Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Anyone else watched this on Amazon Prime?

It's kinda slow in some parts, but I'm enjoying it. If you don't know, it's a series about an alternate earth where the Nazi's and Japanese won WWII, and it takes place decades later in the 60's. They did a good job making the world seem believable rather than just hollywoodifying everything. I'm almost done the 3rd season, and just read the 4th and final is coming this fall. And it was nice seeing the cylons from Battlestar Galactica back together again, I think I counted at least 3 so far. Some of the actors are really great, specially the main "bad" guy .. Rufus Sewell I think his name is. And the 2 main japanese guys. Overall I'd give it a solid B+ worth checking out.

I thought it was pretty underwhelming, but I always enjoy Rufus Sewell.

There were some good scenes, and some cool ideas, but I thought the show was far too slow with far too likeable and interesting characters. I watched everything they've made so far and just didn't keep any of it with me.

That being said, it is it better than 90% of the trash available today? Probably.

It's also based on an early 1960s Philip K Dick story, too.

So this explains why some of it isn't quite coherent. He did appear on a few US Govt. "watch lists" back in the 60s.

When it comes to SF on tv, there's only so many actors willing to do it, I think. And most of them will show up in all of it.

Whether it's from Stargate, Galactica, continuum, Sanctuary, Killjoys, Dark Matter, Defiance, etc If it's shot anywhere near Canada, anyway.

 chromedog wrote:
It's also based on an early 1960s Philip K Dick story, too.

So this explains why some of it isn't quite coherent. He did appear on a few US Govt. "watch lists" back in the 60s.

I recently (a few months ago) read the book. . . .and hooooo boy does the TV show really do a good job. The book definitely had major parts of it that formed part of the fabric of its world, that just wouldn't do on TV.

IMO, and I'll preface by saying I haven't made season 3 yet, I've watched all of season 1, and most of 2 . . . and I keep having to rewatch those bits because I get distracted by other shows before eventually forgetting everything I've seen in the show and need to rewatch. . . the TV show has done a better job (again, IMO) of telling a coherent story that actually works on some level.

I really enjoyed it - especially the characters

Another character I really like is Ed. I always saw the guy that plays him doing mostly funny-looking-guy comic relief type parts, nice to see him in a more serious role.

At first I was expecting a typical hollywood twist where john smith was the man in the high castle all along, glad they didn't go that route.

I usually don't care for alternate universe stories.. I have a hard time believing words can be so similar, like what if your alternate great great great great grandmother never was, then how could there be a copy of you or your family and half the people you know? But it doesn't bug me so much in this show, even though it's a big part, it feels more in the background with the story focusing more on the characters.

I thought the first two seasons were great, but the third season was very bleh and tbh I think I stopped watching halfway through when it seemed to be turning into Nazi Sopranos, with the therapy.

If I hear the upcoming 4th season is amazing, I will try getting back on track.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 chromedog wrote:
It's also based on an early 1960s Philip K Dick story, too.

So this explains why some of it isn't quite coherent. He did appear on a few US Govt. "watch lists" back in the 60s.

I recently (a few months ago) read the book. . . .and hooooo boy does the TV show really do a good job.

how does the content of the book compare to the seasons? Is it still following the book, or has it carried on past the end of the novel like The Handmaid's Tale?

 AndrewGPaul wrote:

how does the content of the book compare to the seasons? Is it still following the book, or has it carried on past the end of the novel like The Handmaid's Tale?

If the book is considered "on the rails" . . . . there is so much different in the show that even season 1 is well and truly "off the rails"


About the one thing that is at least consistent is that Joe and Juliana do meet up in Canon City. Many of the other characters we meet in the series have counterparts in the book, even if they are/look considerably different from the source material. Some of them also have different outcomes and progressions, comparing the book to the show. The book as written wouldn't make for good TV so, at least through what I've watched they have done a good job of getting the "feeling" of the setting down, even if they aren't really following many of the actions of the book.

Its a typical Philip K. Dick adaption. I.e to begin with there's similar scenes, however it uses the book's setting as more of an initial premise before doing its own thing. I've never been a fan of Dick's writing style (twenty words to say something which could be said in two), so the show is both bearable and personally I think is a much better presented version of the setting.

Of course the actual setting is daft. You have to go in knowing that its based on a book from the 60s where there wasn't so much information out on the War as there is now. With a suspension of disbelief that you're watching something in the pulp genre you can get through it without asking too many questions.

It is a Tv Show with a program's budget. So for those aware of military history, and otherwise there are some elements you have to accept. Like the Germans and Japanese using Soviet era vehicles as stand ins for their own - as nobody's going to be creating replicas of the real prototype equipment which was largely never built. Though I did like that the Germans were using T-54s in the 1940s scenes, as that vehicle was partly a WWII era vehicle which came too late.

As for the characters, its difficult to pin many of the protagonists as villains besides a few in later seasons. The show does have actual villains, though of them I didn't find many as compelling as John Smith. The rest seem a bit peripheral compared to his own development, however they're necessary to push the show along, and I can't say any made the show unwatchable. As does the show cover enough different plot threads that if you dislike one arc another will be covered in the next scene anyway.

Though yes, ostensibly the most compelling characters are the two Japanese officials and John Smith. I know the series is all about the female resistance member, but I didn't really watch it for her. I particularly liked the Jewish resistance character's last scene with the Japanese official in Season 3. I couldn't say that two many scenes with the Japanese Secret Police Chief or the Trade Minister weren't fairly consistently good. ...Though it is nice that they address the Secret Police Chief's accent as an in joke in Season 3.

As a series covering this particular brand of alt-history its one of the better forms of media. I'd take it over say Wolfenstein, where despite it of course going off the rails, it is far more grounded than a lot of what's out there. It does reign back some of the book's eccentricities as well, as whilst that was written in the 60s, things are already silly enough with the Axis winning the war without also having them colonies the Solar System and drain the Adriatic (though there is a nod in Season 2 for this for book readers).

...I'm entirely biased towards the setting of course. I have a whole WWII miniatures collection for playing out alternative history scenarios. And I can say that the series has enlightened the other gamers I play against a bit on the setting, along with World of Tanks. ...So they actually know what an E-75 is rather than just thinking its a weird looking Tiger II.