I would be very surprised if this turned out to be “some sort of astral projection”. I think Tagomi was physically transported into an alternate world.
The concept that alternate worlds exist and that objects can be moved between them was introduced in the very first episode, when Juliana watched the film given to her by Trudy and saw a version of the world where the Allies won WWII. The concept that people can travel between the worlds was also previously hinted at, although Juliana’s glimpse of Trudy in the market and their mother’s feeling that Trudy had been “gone” but was back again could be dismissed as wishful thinking. But the film that Juliana and Frank watch in the second-to-last episode indicates that there are alternate world versions of the ordinary people on the show, not just important figures like Hitler and FDR, and Tagomi opening his eyes on a world where the Allies won WWII is a pretty strong suggestion that people can indeed travel between the worlds.
My prediction for season two is that Juliana will again encounter a living version of Trudy* and that Trudy will know more about why the films are being brought into the main world of the story.
*ETA: To be clear, I think some version of Trudy is definitely dead. Juliana saw her shot and then later found her corpse. I think that both the “real” Trudy and some alternate world version of Trudy have been present in the world that Juliana knows as reality, and that one of them is dead while the other is still alive and has been going back and forth between the worlds.
I had no idea that this may be the first season of a series…I thought (and it may still be true) that this was a stand-alone thing. If it’s a series, then many of the things that look like plot holes, bad writing and unresolved issues may turn out just to be cliff-hangers. We’ll see.
A second season has already been announced, and the first season was promoted as the first season of a series and not a stand-alone miniseries.
Just from watching the show it seemed obvious that the writers intended for the story to continue past this season, although of course there were no guarantees that the series would be popular enough to be renewed.
I watched it and somewhat liked it but it was pretty patchy. And subversives working in a totalitarian state sure haven’t a clue about the very basics of stealthiness but it doesn’t seem to matter because the authorities are fairly incompetent too.
I loved the series, mostly for the world-building and the way it kept me off-kilter. The imagery was stunning…but finding all that swastika-bedecked stuff and the Nazi uniforms gorgeous is not something I am comfortable with.
Stray thoughts-
Agreed with everyone else who wasn’t interested in Juliana/Joe/Frank. I hope the next season focuses on the Obergruppenfuhrer with a side of Tagomi and Kido. I want to see more of Childan the antiques guy and Ed’s grumpy grampa too. They were the closest thing to comic relief we got, and the show desperately needs some more of that.
Speaking of Ed’s grumpy grampa: I guess the Japanese didn’t incinerate “cripples” like the Reich did. They enforced the anti-Jewish stuff when it suited them. I wonder what else.
Speaking of incinerating people, I know I should have seen the thing with Obergruppenfuhrerjunior and his illness coming a mile away, but I didn’t. That hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks.
Speaking of Obergruppenfuhrerjunior, I find myself desperately searching for an opportunity to use both “Obergruppenfuhrer” and “Oberstgruppenfuhrer” in a sentence. Bonus points if the person I’m talking to misunderstands and I have to say something like “Not the Obergruppenfuhrer. I was talking about the Oberstgruppenfuhrer.” Mainly because it would give me the opportunity to say both Obergruppenfuhrer and Oberstgruppenfuhrer again.
I loved the book, and I’m fine with this being so different. And I don’t even care what the deal with the films is. The world-building is keeping me engaged.
Watched the first episode tonight. It’s hard getting back into a show, especially one as complex as this one, after it’s been off for two years. But I’m glad it’s finally back.
Can someone fill me in on the Reich’s ranks: Is John Smith the head of the American Reich, or is the Reich Marshall of North America the top dog here? And Himmler is now the new *top *top dog over in Germany?
Resurrecting this thread in anticipation of season 4 coming out soon and having just finished watching the first three seasons myself.
For anyone who hasn’t watched it yet, I’d say the first five episodes of the series are a slog, with lots of contrivances and scenarios that just don’t make sense internally within the world we’re presented with, but that things seem to hit a stride toward the latter half of the first season. Which, reading some reviews from around that time, is apparently the point at which they fired their show runner. IMHO, they called it right. If only they’d done the same (fried the show runners) with the final season of GoT…
Watching the second episode and much like the last two years:
I only care about main girl and main bad guy. If the show wanders away from Alexa Davalos or Rufus Sewell, I don’t care
Tip to show - focus on the multiverse and its implications
Honestly, it’s still a mess. This was a show with absolutely huge potential. I’m watching at this point to reach the end, but this is one of my biggest disappointments in TV the past few years.
As someone who only watched each season once when they hit Prime, I have a question that is probably obvious to others.
The Black people storyline(I cringe even calling it that). Were all these people part of the show the entire time? It isn’t all Black people; it includes another guy I didn’t really consider that important until this season.
Again, I really only follow Rufus Sewell and Alexa Davalos on this show. She killed “main dude” last season, I think.
I do fall into the “watching just to complete” category of viewers. I am ultimately massively disappointed in this show. I was anticipating it a few years ago, probably as my top upcoming show for the new season of TV. The cardinal sin is to be boring and this show is at least 50% snooze-fest for me.
First season was spectacular to start but meandered a bit by the end, 2nd season was much too slow and lost and 3rd was worse. This season moved at least but then ended poorly. I too will very likely never watch it again.
I actually liked the final episode for the most part. I mean, at least stuff happened.
So, fill me in since I was bored through much of the show and did not follow everything. The people at the end who walked through the portal towards us. Were they coming through from everywhere? Why did they just walk past our main characters without talking to them? Huh?
