Article originally published as THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE Review on Seat42F.
Amazon’s
newest drama is called THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE. Based on the novel
of the same name by Philip K. Dick, the story is set in an alternate
1962, in which the United States lost World War II in 1947, and now
lives under the harsh rule of the Axis powers. In this landscape, a film
reel showing the Allies winning the war begins circulating, and those
in charge become intent to kill all who come across it.
The former United States looks very
different in THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE. The West Coast is now Japanese
territory, while the Midwest and the East wave a Nazi flag. In between
is a nearly lawless neutral zone, which characters from both sides
venture into, and seems to be where a large part of the action will take
place. While people are generally the same, the country is virtually
unrecognizable, with everything from jobs to technology affected.
It’s under these conditions that the
intrigue plays out. There is no love lost between the Japanese and the
Germans, who have become locked in a Cold War, being the two super
powers left in the world. Only Adolf Hitler holds the tenuous peace
together, and with his health failing, it looks like things may soon
devolve into violence once more.
It’s interesting to see Hitler cast as a
peacemaker. It makes sense, given the way the pilot plays out, and it
reinforces the wisdom that history is written by the victor. Life isn’t
great for the conquered Americans, having lost their freedom, but it
isn’t horrible, most going on mainly as normal. With the Great
Depression having exacted a heavy toll and work still scarce, many who
might revile Hitler are now counting on him to hold everything together.
THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE has a lot
going on. I know I’ve said that about other shows, but it seems
especially true about this one. There are the larger political
machinations, as mentioned above, but there’s also a rebellion and the
more personal story around the film reel., I give the writers credit for
balancing all of this, likely inspired by Dick, who packed a lot in a
relatively short novel. The show manages to tell various stories on
different scales and not feel scattered or messy.
On the personal level, front and center,
is Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos, Mob City). Living in San Francisco,
studying martial arts, she embraces the best parts of the new world. But
when her half-sister gives her the reel mentioned above, she feels
compelled to follow the trail, taking her into the neutral zone, an area
she knows nothing about.
Her counterpart from the German side is
Joe Blake (Luke Kleintank, Bones), a truck driver who also has a reel.
They come together seemingly by happenstance, but both seem destined to
be intertwined. Their connection isn’t romantic, with Juliana having a
steady beau at home. Instead, it seems like they are playing a part in
something much bigger than themselves, with little foresight into what
might happen next.
THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE’s first
episode intrigues and engages. There characters are interesting, and
while it isn’t populated by an A-list cast, there are a number of
familiar faces, all of whom do an excellent job. The world,
realistically painted, is complex and vast, and the balance between the
elements is expertly managed. I have nothing bad to say about it, and
look forward very much to diving into the next installment.
THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE is available now on Amazon.com, with the first two episodes currently free for everyone.
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