What I’m Watching: The Man in the High Castle

The Man in the High Castle: Season 1, Episode 9 “Kindness” (B-)

I’ve never quite been sure what to make of these films and what they represent. I figured that scenes like the U.S. celebrating victory were actual events that had been covered up by Nazi propaganda after the fact, but now it seems that they’re much more likely something from an alternate universe which doesn’t look like this one or like the one in which viewers live. Conversely, it could be taken from the future, but that seems just as unlikely. Instead, it just so happens that this footage was not just damning enough to show the Nazis committing war crimes, if such a thing exists in this universe, but it also coincidentally features Frank being executed by none other than Joe. It’s not as if Joe was going to save them though given his orders from John to kill Juliana, but there’s no way that the news of Joe’s duplicity helps his case, as the Yakuza will be after him if the Nazis or Juliana don’t get to him first. John, who showed weakness and compassion for his son when he found out about his diagnosis and then in this episode when he rushed to his aid, is not backing down, ready to take on any challenge that comes his way, summarily disposing of traitors by pushing them off buildings and reporting it as a suicide. Rudolph being tasked with assassinating Hitler as penance for his treachery heightens the drama considerably, and I can’t imagine what closure we’ll possibly get in the season finale that will make it all seem worth it.