For the last year, I’ve been catching up on TV shows that I always meant to watch but never did. Some of the shows I watched include Ozark (which I loved, although I hated the ending), Carnival Row (not amazing but a fun fantasy), Curb Your Enthusiasm (hilarious), and Black Sails (I posted about this one not long ago). Recently, I finished watching The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime. I’ve never read the book but I knew the premise of the show beforehand, so I knew I had to check it out.
Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel, The Man in the High Castle is an alternate history where the allies lost World War II. The Greater Nazi Reich controls the East Coast while the Japanese Empire controls the West. There is a neutral zone that divides them along the Rocky Mountains, a lawless place that isn’t tied to either side but still dangerous. It’s set in the early 1960’s, many years after the war is over, and the show centers on Julianna Crane (Alexa Davalos), an American living in Japanese controlled San Francisco. When she stumbles upon a film reel depicting the allies winning the war, Julianna embarks on a journey of rebellion and hope as she slowly unravels the mystery of the films, determined to put an end to the Nazi and Japanese occupations for good.
The show ran for 4 seasons from 2015-2019. Overall, I really enjoyed the show. I’ve always found alternate histories/multiverse themed projects to be interesting. It gives the viewers a different perspective on how life could have turned out not only for themselves but for everyone. This is what intrigued me in the first place. What if the Nazis had won the war? What would that world look like? How do people go on living their lives in this terrible timeline?
Once again, possible spoilers ahead so if you haven’t watched the show and don’t want it ruined, skip to the end.
I thought the writing in this show was quite good, actually. Not the best because I don’t think it was consistent between seasons. The first season was arguably one of the best written seasons of the series, followed closely by the second and third. When I finished the show, I did a google search on it to get a general idea of what people thought or how critics felt during it’s 4 season run. I do this with every show I watch, especially if it’s already ended. I was surprised to find that many people enjoyed the final season of the show, which, in my opinion, was the weakest of them all. For the most part, I enjoyed the season but it felt rushed, especially the back half. When it ended, I remember feeling a bit disappointed. It felt abrupt. Honestly, the 4th season might have been my biggest complaint because of how rushed it felt. But I digress.
Despite the inconsistent writing, the acting was fantastic. One of the standout performances for me during the run of this series was Rufus Sewell who plays Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith, an American who surrendered to the Nazi regime after they lost the war. Throughout the series, he is portrayed as the antagonist, but as we learn more about him, we come to understand that he surrendered in order to protect his family. If you can’t beat’em, join’em, right? When his son is diagnosed with an incurable disease, John does everything in his power to protect his son from the Nazi party from discovering his illness. If they did, he’d be euthanized. John Smith has arguably the best character arc in the entire series as he constantly questions his loyalty but does his best to hide it. In the end, however, ashamed of what he’s become, he kills himself.
Another character who had an interesting story arc was Joe Blake, portrayed by Luke Kleintank. When he meets Julianna in the neutral zone in season 1, his entire life is upended. Joe is a spy for the Nazi party and works directly for John Smith. For a while, he questions everything, but then he goes on this journey to figure out who he is and ultimately, the trauma he suffered throughout his life finally breaks when he is forced to murder his father. It’s at that moment, he just completely gives up. Then, he’s murdered by Julianna, the same woman he fell in love with and did everything in his power to protect and help her. However, she was justified when she discovers that Joe has completely changed due to his time in prison at the hands of his own party. I wasn’t expecting his character to die and I did feel it was somewhat abrupt. In the moment, I was completely shocked, but after having some time to think about it, I wish they had drawn his character out more.
The technical aspects of the show were done very well. The cinematography is outstanding. Seeing New York city with Swastika banners all over every building was a haunting sight to see. Same goes with San Francisco in the Japanese Pacific States. The entire city has essentially become the capital of the Japanese Empire in America. Japanese culture has completely taken over the city. There were some moments in the show that sent a chill down my spine. In one scene, John Smith’s son, Thomas, is at school and asked to recite the Nazi pledge of allegiance. Once he is done, the entire class room gives Nazi salute. And another moment was when they were honoring Thomas at his memorial and his younger sister stands up and salutes, followed slowly by the rest of the crowd. It’s a moment that still haunts me now, seeing so many people brainwashed in that way.
The music is also really good, especially the theme song which is both beautiful and haunting. The costumes, set designs, and everything in between were excellent in drawing you into this awful world. It’s extremely immersive.
Overall, I did enjoy the show, despite the fact that the final season felt weak compared with the rest. Obviously, as the show marches on, we learn more about the possibility of other realities and that’s part of what kept me hooked on it. I wanted to see if they were able to defeat the Nazis in their world. And, I guess, they did based on the ending? Again, the final episode itself seemed to be rushed, including the final scene, which was both hopeful and confusing at the same time. I had to look it up on the internet to see what the finale meant. I was a bit underwhelmed.
I have never read the book but I’ve added it to my list since finishing the series. I’m curious to see what the differences between the two are. If you’re curious about the show at all, all 4 seasons are streaming on Amazon Prime. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a history buff.
Blogservations 