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Homecoming - Episode 36: "The Replacement" (Season Finale) (Patreon)

Published:
2025-12-25 01:59:46
Edited:
2026-01-01 23:01:30
Imported:
2025-12
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"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." ― Anatole France

Homecoming - Season 3 Finale is (finally) here!

I'm sorry this is late - and I'm sorry it's Christmas Eve and I'm dropping an 82-panel (!?!?) emotional bomb on you instead of, you know, gingerbread cookies and holiday cheer.

But, like I said, I couldn't rush this or cut corners. And your supportive comments were just... they were incredible. They made me feel so loved and supported. Thank you!!!

I won't spoil anything. I'll just say this: wars have costs. Freedom has prices. And sometimes the cruelest thing the universe can do is let you win... and then show you the receipt.

This is the end of Season 3. It's not the end of Homecoming. But it is the end of something. And the beginning of something else. I hope it's worth the wait.

Merry Christmas Eve...

Also... Thank you for being here!!!

Now go read it. And then come back and yell at me in the comments. I'll be here, hiding under my desk, waiting for your reactions.

See you in Season 4. 💔

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Comments

Jodie C

Merry Christmas Emory. This definitely is a wonderful present from you ❤️

Alyson Greaves

Hell yeah I'm going to read the shit outta this in the morning

Emory Ahlberg

Thank youuuu, Alyson! 💕 "What did Santa bring you?" An 82-panel anxiety attack wrapped in a bow? Emotional devastation under the tree? The complete destruction of your Christmas morning peace? You're welcome! Happy Holidays! 🎄💔😅

Alyson Greaves

I lied I stayed up and read it and daaaaaaaaaaaaamn

wolfdragon

What a wonderful early Christmas present and I love how those two showed tremendous friendship in each other in such a desperate situation

Tim

You usually end a comic season with a cliffhanger. It seems the cliffhanger this time around is "Who are you going to resurrect in Season 4?"... or perhaps there will be no one rising from the dead.

Jade Diaz

*pulls on tinfoil hat* This still doesn't disprove my theory that Benji has been orchestrating this entire scheme from the get-go. He got rid of Petrov, got Kris to think he's effectively dead and to move on with her life. *tinfoil hat off* The panels where *both* Kayla and Christopher are gunning for our morally ambiguous protagonist? Welp, won't that be fascinating...

Jenny S

Hard to imagine how one digs herself out of a hole like this. Wonderful work!

Allan Kim

83pages! That's huge! Wow, you must have made a lot of effort to finish this! Especially in this christmas season!

Tiki D

This episode went out with a bang. Bella was playing Kris all along, especially with new client twist. The 'new client' was not Kris' choice, but they were seeking Benji in particular. It makes sense that they seek him because he been investigating some of Bella's clients, including Kris. Im excited to see what female Benji looks like in Season 4. What experiences will he endure in Bella's operations? Benji's sacrifice was emotional and he doesn't want to just save the people that Kris' love, but her happiness. In the end, Chris deep within Kris is still trying to break free.

Connor Power

A very satisfying conclusion for the season. Making me want more now 😂 Looking forward to the next chapter

Crewchick

Well that was something, I guess. It started out great. I liked the interaction between Kris and Benji. Under cover special ops feel. But to be honest more than a little disappointed with where it went. I think I am back to rooting for team Chris. The Kris you draw is beautiful on the outside but less so on the inside. I am not seeing growth and maturity, just selfishness, shortsightedness, and weakness that thinks it is strong. I am back to agreeing with Benji and Kayla, that Kris is a trauma induce psychosis. While I would hate to see Kris' exterior go, I think Chris brings more value back to the world. I think Kris sacrificing herself for Benji and going back would have been far more nobler. And then earn her freedom back with gender reassignment surgery. Or art least have gotten the drop on the "Cunt" and shot her. And as for characters, Bella and the Cunt are just Xu and Davis with different external genders.

Kris Greg

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'll be honest, though I enjoy this story, it's not my favorite of yours. You did a great job, & I'd love to read more, but I'm looking forward to the others. You've earned a rest, Emory. This 83 page monster was worth the wait.

Gemma

Certainly this story it feels like a movie. Is it going to be a suspenseful thriller or a horror movie. I am hoping it will be the former. I’m not sure how this will happen? I believe whether it be Kris or Chris in charge they will chose a righteous outcome and not succumb to Bella and her compatriots. Within this unnerving episode the imagery and artwork is both beautiful and very realistic. An unsettling but well written episode.

Alyson Greaves

btw I should say that my review is: I support women’s wrongs

Ella Cherry

I absolutely loved this season finale! The plot twist was so well done, and now I’m even more excited to see what comes next. Everything feels perfectly set up (at least for us readers… sorry, Benji!) for what’s ahead. I seriously can’t wait! Thank you, Emory, for yet another excellent story!

Maggie Heels

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFuck you're good... i knew something is cooking in the oven but this? OMG One thing is about being fucked on the beach... but there will be also an open war between Kris and Kayla now... and Chris is really pissed now as well :/ I am unable to see a complete classic "happy end" at the end :( there will be collateral damage at the very end for sure but also I can't predict how huge... there will be casualties no doubt... that makes me feel sad... but that's on me and only on me... the writing and renders are 1000000/10. I think I need to update my vision of the most possible happy ending from my previous comment where all four is sitting on the bench in park... and there will be [gorgeous] Bennie not Benny sitting with them...

Emory Ahlberg

Luckily there’s so many of them doing “wrongs” in this story! lol

Ping

I... definitely wasn’t ready for this turn of events, but I can say I was expecting Benji to end up at Zero Point. I started reading this from a "free user" but joined Patreon for both Jack&Jill and this... Now I'm feeling like I got way more than I bargained for. On the other end I absolutely devoured Taylor made and The Catch. First apprehending they would develop just like the full fledged illustrated novels, all ego fights and pure emotional turmoil, where (to me) characters are more abstract psychological constructs than people... but then realizing they are so much more lighthearted, to my perception. They rocked my dreadful Christmas period. Thank you so much for this jewel of a Christmas present, and merry Christmas to you Emory ! 🥳🎄

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Connor. 💕 You hit on exactly what I was hoping to achieve. A "satisfying" conclusion doesn't always mean a happy one. Sometimes satisfaction comes from the pieces falling exactly where they were logically meant to, even if the picture they make is a tragedy. We burned the ships with this season finale. Now we just have to see who survives the fire in the next chapter!

Emory Ahlberg

Thanks, Tiki! 💖 Bella and Camila were playing chess while Kris was still learning the rules of checkers. It is tragic that Kris thought she was the hunter, only to realize she was just the delivery system for their true target. And you are right to focus on Ben's sacrifice. He didn't just die for her - he chose a fate arguably worse than death to protect the family she built and for Kayla (who I think he does love in his own way). As for Benji... let’s just say that Bella’s definition of "art" is going to test everyone’s limits.

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Allan! It was a lot! But I think the length was needed to give this the weight it deserved... A story about the slow erosion of a soul shouldn't be rushed. I put a lot into this finale because the characters demanded nothing less than a spectacular collapse.

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you so much, Jenny! Yeah, I think that will be the central thesis for Season 4. Kris has technically achieved "freedom," but she is trapped in a prison of guilt and moral compromise. Digging herself out might not even be an option anymore. Sometimes, when you are in a hole this deep, the only way out is to keep digging until you come out the other side... or until the earth swallows you whole.

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Jade! 💕 Wow, that's a theory so Machiavellian that even Bella might be impressed. Having Kayla on the outside and Christopher on the inside, both targeting Kris, creates a pincer maneuver of vengeance. Kris thinks she eliminated the threats to her safety, but she actually just created two new, very personal enemies who know her better than anyone. Hmmm

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Tim! 💖 This isn't a story about resurrection in the traditional sense. I'd say more that it's a story about transmutation. Chris isn't dead... he was buried alive in his own mind. And Ben isn't dead... he is being "refined" into something else entirely. The horror here isn't death, it's that they all have to keep living with the consequences of this night. But this isn't the end for anyone yet...

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Taylor! 💖 You're right about the friendship. That was the heartbeat of the entire episode.... and I think really of the whole season. Ben’s final act was an act of love... but I can't imagine the guilt won't eat Kristine from the inside.

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Maggie! You're right about the war on two fronts because Kris isn't just fighting the world now, she is fighting Kayla on the outside and a furious Chris on the inside. A classic happy ending was probably taken off the table the moment Kris drove that McLaren away from the lake. But just because an ending is complex doesn't meant it won't be satisfying (II hope)!

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Ella! Poor Benji really did end up being the sacrificial lamb of the season. And that will be the engine that will drive the narrative momentum of Season 4. It is gratifying to know the setup has you excited for the fallout!

Emory Ahlberg

Thanks so much, Gemma! The distinction between a suspense thriller and a horror movie is often just a matter of lighting, but in Season 4, I'm definitely blurring that line. You're right to find the episode unnerving... I did in writing it, too! The psychological horror of identity theft - even when you are stealing your own life - is unsettling. I admire your hope for a righteous outcome, though in Bella's world, righteousness is usually the first casualty it would seem!

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Kris! 💕 I appreciate your honesty and your dedication to reading through such a massive update. It's perfectly fair if this one isn't your fav... After all storytelling is subjective, and this season took some very dark, specific turns. The 83-page monster was a marathon to write, so I will be taking a bit of a rest before diving back into the madness!

Emory Ahlberg

Thanks, Diana! 💕 I actually think your disappointment is warranted if you were looking for Kristine to be the hero. She isn't. At least, not yet. So you're right that her actions were selfish, shortsighted, and weak in the face of true moral courage. I know we often want our protagonists to be noble heroes who sacrifice themselves for their friends, but Kris is a traumatized survivor clinging to a life raft. And so now we're left with a protagonist who has sold her soul for comfort. It's painful to watch, and rooting for Team Chris is a completely valid and logical response to that betrayal. I'm rooting for both of them... they are two parts to a whole who are separated right now... and therefore can't be at their best. As for the villains, there are certainly echoes of Xu and Davis there... I think power dynamics often look the same, no matter who holds the leash.

Emory Ahlberg

Ping, I'm very grateful for your support! I think you nailed the inevitability of Benji’s fate. There is a gravity to his arc that always pointed toward this, even if we all secretly hoped he might escape the orbit of Bella’s world. I love your analysis of the tonal shift between the novels and the short stories. I think Homecoming and Jack & Jill certainly traffic in that dense, psychological deconstruction where identity is fluid and painful. For me, Taylor Made (and Anywhere but Boring, which you may want to check out) served as necessary counterweights... a bit of light to balance out the crushing darkness of a Chicago basement or an isolated PNW island. And it really makes me happy to know they provided some entertainment during your holidays! Merry Christmas to you, and thank you for spending it with these characters! 💕🌲

Tim

Death is, I believe, the end of life: Chris's life as an aspiring young doctor with an adoring wife is gone... dead without the possibility of resurrection. Kayla's life as that adoring wife is equally gone... dead to all but a delusional vow to get the fiancé back who disappeared three years ago—an impossibility. Even her "backup plan," falling for Chris's best friend with the possibility of living a happy life together, seems doomed as well. Ben's life as a free man is on the brink of being over... fated to become his subordinate, Camilla's pet serving to amuse her sadistic desires after she strips him of all goodness, leaving him physically, emotionally and mentally broken. Kris's dream life as Alan's blissful wife and Dustin's loving stepmom, while not yet dead, is on life support... destined to die from the guilt that will consume her for the damage she has caused to those she once most loved. That damage will no doubt extend to Alan and Dustin after she (perhaps with Chris leading the conversation) confesses to what she has done—which she surely will before this story is over. I guess what you see as transmutation, Emory, I see as death of the lives all of the principles in this story aspired to live. But maybe some (not all) are getting what they deserved. For them, this would be a fitting end to this story.

Tim

Forgot to add: "Merry" Christmas!

Emory Ahlberg

Tim, as usual you've dissected the tragedy with surgical precision. You're right that the identities they clung to are corpses now. Christopher the doctor, Kayla the innocent bride, Ben the righteous cop... those people are in the ground, buried under layers of trauma and compromise. However, the distinction I make with "transmutation" is about the conservation of energy. Death is the end of agency. It is silence. But look at the board. Chris is plotting vengeance from inside his own skull. Kayla is going to war for the love of her life. And Kris is discovering that the price of her "dream life" is a debt she can never fully pay. I'd say these are not the actions of ghosts. They're the violent, messy throes of rebirth. We're seeing the ashes right now. Season 4 is about what crawls out of them. And regarding people getting what they deserve... well, I think that's the central question of the entire series. 💕

Tim

I'm sorry, Emory, but I'm in no hurry to see Season 4 anytime soon. I don't see any light on the horizon for any of the principles... nor any sympathy for any of them either. They've dug their graves; let them lie in them.

Kris Greg

I love your stuff, so it's like choosing my favorite taco. It's a taco, so it will probably be awesome.

Emory Ahlberg

Yeah... very understandable. The season finale was heavy. Dark, even. And I know that kind of unrelenting bleakness isn't always easy to read... or to make! But I of course have the benefit of knowing which direction I'll be steering the story. For me, this story has always been about what happens when a person is broken into pieces. Kris has never been a whole person... I know many have rooted for her, but she's part of the shattered half of a whole. Chris is the other half, buried alive in his own mind. The darkness of Season 3 was about hitting the absolute bottom of that fracture. I promise, I’m not writing tragedy just for the sake of suffering. To me, the most interesting stories are about how people survive the unsurvivable. How do you crawl out of the grave you dug? Can you? So, season 4 won't be about torturing them more... it'll be about the reckoning. Can two shattered halves make something new? Or will they really just burn to ash. I hope, when we eventually get there, you might find a flicker of that light you're looking for. But I also completely understand if you need a break from that world. I certainly do!

Tim

"So, season 4 won't be about torturing them more..." Maybe Camilla didn't get the memo?

Jade Diaz

FWIW, Kris did actually offer to go back and Camilla was, “nah, we’re good”

Kirsten Roberts

That was incredible!!!! Please don’t make us wait too long for Season 4. This is the best thing anyone has written. For a minute I thought there was going to be a moment between Kris and Benji and now I don’t know what to think!! I love this so much

Crystal Peaches

What I like about your works is how tonal;y different they are from each other, even though some are set in the same 'universe'. there are elements of both horror and thriller in Homecoming and a character that is in conflict with themselves (hmm why does that strike an emotional chord?}. The protagonist is multi dimensional character that we 'should' be rooting for and yet they've allowed terrible things to happen and then when we thinking we should be hating them we see the conflict within them. incredible heart wrenching work that keeps us glued to the next episode, much like a Stranger Things type show. what a talent you are.

Nolwenn (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-14 23:00 I've some assumptions. Kayla is in fact Bella and she never have the guts to break up with her boyfriends ( so she cut theirs). Or Kayla bullies Bella at school and Bella is very resentful. If you meet kayla... run if your balls are important for you😁 ( I don't know what to say the final was great. You could have end at the moment when the gun fight with the cunt is starting for more drama ( like the serie hit and miss which has one of the bigger cliffanger ever seen just because the season 2 was cancel😢)
2025-12-27 07:42

Gemma

I had also hoped that we discover that Benji is in partnership with Bella. That Kris seeing him tied up and gagged was part of a ruse to fool her. However, the last two frames and commentary within this episode seems to go against that theory.

Sunflower

What a stunner! I had become lulled into thinking Kris had developed this killer instinct, only to realize how thoroughly she had been played. You always keep us guessing, Emory. Thank you for leading us through this rich, intense, and terrifying world!

SingularCurve

Benji in the Blindguard!!! Mayday mayday mayday! I had a feeling this was going to happen eventually, but how it happened, OMG!!

mdaily

was this your most recent post, emory? I just changed my computer setup, and I assume everything is worlking ok, but I have seen nothing from you since this. Love your work, as you know, and do not want to miss anything

Robertlouis

Firstly, as a Scotsman, allow me to set my priorities right and wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Apologies for the late comments, but I’ve been in hospital since before Christmas and am slowly recovering at home, but the procedure was successful, so that’s all good. Anyway. Homecoming is, for me, by far the darkest and most powerful of all your longer form stories, and this episode reached the deepest level yet of bleakness and moral nihilism. The Cunt’s speech to Kris was about as devoid of humanity as anything I’ve read in years, and, overall, the emotional stress involved in writing this must have taken quite a toll on you, Emory. And for Kris, despite knowing the risks all along, to see her plan disintegrate before her eyes against the cynical joy of the Cunt, and the terrible realisation that she’s been played by Bella all along and has never in fact had any agency, right from the point that she left the cellar, must surely have broken her. Everything has turned to ashes in her mouth: she’s been Bella’s puppet from the very beginning. Now she returns to Alan, to the strangest and worst kind of freedom, a captive of her own crippling guilt after surrendering Ben to his fate. And we’re left to wonder just what kind of unfathomable evil occupies the minds of people like Bella and the Cunt, that they can inflict such horrific torture, both physical and psychological, on other souls. It defies belief.

Robertlouis

And a word about the art - it seems to get better with each new issue. In Homecoming it’s always been about the use of shadows and angles, all very film noir, but the detail of facial expressions, especially in close up, has achieved levels of realism in this season which are simply astonishing.

Emory Ahlberg

You are all caught up! Sorry for the radio silence. This one really took a lot out of me. 💕

Emory Ahlberg

Mayday indeed! Benji has landed in the absolute worst-case scenario... I strongly suspect Kris wouldn't have let Santos take him if he hadn't given her "permission" - but then they probably both would have ended up dead or worse.

Emory Ahlberg

You're welcome, Sunflower! Thank you for reading! 💕 We needed to believe Kris was the predator so that the reveal of her status as prey - or merely an employee - would hit hard. It's a terrifying world where even the winners are just pawns in a larger game. 😬

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you, Gemma! That theory about Ben being a double agent was a strong one, but I fear the reality is much sadder. Ben’s fate confirms he was exactly what he seemed: a good man trying to be a hero in a world that punishes heroism. 💕

Gemma

Sad

Emory Ahlberg

Those are some wild and creative theories about Kayla, Nolwenn! I won't confirm or deny anything, but I will say that Kayla is about to become a very different kind of threat in Season 4. And thank you so much! 💕

Emory Ahlberg

Wow! Thank you so much, Crystal! 💕 And this is such a thoughtful analysis. The internal conflict is the engine that drives this entire series, to be honest. Writing a protagonist who forces the reader to oscillate between rooting for them and being horrified by them is a hard balance, I guess it is working! And honestly, I also enjoy the tonal shifts... I think they're necessary or my mental health lol

Emory Ahlberg

💕💕💕 That is incredibly high praise, Kirsten! Thank you so much. I think that Ben definitely feels an attraction toward Kris that he is fighting. I mean, she is gorgeous! But I also think we needed to feel the bond solidify so that severing it would be devastating. I will do my best to get Season 4 ready as soon as possible - although it will have to wait for the ending of Phase 9. But there is a lot of fallout to explore!

Emory Ahlberg

Robert, first and foremost, it is a huge relief to hear that you're healing! Recovering at home is the best place to be, and I am sending you every good wish for a year of health that more than makes up for the rough end to the last one. 💕 Also, your analysis of the finale is poetic and devastatingly accurate. You pinpointed the tragedy of Kris's situation: her "victory" was actually a total surrender of agency. She didn't beat the house, she just became a dealer at the table. Writing Camila's speech was difficult precisely because her brand of evil isn't chaotic. It is rational, corporate, and coherent. The "strangest and worst kind of freedom" you describe is exactly the prison Kris has built for herself in Season 4. It is a freedom bought with a currency that will bankrupt her soul. Rest up and take care of yourself! 💕

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you for noticing the evolution in the art. As the story shifted from physical captivity to psychological captivity, the visual language had to change. But I really wanted the close ups to feel as real as possible to convey the complicated emotions of the characters!

Emory Ahlberg

It's not over yet, Gemma. 💕The world can change as long as the PEOPLE change.

mdaily

ty for getting back to me. i did not mean to sound impatient, but I have just changed my whole PC setup. I am boomer/tech phobic and I was not sure if I had messed something up on my end. great work as always and HNY 2 u

Robertlouis

Thanks, Emory. As regards both Camilla and Bella, I hope that Season 4 will allow you to explore their respective back stories, because there has to be something in their personal backgrounds to account for such remorseless evil. Otherwise the canvas for this story would become even bleaker, and that would be unbearable. There has to be a candle of redemption somewhere, even if it’s only flickering in a dark wind.

stacy C

Yet again twists I didn't see coming and characters behaving in a way I never would have thought of.....surprising and brilliant :-) x

Emory Ahlberg

Thank you so much, Stacy! Now the long wait for Season 4 begins... 💖

Thomas Tolliver

This is a painful one. Will Benji be saved, or made new?