The Man in the High Castle 2x10 Recap: “Fallout" (Secrets, Lies, and Videotapes) [Guest Poster: Stephanie Coats]

"Fallout"

Original Airdate: December 16, 2016

Things and people are rarely as simple as they seem. If you needed any proof of that, it comes in the opening scene of the season two finale of The Man in the High Castle.

It’s December 11, 1945. John and a very pregnant Helen Smith arrive at their new home and witness a bomb explosion from afar. “I think the Nazis just hit Washington,” John says. He’s not yet an Obergruppenführer. He’s not even a Nazi. He’s wearing an American serviceman uniform.

PREPARE FOR BATTLE

Heusmann is getting exactly what he’s always planned for. He preps for attacking Japan and its U.S. settlements, demanding that Tokyo be destroyed in the first wave so the Emperor is killed. It will take an estimated two weeks for the Reich to win “the last war.” The nuclear attack alone will kill 15-16 million people. Of the hundreds of thousands of Nazi lives lost, most will be American, which is perfectly acceptable. Purity right down to the last German bloodline. Heusmann believes preserving the master race will end the constant state of war and allow the Reich to progress and perfect the world.

Joe isn’t quite on board. He’s disturbed with how easily his father is willing to murder millions, even fellow members of the Reich. But Nicole urges patience. Soon all of the old men in the Reich will be dead and it will be Joe’s turn to lead. After she says she has placed her faith in him, they hook up. Because there’s not, like, a major military campaign being planned right now or anything.

FULL CIRCLE

Thomas is too smart for his own good. He returns home but demands an explanation from his parents. Smith finally breaks and admits to his son that he has a type of muscular dystrophy. The poor boy apologizes for being ill, calling himself a “useless eater,” but his father protests. Even though there’s no cure, he believes Thomas can have a full and happy life. Thomas is too worried about the law against “defective” people.

It’s strange the reaction one sick child elicits in different people. The Smiths are Nazis, members of the very state and race that orders people like their son to be killed, and yet it’s difficult to not pity them. Who wants to send their child to his death, especially at so young an age? But for George Dixon, Thomas is not worth saving. When Juliana learns Dixon plans to use the recording of Thomas’ conversation with her against Smith, she pleads with Dixon. They’ll kill Thomas if his illness is discovered. “He’s sick anyway,” he replies.

But at her core, Juliana is a good, compassionate person determined to do the right thing. When the Resistance tries to kill her, she fights back and escapes. She encounters Dixon outside. He’s dressed in a Nazi uniform for disguise. She pulls a gun on him to make him give her the recording. When he refuses, she shoots him dead, leaving him looking exactly as he did in the photo Abendsen showed her.

FATHERS AND SONS

Even though he got shot and a building exploded around him, Inspector Kido and his glasses somehow survived intact. Everyone else is dead, leaving him the ranking officer. He is quickly whisked away by Tagomi, who shows him the film he’s brought back from the AU. Kido agrees to help Tagomi’s cause and goes to the American Reich to contact Smith. Even though visas have been revoked, Smith sends a car for Kido. They watch the film as his house. Both men know the Japanese are not responsible for Hitler’s death. The only victors in the war to come will be high-ranking German Nazis.

Smith takes up the mantle of saving the world. He sneaks his way into Berlin and visits Joe. It’s a risky move since Joe doesn’t trust Smith at all anymore. Smith asks him to put that anger aside because showing his father the film will save countless lives. Remember, this film shows the U.S. testing atomic bombs in Bikini Atoll. But in this world, the Japanese still occupy those islands. So the film actually makes it look as though the Japanese have nuclear weapons. Which is what Smith tells Joe.

When the younger man is still unconvinced, Smith admits Juliana is alive and under his protection in New York. And just like that, Joe takes Smith to his father and the film is played, with Smith claiming the footage shows the Japanese testing a hydrogen bomb. Then Smith goes a step further. Alone with Reichsfuhrer Himmler, he provides evidence of a conspiracy within the Reich and Heusmann’s part in it. Both Heusmann and Joe are arrested, the latter denouncing Smith the entire way. Sorry, kiddo.

Heusmann had planned to give a speech announcing the plan to declare war on Japan, but the Reichsfuhrer instead reveals the conspiracy to the massive crowd that has been gathered. His speech is televised in America, too. Helen and the kids watch as Himmler singles out Smith for his courage and loyalty. Smith is brought forward and saluted. But his expression is ambiguous. This is a man who was once an American citizen, who fought against the Nazis, who was terrified in Hitler’s presence, who in this very episode prevented Heusmann’s reinforcements from razing Savannah, Georgia in order to quell uprisings.

This is also a man who doesn’t know how his eldest child interprets his moment on TV. Thomas sees his father’s patriotism and decides to behave the same way. He gives himself up to the state, being willingly taken away to die even as his mother wails for him to come back.

A NEW BEGINNING

At least Juliana escapes. She burns the tape to protect Smith and Thomas, not knowing the latter has taken his life into his own hands. She hitches a ride out of town and is soon found by Abendsen. He reveals that she was in every film he watched and the same people were always revolving around her. The key to saving the world is Juliana. Even while other people might shift their attitudes and choices from film to film, she was always the same. And almost like a reward for her righteousness, Abendsen reveals a special guest: Trudy, alive and well.

At his home, Tagomi also has a surprise visitor. It’s Lem and he’s got a box full of films.

Final Thoughts:

• Thomas’ decision was foreshadowed again and again this season but it was still heart wrenching to watch. Is this the last we’ll see of him? 
• Which Trudy does Juliana see: her actual half-sister or one from an AU?
• You know morality has become murky when freaking Himmler is one of the protagonists of a story. 
• I completely support Tagomi becoming the new Man in the High Castle.

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The Man in the High Castle 2x07 Recap: "Land O’ Smiles" (Family Men) [Guest Poster: Stephanie Coats]

"Land O’ Smiles"

Original Airdate: December 16, 2016

Most everything on The Man in the High Castle comes back to family. Bad men kill to protect their families. Good men kill to avenge their families.

Frank falls into the latter category. Having gone from an artistic factory worker to a member of the Resistance in a matter of weeks, it’s sometimes easy to forget his motivation. A startling dream reminds him and us. He sits with his sister and her children around a dinner table. As gas starts to pour in from above, Frank tries to block it and screams to his family, “Don’t breathe! Don’t breathe!” Having your family killed like that is enough to motivate almost anyone to do almost anything.

BOMBS AWAY

The Resistance wants to use their new bomb to take out high-ranking Japanese. Doing recon to figure out where to place the bomb, Frank and Sara argue over whether being Japanese or Jewish is a worse sin in the eyes of others. “It makes no difference to me who you are,” Sara says. “But you can’t say the same about me?” He can’t. But she still saves him when he’s nearly shot scoping out a warehouse that Frank realizes is where the Japanese are building an atomic bomb.

Now, the Resistance is in a bind. If the Nazis discover the bomb, they’ll destroy it and everyone else. So where then should the Resistance plant their own bomb while also preventing the Japanese from continuing their work? Frank has an idea.

ED IS THE BETTER MAN

At Childan’s shop, Ed helps sell two counterfeit cufflinks by weaving a darn good story about them to the potential buyer. Once they have the money in hand, Ed offers to make the drop to the Yakuza himself but Childan decides to accompany him. He wonders when Ed will decide to be his own person rather than continue on as just Frank’s friend, essentially. He also tells Ed than he and Frank are “uneven,” and though he means it as a jab at Ed, it really ought to be the other way around. Frank’s entire character turned on a dime whereas Ed has remained steadfast and loyal.

While making the drop to the Yakuza, Ed and Childan are forced to hide when the Kempetai show up. Kido knows the Yakuza were at the barn where the films were burned and sees this as proof they are working with the Nazis. He shoots Okamura and the rest of the Yakuza present. When his Sergeant finds Ed and Childan, they are allowed to leave before Kido sees them. They’re pretty excited to be a) alive and b) free from the Yakuza, but Frank, too busy brooding, does not join in their celebrations. He and Ed are “uneven,” for sure, but one thing they do share: a love for Juliana. Ed hints at his feelings when he tells Childan about a girl who was “special” but “had to go away.”

A GOOD NAZI

One of the most awkward parts of killing a family friend is attending, and being asked to speak at, the funeral. That’s exactly the position in which Smith finds himself. He gives a stirring speech about why the doctor was such a good Nazi, perhaps even hinting to those who know the truth (just Helen and the viewers) that the dead man was a better Nazi than him. When Smith speaks about the doctor’s devotion to his family, it’s clear he’s really talking about himself and his willingness to do anything for his own family.

Juliana is at the funeral as well. She had helped the other ladies arrange the flowers into a nice swastika. She witnesses Thomas having an “absence” seizure, but Helen quickly ushers her son away. Later, the two women have a loaded conversation about the incident wherein Helen urges Juliana not to jump to conclusions because of the “consequences” such conclusions could carry. Juliana swears all she saw was Thomas getting emotional, nothing more.

Every time the Smiths sigh in relief that their secret is safe, something else happens. In addition to Thomas’ seizure, the doctor’s wife is asking questions. She wants an autopsy for her husband because she thinks he was murdered. That evening, Smith asks Helen if anyone else saw Thomas’ episode and she says no. Before he can even question her answer, a call comes from Himmler. Hitler has collapsed.

Final Thoughts:

• A church funeral for a Nazi seems hugely contradictory 
• Lucy tells Juliana she’s on a litany of medications, including cocaine. For her sinuses, of course. 
• Watching John Smith get ready (for the day or for bed, I’m not picky) is reason enough to watch this show. The most problematic fave there ever was. 
• Childan: “The devotion you and Mr. Frink have to each other would be touching if you hadn’t so thoroughly ruined my life.”
• Inspector Kido continues to be very layered. On the phone with his wife, who is in Japan with their children, he tells them the Pacific States are no place for them. He clearly misses them and cares about them. Even though it put under scrutiny, he placed his family in protective custody before taking on the Yakuza. 

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The Man in the High Castle 2x06 Recap: "Kintsugi" (Golden Repair) [Guest Poster: Stephanie Coats]

"Kintsugi"

Original Airdate: December 16, 2016

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer that is mixed with gold. Philosophically, it is recognizing and accepting the beauty in brokenness, rather than trying to hide or disguise it. It also begs the question: what will you do with your brokenness, with your mistakes, with your conflicting desires? Which path will you choose?

THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

After sleeping over in his AU house, Tagomi wakes to his son, Nori, hosting a “Ban the Bomb” meeting. In private, Nori asks his father to sign the divorce papers but Tagomi is highly conflicted. In his world, he yearned to be reunited with his wife and son, and now they are here and yet somehow further away than ever. He also has a grandchild and a daughter-in-law (Juliana), though Nori doesn’t want him left alone with the baby. By the end of the episode, Tagomi seems resolved to take action. With pointed interest, he watches JFK’s Cuban Missile Crisis address, in which the president says the most dangerous thing someone can do when faced with an imminent threat is nothing.

Even though Tagomi is the only character to hear this speech, its message resonates through many of the other main players.

“YOU COULD ALMOST FORGET THEY’RE NAZIS.”

Being a part of the Resistance in the Reich is uncomfortable for Juliana, and not only because she’s risking her life. She doesn’t want to become a Nazi, even if it’s pretend. She also has a hard time reconciling the kindness and normalcy of the Helen and her friends with the atrocities committed by the Reich. When Juliana manages to get an invite to Helen’s bridge club, she listens in horrified silence as the women discuss genetic defects and genetic hygiene. Unnoticed by everyone, Helen’s expression goes cold.

But soon after, Juliana is out shopping with one of the ladies, Lucy Collins, and is smacked in the face with a different image of Nazis. During a breakdown, Lucy reveals she has been trying to get pregnant for three years but has been unsuccessful. She is certain the problem is with her and yet she won’t take a test to find out for sure. Her husband, a prominent member of the Reich’s news (i.e. propaganda) department, would likely be ruined if she took the test because having children is of utmost importance to the Reich. Unquestioningly, Juliana feels sorry for Lucy. Juliana — and the audience, perhaps — gets a glimpse that these American Nazis are not completely enslaved to the Fuhrer; some part of them wishes for a different life.

Helen, of course, knows all about that. With her son ill and subject to euthanization by the state if his illness were to be discovered, she must be wishing they lived in another time or place too. But her husband has taken some steps in that direction. Smith secretly arranged for a Hitler Youth expedition to South America, and Thomas receives an invitation. Helen instantly says no, but later in Smith’s office, they talk the scenario through. (Once Smith has turned off all the recording devices.) The plan is for Thomas to arrive in South America and be kidnapped by Semites, who will look after him. To everyone else, it will look like terrorists have kidnapped the son of a high ranking Nazi and Smith himself will lead the (ultimately unsuccessful) hunt for his own son.

It means a life of keeping up appearances and potentially never seeing their son again, but it also means Thomas gets to live. An impossible choice for a parent but Helen makes it, agreeing to let Thomas go on the trip. He is overjoyed. That night, Helen and her husband quietly and sadly embrace each other in bed.

ARE YOU A NAZI OR NOT?

Just as Tagomi and Helen are being forced to make some major decisions in this episode, as is Joe. Nicole, the woman from the hotel, picks him up and takes him to a party with other people their age. She confesses that some of them, like herself, are also Lebensborn. What she should’ve said is they’re all basically German, swinger, hippies. They all take hallucinogenic drugs, including Joe.

With his mind open, so are the two parts of him that are warring. Joe’s visions sometimes show the partygoers as beasts and himself leaving them behind. He follows Juliana to a quiet area and apologizes that the version of him in the film killed her. Juliana kisses him, but when he pulls back, it’s Nicole instead. Outside, she shows Joe a version of himself that is dead, saying they don’t matter at all — dead or alive. When she shifts back to Juliana, she reminds Joe that she saved his life. She tells him he must make that act matter.

When Joe finally wakes in the morning, he’s unsure what was real and what wasn’t. Nicole seems to suggest they were intimate but it’s hard to know if she is preying on Joe’s frazzled memory. Returning to his father’s house, Joe puts on a nice suit and stares at himself in the mirror. After several seconds of contemplation, he slips a Nazi armband on as well.

Final thoughts: 

• Some part of the American Nazis is inherently rejecting the Reich. This is evident in Smith and Helen’s decision to protect their son, Lucy concealing her potential inability to conceive, and even Joe’s discomfort with life in Berlin. Are they ripe for a revolution?
• While looking through his AU house, Tagomi finds pictures of himself serving in the Japanese Army and reference to himself as a Don. Are these true of him in his own reality too? 
• True in any reality is the blatant good looks of Rufus Sewell, a.k.a. John Smith. As Lucy says to Juliana, “Dreadfully handsome, isn’t he? Don’t worry. We all think so. And Helen wouldn’t be annoyed to hear it. She knows what she’s got.”

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The Man in the High Castle 2x05 Recap: "Duck and Cover" (A Dimension of Sight) [Guest Poster: Stephanie Coats]

"Duck and Cover"

Original Airdate: December 16, 2016

Who you gonna call when the Resistance is in touchy territory? How about your daughter’s half-sister? On the phone with George Dixon, Juliana confesses he’s the reason she came to the Reich. Even though he went through the trouble of disabling the mics in her room, he’s essentially called to say “leave me alone.” Juliana blurts out the man in the high castle sent her so Dixon relents and meets her at Central Park in the morning. Because Juliana gave Joe the film and is being sponsored by Smith, Dixon is extremely wary of her and nearly has her killed or captured by his associates before he waves them off.

Juliana tells him about the film she saw and Abendsen’s theory that Dixon somehow causes the atomic bomb explosion in San Francisco, which Dixon thinks is ridiculous. After driving to a more secure location, he tells Juliana the Resistance in the Reich are only letting them talk because they want her to “redeem” herself. They want her help taking out Smith by getting close to the family and their friends. First of all, there’s no way that’ll work; and second, won’t the Resistance just kill Juliana once she’s finished being useful?

THE RESISTANCE

Ed and Frank have it out over a number of issues. First, Ed is not cool with Frank hooking up with Sara. Second, the two men disagree about whether they belong in the Resistance. Can’t say I blame him, especially with Effin’ Gary around. The de facto leader won’t reveal what they’re going to do with the bomb and when Frank reveals he saw himself die in one of the films, Gary says they’re all going to die. It’s only a matter of whether they’re “on their knees or standing tall.” Seriously, I hate this guy.

Of course, Ed is having doubts for other reasons. As we suspected, he’s been forced into being a spy for Inspector Kido. The police want information about the Yakuza but Ed has very little to offer at the moment. Something tells me that’ll change in a hurry. Because Frank, who was taken to a secret memorial for Karen (I’m assuming there was no body because Effin’ Gary just left her in the road) is now a bonafide member of the Resistance.

Up at his secret warehouse, the man in the high castle has apparently decided to skip town. He burns all but a small stack of the films and hops in the car with Lem. How many people died getting him the films he just burnt to a crisp? Why is most everyone in the Resistance kind of a tool?

HITLER’S CHOSEN ONES

Joe finally gets some answers from his dad, but probably wishes he hadn’t. Joe is what is known as Lebensborn. This was an SS program where racially desirable women volunteered to have their children in birthing housing and for them to be raised to be the next generation of SS elite. Many think of these children as Hitler’s offspring, or his chosen ones. Reichsminister Huesman takes Joe to an abandoned birthing house where Joe was apparently born. Then his mother kidnapped him and took him to America. Huesman realized, however well-intentioned the program was, it was also cruel and he didn’t hunt down Joe’s mom because she would’ve been punished.

The information is too much for Joe to handle. He breaks down, unsure of who he is. Oddly, Huesman gives him some excellent advice: “Your actions define you. And they do not lie.” Eventually, Joe decides to stay in Berlin and retreats to the family house where maid Sylvia is almost enraptured with him. That evening, Joe calls Smith, who confesses he knew Joe was Lebensborn. This infuriates Joe further, which is understandable. But also, I’m pretty sure Smith was under orders to not tell Joe. And if there’s anything Nazis are good at, it’s following orders.

FAILURE OF COMMAND

Kido is insistent on getting Juliana brought back but he hesitates when he sees she is under Smith’s supervision/protection. He personally visits the Obergruppenführer with a (forged) request from the General for Juliana’s extradition. Smith resists, saying Juliana has already been granted asylum and Kido has no proof of her wrongdoing. When pushed for the true purpose of his visit, Kido tells Smith something we don’t get to hear. Then Smith has his assistant erase all record of the meeting.

A tense moment passes between the two men as Kido examines a U.S. Military service medal Smith has displayed behind his desk. It is from his service in the Solomon Islands where he fought the Japanese, including Kido, who says he was there too. Smith keeps the medal as a reminder of the “consequences of the failure of command.” In our reality, the Allies were victorious in the Solomon Islands campaign. Clearly, something disastrous occurred in Smith’s reality — bad enough that he chose to serve the Reich instead. But what could be enough to push a decorated U.S. serviceman to dedicating himself to some of his home country’s biggest and worst enemies?

THE UNITED STATES OF ALTERNATIVE REALITIES 

After getting cold feet in the last episode, Trade Minister Tagomi sticks around in the other reality to see his wife. But she’s cold to him as she leaves for work, which isn’t quite the reception he was probably hoping for. Entering his house, he finds Twinkies in the cupboard (and eat them hesitantly with chopsticks) and divorce papers on the table. From everything we see, it looks like our universe. There are American flags and rock ‘n’ roll music everywhere. Walking down the street, Tagomi is handed an anti-nuclear flyer. In a bookstore, he flips through a history of WWII and is clearly shaken when he sees the devastation caused by the two atomic bombs.

Returning home once again, Tagomi finds his son is there too. Nori accuses his father of having been off on a bender again. From another room, we hear a woman soothing a crying baby. Tagomi’s grandchild comes out to meet him... in the arms of Juliana.

Final Thoughts:

• Thomas calls Annie, the girl he likes, and his sisters tease him by singing the kissing song. How did that manage to survive the Nazi takeover? 
• In the AU, there is another Tagomi who is apparently a drunkard. What will happen if the two men meet each other? 

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The Man in the High Castle 2x04 Recap: "Escalation" (Family Matters) [Guest Poster: Stephanie Coats]

"Escalation"

Original Airdate: December 16, 2016

If you could hop into another reality, what would you hope to see there? If you came from a world of war, maybe you’d hope to find peace. If you lived in squalor, perhaps you’d want to find prosperity. Or maybe it is something far simpler than that: to see a lost loved one again.

For Trade Minister Tagomi, his deepest longing seems to be for his wife, who is dead in his world. After disappearing from his office last episode, he “wakes” in this other life and sees his wife. But he reappears in his office before she sees him.

BERLIN

Joe is having more family drama. The story he’s always known is that his dad abandoned him and his mom to a life of poverty. But the Reichsminister says Joe’s mother left him and wouldn’t contact him. He wants to make amends and tries to convince his son to stay in Berlin but Joe isn’t interested. At the hotel, he bumps into Nicole — the beautiful woman from the party. Over a drink, she again presses him to stay and do important Reich-related things in Berlin. “Did you come all this way just to tell [your father] how hurt you are?” she quips, and dang if that isn’t insightful. It’s very hard to believe she has any kind of pure intentions though, especially when she sounds so much like Elsa from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. She even kisses Joe as she leaves.

SECRETS IN THE REICH

Obergruppenführer Smith is in a somewhat sticky situation because the widow of the man he murdered last episode has come to his house for comfort from Helen. That night, Helen confesses that she knows what John did but doesn’t know why. He reveals Thomas’ incurable illness to her and, like any other mother, she is terrified for her son. Moreover, she knows John’s position will make it impossible for them to escape the rules of the state. There’s a real possibility the Reich will take their daughters, too, if they do not comply.

But Smith swears he won’t let any of it happen: not Thomas’ death or their family being torn apart. “All you need to know is everything I do — everything — I do it for the family, to keep our children safe,” he tells her.

Even though Juliana has been granted asylum, she’ll need to pass a test to become a real citizen of the Reich. When she arrives at Smith’s house for tutoring, Thomas steps in to help. As we expect, he teaches her justice comes from the Fuhrer. The clever and startling part about this show is sometimes things that should be outlandish and incorrect are actually horrible truths. So when Thomas asks Juliana about “American exterminations” prior to the war and she is confused, he clarifies simply by saying, “The Indians.” And that’s when I feel a bit sick.

Continuing with her theme of not waiting for anyone else to help her, Juliana hunts down George Dixon, Trudy’s dad, and visits him. A man recognizes her at the apartment complex and pursues her through the train station, even shooting at her. Juliana manages to get away. That night, Dixon calls her at home from the payphone on her street.

SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS IN THE PACIFIC STATES

The General is getting angrier with Tagomi by the episode. The Trade Minister sent photos of the effects of the atomic bomb in D.C., attempting to persuade the General against creating another bomb. The plan is dead on arrival. Over drinks, the General tells Chief Inspector Kido the Japanese nation is seen as weak. The bomb is the solution. Kido attempts to probe about the High Castle films but the General will not discuss them. Instead, he gets drunk and Kido uses his inebriation to have the General sign an order that we don’t get to see yet.

In addition to touting the benefits of nuclear armament, the General also seeks retribution for the death of the Japanese soldier during the Resistance’s good deed. See, the Resistance has been feeling pretty good about saving that busload of innocent people. Frank, in particular, feels great and isn’t even bothered by having killed someone. “I kept my head down so long I’d forgotten what it feels like to stand up,” he says.

But the Japanese demand retribution. Six soldiers grab people at random in the market and shoot them. Frank and Ed witness this but Effin’ Gary is coldhearted and literally doesn’t care. Instead, he’s glad the Japanese are scared enough to retaliate. He and Sara convince Frank and Ed to help disassemble an old war bomb for the parts. Slowly but surely, they’re able to do this. While Ed rides off with Gary, Frank and Sara have a heated hook-up. Last episode we learned it had only been two weeks since the show started. Which means two weeks ago, Frank was in a relationship with Juliana. Just sayin’.

Left with less hope and even more questions than at the start of the episode, Tagomi again jumps into another reality. In a brilliant shot, the camera shows him disappearing gradually. As it pans left through the windows, Tagomi is slowly wiped away against the window pane. This time he spies his wife through the window of the house and doesn’t leave.

Final Thoughts:

• During her tutoring session, Juliana definitely noticed a tremor in Thomas’ hand. How long before Smith asks for her help concealing his son’s diagnosis? 
• In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, Kotomichi — Tagomi’s aide — is seen to be hiding radiation burns on his long sleeves. Was he in D.C. when the bomb dropped? Or was he in Japan in another reality? 
• Is it possible I care about Frank even less than I care about Joe? Yes. Yes it is. 

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The Man in the High Castle 2x03 Recap: "Travelers" (Doctor, Doctor) [Guest Poster: Stephanie Coats]

"Travelers"

Original Airdate: December 16, 2016

Sometimes, it’s not so easy to be a Nazi. Juliana, Joe, and John Smith all discover this in different ways and their reactions vary. But what will it mean for them choices moving forward?

JULIANA AND JULIA

After dramatically throwing herself at the mercy of the Nazis in the last episode, Juliana learns what she’s truly in for. Before she’s questioned about her association with the Resistance and Joe, she’s given a horrifically invasive medical exam. The slight yellow tone of her skin is grounds for concern, as are the scars from the bus accident — which had also broken her pelvis. That means it’s unlikely she can bear children, which is a major issue because what value does she have to the Reich if she can’t produce new little Nazis?

When she finally gets to the questioning portion of her horrible day, we learn the most startling thing of all: everything on this show has taken place in the span of only two weeks! Juliana writes down everything that’s happened, but leaves out anything about the man in the high castle, and — for some inexplicable reason — Gary. If anyone deserves to be on the Reich’s watch list, it’s Gary. Obergruppenführer Smith is disappointed by both omissions, and suspects that she’s holding back. But he gives her asylum anyway, on his personal authority, despite the many “defects” discovered during her medical exam and issues with her story.

I’d like to say Smith does this out of the kindness of his heart, perhaps seeing Juliana’s questionable medical standing as no different than his son’s; but he just wants to use her against Joe and/or the Resistance. He and his wife set her up in a nice dorm for single women, also giving her clothes, make-up, and a new name: Julia Mills. It’s cultural shock on every level. The clinical cruelty of the Reich is counterbalanced by overt kindness once you’re “in.” Institutionalized racism is everyday but, unlike the Pacific States, there seems to be little fear. People don’t even lock their doors. Though when everyone is the same as you, what is there to fear?

Refusing to take Smith at his word that she can see Joe soon, Juliana (I’m going to keep calling her that because it’s just easier) puts on her best Nazi American face, even giving herself a haircut. She tracks down Joe’s address but when she arrives, Rita is there to tell her Joe is in Berlin visiting his big wig dad.

BERLIN

It would’ve been more accurate to say that Joe is in Berlin acting like a petulant manbaby with his big wig dad. Several times in season one references were made to Joe wanting to make his father proud, yet now we see them together and Joe has nothing but contempt for the other man. Reichsminister Heusmann apparently abandoned Joe and his mom to a life of poverty in the states. So, yeah, Joe’s not super cool with his pop showing him off at a swanky Nazi party and toasting to his ability to get a shipload of men blown up.

As he’s leaving, a beautiful woman suggests that Joe should consider staying in Berlin to help the Reich instead of returning to his honest job in the States. Why is every woman so hot for Joe? Is it just because he’s the son of a prominent Nazi or do these women have a sixth sense that he’s the guy in the show they’re supposed to like? Look, nothing against Luke Kleintank, who is very handsome, but someone please tell me what I’m missing here.

THE PACIFIC STATES OF AMERICA

Having freed his BFF Ed, Frank is now going to work for the Yakuza. Their payment is due in a week. They set up shop in Childan’s house but Frank is immediately distracted by the presence of Gary, who, when asked for details on Juliana, says only that she got Karen killed. Which is lie because we all know effin’ Gary was responsible. Frank soon learns Juliana has defected to the Reich and so when Sara from the Resistance gives him a chance to help save a busload of people, he agrees.

Here’s what happened: two Japanese cops died during the shootout with the Resistance when Juliana escaped. As retribution, the Japanese are going to select 12 people at random from a factory and shoot them. Thankfully, the Resistance intervenes and in the course of the rescue, Frank kills a guard who was holding Sara at gunpoint.

While this is a big win for the Resistance, the Japanese are even more angry than before. Chief Inspector Kido visits Juliana’s family and all but threatens the couple if they don’t report in when Juliana calls. Then there’s the General. He’s peeved at Trade Minister Tagomi, who tried to change the plans to covertly transport radioactive materials. The General is going to move them on public buses that are only carrying American women and children.

Tagomi is horrified by this decision, knowing he is in part to blame. “When they die,” he tells Kotomichi, “it be because I failed to prevent it.” Late that night, Tagomi meditates in his office. When Kotomichi goes to check on him, he’s disappeared from his chair.

JOHN SMITH’S DILEMMA

At the start of the episode, Smith received a house call from the doctor. The man knows Smith has not yet euthanized Thomas for being “defective.” It’s a crime against the state to both withhold Thomas’ diagnosis and to not kill him. The doctor tells Smith to “take care of it,” as if this were a chore like taking out the trash, or he’ll do it tomorrow.

Throughout the episode, we’re presented with moments of Smith’s struggle with his conscience. Almost immediately after all but pleading for his son’s life with the doctor, Smith breaks the rules by granting Juliana asylum. He watches sadly as Thomas plays outside with his siblings. Remembering back to his conversation with Helen in the last episode, it’s not hard to see Smith as a man weighed down by responsibilities, some of them too horrible to imagine. It’s also worth noting he spends most of this episode not in his officer’s uniform. It’s easy to forget he’s a member of the Nazi Party. He’s just a father facing a terrible decision.

When the time of reckoning comes, Smith persuades his son to skip a Hitler Youth meeting so they can go fishing at the lake together. They sit on the dock and Smith makes a point of telling Thomas how proud they are of him. Thomas is undeniably a good son, as kind and just as the Reich allows boys to be. We know he doesn’t deserve to die. Smith listens only half-heartedly as Thomas tells him about a girl he likes and as he talks, we see Smith’s face change. Where he’s looked like a grieving man most of the episode, now his expression hardens into something else. This is the look of a man who last season pushed another man — a fellow Nazi, no less — from the top of a building with little ceremony.

Later, he meets the doctor at his car and the other man offers him comfort. But we already know now what’s going to happen. Smith injects the doctor with the fatal cocktail meant for his son. Then he leaves the dead man, the only other person who knew of his son’s illness, in his car.

Final Thoughts:

• As soon as Thomas’ diagnosis was revealed in season one, the question has been lingering of how far Smith’s loyalty to the Reich extends. Now we know. Not that far.  
• While I hope and believe his decision in this episode will be the catalyst for Smith to eventually join the Resistance, I can’t help wondering what Thomas’ reaction will be. He’s potentially an even more devout adherent to the Reich than his father. Would Thomas take matters into his own hands? 
• After being unsure if Tagomi universe-hopped or just had a vision, now we know he’s physically traveling to these other realities. Holding on to the theory this means people from those realities can do the same. 
• Two weeks ago, Frank Frink was a frustrated artist wasted at a factory. Now he’s a freedom fighter? Didn’t take much. 
• My interest in Joe and his personal problems is very low. I find it continually hard to sympathize with him and I can’t even really say why. Here’s hoping his story becomes more compelling and less whiny. 

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The Man in the High Castle 2x02 Recap: "The Road Less Traveled" (Starting Over) [Guest Poster: Stephanie Coats]

"The Road Less Traveled"

Original Airdate: December 16, 2016

What do you do when you’re wanted by the government and hunted by the resistance? You rely on the kindness of strangers. And you also dredge up old family drama because there’s always time for that.

Juliana hitches a ride with a nice, former army medic who fixes her dislocated shoulder. She goes to her mom’s house and while she waits for her step-dad, Arnold, to come home, she pages through family photo albums. There she finds a picture of Arnold with her dad and the mystery man she remembers from the funeral. Her mother sheepishly admits that man, George Dixon, is Trudy’s dad and that Trudy found out. “Did you plan on going through the whole unit?” Juliana snaps back. Harsh but also, seriously mom.

Once Arnold arrives and Juliana catches them up on basically everything that’s happened, she tells them to leave town. It makes sense that Arnold, who does wiretapping for the Japanese, would refuse but interestingly, so does Juliana’s mom. When Lem and Gary show up at the door, Juliana just manages to escape and leaves her parents behind. If your daughter was clearly being hunted by both the police and a resistance group, wouldn’t you decide now was a good time to take a vacation? Especially because very soon the police are going to know she’s up to no good.

ELSEWHERE, IN THE PACIFIC STATES OF AMERICA

It doesn’t take too much effort for Chief Inspector Kido to piece together that, in the shootout between the Japanese guards and the Resistance, the latter was also likely shooting at Juliana. Just about the time he’s making that connection, he’s also getting blackmailed by Mr. Okamura who is the leader of the Japanese mafia (known as the Yakuza). Frank has managed to convince the Yakuza he can make forgeries for them, but only if he has his assistant, Ed. Okamura cashes in the favor Kido owes him and Ed is released, though there are hints Kido has perhaps threatened Ed into becoming a double agent of sorts. Poor Ed. He still deserves better.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister Tagomi is still suffering the after-effects of having seen an alternate reality. His devoted aide, Kotomichi, searched for records of things Tagomi saw referenced in that world, such as Nelson Mandela, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Lolita. None of them exist. Juliana shows up at his house and tries to get his help but Tagomi politely refuses. She warns him to leave the city before respectfully bowing and leaving.

THE REICH

Throwing in his swastika, Joe goes back to the honest work of breaking concrete. He also returns to Rita and her son, Buddy, and they make a nice little family unit that probably works better on paper than in practice. Even though Joe doesn’t fit into the Nazi mold, he doesn’t fit into this mold either. The fact that he can’t find contentment in either lifestyle is a strong indicator he’s made for something else.

The only person who knows this better than we do is probably Obergruppenführer Smith. After his startling dressing down by Hitler, he seems to be a man unsure how to proceed. On the surface, he appears the same, happily telling his wife’s friends (who all stare appreciatively as he walks into the room) that the Fuhrer is in excellent health. In private with his wife, though, he confesses it’s the opposite and he’s worried. Smith no longer looks like a man proud to do his duty but scared to fail.

So it’s with a dose of intrigue that Smith pays Joe a visit. Here is a man attempting to live a life within — but separate from — the Reich and is visibly dissatisfied. When Smith says he understands the appeal of this life, does he mean it or is it another manipulation? It hardly matters at this moment because Joe has been ordered to Berlin by Reichsminister Heusmann, his high-ranking father. While this may be a ploy on Smith’s part to get someone he knows stationed in Berlin, there’s no denying a part of Joe is hungry to see his father. Rita, who had no clue Joe worked for the Reich, tells him to go and if he comes back, it shouldn’t be for her.

But you know who would really appreciate it if Joe came back? Juliana. In his defense, Joe does not know that a) Juliana is alive (Smith keeps insinuating she’s dead) and b) that she’s making a last, desperate move to save herself. She rushes toward the border of the Reich as Japanese guards, having recognized her, shout at her to stop. They aim their weapons and so do the Nazi soldiers who are unclear what exactly is happening. Right about the time it looks like someone is about to get shot, Juliana throws herself over the border of the Reich. “My name is Juliana Crane,” she says, voice shaking. “I work with Joe Blake. I need asylum.”

Final Thoughts:

• I’m hoping I’m wrong but is it possible Helen Smith is a spy or a member of the Resistance? She takes such a keen interest in her husband’s observations of the Fuhrer and handles the news so calmly. There is certainly more to her than meets the eye. 
• This episode’s smack-you-in-the-face moment happened while Joe and Buddy were reading Huckleberry Finn. Buddy asks if Huck is good or bad and Joe responds that Huck is trying to be good but that it’s difficult. Everyone faces this challenge. Confused, Buddy asks, “What about Jim? How can he be good if he’s black?”
• Did Juliana’s dad die during the war? Or is there something more suspicious about his death? Also, is there a reason her mom slept with three best friends? 
• Lastly, there was a tiny scene of Kido at a club with the General where they are entertained by polite conversation with American women. One woman seems to have caught Kido’s interest despite his wife and children back in Japan. But the man is far too tightly wound to even drink let alone pursue an American woman. Or is he?

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The Man in the High Castle 2x01 Recap: "The Tiger’s Cave" (Meet the Maker) [Guest Poster: Stephanie Coats]

"The Tiger’s Cave"

Original Airdate: December 16, 2016

Everything you need to know about why The Man in the High Castle is an immersive and emotionally complex show, you learn in the first few minutes of season two.

Thomas Smith, the secretly sick son of Obergruppenführer Smith, begins his day at school. He smiles shyly at a cute girl before being called up to lead the class in the morning pledge. They recite their allegiance to Hitler and give the customary Nazi salute. It’s the perfect way to start the sophomore season. Everything we see seems incredibly normal and recognizable... right up until the point where it becomes unsettling.

THE REICH

Speaking of Nazis, Joe Blake is still on the boat that Juliana helped him escape on at the end of season one. He pays the crew to help him and the Nazis deliver the money. But as soon as Joe is aboard their plane, the boat explodes. I don’t know why Joe is shocked; doesn’t he know who he works for?

Obergruppenführer Smith, who arranged Joe’s safe return and the explosion on the boat, is very pleased to have obtained the film at last. Feeling he’s done his duty, Joe wants to resign, especially when Smith tells him they believe Juliana is dead. Smith chastises him, “In the future you have to learn to keep your feelings in check,” which is a bit rich considering Smith is currently letting his love for his son override a decision he’s supposed to make.

The Obergruppenführer continues to be one of the most complex (and let’s face it, gorgeous) characters. It’s plain how much he genuinely loves his family and is unwilling to sacrifice them or even abandon them to torture. After his tense encounter in the cabin in the woods last season, he returned home to his worried wife. It seems their plan, if he’d been killed, was for her to shoot the kids and herself in order to avoid torture. Just let that sink in a moment. His relief they are all alive and well is palpable.

But this emotion is balanced by his cruelty and apathy, such as murdering a shipload of men without batting an eye. Yet, he’s also not above fear himself. In one of the best scenes of the episode, he goes to Berlin to deliver the film to Hitler, who berates him for failing to locate the man in the high castle. Smith, usually calm and authoritative in any situation, shrinks into a petrified child before Hitler. His behavior drives home the notion that the Nazis have cultivated a godlike image of Hitler. Men literally tremble before him.

THE RESISTANCE

Poor Juliana is having a rough time. Unable to explain why she couldn’t kill Joe and why she let him leave with the film, the Resistance shoots her. As she dies, we see flashes of her whole life, including two key moments: her father’s funeral and her throwing herself in front of a bus in an apparent attempt at suicide. This is an interesting tease because though Juliana’s bus accident, and the subsequent scars she bears, was often mentioned in season one, we’ve never learned any details until now.

Thankfully we’ll have the chance to learn even more in the future because the shot was actually a sedative. Juliana wakes at the residence of Hawthorn Abendsen, a.k.a., the man in the high castle. He asks her to tell him exactly what she saw in the film, and for an important reason. Abendsen has thousands of films, all arranged by year, and every film that shows Japan winning WWII ends with San Francisco being wiped out by an A-bomb. Every film but one. Abendsen believes a Nazi man killed in that particular film is the key to preventing San Francisco’s desolation. But Juliana isn’t sure if she saw that same man in the film Joe is carrying.

Juliana’s conversation with Abendsen is tantalizingly close to providing us with answers about how these films exist and what they actually show. He tells her “each one of these films shows a reality like ours, but not ours” and expresses his belief that most people are different in each film depending on the path their lives have taken. This would explain Joe as a careful Nazi soldier in one film while in the current reality he’s incredibly conflicted. Juliana wonders if it’s possible for people to come over from these other realities, specifically, because she’s almost positive she saw her sister recently. Which can’t be true because Trudy is definitely dead, right? But Abendsen won’t give her an answer.

On his orders, Juliana is sedated again and driven away. But Resistance guy Gary wants to kill her for letting Joe and the film escape. Karen and Lem both object. When Juliana manages to escape from the trunk of the car, Gary wheels around after her. The Japanese engage the Resistance in a shootout, allowing Juliana to get away. Karen is shot and killed in the fight, which is entirely Gary’s fault. Effin’ Gary. Hiding in the forest, Juliana thinks more on the man from the film and realizes she does recognize him. He was at her father’s funeral.

THE PACIFIC STATES OF AMERICA

And then there’s Frank, the guy who both can’t catch a break and also manages to ruin so many things. He desperately tries to get the Chief Inspector of the Kempeitai to arrest him for the Crown Prince’s shooting. As we’ll recall, Frank’s devoted friend Ed had taken the fall for him. When his pleas fail, he convinces the antiques dealer, Mr. Childan, to take him to see Mr. Kasoura, the wealthy Japanese lawyer they sold a fake antique to last season. When Kasoura refuses to help them free Ed, Frank reveals their forgery for some reason and Kasoura detains them.

The Chief Inspector has much bigger things on his agenda than Ed. The Japanese have the plans for the A-bomb and, once it’s built, they plan to aim it at New York. This, they hope, will put them on even playing field with the Nazis. The only person uneasy with this plan is the person who most helped put it into effect. Trade Minister Tagomi speaks to his aide, Kotomichi, of his vision of San Francisco where the U.S. won the war. He says, “It wasn’t the past. And it didn’t feel like a dream,” perhaps hinting that he will soon learn of the alternate realities Abendsen mentioned.

Final Thoughts: 

• I continue to feel incredibly conflicted about finding Obergruppenfurher Smith so dang attractive. He’s a Nazi but he’s also super hot? And he’s conflicted? If he could just defer to the resistance or something, that’d help my feelings a lot. 
• Frank is such a pain. I feel bad for the guy but also I kind of don’t.
• Mostly, I feel bad for Ed. He deserves much, much better. 
• Did Tagomi “jump” to another reality or merely have a vision? If the former, could this mean people from other realities can “jump” into ours?
• Gary can suck an egg. 

What did you think of the season premiere of The Man in the High Castle? Sound off in the comments below!

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