The Man in the High Castle (all seasons)

[Brandywine 1326]

It was a great series. The ending made me feel that at some point there may be a continuation of some direction. Probably not. But overall it was well done. The people at the end coming into the portal to the Nazi world was strange. Why? Unless they were people who had left to go to the regular world and where coming back.

[Red Five 41609]

Interview with the show runner said “intentionally ambiguous”. So it’s not supposed to make any sense, which drives me nuts in an otherwise great series and final episode.

[Richter 2373]

On 11/29/2019 at 9:05 PM, AUS-97HORN said:

I looked up the Trade minister on IMDB because it was clear he got cut out of the show.  I looked him up after I watched the 2nd episode this final season and  he was still listed as  getting imdb credit for this season.

 

I was worried the actor had died, but it looks like they just cut him out-  maybe a contract issue?

I think he’s got a role in season 2 of Lost in Space

['stache 22118]

Finished S4 last night. I enjoyed this season much more than S3. Last season seemed to be overly complicated to keep the story going involving too many characters and story lines. This season was faster and focused mostly on the main characters. I agree that the ending could have had more thought and been less ambiguous, but it wasn't all that bad. I enjoyed some measure of closure.

['stache 22118]

On 11/18/2019 at 1:29 PM, Js1 said:

  Hide contents

Spoiler

 

I think they were all the people killed by the Nazis coming back (as you can only travel into worlds through which you don't have a counterpart).

Honestly, I would have preferred some kind of "Smith is dead" and the American officer who ripped off his swastika be like "launch the fucking nukes at Berlin" 

 

 

 

Spoiler

I also assumed the people coming back were people killed by Nazis, but its not clear that they're coming from the alt-world we saw during the series. Aberdeen said they're coming "from everywhere" so probably from any number of alt universes. What confuses me is that they are leaving their lives there to enter a world where the Nazis are still in control. And like Helen said earlier, it's not fair to disrupt the lives of those in the alt-worlds out of selfishness. But I suppose they could be coming from an even worse world? Or maybe they are survivors of this world who fled by knowing about alt worlds before? An inter-dimensional underground railroad of sorts?

I sort of expected some American soldiers to come through ready to take on the Nazis in this world but that didn't happen. Maybe they were also resistance which Aberdeen has been communicating with. I'm usually ok with ambiguous endings and although I enjoyed the the series as a whole the ending wasn't quite as satisfying as I was hoping. 

I also thought there would be at least a little follow-up with Smith's friend who took control, called off the raid, and ripped off his swastika. Even a short scene revealing that he had already been conspiring with other former American soldiers to launch a resistance against Berlin to take back control of America. 

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by 'stache

[PencilPusher 454]

Binge watched over the Thanksgiving holiday. Thought season 4 was meh and an OK, but not great way to end the series. The ending was ambiguous and didn't seem to mesh with the rest of the series necessarily. Not sure why we needed the BCR at all......wasn't in the book and why wasn't it just part of the resistance itself. Seemed like an arbitrary add. (cue the political conspiracists).

Spoiler

Kido-san ending up Yazuka and staying in America? If all the Japanese were leaving, why would the Yazuka really have any power. Kido was one of the more interesting character arcs in the series, but that seems a rushed and less than fitting resolution.

Also the double cross at the end of Ep 9 seemed like a re-hash of the ending of Season 2. Been there...done that.

 

What happened to Ed? The attractive swinging German blonde? So many questions.

I am developing a pet peeve on some of these limited engagement series that the writers need to pitch the story arc for the entire planned series up front, including how many seasons/episodes. It seemed like Season 3 was setting up a longer series, then it got cut short and they had to wrap things quicker, which means leaving a lot of loose ends and ambiguity. Glad I watched the series and the concept was good, but not sure if I would start it today generally knowing the now formed story arc.

[AUS-97HORN 11991]

36 minutes ago, PencilPusher said:

I am developing a pet peeve on some of these limited engagement series that the writers need to pitch the story arc for the entire planned series up front, including how many seasons/episodes. It seemed like Season 3 was setting up a longer series, then it got cut short and they had to wrap things quicker, which means leaving a lot of loose ends and ambiguity. Glad I watched the series and the concept was good, but not sure if I would start it today generally knowing the now formed story arc.

thats a pretty tall request. 

I would postulate that well over 80% of all serial TV series writer's have no fucking clue what the actual ending of the show is going to be. They have a great base idea that might last 2-3 seasons and could be drug out if the show is popular, and they may have a vague idea of how they want it to end, but no direct roadmap on how to get there. 

Hell RR Martin supposedly knew the ending of GOT when he wrote the first book and he STILL cant get that into a readable book 23+ years later.  

and what happens (as happened in this series) when the first 2 seasons are gangbusters, season 3 is meh, and the network says you've got 1 season rather than 2 to wrap things up?

If your show is cancelled a season early, do what you need to end the show with something that gives at least some closure.

 

The only TV series I can think of where the writer knew for sure (and presented it as a 4 year story arc) was J Michael Strazynski  in Babylon 5, and even though he wrapped up a few story lines in season 4, he still needed (and got) a 5th season (with a different network) to wrap up most of the loose ends.

[seven 1368]

Sam esmail has always maintained that Mr robot would be 4 seasons that he had outlined from the start. 

[PencilPusher 454]

16 hours ago, AUS-97HORN said:

thats a pretty tall request. 

I would postulate that well over 80% of all serial TV series writer's have no fucking clue what the actual ending of the show is going to be. They have a great base idea that might last 2-3 seasons and could be drug out if the show is popular, and they may have a vague idea of how they want it to end, but no direct roadmap on how to get there. 

Hell RR Martin supposedly knew the ending of GOT when he wrote the first book and he STILL cant get that into a readable book 23+ years later.  

and what happens (as happened in this series) when the first 2 seasons are gangbusters, season 3 is meh, and the network says you've got 1 season rather than 2 to wrap things up?

If your show is cancelled a season early, do what you need to end the show with something that gives at least some closure.

 

The only TV series I can think of where the writer knew for sure (and presented it as a 4 year story arc) was J Michael Strazynski  in Babylon 5, and even though he wrapped up a few story lines in season 4, he still needed (and got) a 5th season (with a different network) to wrap up most of the loose ends.

Hard to disagree with those comments and I realize that is an extremely tall order but it is frustrating to watch shows that end things in less than ideal fashion. Of course, that's life in a nutshell....things often don't end cleanly or crisply.......much like the last decade of Longhorn football :(

 

[WithoutAClue 16015]

17 hours ago, AUS-97HORN said:

The only TV series I can think of where the writer knew for sure (and presented it as a 4 year story arc) was J Michael Strazynski  in Babylon 5, and even though he wrapped up a few story lines in season 4, he still needed (and got) a 5th season (with a different network) to wrap up most of the loose ends.

Actually, B5 was originally scripted to be a 5 year story arc. When it looked like Primetime Entertainment was going to go belly up JMS wrapped up the primary story line in 4 seasons. When TNT picked up B5 for the 5th year JMS used that season to cover the aftermath of the war and the power vacuum that was created.

[Saint Austin 776]

Finished it last night. Thought it was an overall letdown.

[kevwun 16325]

It was a really good season until the last 2 minutes.  Why would people voluntarily travel to the the Nazis won universe?  I don't get that at all.  They're just really nice people and want to help rebuild a different universe?

[RomaVicta 30509]

I'll echo the thoughts about the people wandering out of the tunnel seeming oblivious to Julia and the other people who were already there. Further, the euphoria about it is totally mysterious. I feel like they just lifted the end of Close Encounters where all the people abducted by aliens are coming down the flying saucer ramp.

I think my preference would have been for the series to stay focused on developments in the primary world with the connection to other worlds having subtler impacts. Julia sets this up as the series ends by saying, "we beat them there, we can beat them here." The Japanese leaving and the German Reich dividing was very interesting. I'd read a series of books along those lines.

Smith's travel to see his old friend who he betrayed for the safety of his own family was fantastic and gut-wrenching. Similar to the excellent A French Village, the issue of collaboration and the choices to be made by an occupied people is put in a more complicated human light.

 

[UpperWestside 6263]

I just finished this series a week ago. I really enjoyed it and even though the ending left loose ends I understand why. I think my favorite character in the entire show was probably John Smith. It was the complexity of his character that got my attention. I did not like him in the least, but seeing the entire story of his character made me wonder what it takes to make someone do acts of evil so easily. Trade Minister Tagomi was also pretty cool. I think I could say a great deal more about this show if I had the time at the moment. I really liked it though and I will be trying to watch more stuff with Rufus Sewell in it. Hearing him in his normal accent sounds odd still after hearing him do an American one.