The Man in the High Castle: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 360 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 360 Ratings

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The Man in the High Castle

Now Playing: The Man in the High Castle

Season Details & Credits

Amazon Prime | Prime Video | AMAZON | Season Premiere Date: November 20, 2015

Starring: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Joel de la Fuente, Alexa Davalos

Summary: Based on a novel by Phillip Dick where the Axis powers won World War II after dropping an atomic bomb on Washington D.C. Julianna (Alexa Davalos) leaves San Francisco for Colorado to search for her sister's killer, while new resistance recruit Joe (Luke Kleintank) is in New York ready to be assigned to his first mission to Colorado.

Genre(s): Drama

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Season 1 Episodes

9.3
S1:E10. A Way Out
Air Date: November 20, 2015
tbd
S1:E9. Kindness
Air Date: November 20, 2015
tbd
S1:E8. End of the World
Air Date: November 20, 2015

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Jeff Korbelik

Nov 16, 2015

This is one you will want to binge-watch. It’s a thrill ride from the onset. Read full review

Tirdad Derakhshani

Nov 19, 2015

Epic in scale, gorgeous, and beautifully acted. Read full review

San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa Times

Chuck Barney

Nov 17, 2015

Yes, this is chilling stuff. And provocative. It makes you ponder just how precious freedom really is and what kind of sacrifices you would make to maintain it. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Nov 18, 2015

The Man in the High Castle can be a little cluttered in terms of narrative, but it’s the kind of challenging program that we haven’t received from Amazon and rarely even receive from Netflix. Read full review

Alan Sepinwall

Nov 19, 2015

The pacing is wobbly, and while the actors all seem period-appropriate (Davalos, whose previous series was TNT's '40s crime drama "Mob City," is a graceful acting time traveler), the only character who really comes to life as more than a functionary of the plot is one of Spotnitz's creations: Obergruppenführer John Smith (Rufus Sewell).... Still, the world itself is fascinating and fully-realized enough to compensate for the people who live there. Read full review

Kristi Turnquist

Nov 20, 2015

Those are a lot of threads to knit together, and some feel looser than others.... But there are enough chilling scenes to make The Man in the High Castle genuinely disturbing. Read full review

Uncle Barky Ed Bark

Nov 18, 2015

Amazon Prime takes a big swing here, and doesn’t entirely miss. More was anticipated, though, with High Castle so far tending to buckle under the weight of some very heavy ambitions and expectations. Read full review

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User Score

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7.3

User Reviews

SirensOfTitan

Nov 22, 2015

For those who don't know: The show is based on a Phillip K. Dick novel exploring the alternate reality in which the Japanese and Germans won World War II. It's more addictive than House of Cards and has a lot more legroom to explore than David Fincher's fantastic work.

The acting and theFor those who don't know: The show is based on a Phillip K. Dick novel exploring the alternate reality in which the Japanese and Germans won World War II. It's more addictive than House of Cards and has a lot more legroom to explore than David Fincher's fantastic work.

The acting and the directing stand out in this show. It's filled with several homages to David Lynch and Ingmar Bergman with a powerful accented cinematographic style. Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist) plays a masterful antagonist that no doubt will receive some emmy nominations.

My only gripe with this show (after seeing all of the episodes) is that I wish they spoke in their proper languages (German and Japanese) over English everywhere. I understand that languages other than english have a potential to alienate US audiences, but I think this ruined the immersion a bit. Narcos was mostly in Spanish and (from what I know) has done quite well. Language is powerful in building impactful characters. Just the use of it can change the tone of the show.

Overall, I'd heavily recommend this show. Ignore the haters below. They're nothing more than pseudo-intellectuals who are pining over incredibly insignificant details. One guy even complained that the use of currencies with no cents ruined the immersion for him. Another is complaining that they didn't get a large scale occupation 'right' because many of the main characters seemed indoctrinated (and he argues 15 years isn't enough). Most of the main characters are under 30, and as such would have spent most of their adult lives in occupation.… Expand

17 of 28 users found this helpful1711

ehsoony

Sep 17, 2018

breath taking.. A mixture of amazing acts & fantastic screenplay that make you wanna see the whole 2 seasons continuously... The idea of two empires really freaks me out!:)

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

yass

Nov 28, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Can't understand the bad reviews, the writing and acting is decent? This dystopian version of history is really enjoyable to watch. A binge-watch series.

PS: really like the people who reviewed who said it's not plausible. They did not get any of it… Expand

6 of 10 users found this helpful64

Rennie

Jan 26, 2017

I'm enjoying this show a great deal after watching Season 1 and half of Season 2. I almost wish the weird sci-fi alternate reality theme was absent, because exploring what the US would be like if we'd lost the war is interesting in and of itself. The acting is generally good. Alexa DavalosI'm enjoying this show a great deal after watching Season 1 and half of Season 2. I almost wish the weird sci-fi alternate reality theme was absent, because exploring what the US would be like if we'd lost the war is interesting in and of itself. The acting is generally good. Alexa Davalos and Rufus Sewell are the acting high points. My only concern is that producers will pull a "Lost" on us, and writers will end up just making things up as they go along until the show ends up (unintentionally) as a farce. If they do that, mark my words, I will hate the writers/producers forever. The plot already has that feel of being made up on the fly.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

meldrew

Dec 14, 2015

Even if this was a terrible show, and it certainly isn't, I'd watch it just to enjoy its beautiful look. I could turn the sound off and still love it.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Mr_Maldoror

Nov 22, 2015

It was an enjoyable ride for the first nine episodes, and completely fell apart at its finale which seemed to cop out of a lot of things to leave room for a possible second season. Originally a 7.5 but the finale brought it down to a 4.

5 of 10 users found this helpful55

Broyax

Mar 28, 2019

Bien que le livre qui ait inspiré cette série soit moyen (et pas forcément très inspiré, hélas) il dépeint avec une précision glaçante ce monde alternatif au sein duquel les forces de l'Axe ont remporté la guerre et conquis l'intégralité des Etats-Unis, désormais partagés entre le JaponBien que le livre qui ait inspiré cette série soit moyen (et pas forcément très inspiré, hélas) il dépeint avec une précision glaçante ce monde alternatif au sein duquel les forces de l'Axe ont remporté la guerre et conquis l'intégralité des Etats-Unis, désormais partagés entre le Japon impérial et l'Allemagne nazie...

Cette nouvelle géopolitique a bien été décrite par Philip K. Dick et s'il est au moins une chose dont peut se targuer la série, c'est justement cette étrange ambiance de l'Amérique occupée. Le premier épisode de la série est déjà d'une mollesse sans précédent mais il faut bien un temps d'exposition pour nous plonger dans ce monde inédit...

On note déjà des comédiens uniformément mauvais et un scénario bancal... et les épisodes suivants ne font que confirmer cet enlisement de l'écriture et une adaptation complètement à la masse (en dehors du cadre général bien sûr). S'il ne se passait pas grand-chose dans le livre, on atteint ici des sommets dans l'inaction et les bavardages incessants, les clichés et la somnolence.

Et lorsqu'il arrive éventuellement un truc, c'est tout simplement invraisemblable et bien ridicule. En fait, les dialogues laissent toujours à penser qu'on va assister à quelque chose mais qui soit n'arrive pas, soit débouche sur un pétard mouillé. Les épisodes qui durent une heure donnent l'impression qu'ils en durent trois... et tout ça pour de la merde finalement !

Et dire qu'ils ont étalé ce remplissage de conneries sur 3 saisons déjà, ça laisse pantois... Finir la première est un exploit, alors se taper les deux autres... au secours ! Immense déception donc.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

SEE ALL 69 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

73

Series Overview
Season 4

tbd
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: November 15, 2019
Season 3

70
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: October 5, 2018
Season 2

62
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: December 16, 2016
Season 1

77
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- 9.3
  S1:E10. A Way Out
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E9. Kindness
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E8. End of the World
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E7. Truth
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E6. Three Monkeys
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E5. The New Normal
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E4. Revelations
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E3. The Illustrated Woman
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- 6.8
  S1:E2. Sunrise
  Air Date: November 20, 2015
- 6.3
  S1:E1. Pilot Episode
  Air Date: January 15, 2015