Season 4 far exceeded my expectations, and by exceeded, I mean jumped onto a rocket and left me behind in the dust to gawk at the beautiful complexity of it. The cast and crew weren’t kidding when they said it is the best season yet.
If you haven’t finished the finale, go no further. There are spoilers ahead.
The season exposed humanity at its best and worst. We saw the very best in Childan, the Crown Princess, and Admiral Inokuchi. Despite the odds, they gave everything for the greater good. Childan threw away the rare antiques and treasures that were integral to his greedy character to be with his wife and ensure her safety. The Crown Princess saw the need to give the Pacific States back, and. Inokuchi was willing to die for her.
Characters like Chief Inspector Kido and Helen were forced to face their life decisions face on. The way it all unfolded for them had me at the edge of my seat. Everything was beautifully executed and woven into the story–I enjoyed watching those two unravel into despair and suffer the repercussions of their actions and then to try to do the right thing. It was so wonderfully written in that it didn’t feel like the audience was being beaten over the head with it.
Smith was humanity at its worst. Talking about him and how his story came to a close will be a post of its own. Alt-Smith explained it best when he told Juliana why he didn’t pursue a career in the military–he saw how easily power corrupted him. I was worried that they’d give him a cliche redemption RAWR ‘MURICA arc, and am beyond happy that they didn’t.
His thirst for power and the twisted being he had allowed himself to become was his undoing.
The BCR
I was skeptical that they added an entirely new set of characters, but it turned out that I was worried over nothing. The addition of the BCR helped make this season the best. The BCR characters were fully fleshed out, each with his or her own opinions and underlying (deep) reasons for the things they do. The story wouldn’t have been the same without them. Bell and her crew were a great addition to the TMITHC universe!
A Solid 5 Stars
As I said at the beginning of this review, S4 far exceeded my expectations. I was honestly afraid that S4 would derail into yet-another-RAWR ‘MURICA-freedom-saves-the-day ending that I’ve seen so many other shows and movies fall into. You have no idea how glad I am that it did not.
Just finished S4: E8. I feel the need to expand my vocabulary, because nothing I say will bring the intriguing story that is unfolding in this episode justice. I am honestly at a loss for words because everything about this season has far exceeded my expectations! #HighCastle— Ms. Luna (@MishiWan) November 22, 2019
