoming, Part II, continues the series’ improving balance between humour and surprising dramatic heft. Matt Frewer deserves props for his brief appearance. And Homecoming, Part II, does some nice, subtle character development here. Could bigger things be in store for Gabrielle? Episode 7, Undeclared, Part I, suggest there is.