The Man In The High Castle Episodes 6-10 Reviews: Do You Believe In Destiny? (Season Finale)

It's 1962. The Nazis/Japanese have won WWII. A bomb destroyed Washington DC some 20 years earlier, forcing the Allies to surrender. The east coast of the United States is controlled by the Reich. The west coast is controlled by the Japanese. There is a neutral zone in between. In San Francisco, Juliana Crain gets a job working for Trade Minister Tagomi. She later discovers her step father is also employed there. Arnold vaguely tells his wife he works for the phone company. He's actually monitoring telephone conversations for the Japanese. Juliana finds out the truth about her half sister Trudy thanks to Mr Tagomi. That's an extremely powerful scene-- one of the best of the season.

Inspector Kido (played excellently by Joel de la Fuente from "Hemlock Grove") is still looking for the Prince's would-be assassin. If he doesnt locate the culprit, he must commit seppuku. He traces the revolver back to Frank's gun replica factory. Ed "officially" takes the fall for Frank (although Kido knows he's not guilty). Kido finds the true gunman (who is a Nazi agent) and shoots him on the spot. The Nazis are trying to lure the Japanese into a war (that the Japanese cant win).

Joe Blake visits Obergruppenfuhrer Smith at his home for VA day. Joe's mission is to collect the "Grasshopper Lies Heavy" movies for Smith who then sends them to the Fuhrer for his private collection. The "man in the high castle" is the person responsible for the alternative history films (but we learn nothing else about him). Rudolph Wegener shows up at Smith's house. Rudy and John are friends from the war. Smith secretly calls the police on Wegener. He has been conspiring with the Japanese (Tagomi).

Smith gets disturbing news about his son Thomas. He has a disease called Landouzy-Dejerine. There is no cure. Thomas will quickly lose control of his motor functions. It is apparently congenital since John's brother was in a wheelchair. The doctor gives Smith a syringe so he can humanely end the boy's life at home. Otherwise, its off to the gas chamber. The Nazis routinely execute the diseased or infirm.

Freaky Oberstgruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich from Berlin arrives at Johns's office. He is obviously a VERY dangerous man. He has come to take Wegener into custody. Smith knows Captain Connelly is a traitor (and in cahoots with Heydrich). He takes Connelly to the top of the building and throws him off (later telling Heydrich he committed suicide). Mental Note: Stay away from rooftops.

There's a side story where antique store owner Robert Childan has Frank make some historical replicas. He then tries to sell them to a couple as the real deal. Why are the Japanese so interested in Native American memorabilia?

The finale picks up with Juliana and Frank watching the latest film in their possession (probably not a good idea). It shows Frank being executed Joe (who is shown in a SS uniform). They all fight and Joe runs off with the film. He's catching the next rocket back to New York.

Kido almost commits suicide. He has the sword out and is ready to disembowel himself when Sergeant Yoshida brings Frank's revolver. They have found their scapegoat.

The freedom fighters conspire with Juliana to draw Joe out of the Nazi embassy and then Lem will shoot him. Of course, that doesnt go as planned. Heydrich has left secret orders for Diel to kill Joe. Joe sees Juliana. They run from the building and head to the docks. Joe escapes on the boat to South America that Juliana and Frank were supposed to leave on. Frank is at the Kempeitai station trying to help Ed (DJ Qualls from "Z Nation"). That poor guy can't catch a break.

In New York, Heydrich insists that John join him on a hunting trip. Smith fears it's a trap. And indeed it is. He learns Wegener is being sent back Berlin where he will assassinate Hitler per Heydrich's instructions. Heydrich believes the Fuhrer to be weak and must be removed from power. Reinhard wants John to join his side or else.

Wegener makes the longer journey to the Fuhrerhauptquartier. Hitler knows Rudolph is there to kill him. Wegener has the gun in hand and still does NOT fire it. He instead shoots himself under the chin. Why? Is it to protect all the innocent Japanese that would be killed during another war? It is to keep someone more menacing than Hitler from taking power (if that's possible)? Is it to keep his family from being harmed? Is it because Hitler has some sort of supernatural hypnotic control over people? I have no idea. Meanwhile, at the cabin, Heydrich is shot by Smith. John tells Hitler of Heydrich's foiled assassination attempt.

In the finale scene, Tagomi sits in Union Square. He closes his eyes and meditates on Juliana's necklace. He awakens to a vision of what the city would look like if the Allies had won WWII instead. There's hot dogs, baseball and a picture of a young Ronald Reagan hawking cigarettes. Is he having a dream or has he crossed into an alternate universe?

A compelling season overall. The premise remains fascinating. The sets are extremely well done. The wide aerial shots of buildings draped in Nazi iconography is chilling. Wegener's drive to Hitler's lair in the Alps is beautifully shot. The attention to detail everywhere (even in Smith's and Tagomi's offices) immerse the viewer in this universe. The costuming is also crisp and on target. I cringe every time I see a closeup of a Nazi uniform.

I still have some issues with pacing and character development though.

Pacing-- the whole "get the film" story seems a bit flat. I know the films are the vehicle by which the viewer is introduced into this world. Shouldnt the resistance be spending more time fighting and last time looking for films though?

Character Development- While that are some GREAT characters in "TMITHC" (Smith, Kido, Tagomi, and Frank to name a few) I'm not feeling it much for the main characters of Juliana and Joe. I know Joe Blake is meant to remain mysterious. Are we supposed to be actively rooting for Juliana? If so, I'm having a hard time. She changes her mind every two seconds. Is she really in love with Joe after everything he's done? I fear her fickleness will get Frank killed.

I also dont understand the films. Juliana and Frank saw Frank's death at the hands of Nazi Joe. Joe viewed a film about Stalin living past 1949. How are these movies being made and what do they mean? Is there really an alternate universe that the characters can enter?

Favorite Quotes:

Hitler: "Do you believe in destiny Rudolph?" Wegener: "A wise man once said: Fate is fluid. Destiny is in the hands of man." Hitler: "Destiny resides in the hands of a few men."
"The strong must overcome the weak."- Heydrich to Smith.
"You owe her nothing Joe. She's not to be rescued. She is to be shot."- John to Joe when he asks about getting Julia out of San Francisco.
"You can live in your world John. If you can stand it. I can't. Not anymore."- Rudolph.
"What have you done?"- Karen to Juliana after Joe escapes.
"Loyalty is an overrated virtue, championed by the bovine, dignified by the weak to justify their weakness."- Heydrich.
"We were only ever as happy as they allowed us to be."- Juliana.
"The duty of maintaining order is never as thrilling as the challenge of establishing it."- Reinhard Heydrich.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). The title sequence is haunting. The cinematography is excellent. There are several very compelling characters (even though I have an issue with the leads). The story drags a little at times. The whole "get the film" journey leaves me a bit bored. "The Man In The High Castle" has been renewed for a second season. Hopefully we'll get more answers then.