By Murtaza Ali Khan
Recently I finished watching the first season of The Man in the High Castle—Amazon’s most-watched original series created by Frank Spotnitz—and I must say that I am
impressed! As a matter of fact, I am convinced beyond doubt that it is the best
running series on offer currently. Ever imagined what would have happened had
the Nazis prevailed during the Second World War? The Man in the High Castle presents
an alternate version of the US wherein the Second World War was won by the Nazi-led
Axis powers leading to bifurcation of the country into two powers—the Greater
Nazi Reich and the Japanese Pacific States. Now there is a constant tension
between the two states with the Greater Nazi Reich having a decisive
technological advantage. Amidst the all-pervasive cold war there are characters
whose paths cross each other on coming into contact with a series of propaganda
films that seem to depict a vastly different reality. The Man in the High Castle is based on the 1962 novel of the same
name by the renowned sci-fi author Philip K. Dick. The series stars Alexa
Davalos, Rupert Evans, Luke Kleintank, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Rufus Sewell
in the pivotal roles. The celebrated English filmmaker Ridley Scott is the
executive producer of the series.
The Man in the High Castle is your chance to witness the alternate
reality and be grateful that the Nazis were vanquished before it was too late. The
series presents such intriguing characters and subplots that they would blow
any thinking viewer's mind. Speaking of the characters, I haven't seen so many
complex caricatures in a single series. We have the wise Trade Minister
Nobusuke Tagomi for whom peace comes above all things, the gritty Obergruppenführer John Smith who would do everything in his power to keep himself and his family alive, the pretty Juliana
Crain who is the moral compass of the story and her troubled lover Frank Frink desperate to hide his Jewish ancestry, the charming but duplicitous Joe
Blake, the no-nonsense Chief Inspector Takeshi Kido, and the greedy but
tenacious salesman Robert Childan, among others. And if that's not enough then we
also have a senile and surprisingly peace-loving Adolf Hitler in the mix. The
rest of the supporting cast is no less remarkable: be it the sadistic bounty
hunting Marshall, who doesn't think twice before terminating his victims in
cold blood, or the disillusioned high-ranking Nazi official Rudolph Wegener,
who seems to share a unique bond with the Japanese Trade Minister Tagomi, or
Frank’s timid but loyal colleague and friend, Ed McCarthy.
The series’ attention to the period detail is striking to say
the least. The Man in the High Castle
has already won a well deserved Emmy for its Title Design. The eerie tone of
the series is set right from the title theme song 'Edelweiss' borrowed (but
completely transformed) from The Sound Of
Music. Of course, it wouldn't have been what it is today without its
brilliant parallel editing that at times seems greatly inspired by the Baptism
Sequence from The Godfather. The brilliant
first season has certainly raised my expectations and I just can’t wait to
binge on the second season. The season finale ends on a fascinating cliffhanger
with my favorite character Tagomi-san finally beginning to realize the true wonders of I Ching—an ancient Chinese text perceived by some as a divination
manual.
Overall, The Man in the
High Castle is absolutely brilliant and impossible to forget. I must
confess that after watching the pilot it was a bit difficult to decide. But the
subsequent episodes have constantly improved. It is not like Game of Thrones
where half of the season is spent on setting up the season's finale, for every
episode takes us deeper into the alternate reality originally envisioned by the
great Philip K. Dick. The reviews for the second season have been quite
encouraging and we can expect the third season by the end of 2017. So there's
enough time if you want to catch up on the first two seasons before the third
one goes live.
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
The Man in the High Castle Season 1 - Official Trailer
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You have perfectly articulated my thoughts on this wonderful series. Still loving it after 2 seasons and eagerly awaiting season 3.
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