Creators:
Frank SpotnitzCast:
Alexa Davalos, Rupert Evans, Luke Kleintank, DJ Qualls, Rufus Sewell, Michael Rispoli, Carsten Nørgaard, Conor Leslie, Rick Worthy, Hank Harris, Ron Roggé (more)Seasons(4) / Episodes(40)
Plots(1)
A glimpse into an alternate history of North America. What life after WWII may have been like if the Nazis had won the war. (official distributor synopsis)
Reviews of this series by the user Necrotongue (30)
The Man in the High Castle (2015)
What a blast. A series with a retro vibe that revisits a past that never happened. Great theme and script, with great acting performances, held together by an excellent soundtrack. I couldn't tear myself away from the first season. Plus, the creators cast Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, my favorite B-movie bad guy, so they got on my good side and made me turn a blind eye to certain things that struck me as rather odd. The strange developments in technology, for instance. While planes and automobiles have advanced since the end of the war, small arms have not. Walther 38s and Erma-Werke MP40s are still in use. Despite the minor flaws and the first season’s weird finale, I can't go lower than a 5. I’m looking forward to the next season. // After having finished the series, let me just add that I found Season 4 somewhat underwhelming. Especially the finale was badly written. It's a shame, otherwise, this show was exactly my kind of thing.
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Season 2 (2016) (S02)
I was very satisfied with Season 2. I was worried that it might be a significant downgrade after the first season as is often the case, but despite a few weaker moments I was very pleased overall. I'm sure I've said this before, but the premise is very close to my heart. The writing is excellent and captures the gulf between the two superpowers perfectly. As for the cast, I want to highlight Rufus Sewell, I enjoyed every scene he was in. To sum it up, the season was excellent, I enjoyed it and can’t wait to see the next one.
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The Tiger's Cave (2016) (S02E01)
Season 2 maintains the gripping atmosphere of the previous season. I was pleasantly surprised by the action scenes, which I didn't expect so early on. I was gearing up for more shadowy scheming and secretive plotting in dark alleys, but this burst of action was a welcome surprise.
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The Road Less Traveled (2016) (S02E02)
The creators have kept all the good stuff from the first season and added some action scenes as a bonus, which I'm really enjoying. I hope the series continues on this path. Just a small note: the ending of this episode reminded me of several other films with similar conclusions (like the more recent No Escape).
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Travelers (2016) (S02E03)
The alternative history theme is just so fascinating to me. The creators have done a fantastic job with it. So far, I'm thoroughly enjoying every minute.
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Escalation (2016) (S02E04)
A bit weaker compared to the previous episodes. There was less action, which I expected, but I missed the clandestine activities that were mostly limited to tinkering with a bomb. On the upside, I was amused by how the resistance and football share similarities, like swapping jerseys after the mission.
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Loose Lips (2016) (S02E08)
Wow, just one well-timed death and suddenly it's like someone kicked over an anthill. While there wasn't much action this time aroun — aside from Obergruppenführer Smith's satisfying moment at the end — the episode was packed with intrigue. A very solid episode overall.
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Fallout (2016) (S02E10)
The finale hit all the right notes for me. Intrigue and power struggles dominated the entire episode, and Rufus Sewell looked like he was having a blast in his role. Now comes the excruciating wait for the next season...
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Season 3 (2018) (S03)
Not even Season 3 was a disappointment, excluding the unfortunate fourth episode. Thankfully, it was just a one-off slip of the creators, who otherwise kept up the good work, making the series entertaining as usual. It is definitely not intended for fans of frantic action scenes. The pace of the story remained rather slow as usual, but I was okay with that since the plot and dialogue were interesting enough. Again, I have to highlight Rufus Sewell's performance, without which it wouldn't be the same.
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Now More Than Ever, We Care About You (2018) (S03E01)
If this were an episode of another series, I’d probably rate it four stars and complain about the slow pace and lack of action. But this is The Man in the High Castle, and I’m rating subjectively, so it’s five stars. The pace was slow, but that’s par for the course with this show. There wasn’t a ton of action, but I enjoyed every conversation. Plus, the creators addressed my previous gripe about the lack of weapon development right in the first scene — props to Heckler & Koch.
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Imagine Manchuria (2018) (S03E02)
Alright, this episode was a bit too slow even for me. The happenings (or lack thereof) in the Smith family dragged down the pace, though I understand the reason and appreciate the effort to delve into Helen’s perspective. SS-Oberstgruppenführer John Smith remained the standout character as usual. The CGI team almost brought Yamato back to life, with just a few details off — probably from post-war reconstruction.
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Sensô Kôi (2018) (S03E03)
Things took a turn for the better, allowing me to give it a full rating again. The story progressed nicely, there were some interesting encounters, and I learned more about the relationship between the films and real life. Overall, I was thoroughly entertained, which is what matters.
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Sabra (2018) (S03E04)
Well, that was an unpleasant surprise. It felt like the creators weren’t sure what to give us, resulting in a strangely inconsistent episode that was all over the place. I didn’t learn anything particularly new.
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The New Colossus (2018) (S03E05)
The previous episode left me disappointed, but this one turned things around for me. Rufus Sewell got more screen time and proved once again that John Smith is an indispensable character (at least for me). The story took an interesting turn, and the resolutions were truly satisfying.
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History Ends (2018) (S03E06)
I was satisfied once again. I have a soft spot for villains — they’re usually much more interesting. I enjoyed the storylines of Chief Inspector Kido and John Smith, while Frank Frink didn't grab my attention until the end. The intertwining of both celebrations was perfect.
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Excess Animus (2018) (S03E07)
This episode was less action-packed, but paradoxically, I found it extremely interesting. The story progressed in a very intriguing way, finally addressing some of the most important themes. The entire episode had a great atmosphere, and I couldn’t tear myself away.
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Kasumi (Through the Mists) (2018) (S03E08)
While the previous episode thrilled me with its interesting developments, this one felt a bit stagnant. Apart from the border crossing, it focused more on less significant storylines. On a positive note, the tension between the Reich and the Empire escalated, and it's clear that Mr. Tagomi takes his kendo very seriously.
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Baku (2018) (S03E09)
In my last review, I mentioned a slight stagnation in the plot. This time, there's no chance of that happening. The events picked up nicely, bringing more action and tension than usual for this series. I just hope the creators have saved something exciting for the season finale.
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Jahr Null (2018) (S03E10)
Well, they certainly delivered. The final episode was packed with interesting dialogue and events. The Reich's machine for controlling worlds strongly reminded me of the Perchorsk Project from Lumley's Necroscope series (note: this is a book series). I was also struck by the level of effort the Reich forces put into eliminating one elderly French lady.
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Season 4 (2019) (S04)
When I was rating the individual episodes of the final season, I got carried away twice. My overall rating got as high as four stars, but it was definitely the weakest season. It really pissed me off a couple of times, and it really couldn’t compare with the previous ones. And what a botched ending... 4*-
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