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

The Man in the High Castle: Season 3, Episode 9 “Baku” (B-)

I always wonder why shows bring characters back after they appear to die only to then kill them off a short time later. Sure, I guess Frank has been back for most of the season, but I still contend that he was a weak character to begin with, and little of what he’s done over the course of the past few episodes has been worthwhile. Inspiring with subversive images doesn’t compare to the work that Juliana is doing to try to save all worlds, and no one will even necessarily know that he’s dead since Kido brought him out to the middle of nowhere to ceremonially end his life, before which he uttered some unconvincing Hebrew. I also misunderstood and thought that Kido was, for some reason, letting him go, which evidently wasn’t the case. It certainly did not seem smart for Mark to gloat before executing the two men who were hunting for Jews, announcing his hidden religious identity to anyone else who might be listening and have nefarious intentions for the persecuted people. Smith is having a serious identity crisis, and meeting with Tagomi at this point feels like the perfect opportunity to do what I’ve always expected he will based on his strong desire to reunite with his son, which is to let Juliana go or even help her. With just one episode left in this season, I continue to feel disappointed with this show, and I hope that the finale will somehow leave me feeling as positive as I did at this point in season two when this show best found its footing.