Skip to main content

The Man in the High Castle Season 2 is a Masterpiece

Let me tell you how amazing Season 2 of The Man in the High Castle was.

I originally wanted to write an in-depth review that covered every single aspect of the new season right after I saw it, but I know it would take ages and be twice as long! I knew I’d enjoy it, but what I didn’t anticipate was how much I would love it and how emotional I’d get as I followed the characters along in their different journeys.

I just want to say that I feel like THIS is the show I’ve been waiting for my entire life! I know that sounds a bit overboard, but I’m being honest. It truly is a masterpiece.

I’ll just breach the surface on a few things and drop a huge spoiler alert. If you haven’t seen it yet and want to avoid spoilers, don’t read any further.

The writers nailed everything that makes an excellent story, three dimensional characters and what I call ‘beautiful tragedies’ (just to name a few things they got right). You find yourself rooting for characters you’d never appreciate otherwise.

Here are a few highlights worth mentioning:

Juliana Crain: I know a lot of people didn’t like her in Season 1, but the beauty of it was that I thought she was perfect. You have this ordinary young woman in this alternate world who is suddenly forced to question her existence—everything. Her actions and reactions are imperfect, and, above all, human. Any one of us could be in her shoes and behave exactly the same way.

To put it best, “Imperfection can be beautiful.” ~ Juliana Crain

In season 2, there were times I rooted for her, times I cursed her, and times I wondered who she was. In the end, she chose kindness, redeeming herself for getting that news reporter killed (oh, how I loathed her that episode!).

Obergruppenführer John Smith: This is someone who appears to be the typical ruthless, Nazi villain at first glance. But beneath his black uniform is a caring husband and father who will protect his family no matter the cost.

One of the beautiful tragedies I mentioned is the relationship between Smith and his son, Thomas. Season 1 throws the powerful, confident Smith a wrench in the mix when Thomas is diagnosed with an incurable disease. In the Reich, this means death.

Throughout Season 2, you see him doing everything he can to hide his son’s illness and to protect him. But in the end, Thomas decides to turn himself in to be euthanized. Thomas’s final scene brought tears to my eyes.

The writers could have gone the cheap route and had the son killed by an accident or by an angry resistance fighter, but no. They had Thomas CHOOSE for himself—after everything his father went through to keep him safe—and that is what makes The Man in the High Castle one of the best written television shows of all time.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SGS: Creativity!

Looking at Heather’s wonderful prompts, I just realized that April is almost over. Is it really the last Sunday of the month already!? How did that happen? Even with quarantine it feels like it just zipped by!  This week’s Seriously Geeky Sundays theme hits close to home, and I am super excited about it. As you all know, I’m an artist who loves to draw, paint, write, and sew!  26th April – Creativity What does creativity in fandoms/geeky interests mean to you? EVERYTHING. Just look at Club High Castle!  High Castle is the one fandom where I’ve felt like I’ve been allowed to flourish. The countless hours and dedication I’ve put into the things I’ve created has been appreciated by both fans and the cast and crew. I have never experienced anything like it, and it has genuinely made me happy over the years.  I’ve been in other fandoms where art and things just slipped by unnoticed–not that I’m seeking attention, but knowing that there are people out there who enjoy my...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cosplay Everyday!

It’s time for another Seriously Geeky Sunday brought to you by the creative Heather at geeking-by.net! It’s cosplay everyday here in Club High Castle Cosplay is very near and dear to my heart. You should see the left half of my closet! Hanging there is an assortment of medieval dresses, Star Trek uniforms, and other odes to my favorite fandoms that I’ve collected over the years. The oldest thing I have in there is probably from the 90s.  23rd August – Cosplay It’s international Cosplay Day this weekend and we’re joining in the celebrations by chatting about all things cosplay! Have you cosplayed before? If yes, which character was your favourite? If no, which character would you like to cosplay as? You have no idea, Grasshopper 😉 You just opened an entire world about me. I was the QUEEN of cosplay in the early 2000s, and I loved every last second of it. As for my favorite character, that one is a tough one because every time I put on a costume, I’m having the time of my life, h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: PKD’s Unfinished Sequel to TMITHC

I finally had a chance to read the two mysterious chapters of a scrubbed sequel to PKD’s The Man in the High Castle. I finished them a few days weeks ago, but their mark has yet to fade from the recesses of my mind. While I understand why he never finished it, I wish there was more.  The chapters were accompanied by an essay and a fictional blurb about Hawthorn Abendsen. Naziism and The High Castle (1964) is an eye opener into the mind of PKD. He asks pointed questions about human nature and discusses Nationalism— no one is immune from falling into it. The essay reminds me of a quote ages ago when Season 2 of High Castle had just aired: I think we have is to humanize Nazis. If you indulge the fantasy that they were not human, then nothing is learned. This is human beings that did this. It is only humans that are capable of inhumanity. Rufus Sewell on portraying his character, John Smith (2016).  Reading it (and the subsequent chapters) made certain aspects of the show much more clea...
Post a Comment
Read more