I already finished season 2 but will wait before discussing. Yeah it might be best to watch the season 1 recap first. The problem with binge watching is it being over too quickly.

12/17/2016 8:04:59 AM

I really enjoy how they have developed Smith's character. As a villain, it is hard not to root for him. I'm only on episode three so maybe things change later but that's how I feel right now.

12/17/2016 8:45:42 AM

Will wait for more to watch through but the payoff was worth the fact it was pretty slow at times.

12/17/2016 7:05:49 PM

Maybe start of the new year after people have had plenty of time to watch we can discuss freely? I finished it today and have one question around Smith that I'd like to discuss.

I'll say that I watched it on Amazon and was pissed only that it showed there were 20 episodes but the final 10 are all recaps. I binged it pretty heavily, thinking that I had 20 to go through, and was crushed when I realized everything was done.

Good season, though.

12/20/2016 4:39:08 PM

This show has turned slow burn into an art form.

12/20/2016 6:02:16 PM

will be watching season 2 over christmas weekend.

12/21/2016 9:58:01 AM

Let me know when we can discuss. I have quite a few questions.

12/21/2016 9:58:32 AM

Discuss.

12/21/2016 10:53:18 AM

Spoilers
























So the last episode pretty much tied up most loose ends/storylines I think. Not sure if there is enough material for a season 3. Unless they just want to follow the resistance's attempt to undermine the Nazis and Japanese. I mean there's no longer any mystique about who the man in the high castle is, Hitler no longer needs the films.

And I just don't get John. The beginning of the last episode established him as what appeared to be a loyal American service member, right before DC is bombed. How can he fundamentally change his views so quickly, and at the same time rise so quickly within the reich?

12/21/2016 11:06:51 AM

Like all good amazon shows, season release times will be unpredictable and inconsistent. And 2-3 seasons in, Amazon will cancel it.

[Edited on December 21, 2016 at 11:15 AM. Reason : .]

12/21/2016 11:15:28 AM

Spoilers------------










Well they can take the show any number of directions based on the use of the various timelines and the fact that they have allowed anyone to return from the dead if they just come from a different timeline. So it could get pretty extreme from there but I'm guessing they'll continue with more resistance. The weird thing with the show is, and not sure if intentional or not, but it is hard to root for the resistance. Their characters are annoying, or their efforts misguided it seems.

I think there are still a lot of questions about where all the films come from, we saw how one film got back from the Trade Minister's timeline travel but it is clear that he isn't the only one bringing back films. The man in the high castle wasn't fully explained well either, who is he, why is he the person in charge, how is he getting all these films, is he the one teaching/training people for the timeline travel? So still plenty to be answered around all that, and just how many timelines there are, how do they split, etc.

Also the Japanese don't have the bomb, so if that information gets out maybe it changes the German approach and just bought the Japanese more time to try and get one themselves.

We were trying to figure out why Hitler got so upset when he watched the one video. The only conclusion we got to is he was searching for videos where he lives, and any video showing San Fran being blown up would imply that he is dead since he wouldn't make the call to do that.

12/21/2016 11:23:00 AM

I thought for sure the genetic issues in John's line would cause him to flip after he saw what the reich's policy did to families, after hitting his own family.

I guess maybe we'll see.

12/21/2016 11:35:53 AM

Spoiler

My question was also about John and him being a US soldier and now a leading Nazi. I'm curious if he was a double agent and that's why he knew to get away from the Pentagon.

My thoughts are we will see more about John's story in Season 3.

12/21/2016 1:08:09 PM

Spoilers...



I think there is plenty for a season 3. As said above John Smith could flip with his son being lost to the "Trump healthcare plan" and with his position at the end of Season 2 that is a big deal. The return of Trudy (presumably from a timeline where the Allies won) and the MITHC letting Juliana know "there is a way out" opens the door to her travel to parallel worlds (perhaps other characters as well). We were also left with the resistance showing up with films at Tagomi's door. Obviously there is more in store for his role. Watching "Inside the Castle" also suggests a season 3 will come.

12/21/2016 3:06:11 PM

definitely enjoyed this season. hoping Frank did not survive that explosion.

1/3/2017 11:10:45 AM

We started watching Season 2 over the weekend and was totally lost... I think we must have missed one or two episodes from Season 1.

We stopped watching about 5 minutes into the first episode... Tried watching a recap on YouTube and still were lost.

Gonna have to rewatch some of last season before moving on.

1/3/2017 11:13:16 AM

Where were you lost, like what topics? Maybe we can help.

1/3/2017 10:10:40 PM

The story moves so slowly that I had to keep reminding myself that all of this was taking place over a matter of two weeks.

It also bothered me that Tagomi stayed in the alt-verse for 3-4 days and there was no mention of him being missing in the main universe. It wasn't until he came back that the Chief Inspector said his disappearance had been troubling. Someone could have at least mentioned he was missing before that.


Also, i think they covered this very early on in Season 1, but with the Reich in power the use of the Concorde or some other superspeed airliner is what made it possible for Smith to get to Berlin in what seemed like an instant?

1/4/2017 9:34:39 AM

^You see the airport with the airliners they use which explains the travel back and forth. Several times in Germany or US for airport scenes or taking off in the background the fleet of concords or similar looking planes are seen.

As far as Tagomi I think it is implied they are curious where he went with the Chief Inspectors comments, and I guess they could have had a random scene with a bunch of Japanese officials like, "HEY ANYONE SEEN TAGOMI? I GOT A FORM FOR HIM TO SIGN." But I also took it as his assistant guy understood his travel and maybe covered for him? Otherwise he has no family that would look for him just his job so that takes care of that part.

1/4/2017 10:48:34 AM

So I guess since the films can make it back, then peoples' actual bodies go to the other reality, and they are physically missing from their original one.

1/4/2017 10:50:02 AM

^3

re: planes They mention in season 1 that it was a long flight from Germany to California, which took 5 hours or something like that. They cover it loosely a few times in that season, expecting the viewer to catch on, but much like the trade minister's disappearance they don't ever do it heavy handed.

1/4/2017 11:36:45 AM

I just started watching this yesterday.

1/4/2017 1:37:26 PM

Just finished season one. Man, fuck Juliana. Seriously, I hate her more that any TV character ever.

1/9/2017 7:18:06 AM

^I thought that too in Season 1. Then I hated Frank in Season 2. Then I hated the mom from The OA more than either of them combined.

1/9/2017 8:59:59 AM

Frank is the most unlikable character, IMHO. I keep hoping Joe is going to turn over to the resistance, but I can't keep stressing enough how I think John is such a great villain. If you can even call him that.

But I really want to see more about the universe this story takes place in. Like what are things like in the southern US states? We get a sense of what Africa is like, but what about Russia? China? How were those behemoths handled after the war?

1/9/2017 9:29:39 AM

Juliana is the worst fucking character. I don't mean the acting is terrible, it's phenomenal. I just mean her actual character. I detest her.

Frank is a close second. Basically, they are both spoiled pieces of shit who refuse to stand up and fight for the right side.

[Edited on January 9, 2017 at 10:49 AM. Reason : asdf]

1/9/2017 10:49:05 AM

Yeah Juliana is the worst. I actually feel more for the chief inspector and John Smith than for her. At least they have beliefs they stand up for. She's just a stupid bitch. I feel sorry for Frank. Juliana is the reason his sister and her kids are dead, while she's off falling in love with a nazi.

I don't see how she can redeem herself in the second season. DJ Qualls is the real hero of season one. He's tried to save everyone multiple times, only for them to throw shit in his face. Now he's gonna get tortured/executed and no one will mourn him except for his grumpy old manga reading grandad.

1/9/2017 12:34:11 PM

A lot changes in season 2.

1/9/2017 2:17:55 PM

Well I doubt Juliana gets a bullet to the brain, so I'm sure I'll be disappointed.

1/9/2017 6:42:53 PM

^^^

1/11/2017 12:34:33 AM

Spoilers, maybe ----




I'm amazed at this show. Somehow it makes me love it in spite of some really serious flaws.

The writing can be awful - in particular I'm thinking of the flashback where Ed and Juliana meet for the first time, she immediately reveals her deepest darkest secrets, and he says something unbelievably trite in response.

Some of the plot devices are painfully weak. Juliana's "insight" into Hitler's imminent death - the resistance couldn't arrive at that conclusion based on the unusual news coverage? They needed Juliana's inside info that the news was weird to figure out that the news was weird?

The characters seem to switch motivations on a whim. I can never guess who Frank is going to be angry at next - two seconds after he finds out that the resistance lied to him about Juliana, he's decided that he needs to go on a suicide mission against the Japanese to avenge his sister.

And yet...

The aesthetic, the world building, and above all the villains are amazing. And so I watch, enthralled.

1/11/2017 9:36:03 AM

Yup - its the villains that make this show. I really hope it gets picked up for a third season.

I find the introductory music very unsettling also. Not sure why.

1/11/2017 9:42:41 AM

Just going to post what I said after the first season as a start:

Quote :

"Just finished up the first season. I loved most of it, but definitely pretty disappointed in the whole Joe/Juliana/films aspect of it Let me preface this by saying I haven't read the book (would be interested in it), so first off I'm wondering if this season is only a small part of the book, or is it pretty much the whole story? If it turns out that there are some reasonable answers out there waiting for us in the next season or after regarding the realism of the films and Takomi's alternate reality vision, than I will stop complaining. But for now... I just don't understand at all why the writers felt a need to make the films take on this magical or alternate universe realistic feel to them. You could totally eliminate that whole part of the story and it would be great. The idea of simply having a revisionist history of us losing the war and what life would then be like is a great base for a show. In fact, everything about the show regarding this simple premise is great. The characters are all very well done, the stories make sense, etc. etc. The characters involved with the film suck, the story doesn't make sense, and it's just disappointing. In fact, they could have just made the films be fictional propaganda as their response to what Goebbels did in real life. Even in that scenario I would believe how badly the Nazis would want to get their hands on them and how important they would be for the resistance. "

After finishing second season, I'd have to say not only do I still feel this way, but I felt like season 2 was much better as the film aspect was a significantly smaller part of the show.

I agree that Smith is great and I feel like the best actor/character combination on the show. Juliana is annoying, Frank's friend is not a great actor, and Frank's character's motivations are not well written. That said, I do think the actor playing Frank is pretty good, and I also find Chilton to be more amusing than I did at first.

The last speech by the MITHC was indicative of the writers not having a good direction and/or endgame for the full explanation of the films, and I find that very concerning. The show in general is so good that I will keep watching, but I'm definitely really fearful that we're heading towards a Lost situation with the film piece of the show.

1/11/2017 10:26:16 AM

Actually they've said they do already have an endgame.

Also fuck you DJ Qualls is awesome.

[Edited on January 11, 2017 at 10:55 AM. Reason : Halfway through season 2 I still hate Juliana more than I've ever hated any fictional character ever]

1/11/2017 10:53:48 AM

well that makes me feel better about where it will go then, thank you

I disagree with the second half of your post though

1/11/2017 10:55:10 AM

Someone said earlier that their endgame is purposefully vague because the show creators never know if Amazon will pick up another season.

1/11/2017 2:23:58 PM

that and the source material was only ~250 pages. So at this point who knows where they're taking it.

1/11/2017 4:20:21 PM

Yeah it's vague, but I read that that definitely know how they are going to tie things together regarding the films and alternate universes and stuff.

Having a cut and dry ending pre-planned isn't the best idea (I'm looking at you HIMYM). But neither is the lost philosophy of just having a bunch of mysterious stuff and just saying MAGIC!!! at the end.

1/11/2017 7:07:59 PM

Just finished season 2. Don't get the Frank hate on here. Juliana is still the worst character ever.

1/14/2017 9:54:14 AM

My question is in season 3 will Juliana learn how to travel to other realities? The MITHC did say "there is a way out" before she meets her sister (or one version of her sister anyway).

1/14/2017 11:15:41 AM

I was hoping he would shoot her in the face.

1/14/2017 11:52:25 AM

At least Frank and Juliana inspire hatred in you guys. Poor, forgettable Joe Blake.

1/14/2017 2:05:54 PM

He's a nazi. And dumb.

1/14/2017 2:53:32 PM

Lol I root for Smith, fuck me. At least he's watchable. And America wins / nuke protesting Julianna is so much hotter than WE LOSE Julianna.

1/15/2017 1:53:30 PM

Not really spoiler but are we supposed to think the US basically never entered WWII (FDR assassinated)? Then Japan and Germany invaded after they conquered the Pacific and Europe completely?

1/16/2017 10:05:55 PM

I don't know - it seems like detonating a nuke over DC is overkill for just an invasion.

1/16/2017 10:34:07 PM

Did they say we never entered the war? I just took it as we were not successful in stopping either front and then got invaded from there.

1/17/2017 5:18:30 AM

I've interpreted it the whole time as being Germany developed an atomic weapon before the US did.

1/17/2017 8:28:07 AM

Well duh

1/17/2017 9:17:20 AM

^Okay let me elaborate for you. I meant that being the only difference "in that universe". I.E. the US still entered the war and fought with the Allies. As opposed to what was said above about maybe the US never entering the war.


Duh...

1/17/2017 10:48:59 AM