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

The Man in the High Castle: Season 3, Episode 3 “Sensô Kôi” (B)

It’s certainly more disturbing than usual to watch this show in the wake of the deadly shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday morning. One aspect of this show that hasn’t really been explored is how the Nazis, upon learning that there exist other worlds, might reconsider their beliefs. I say this because we’re starting to see even more sympathetic portrayals of the primary Nazi characters, with the Smith family in particular starting to question their allegiances following the release of the propaganda film that attempts to erase American history and paint Thomas as an American hero, one fully worthy of the Nazi salute in his honor. I’ve always found John Smith to be the strongest character on this show, and I think his newfound attitude is due only to his state of mourning and not a question of his principles. Seeing Thomas in one of the movies definitely threw him for a loop, and we’re about to get to a new and important point as Juliana starts to think that she can make a difference with her memories connected to the movies. As Hoover spreads his (correct) theories about the Smiths being responsible for the deaths of the Adlers and Kido gets to interrogate the located Priest Hagan, we got to see the reunion between Juliana and Joe, whose motivations still remain somewhat unclear. Mark’s interest in Robert unsubtly peddling Judaica has apparently gotten him into trouble, and hopefully it won’t lead to anyone getting hurt or killed.