The Man in the High Castle

# One of the best TV dramas in recent memory First, a disclaimer: I've not read Dicks' original version of The Man in the High Castle, nor do I intend to read it. I am judging the show entirely on its own merits, without any influence or critiquing related to the novel. ## On to the review! I'm going to keep this short and simple, so you don't have to read a shit-ton of stuff and so that I don't write any spoilers. Here's what you need to know: As a sci-fi story, The Man in the High Castle falls a bit short. The showrunners tried to wrap up the sci-fi bit at the end, but they did a pretty piss-poor job. Budget cuts? Rushed delivery? Who knows? Fortunately, the sci-fi aspect of this story isn't actually what makes it great. What makes The Man in the High Castle great storytelling and great television is the alt-history and the in-depth character story arcs; in particular, the story of the Smiths—the highest-ranking family in the Nazis' American Reich—is absolutely fantastic. In John and Helen Smith, we get to explore what it might have meant for regular Americans to throw their lots in with the Nazi Party had the Axis powers won WWII. Through dialogue and flashbacks, we get to see how joining the Nazi Party twisted both John and Helen into persons unrecognizable from their alt-world selves. Truly, the Smiths' story arc was easily my favorite, and it is the backbone of the show. You will never feel sorry for John or Helen, but you will understand them—and you will feel sorry for their children. Add to this mix some solid intrigue and action, plus a strong, capable female protagonist, and you will see why The Man in the High Castle is really good television. Also, don't let my initial talk of the sci-fi component scare you off. The showrunners may not have done a great job of resolving that part of the story, but the characters' stories were all resolved to my satisfaction. (Well, with one exception, but...it didn't ruin the show for me.) I recommend this show highly to people who enjoy: - Military fiction - Historical fiction - Alt-historical fiction - [Light] sci-fi - Political intrigues/dramas/thrillers