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[RatskyWatsky]

Based on Philip K. Dick's Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternative history novel, "The Man in the High Castle" was developed for the screen by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, Hunted). The series considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. All 10 episodes of the series will release exclusively on Amazon Prime Instant Video on Friday, November 20.

MOD ABUSE:
Please spoiler tag discussion until December 1st. Also be sure to label which episode(s) you're discussing.
e.g. Ep 4:

Spoiler

Wow, that really is a high castle.

END MOD ABUSE

It's 1962, America has lost WWII; the east is the Greater Nazi Reich and the west, the Japanese Pacific States. Amidst this oppression there is new hope - films that seem to show a different world. When her sister gives her a film and is then murdered, a woman comes to believe the films hold the key to freedom and becomes obsessed with finding their mysterious guardian, The Man in the High Castle.

Cast

• Alexa Davalos as Juliana Crain
• Rupert Evans as Frank Frink
• Luke Kleintank as Joe Blake
• DJ Qualls as Ed McCarthy
• Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Nobusuke Tagomi
• Rufus Sewell as John Smith
• Joel de la Fuente as Inspector Kido

Videos

• The Man in the High Castle Official Comic-Con Trailer
• The Man in the High Castle: Official Trailer – What If?
  
• Watch episode 1 for FREE on Amazon
  
• Watch episode 2 with Prime subscription

Promo Photos

Reviews

This is one you will want to binge-watch. It’s a thrill ride from the onset.

Although some liberties have been taken with the characters and plot, it is an immediately intriguing, wonderfully textured realization of Dick's challenging book.

Although the writing and storytelling in first episode (which Amazon first shared with its Prime customers earlier this year) come off a little clumsily, overall it’s a fascinating launch for an espionage series. The Man in the High Castle is also expertly and realistically imagined.

It’s serious-minded sci-fi that’s stylish and strange and soulful, and only grows more rewarding over time.

 

[Amagon]

What's up with the random Keenan & Kel video?

 

[Switch Back 9]

Book was kinda meh for me. A lot less alternate history and a lot more Philip K. Dick weird metaphysical nonsense than I would have liked. Definitely checking out the show though, looks awesome.

 

[k91191]

What's up with the random Keenan & Kel video?

The Führer loved orange soda.

 

[unpopularblargh]

Anyone now how I could watch this if I'm from Canada?

 

[Daigoro]

cant imagine this show is going to be any good. wouldn't mind being wrong though.

Book was kinda meh for me. A lot less alternate history and a lot more Philip K. Dick weird metaphysical nonsense than I would have liked. Definitely checking out the show though, looks awesome.

yeah those PKD books have way too much PKD in them. who knew?

 

[The Technomancer]

So do I have access to this with my prime account? If I don't need to pay anything extra sure, I'll give it a look

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

What's up with the random Keenan & Kel video?

Shame on you.

So do I have access to this with my prime account? If I don't need to pay anything extra sure, I'll give it a look

Yes!

 

[Funky Papa]

I'm so ready for this.

And before somebody asks, this only shares the setting and some major similarities with the boring ass book.

 

[Branduil]

Even if America lost the war, a successful invasion(on two fronts) is extraordinarily unlikely. How do they explain that?

 

[Des0lar]

Even if America lost the war, a successful invasion(on two fronts) is extraordinarily unlikely. How do they explain that?

Nanomachines

 

[The Technomancer]

Even if America lost the war, a successful invasion(on two fronts) is extraordinarily unlikely. How do they explain that?

Yeah that was my first thought as well, but you know, I'll go with it, as much as I'd like something WWII derived that's not America-centric for once

 

[Keio]

Even if America lost the war, a successful invasion(on two fronts) is extraordinarily unlikely. How do they explain that?

1) It's fiction.
2) Like in WW2 people successfully invaded Germany on two fronts?

 

[Chris R]

Even if America lost the war, a successful invasion(on two fronts) is extraordinarily unlikely. How do they explain that?

Uber concrete

 

[Grizzlyjin]

Subscribed. The pilot was excellent, and I somehow managed to stop myself from watching Episode 2 during that preview weekend so I could savor the entire thing without breaks.

November 20th is going to be a good day for Original streaming content.

 

[Shao Kahn on the Lawn]

1) It's fiction.
2) Like in WW2 people successfully invaded Germany on two fronts?

...there is a bit of a size disparity between Germany and the United States and even then the invasion of Germany was carried out by multiple countries.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Even if America lost the war, a successful invasion(on two fronts) is extraordinarily unlikely. How do they explain that?

It's not a realistic alt history by any stretch. In the book, it's revealed that Roosevelt got shot before coming to power, great depression makes America weaker than historical and Nazis defeat the USSR+UK through Phillip K Dick's poor understanding of the war (e.g. they would have won if only hitler did this other thing) then conquer ZE WORLD.

It bothered me but that was not even close to the biggest problem the book had.

 

[The Technomancer]

Is this the beginning of another resurgence in adapting every single Philip K Dick story people can find though?

Spoiler

Payday should have been a better movie *shakes fist*

 

[Funky Papa]

It's not a realistic alt history by any stretch. In the book, it's revealed that Roosevelt got shot before coming to power, great depression makes America weaker than historical and Nazis defeat the USSR+UK through Phillip K Dick's poor understanding of the war (e.g. they would have won if only hitler did this other thing) then conquer ZE WORLD.

It bothered me but that was not even close to the biggest problem the book had.

LET ME CONSULT THE I CHING.

 

[Sorral]

Oooh. Thanks for the reminder about this! I will definitely watch it after that great pilot.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Pilot question that is maybe relevant to this discussion -

Spoiler

Didn't the newsreel that Juliana watched reveal that the Allies didn't lose the war? That the Axis lost the war but somehow still managed to take over? Or did I completely misunderstand what was being conveyed?

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

LET ME CONSULT THE I CHING.

This post triggered me

 

[Branduil]

1) It's fiction.
2) Like in WW2 people successfully invaded Germany on two fronts?

Well, the two small differences there are that Germany is immensely more compact, and it doesn't have two massive oceans separating it from its enemies.

Not to mention that any invading force would immediately be beset by constant insurrections that would probably make Iraq look tame.

 

[Funky Papa]

Pilot question that is maybe relevant to this discussion -

Spoiler

Didn't the newsreel that Juliana watched reveal that the Allies didn't lose the war? That the Axis lost the war but somehow still managed to take over? Or did I completely misunderstand what was being conveyed?

I believe this was explained in the pilot.

Potential (very mild, basically unimportant) book spoilers:

Spoiler

it was a propaganda film meant to encourage occupied America.

 

[The Technomancer]

I believe this was explained in the pilot.

Potential (very mild, basically unimportant) book spoilers:

Spoiler

it was a propaganda film meant to encourage occupied America.

Ah well that answers one question I had before even going in though

Spoiler

if it was going to be some alternate reality artifacts or some bullshit

 

[soco]

It's not a realistic alt history by any stretch. In the book, it's revealed that Roosevelt got shot before coming to power, great depression makes America weaker than historical and Nazis defeat the USSR+UK through Phillip K Dick's poor understanding of the war (e.g. they would have won if only hitler did this other thing) then conquer ZE WORLD.

It bothered me but that was not even close to the biggest problem the book had.

Was it a poor understanding of the war, or just not caring about the set up for the story he wanted to tell?

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I believe this was explained in the pilot.

Potential (very mild, basically unimportant) book spoilers:

Spoiler

it was a propaganda film meant to encourage occupied America.

I thought that

Spoiler

bit was made out to be sort of a mystery: is a man in a high castle somewhere faking these videos for propaganda purposes? or are they somehow real?

 

[Funky Papa]

Ah well that answers one question I had before even going in though

Spoiler

if it was going to be some alternate reality artifacts or some bullshit

I thought that

Spoiler

bit was made out to be sort of a mystery: is a man in a high castle somewhere faking these videos for propaganda purposes? or are they somehow real?

The book kind of gets into that, but in a very arcane, obtuse way that only makes the plot all too confusing. Going from the pilot, I wouldn't try to look too much into that. The show would certainly benefit if it paid no respect to that part of the book or at very least tried to handle it with more care.

The really cool thing about TMitHC is the universe. Nazis won the war and harnessed the power of the atom relatively early, which allowed them to curbstomp the Allies and go batshit with their grandiose projects. Nuclear planes cross the oceans in record time (much to the admiration and chagrain of Japan, which still has to become a nuclear power and feels threatened by Germany), the Mediterranean has been drained because fuck you and the Nazis are just arriving to Mars in nuclear powered rockets. Politics also play a huge part (I thought the conspiracies inside the Nazi party were one of the highlights of the book) and it's more or less explained that both Slavic and African peoples have been largely exterminated. The book doesn't go full Wolfenstein, though, so most of the tech is still really grounded in the XX century.

Edit: World map:

 

[danowat]

This type of fiction is right up my Straße, but I ain't subbing to Prime just for this :-(

 

[Branduil]

The book kind of gets into that, but in a very arcane, obtuse way that only makes the plot all too confusing. Going from the pilot, I wouldn't try to look too much into that. The show would certainly benefit if it paid no respect to that part of the book or at very least tried to handle it with more care.

The really cool thing about TMitHC is the universe. Nazis won the war and harnessed the power of the atom relatively early, which allowed them to curbstomp the Allies and go batshit with their grandiose projects. Nuclear planes cross the oceans in record time (much to the admiration and chagrain of Japan, which still has to become a nuclear power and feels threatened by Germany), the Mediterranean has been drained because fuck you and the Nazis are just arriving to Mars in nuclear powered rockets. Politics also play a huge part (I thought the conspiracies inside the Nazi party were one of the highlights of the book) and it's more or less explained that both Slavic and African peoples have been largely exterminated. The book doesn't go full Wolfenstein, though, so most of the tech is still really grounded in the XX century.

Edit: World map:

Why does Canada alone remain unscathed?

 

[Hypron]

NanomachinesParasites

FTFY, it's a bit early for nanomachines

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Ah well that answers one question I had before even going in though

Spoiler

if it was going to be some alternate reality artifacts or some bullshit

Spoiler

The unfinished sequel to High Castle was going to delve into that and confirm that it was some parallel dimension shit going on. It actually turned into two other books. I forget the names.

 

[tim.mbp]

Looks good, also fuck Nazis.

 

[Funky Papa]

Why does Canada alone remain unscathed?

I don't recall that being explained, but with much of the world's population utterly liquidated, it's not like the Nazis nor the Japanese have the manpower to keep conquering large areas with hostile climate. To that point, much of Russia is basically empty. As in emptier than the usual.

Some countries are kind of allowed to exist in their current form because they may be of use. It is more or less implied that Sweden hosts some high end industries that may be of strategic importance. I guess it's better to trade with them than going to war and wasting them over.

 

[Aiii]

Enjoyed the pilot when it was free on Amazon.

Not sure how or when I'm going to be able to see the rest of it. Ready for it, though.

 

[Jarmel]

So I take it this was good?

 

[Futurematic]

Why does Canada alone remain unscathed?

Alien space bats.

 

[Any Questions]

Will take a gander

 

[Funky Papa]

So I take it this was good?

Not Mad Men good, but well above the average. Which in the context of the current output of TV sci-fi means it's fucking amazing.

It's a high concept show handled with proper respect and decent production values.

 

[faridmon]

Why does Canada alone remain unscathed?

Why was Bergen the only Nordic City (Beside Danmark which is a no brainier really!) Germany invaded during the Teh World War I and II?

 

[internetwolf]

oh man I need to watch this pilot

 

[ryseing]

So I take it this was good?

Pilot was the best pilot I've seen in quite some time.

I quite liked the book (apparently unlike the rest of GAF) so I might be a bit biased.

I thought that

Spoiler

bit was made out to be sort of a mystery: is a man in a high castle somewhere faking these videos for propaganda purposes? or are they somehow real?

Spoiler

In the book, the "man in the high castle" is an author who wrote an alternate history book (which is our history) called "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy". It's insinuated that he somehow saw the true history through a device that's used multiple times throughout the book called the i-Ching, which can tell the truth about reality or something, I dunno. Anyway, one of the main Japanese characters is somehow transported to our history through an American artifact, sees the "true" history, and then comes back. Very Philip K. Dick stuff. Anyway, I presume the season will end with Juliana meeting the filmmaker behind "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy" if they're still following the book.

 

[PanicFreak]

Looks very interesting.

 

[killertofu]

Subbed.

Enjoyed the first two episodes. Production is top notch.

 

[Tertullian]

Gonna watch this some time. Looks good.

I've always wanted to read a Philip K. Dick novel. Which one should I read? Feels weird, like all his novels exist mainly to get adapted into critically-acclaimed movies.

 

[friday]

I kinda hate that this book gets so much attention. He wrote so many better books than Man in the High Castle.

Hopefully this show is good.

Gonna watch this some time. Looks good.

I've always wanted to read a Philip K. Dick novel. Which one should I read? Feels weird, like all his novels exist mainly to get adapted into critically-acclaimed movies.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch are both good. I have never read Ubik, but people seem to like it.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

Hmmm I'll check it out

 

[Feran]

Looks really interesting, I think I'll tune in. Is the sci fi label because it's alt history or is there more to it?

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

FAMILIAR FACES, WORN OUT PLACES


Jesus Christ so cliche at this point


Show looks interesting atleast. might check it out.

 

[3rdman]

Looks really interesting, I think I'll tune in. Is the sci fi label because it's alt history or is there more to it?

From the first two episodes, yes there is more to it.