One of my favorite storytellers
is Philip K. Dick, the mind behind movies like Minority Report, The Adjustment Bureau, Paycheck, and Total Recall. I was thrilled to find out
that one of his novels, The Man in the
High Castle, was being turned into an Amazon original series, but it took
my mom and sister to convince me to watch the pilot episode. Not because I
didn't want to watch the show, but because I'm leery of Western television
shows. Usually I like Asian dramas better and don't want to waste my time
with a sub-par show. Still, they praised it to the skies and so I settled down
to watch the first episode.
I was hooked from the second they
showed a corpse with a realistic bullet exit wound. As gruesome as that might
sound, it proved very quickly that the people behind the show cared for realism
and detail - not something you find very often on television.
The story is set in an alternate
history - what if Germany and Japan won WWII and divided America between them?
It follows Juliana Crane, a young woman dragged accidentally into the
underground resistance. She meets Joe Blake, an undercover Nazi agent who
begins to question whether he's on the right side.
I'll say it right now - I didn't
expect to be this impressed with the show, and I'm still surprised. Every few
hours I think, "We really, really need a season two" - and it's been
almost a week since we finished the show. Very rarely do I adamantly tell
people "YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS SHOW," but The Man in the High Castle
has proven a big exception.
The story is
incredible. It's intriguing and filled with complex questions. Seeing this
alternate history take place is both terrifying and fascinating, and it feels
scarily accurate. Details are paid close attention to - you won't find
half-measures everywhere you turn. American, German, and Japanese cultures are
well-rounded and intricate. Nothing is exaggerated or glossed over, but it
balances out the intrigue and darkness with hope and humanity, keeping you on
the edge of your seat.
The first season is only ten
episodes long, which is a blessing for some people (me included) who have many
things to do and don't want to commit to another 22-episode series.
The cinematography is beautiful
and symbolic, with perfect lighting and subject placement. The music never
interferes with the show but accompanies it perfectly. The acting is excellent
- everyone is convincing in their role. Nobody feels forced or over-acted.
Everything has a subtle, down-to-earth feeling despite the obvious fiction of
it all. It manages to be grounded in realism.
The characters are beautifully
complex and three-dimensional. Where else do you see the humanity in a Nazi
commander, or ruthless cruelty intermingled with honor? Where else do you see
both good men do bad things and bad men do good things? Nobody fits within a
two-dimensional box. Everyone does unexpected things, everyone changes in
different ways. Everyone gets hit and reacts differently to getting knocked
down. One of my least favorite characters, Frank, became my favorite by the end
of the show. Maybe it's because we have the same personality type. Maybe it's
because I connect with him more than anyone else - but where I thought he
started out spineless and boring, his character development hooked me by the
end of season one.
Speaking of hooks - never has the
end of a show season left me in such a state of what on earth? Even 'LOST' wrapped up neater than this. The Man in the High Castle is a
veritable hydra of questions - for every question that gets answered, two more
spring up in its place.
I highly recommend this show -
and, in fact, I would nominate it as the best Western show I've ever seen. (And
I've seen a lot.)
For character depth, complexity, plot, detail, pacing, and
cinematography, you won't find better.
NOTE: The show is for mature
audiences. While not Game of Thrones caliber
by any means, it's an intense and violent show with scattered, brief nudity (no
sex scenes - think Schindler's List) and
large amount of swearing, particularly F-bombs. Still, even my father was
hooked on the show, and he's the most conservative viewer in the family. I
wouldn't recommend this show for anyone under a mature 16.
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