# The Man in the High Castle on Amazon is astounding. \[no spoilers please\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163 "2015-11-21T03:45:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/1 "2015-11-21T03:45:47Z")
Holy shit, I watched the first 3 episodes tonight. This is easily the best drama I have seen since the Sopranos. Better then Mad Men and Breaking Bad. I would say Amazon hit a home run with this one. Anyone else watching it? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/2 "2015-11-21T04:09:17Z")
Haven’t seen it, but I have been a fan of Alexa Davalos ever since Angel. Glad to hear her new show is good. I have cable and Netflix. There’s no legal way for me to watch this show for free, correct? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/3 "2015-11-21T04:13:47Z")
I watched the two-part pilot a couple weeks ago, and didn’t realize initially that it was just a pilot. It ended and I was like, wtf- how can it end like that? Did some research and was glad to see that it was picked up as a series. Once I get through Jessica Jones, this is next up for my binging. What I’ve seen so far is pretty damned intriguing and well-done. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/4 "2015-11-21T05:04:41Z")
I watched the Pilot last winter when it was out as a test and really liked it. I watched episode 2 when the previewed it a few weeks ago. I liked it quite a bit. I plan to watch the rest after I watch Jessica Jones. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/5 "2015-11-21T06:59:53Z")
As a big fan of the novel I’m excited that this project is looking so good, and kind of perplexed that there wasn’t a thread on it in Cafe Society as soon as it was a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/6 "2015-11-21T12:47:44Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > As a big fan of the novel I’m excited that this project is looking so good, and kind of perplexed that there wasn’t a thread on it in Cafe Society as soon as it was a possibility. I was surprised too. **Ellis Dee** , there is no legal way to watch it free. Currently it does not even look like you can purchase episodes 2-10 but the 1st episode is free and of course all 10 free to Prime members. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/7 "2015-11-21T13:55:11Z")
Saw the pilot a few months ago and thought it was OK. I will watch the full show after I watch Jessica Jones on Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/8 "2015-11-21T15:16:27Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > As a big fan of the novel I’m excited that this project is looking so good, and kind of perplexed that there wasn’t a thread on it in Cafe Society as soon as it was a possibility. [There was a brief thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746381) when the pilot was released in January. People then weren’t too impressed. I’ve been looking forward to it, though, so it’s good to hear people are liking it now. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/9 "2015-11-21T15:28:25Z")
The pilot did seem a little slow, like many pilots/1st episodes it bogs down a little setting up the series. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/10 "2015-11-21T15:56:42Z")
Watched the first three eps last night and will undoubtedly finish the other seven this weekend. Super bingeable. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/11 "2015-11-21T16:14:15Z")
They and Netflix should not have planned to release major series on the same day. You think they would put a buffer between their major series releases. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/12 "2015-11-21T17:15:28Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Saw the pilot a few months ago and thought it was OK. Yeah, this. It felt pretty tired to me, especially considering how many other genuinely awesome shows are out there. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/13 "2015-11-21T17:18:02Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Yeah, this. It felt pretty tired to me, especially considering how many other genuinely awesome shows are out there. I would suggest trying episode 2. Also curious as to the other awesome shows, I have been looking for some and the best I found was the Flash which is entertaining but not awesome. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/14 "2015-11-21T17:32:24Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I would suggest trying episode 2. > > Also curious as to the other awesome shows, I have been looking for some and the best I found was the Flash which is entertaining but not awesome. Fargo, for one. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/15 "2015-11-22T07:51:49Z")
I’m pretty sure there are good ideas in this but I just saw the pilot and E2 and thought the realisation was beyond dreadful. I’ve been checking back in my mind making sure it was intentionally comic book - like that Warren Beatty/Dick Tracey thing, for example. These were the most cliched ‘bad guys’ I think I’ve ever seen. Every single idea was communicated through a megaphone, before they then beat the audience around the head with it to make sure - the interrogation story was a metaphor for every arc in the entire screenplay. You know everyone is doing it for the money when bad guy knocks on the door and good guy opens it a second later, like he was standing right behind the door waiting for something very bad to happen - the whole thing is comically bad. Even the cgi looks like it’s from Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/16 "2015-11-22T07:59:46Z")
I should say I was trying to find something to latch onto - like maybe this was, in the context of the Cold War, about naivety, mood and mass manipulation in Eisenhower’s 1950s America. It could be that stuff was in Philip Dick’s book/s but the aspirations for this screenplay seem desperately shallow and without subtlety. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/17 "2015-11-22T11:58:50Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Haven’t seen it, but I have been a fan of Alexa Davalos ever since Angel. Glad to hear her new show is good. > > I have cable and Netflix. There’s no legal way for me to watch this show for free, correct? You should be able to watch it on your computer from the Amazon website. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/18 "2015-11-22T15:47:08Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > You should be able to watch it on your computer from the Amazon website. Only if you have Amazon Prime, though, I think. I’m 2/3 of the way through it – three more eps to go – and I’m really enjoying it. Lots and lots of balls in play, and at least one really solid “whoa, didn’t see _that_ coming” moment per ep. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/19 "2015-11-22T16:17:32Z")
FYI If you watched the original pilot from earlier this year, the current Pilot episode is supposedly slightly different. The FX have been updated a little at at least one cast member was recast. I skipped rewatching it but have read this elsewhere so I might watch it again. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/20 "2015-11-22T22:20:01Z")
I gave the book only a tepid thumbs up, and haven’t seen the TV series yet. For me, suspension of disbelief is tough because there’s just no way Japan or Germany could have invaded (let alone conquered) the USA. Heck, Hitler knew he couldn’t even mount a successful invasion of nearby England. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163.md?page=2)