GOING HOME: A Review of the New Pure Flix Series (Plus a Giveaway!)

By Teri Olsen

AFFIRM Originals and Pure Flix proudly present the new series GOING HOME that follows an inspiring team of nurses who help guide patients and loved ones on the ultimate journey – one of transition from this world to their forever home. It’s a race against time as the team must help their clients find peace and wrap up loose ends with compassion and dignity before they pass. Streaming exclusively on Pure Flix!

Starring: Cynthia Geary, Cozi Zuehlsdorff and Charisma Carpenter.

With guest stars: Tom Skerritt, Concetta Tomei, Vernon Davis, and more!

I received a digital link to watch one episode of GOING HOME for review purposes, but then I went back and watched the whole first season. The opening sequence offers a nice glimpse into the beautiful riverside setting of Spokane, Washington, as the main character jogs around Riverfront Park. The series was filmed in Washington, and the fictional Sunset House Hospice was patterned after what a real hospice is like.

I was excited to see homeschooled actress Cozi Zuehlsdorff in this series. Her career began when she was cast as Hazel in the feature film Dolphin Tale (2011) and she went on to star in the sequel, Dolphin Tale 2 (2014). Fast forward to 2022, and she stars as Janey Richards in GOING HOME. Janey is the overzealous new nursing assistant who acts kind of like the comic sidekick. I love how, even when she’s having a bad day, she will pause outside the door, compose herself, and be able to walk in to the patient’s room with a happy smile on her face.

In GOING HOME, a team of nurses help to guide patients and loved ones with finding peace and wrapping up loose ends with compassion and dignity. Anyone interested in becoming a nurse or nursing assistant will enjoy watching this series, especially if they are thinking of becoming a hospice nurse. It obviously takes a special kind of person with an abundance of patience and compassion.

Charley, the main character in GOING HOME, is a great role model for that. There’s a reason why she always wins the “Hospice Nurse of the Year” award. But I like how Charley doesn’t care for the award because she says they all work as a team, so it’s not about her. Besides, it’s not about them anyway, it’s all about the patients.

Each episode focuses on a different patient, their backstory, their family, and how the lead hospice nurse tries to help them resolve their issues before the end. There are a variety of patients of all ages including a nice old lady, a mom, an athlete, and a Vietnam veteran (and if you’re a nurse you know there’s always at least one difficult patient who doesn’t want to cooperate). Even though the stories are fictional, I really feel for these people and can understand what they’re going through.

My Honest Opinion

At first you might think, how can they make a series about hospice of all things – and who would want to watch something so depressing??? I must admit, I had no idea what to expect in the first episode that I watched. Just turning it on required some fortitude because I wasn’t sure if it would trigger too many sad memories to come flooding back. You see, my own mother died in hospice care four years ago.

While the hospice nurses that we had for my mom were nice enough, I’d have to say that none of them went over and above their normal job duties like the main character does in this series. They had too many patients to be able to spend that much time with any one of them. In GOING HOME, it’s like they only have a few patients to take care of and Charley goes out of her way to develop a personal relationship with each one. That just isn’t going to happen in reality. Still, real hospice nurses can learn some lessons from her.

The hospice care shown in the series is accurate without going into the more painful and yucky details. The nurses push their carts down the hall and talk about dressings, bed pans, catheters, etc., but none of the medical stuff is shown other than checking vitals, administering medicine, and giving the patients a leg massage now and then.

They do regularly show a patient’s death, though, including the moments leading up to it. Everyone dies a little bit differently. So if you’re wondering what it’s like to be with someone at the end of their life, this show provides a variety of examples. Even though you know it’s coming, it still seems to happen when you least expect it.

My mom forewarned me not to feel bad if she should pass away when I’m not in the room with her. Some people would rather be alone, I guess, and sure enough, that’s what my mom did. My dad and I had sat by her side for hours on end, but one time we stepped out to take a break, she was gone when we came back. Remembering my mom’s wise words, I couldn’t let myself get upset because she told me not to. But take it from me, no matter how much time you get to spend with your loved one, it will still feel like it wasn’t long enough.

I think the producers of GOING HOME are doing a noble thing here. They show what hospice is like and will answer some questions you may have about end-of-life. Some of the stuff seems to come right out of the hospice handbook provided to family members. The creators of this show treat this difficult subject with the same compassion, dignity, and respect as the hospice workers treat their patients. That’s not to say it isn’t sad, so have your tissues handy. I cry at least once per episode, but I still keep watching. I guess that means it’s good!

Christian Themes

GOING HOME teaches about Christian themes like the importance of relationships, saying you’re sorry, and forgiving others as well as yourself. Even though this series airs on Pure Flix, the religious references aren’t overbearing or preachy, it’s mostly shown through the characters and what they say and how they live their lives.

For example, Charley goes out on her deck every evening at sunset and talks to God. I like the way this shows how prayer doesn’t have to be anything fancy, it can just be a casual conversation with God. We see God at work in Charley’s life but it’s not always what she expects. God gives everyone a calling – and for Charley, it’s to help families during one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Summary

GOING HOME is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, but worth the watch if you can handle the end of life details. It amazes me how they’re able to fit so much drama into a show about bedridden people! The technical quality is right up there with major TV programs, the cinematography is excellent, and the acting is great. (The people seem so real, and it’s like we’re there right alongside them.)

So far there is one season, with six episodes. The first one aired on June 2, 2022. To tell the truth, I’d been having trouble finding a series that I liked on Pure Flix, but GOING HOME is so well done that it kept my interest for the entire season. No wonder GOING HOME is the #1 series on Pure Flix!

Join Pure Flix now and watch GOING HOME! Or see if you can win a free subscription!

Pure Flix Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win one 3-month Pure Flix subscription!

Leave a comment below saying what interests you the most about the GOING HOME series! (Please be patient, as it may take a while for yours to show up if you’ve never commented before.)

We will pick one random winner to be notified on July 14th. Don’t forget to include your email address so we can contact you if you win! If you’ve ever wanted to try Pure Flix, now is your chance!

P.S. The giveaway is limited to US winners only.