The Man in the High Castle (2015)

Watchseries; Promising first season, delivering second season, train wreck of a third season.

First of all I have to start by saying that I never read the book that this series is based on and I don't plan to either. So I'm just stating my opinion solely based on my experience watching it so far. Not comparing it to the book.

When this show first got announced, I loved the idea and the setting it was based on and the first season sure lived up to my hype. The characters were amazing. The story was very enticing and thrilling. Not for a second it kept me bored. Sure it did have the usual misrepresentation of Hitler's Germany as per usual but that is to be expected and it's pretty much the norm at this point. All in all though I loved the way they managed to make occupied America such a dark, corrupted, neo noir kind of place so well. I'm not going to go into depth with the story and the characters but all you need to know about them is they were all pretty convincing in the first two seasons. Specially the development between Juliana and Joe. Loved the direction that went on.

It's more or less the same thing in the second season. Good development. Good continuation. Overall okay. A lot changes but I'm not going to go in depth on it. But then came the third season. I have to say when I was halfway into the second season, I thought that they were going to end the series from that season and I think to myself now, that they did a crime by not doing so. The first few episodes in this season were okay. It starts well by adding to where it left off. Then little by little, one by one they start ruining the characters. They ruin them to a point where you almost start to hate the characters even when the story try convincing you otherwise. It's not the actors fault either they perform spot on. But the story itself sometimes made even seeing their faces annoy the life out of you. I mean just when I was starting to think how unique the show is, they made it stereotypical as hell. Juliana, Tagomi, Kido and Frank used to be my favourites. In my opinion they destroyed everyone except for Kido. No offense to the actresses but Juliana's and Mrs. Smith's faces to me became the most punchable faces of the show after this season. Of course all this is not to say the season had at least a whiff of upsides. One of the very few good things I found watching the third season which is worth mentioning is the introduction of Wyatt Price. A man on a failing cause with a rather fascinating background. Also the soundtrack is as brilliant as ever. Always adored the score of the show.

Overall though it's sad how a series this promising became a medium for political propaganda. Rather ironic considering what the show itself is about. At first after finishing off with the second season I gave it a solid 8/10. Third season easily made it a 5/10 if not less. I don't think this can ever be recovered after the disaster that is season 3. But I'll still continue to have at least a glimmer of hope just out of the love I have for the unique concept of the series. Not looking forward to season 4.

Promising first season, delivering second season, train wreck of a third season.

First of all I have to start by saying that I never read the book that this series is based on and I don't plan to either. So I'm just stating my opinion solely based on my experience watching it so far. Not comparing it to the book.

When this show first got announced, I loved the idea and the setting it was based on and the first season sure lived up to my hype. The characters were amazing. The story was very enticing and thrilling. Not for a second it kept me bored. Sure it did have the usual misrepresentation of Hitler's Germany as per usual but that is to be expected and it's pretty much the norm at this point. All in all though I loved the way they managed to make occupied America such a dark, corrupted, neo noir kind of place so well. I'm not going to go into depth with the story and the characters but all you need to know about them is they were all pretty convincing in the first two seasons. Specially the development between Juliana and Joe. Loved the direction that went on.

It's more or less the same thing in the second season. Good development. Good continuation. Overall okay. A lot changes but I'm not going to go in depth on it. But then came the third season. I have to say when I was halfway into the second season, I thought that they were going to end the series from that season and I think to myself now, that they did a crime by not doing so. The first few episodes in this season were okay. It starts well by adding to where it left off. Then little by little, one by one they start ruining the characters. They ruin them to a point where you almost start to hate the characters even when the story try convincing you otherwise. It's not the actors fault either they perform spot on. But the story itself sometimes made even seeing their faces annoy the life out of you. I mean just when I was starting to think how unique the show is, they made it stereotypical as hell. Juliana, Tagomi, Kido and Frank used to be my favourites. In my opinion they destroyed everyone except for Kido. No offense to the actresses but Juliana's and Mrs. Smith's faces to me became the most punchable faces of the show after this season. Of course all this is not to say the season had at least a whiff of upsides. One of the very few good things I found watching the third season which is worth mentioning is the introduction of Wyatt Price. A man on a failing cause with a rather fascinating background. Also the soundtrack is as brilliant as ever. Always adored the score of the show.

Overall though it's sad how a series this promising became a medium for political propaganda. Rather ironic considering what the show itself is about. At first after finishing off with the second season I gave it a solid 8/10. Third season easily made it a 5/10 if not less. I don't think this can ever be recovered after the disaster that is season 3. But I'll still continue to have at least a glimmer of hope just out of the love I have for the unique concept of the series. Not looking forward to season 4.

The Man in the High Castle watchseries. The first two season are great, worthy of 8 or maybe even 9/10! The plot idea is simple but effective, most characters are interesting and acted well (with some exceptions), and the plot twists are very good! Some of the characters's choices are terribly stupid and annoying, but the rest is so good that you can almost forgive them.

That is, the first two seasons. Season 3 is a total mess. Few interesting moments, but for the most part it became a serie that has no idea what it is and where it wants to go, with bunch of useless story lines that start nowhere and go nowhere.

Watch the first two seasons, they are worth it! But then stop there.

What a disappointment and getting worse with every following season. Apparently nothing these days can just be left alone for a viewer to judge by himself or simply as an entertainment without moralizing or pushing progressive narratives. The last season is absolutely the worst, packed with cliches and unnecessary subplots. The good news is that since most shows these days are getting all politically one-sided and plain boring there little reason to continue wasting time watching anything. So back to reading books, while we still have them.

I've been a lifelong fan of the original, albeit short, book by PKD. It stands as one of my favorite novellas of all time.So I was extremely excited to see Amazon developing this series.

Seasons 1 and 2 are excellent and worthy of the source material in every way.

Season 3 meandered around not really sure what it was doing, but I held onto hope.

But season 4 is laced with identity politics from "the wall" to the never-before-seen BCR suddenly appearing and showing everyone how to really defeat the enemy.

You also get lectured you on why people of a certain skin colour are bad, untrustworthy and everything wrong with the world. Oh and socialism is great. And you get a whole lecture on toxic masculinity too, just in case the race-bait writing wasn't enough.

So what was once a deeply interesting look at an alternate history has been turned into a vehicle for politically correct preaching.

I'm thankful there won't be a season 5.

Edit: Oh God....the ending...somebody actually outdid Game of Thrones for most pointless, nonsensical ending ever.