The Man in the High Castle - Review

I'm always looking for good and thought-provoking television series. One of the best that I have watched recently is The Man in the High Castle. This is a series that is based on the novel written by Philip K. Dick. I need to say that I have not read the book so I don't know how closely the television series sticks to the book. 

The basic premise is that the Germans and Japanese (no mention of the Italians) won World War Two instead of the allies. This also means that North America has been invaded and occupied. The Japanese control the west coast, the Germans control the east coast and there is a narrow neutral zone in the middle. The series takes place in the early 60s, a time when much of what had been the United States has long been under axis control. The show offers a frightening glimpse of what could have been. It is scary to see how in the east, the American Dream is so completely blended with Nazi philosophy. Within this world is the activity of the resistance. The resistance is not just involved in attacking the Japanese and Germans, they are involved in something more mysterious. 

There are a series of films that are being smuggled across the land. These films offer alternate versions of what could have happened. Some include an end of the war with an allied victory as experienced in our world. This brings us to the man in the high castle. It is he that is bringing these films together. It is assumed that he is filming them but in reality he is bringing them from parallel world. I know it sounds weird but it works. In the midst of this is growing tensions between the Japanese and Germans. The Germans are more powerful, having developed the atomic bomb. They had even dropped an atomic bomb on Washington as a part of their invasion. The Germans seem eager to provoke the Japanese into a new conflict and complete their victory and along with it "racial purity." 

 I so enjoyed this series. I'm very interested in World War Two and this is an entirely new spin. The setting of the early 1960s is very well done and the sets and props are amazing. I was born in the late 60s and can recognize some of what appears here. The characters are interesting and far from two dimensional. In fact it is difficult to divide people into the good and bad guys. The good guys have their dark parts and the bad guys have their bright moments. One of the things that I thought was interesting is that the Bible is banned in this world. It makes sense as it is a radical text. As a pastor, I need to give some warning. There is some swearing, including occasional use of the F-bomb. There is also a little bit of nudity. Don't think Game of Thrones. I would say in the two seasons that there was perhaps 10-15 seconds of nudity. For some this will take it off the table. I found the series to be fascinating. 

There is some deep philosophical reflection in the series and plent of wrestling with moral dilemmas. You may find The Man in the High Castle to be good show to watch. But don't expect light fluff. I watched The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime. You can get a free 30 day free trial of Prime. Please note that I'm an affiliate and if you get it, I do earn a fee. Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial If you are interested in philosophy, you might be interested in this book: The Man in the High Castle and Philosophy: Subversive Reports from Another Reality (Popular Culture and Philosophy)