Author: grasshopper

Fan Castle Sunday: The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End

It’s been an amazing journey

The finale to Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle is just 5 days away. Yes, I am emotional, and yes, there may have been a tear or two while typing this post up. As everyone knows, this show has been a huge part of my life since the beginning. I just want to say that it has been an amazing journey of friendship, art, and blossoming into a better me.

I remember the cold, snowy day in February when they announced that Season 4 will be the finale. Part of me was shocked and saddened, but the other part was thankful that TMITHC wouldn’t go the prolonged, dragged out route that so many shows in the past have gone. To be honest, I am glad they aren’t going to grind the show into the ground like that–It’s a bittersweet feeling. 

I just want to say thank you to everyone I’ve met on this journey. I’ll cherish the memories TMITHC has given me forever.

<3

With Season 4 airing on the 15th, there will be no #FanCastleSunday next week or the week after to give everyone a chance to catch up (and avoid spoilers!).

#FanCastleSunday will resume Sunday, December 1st

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What are your #HighCastle S4 predictions? When #FanCastleSunday resumes December 1st, we’ll see if anyone got close!

Fan Castle Sunday: Notes to the Cast and Crew!

Welcome to another #FanCastleSunday!

With Season 4 approaching faster than a train with rockets, I wanted to do something a little different. It’s time to let the cast & crew of The Man in the High Castle know how much we appreciate them! I created a form to allow everyone to leave a note, anonymously or with their Twitter handle.

I must confess that I got a bit teary eyed when I went through the responses last night. This truly is an amazing fandom, and I am happy to be a part of it.

Fan Castle Sunday: Interview with Elise!

Welcome to another #FanCastleSunday!

….She is famous for her amazing gifs, and I’ve enjoyed seeing her posts throughout the years, so please give a warm welcome to the one and only ☆ Elise!

I am right there with her on how this wonderful fandom has allowed her to blossom. Because of the friendliness of  High Castle fans (and cast & crew!), I’ve been able to break out of my incredibly shy self. I will be forever grateful for that. ❤


@_spookyblake (☆ elise.)

Tell the world a little bit about yourself!

my name is elise. 25 years. i live in france. i hold a tumblr: @joexjuliana.

What drew you to Amazon’s the Man in the High Castle?

i watched the pilot in july 2015 and i was immediately seduced by the idea of “what if?” i quickly became attached to the character of Joe and Juliana (and the others of course, but it’s two there first).

At what point were you hooked? 

this is the first series that gives me this effect. i have never been so addictive to anything else. I love EVERYTHING. the characters, the atmosphere, the story. ALL. that’s why i decided to create a blog on tumblr. i needed to share and exchange about this show. 

Speaking of special, the TMITHC fandom is the best fandom I have ever been blessed to be a part of. The absolute kindness and friendliness I experience on Twitter keeps me coming back and is why I keep drawing and creating the things that I do! What is your favorite thing about being a part of this fandom?

it’s so true. it’s the best fandom in the world. no ridiculous war of ship. everyone respects everyone. it’s very rare. and thanks to this fandom, i was able to blossom and open myself.

What is the inspiration for the amazing gifs you make?

very good question. and to be honest, i don’t know. I just love to make gifs and exchange with the fandom. it’s the first time in my life that i feel like I belong to something. that i am useful. so i think my motivation has to come from there. EXCHANGE WITH OTHERS. and give something to others.

The creative minds behind TMITHC are talented artists who never cease to amaze me with the sets/scenery, soundtracks, and costumes. What is your favorite set?

I really like the tagomi office. very well decorated. the new smiths apartment in the s3 and the old house of jules and frank.

How did you feel when they announced that Season 4 will be the final season?

i knew this fatal day would come. i was extremely sad. i mean, the man in the high castle has been in my life for 4 years. thanks to this show i was able to meet incredible people/actors. it’s going to be horrible to say goodbye for good…

Name one thing you’d like to see happen in S4.

i would love to see joe and frank again. with parallel universes, i know it’s possible. see them help juliana in her quest. please, give me one last time a HAPPY joe. he suffered too much.

Favorites

Male Character
Joe Blake, John Smith & Takeshi Kido
Female Character
Juliana Crain & Helen Smith
Costume
Joe leather jacket, Juliana plaid skirt
Episode
Season1: 1×10. Season2: 2×05. Season 3: 3×09.
Storyline
thomas’s disease and the mission to canon city.

As a huge thank you for allowing me to interview you, Elise, here is your very own Club High Castle membership card!

And just for the record, I love Juliana’s plaid skirt too. I have a similar one and feel like I am her when I wear it! 

Fan Castle Sunday: Interview with Diana Jensen Cramer!

Greetings, Grasshoppers!

Welcome to another fun filled #FanCastleSunday! Today’s theme is what would you do in their shoes? As a bonus, I wrote a little High Castle what if!

In Their Shoes 

A short fanfic is the perfect tribute for today’s interview with @TheTrueDJC who loves to write fanfiction! 

It’s Interview Time!

@TheTrueDJC
Diana Jensen Cramer

Tell the world a little bit about yourself!

MitHC fan (obvs.), and beginning writer; also love photography and cooking!

What drew you to Amazon’s the Man in the High Castle?

The concept of an alternate history was intriguing (and a little frightening).  Then, too, I’d become a fan of Rufus Sewell – he’s really an amazing actor – and I wanted to see what he would do in this role.

At what point were you hooked? 

Is there a specific scene or episode where you realized that TMITHC was something special?
What really hooked me and realize how special the show was was the early scenes in the JPS, particularly the first scene with Juliana doing martial arts and then the scenes with Tagomi.  My husband spent some time in the Far East, and shared some of that aesthetic with me, and it struck me at how the show really seemed to capture the Japanese-ness in the characters and how it was influencing San Francisco.  Kind of like twisted Zen… 

Speaking of special, the TMITHC fandom is the best fandom I have ever been blessed to be a part of. The absolute kindness and friendliness I experience on Twitter keeps me coming back and is why I keep drawing and creating the things that I do! What is your favorite thing about being a part of this fandom?

The scope for knowledge and imagination!  And bouncing ideas back and forth about what our favorites are doing.
I can’t draw, but I do write fanfic, and figuring out the motivations of the characters, as well as navigating their world so similar-but-different  to our own past – it’s the best thing!

It has been so much fun talking to you throughout the years. You always have something insightful to say about the show. I always look forward to your comments. How has the show influenced you in “real life?” 

I’ve gotten to know interesting people through the fandom, and they are personal connections in a lot of cases, as well as “fangirling.” 
The show has actually inspired me to be more aware and active regarding the world around me.   The show itself is so clearly anti-fascist; anyone who doesn’t get that isn’t paying attention! But I also follow some of the actors and the production folks, and these are people passionate about society as well as their craft.  They inspire me to speak up!  

The creative minds behind TMITHC are talented artists who never cease to amaze me with the sets/scenery, soundtracks, and costumes. What is your favorite set?

Is it Smith’s two story house from S1 & S2? Is the Nippon building in San Francisco? Something in the Neutral Zone?
Any of the street scenes!  Those have always impressed me – again, that weird little mindfuck between the world we know through Life photographs, and the world that develops differently under fascism.
And Drew Boughton’s design of the  apartment in S3 is just amazing… 

How did you feel when they announced that Season 4 will be the final season?

Devastated!  

Name one thing you’d like to see happen in S4.

I’m a *total* sucker for John&Helen, so I would love for them to get together again, destroy the system that destroyed their son! 
Not saying that will happen, but that is my total pollyanna wish!

Let’s end this on a positive note–I mean, what are we all going to do when it’s over? 😉

I think we are all gonna be amazed… we’ll be catching our breath and maybe wiping away some tears.  But I think we will be grateful, and I think we will feel like even if it’s hard, there’s still hope for good to triumph in at least some small way.  

Favorites

Male Character
Oo, hard.  Fave character – Tagomi; Best actor/character – John Smith
Female Character
Helen.
Costume
Anything John is wearing, but more specifically, that SS uniform and leather coat…
Episode
Three Monkeys. The normalcy of it is chilling…
Storyline
Helen’s S3 realization that the Reich is not good for children and other living things.
Your official Club High Castle membership card, Diana!

Fan Castle Sunday: Interview with Sammie

Welcome to #FanCastleSunday! 

Today’s spotlight is on @sammietworings. She has one badass hobby you won’t want to miss!

If you’d like to be interviewed for a future #FanCastleSunday, drop me a line at [email protected] or hit me up on Twitter @MishiWan, and I’ll be happy to! And now without further ado….*drum roll*

It’s Interview Time!

Sammie Two Rings

Tell the world a little bit about yourself!

My name is Sammie, I’m 31 and I work part time for a charity. I’ve recently got married to my partner of 13 years and I’m studying for my 3rd university degree. I enjoy knitting, I’ve just learnt to crochet and I’m part of a community choir. I also try my best at archery.

What drew you to Amazon’s the Man in the High Castle?

I’ve always enjoyed ‘what if’ scenarios in history, the most common being what if, god forbid, the Nazis had been successful! I was curious to see exactly how this would be portrayed on screen – its a very emotive and relevant topic! Would it be watered down to avoid offense, or would be unashamedly honest? 

At what point were you hooked? 

Is there a specific scene or episode where you realized that TMITHC was something special?
Its grim, but the part of episode 1 when the ashes fall on Joe and the Sheriff. The attention to detail had been lovely, but until that point, it hadn’t really been stomach churningly sinister.

Speaking of special, the TMITHC fandom is the best fandom I have ever been blessed to be a part of. The absolute kindness and friendliness I experience on Twitter keeps me coming back and is why I keep drawing and creating the things that I do! What is your favorite thing about being a part of this fandom?

The fans are the best. No one is rude or mean, everyone is kind and its such a laugh to hang out with them. It also helps that the actors are really communicative and involved too!

You have one badass hobby. For those who don’t know, Sammie is an archer and is saving up for her first bow! Do you ever feel like Juliana or a member of the Resistance when you pull the string and let loose your arrows? Was TMITHC an inspiration for your hobby, or did you have this awesome hobby long before watching the show?

I do have moments when I am loosing my arrows and feeling like an unstoppable heroine like Juliana.

I started archery at the beginning of 2019. In a weird way, I think John Smith inspired me. If he could fit in fishing/hunting into his busy schedule of being a grade-a Nazi scumbag, then I could fit in some quiet moments too. 

The creative minds behind TMITHC are talented artists who never cease to amaze me with the sets/scenery, soundtracks, and costumes. What is your favorite set?

Is it Smith’s two story house from S1 & S2? Is the Nippon building in San Francisco? Something in the Neutral Zone?

Full confession, I’ve bought all the merchandise of High Castle I can. There is obviously not a lot – but CDs, the upcoming ‘making of’, I’ve even got a film reel used in the filming on its way. Its loving attention to detail, its making the whole thing so immersive is what adds to its success. I shudder every time I see a subtle swastika built into the architecture of the scenery.

It’d have to be either the Smith residence or Tagomi-sans office. Its so beautiful, each time they go in. But it is all lovely.

How did you feel when they announced that Season 4 will be the final season?

I was sad but also pleased – there are a lot of shows that overstay their welcome, that end badly or in rushed ways, so knowing that High Castle was going to be ended properly and neatly made me happy. 

Name one thing you’d like to see happen in S4.

I’ve joked with Joel and Lee that I would love to see an alternative world where they are cops together. Or a world where Aaron is Rufus’ boss! 

But seriously…High Castle has been very good at showing some of the pros and the major drawbacks of fascist regimes. I want to see the Fascist states fall under the weight of their own flaws.

In the current era of populist presidents and leaders we, the viewers, need to understand the dangers and drawbacks of fascism, that excluding people because of race or disability from a society contributes to its decline. I can think of no better ending for High Castle that the whole thing unravelling.

Let’s end this on a positive note–I mean, what are we all going to do when it’s over? 😉

Favorites

Male Character
Erich, John, Wegener, Tagomi, Kido and Yoshida
Female Character
Helen, Nicole, Tagomis painter friend
Costume
Juliana’s interview dress for the Nippon building
Episode
Three Monkeys or A Way Out
Storyline
Thomas Smith or Tagomi’s trip to the other world. 

As a special thank you for allowing me to interview you, here is your very own membership card. Welcome to Club High Castle, Grasshopper!