Category: #FanCastleSunday

SGS: What’s Your Cup of Coffee?

Posted on by in #FanCastleSunday, Geeky Sunday, High Castle

Today’s prompt was a labyrinth of discovering scenes I enjoy in a genre that is not my cup of coffee. Thank you, Heather, for this exercise in critical thinking! I tend to forgo romance in fiction for something else (almost anything else, which shows you just how much it isn’t my flavor!). 

Seriously Geeky Sunday is brought to you by the creative Heather at geeking-by.net!

July 5th – Romance is in the air

July 6th is International Kissing Day so today we’re diving into the world romance this week.

Who is your favourite couple?

John/Helen from The Man in the High Castle

What is your favourite romantic scene?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, romance is not my cup of coffee. When I know a long, drawn out romantic scene is coming, my first instinct is to skip it because I’d rather have 5 minutes of plot than 5 minutes of nothing (it’s just boring to me; there is no other way to put it 😉 ). 

However, there are rare times when I appreciate these sorts of scenes, and Ed/Jack in The Man in the High Castle is one of those times. I was happy Ed found someone and could be happy in that world. He was the nicest character (along with Thomas) and deserved nothing but the best and to live out the rest of his days with Jack in peace. 

What is the perfect fictional place for a romantic date?

Since Disneyland isn’t fictional, I’m going to have to put my thinking cap on. 

It would have to be exploring Westeros on the backs of dragons from Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin. Imagine the wind against your face as you laugh with your significant other, soaring through the air. You gaze down at Riverrun and Winterfell as the air grows colder, but your blood is fire, and you don’t feel it. You eventually make your way to The Wall and cross over beyond it. The pair of you find a forgotten field, blanketed with snow and let loose dragonfire. 

Soaring over the East coast during the Great Polar Vortex of 2018
Some romantic scenes are adorable, and then some are just plain awkward. What’s the most awkward scene you can recall?

99% of them are awkward. I’ll have to go with any time Gale tries to hit on Katniss in the Hunger Games trilogy. He is the stereotypical “nice guy,” and it’s just creepy. It is obvious she feels she has to kiss him because of it. I’m going to prove my point by this excerpt…I mean, look WHEN he decides to pull his creepy “nice guy” stunt.

What is your favourite wedding scene?

We skipped most of the Pam/Jim wedding episode in the Office if that provides a hint of things…none of them? 😉 Okay, okay, I’ll play nice! I have literally been sitting here for ten minutes trying to think of one. It’s time to write my own.

Pick a fandom and play kiss/marry/avoid!

Now this is a fun one! I feel like I’m young again! And thank you, Heather, for changing the last one to avoid. 

I’ll pick Babylon 5

  • Kiss – Psi Cop from that fun Psi Corps commercial
  • Marry – Bester (this should not surprise anyone)
  • Avoid – Sheridan

Wanted Poster

Posted on by in #FanCastleSunday, Grasshopper Nation, High Castle
And now for something different, a #HighCastle tale from another perspective.

Disclaimer: I am just a dedicated fan. I am not affiliated with Amazon Studios

Club High Castle

The Truth is Never What it Seems

I watched the amber liquid splash into my patron’s glass as I poured him a shot. The chatter hummed in the background; it was quieter than usual tonight, but I wasn’t about to complain. The cover charge was working. I had one rule in my bar: don’t cause trouble…also no weapons. Just because this was the Neutral Zone, didn’t mean we had to act like animals. 

I glanced at my patron and set the bottle of whiskey down. 

“Did you hear about what happened at Moe’s?” he asked. I turned and sighed. 

“There’s always something going on there,” I muttered. “Someone shot up that place last week over a girl.”

“Rumor has it he’s in bed with the Yakuza.” 

“He’s not.” 

But I was. 

They kept the peace and offered protection in exchange for drinks. I wish I didn’t have to rely on them, but it was the only way. 

There were times I missed the civility in the Reich. A shudder ran through me. I could never go back; not after the illusion was shattered and reality stared me in the face.

They had ripped my father from his desk and shot him in the head. I remember their black uniforms, shiny boots, and the cold indifference as the one in the leather coat pulled the trigger. 

All over what? Unknowingly giving a blonde haired, blue eyed member of the resistance a ride in the rain. 

Or so I was told. 

I frowned and went to put the whiskey on the shelf. My patron tapped his thick finger on the counter. His handsome brown eyes met mine. 

“More?” I asked. He nodded and slid his glass towards me. 

“Five Marks just to get in is pretty steep,” came a hearty drawl. I glanced up to see a man with shaggy brown hair and a 5 O’clock shadow sliding into the empty stool beside my patron. “A cold one, Lovely,” he winked. I stiffened as I shot him a fierce glare. 

“Well, that’s a no,” he smirked. “Message received. Say, how ’bout helping a man out?” He shifted and produced a wanted poster from his jacket. I recoiled. 

“This bar is for peaceful patrons only. You’re better off hanging that up at the bar on Main Street. I don’t want any trouble.” 

“But you didn’t even look at it.” 

“Fine,” I muttered. If it would get him the hell out of my face, I’d read it. I snatched it off the counter. 

I should have cried.

I should have been angry, but all I could do was erupt into laughter. 

“Hang this up,” I ordered, shoving it into his chest. “Your first beer is on me.”

“This is most unwise,” my patron whispered. “He has eyes and ears everywhere.” 

“Ha! He’s not going to bother with a tiny bar all the way out here,” The newcomer laughed. “What’s he going to do? Come all the way from his fancy office in that high tower of his to this dingy little bar?”

“The rabbit would be wise not to-”

“It stays,” I said. I looked them both in the eyes. “This is the man who murdered my father.”

TMITHC – I want an animated film

Posted on by in #FanCastleSunday, Grasshopper Nation, High Castle

Earlier this week I was thinking about all things High Castle (no surprises there!). I know I touched on the finality of the series end last time, so I’ll keep this intro short. With the props and costumes gone, I felt my hopes dashed…and then I started drawing.

The Man in the High Castle – An Animated Film

DISCLAIMER
I am not affiliated with Amazon Prime. As far as I know, an animated film is not in the works. This is purely an idea from a dedicated fan.

My ideas for the film’s opening sequences

Main Plot – Matthew Müller

1961 – Air Force captain Matthew Müller unknowingly travels. He finds himself on the streets of a very different NYC. In disbelief, he stops dead in his tracts. He gazes up at the giant, crimson banner hanging from an unfamiliar building.

He is ambushed and thrown to the ground by the Schutzstaffel

“What’s with the uniform?” a calm voice drawls. The man standing over him lights a cigarette and begins pacing, his movements casual as though he hadn’t a care in the world.

Matthew remains silent as the man carries on like this for what feels like an eternity. The man stops, flicks ash from his cigarette, and nods to someone in the shadows.

Another imposing man in SS black appears and drops a manila folder in front of him.

“It looks like we’re going to have to do this the hard way,” the first man says and walks away.

Secondary Plot

Chief Inspector Kido holds a photograph in his hand, his gaze stern as he looks at the blurry image.

The resistance has been growing bolder, and rumors of a film with dangerous ideas are circulating, but now he has a name.

Trudy Walker

Inspiration for Matthew Müller

I was originally drawing him as a character study for my Alice novel (I will write at least one full paragraph this month, so help me multiverse!). I’ve been discouraged for the past two years, and I want to break past it, but that is a story for another day.

Forever a #HighCastle Fan

Posted on by in #FanCastleSunday, High Castle

It’s been roughly two and a half months since The Man in the High Castle’s series finale dropped, and I am adrift in the Die Nebenwalt of mourning. I miss looking forward to the next season. I miss following the cast and crew as they posted their behind the scenes shenanigans–I miss everything.

The finale was perfection. How can anything else ever top it? The show ended with such completeness, that I don’t feel the need to make up my own ending as I’ve often done with other shows. It is hard to come to terms with “It is over” when something has been your life for the past five years.

With that being said, I’ll never stop creating High Castle art. It has cemented itself a place in my heart.

Something near and dear to my heart
S4 autographed poster
S2 autographed poster
My #HighCastle props auction winnings!

MLC’s Top 10 TMITHC Characters

Posted on by in #FanCastleSunday, High Castle

With Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle finale dropping two months ago, I thought it would be fun to sit down and figure out who my favorite characters have been across all four seasons. It was not easy narrowing them down to just ten, but I somehow managed to do it.

Without further adieu, my top ten #HighCastle characters!

Honorable Mentions Admiral Inokuchi & the Crown Princess – I adored their practical, yet humane, approach to everything. 
Juliana – Her curiosity and determination to solve the mystery about the films and her sister’s death in Season 1 captivated me and forever turned me into a fan of the show. 

10. Joe Blake – One of my favorite scenes throughout the series is when Joe discovers his past. His gut wrenching reaction and how he eventually swore loyalty to his father made the character all the more interesting for me, so he has earned his place in my top ten!

9. Bell Mallory – She makes it onto my top ten because she went from a cold hardliner to a kind heroine offering peace to everyone who defected from the Reich and Wehrmacht. I can see myself in her shoes. I wish we could have seen more of her.

8. Helen Smith – I adore Helen. She had one of the most interesting character arcs in the series. She went from a loyal wife of the Reich (with all its ideals and obedience) to the ultimate betrayal of those values.

7. Rudolph Wagner – I will always love Wagner. He did terrible things in the name of the Reich, and unlike Smith, his guilt devoured him. When he came face to face with the man he grew to hate, his humanity took over, and rather than end Hitler, he ended himself to save his family.

6. Ed McCarthy – There is no way the sweet, innocent Ed is not going to be on this list! He was a welcome respite to all of the terror and horrors experienced in the Pacific States.

5. Robert Childan – Like Helen, he had one of the most intriguing arcs. I touched on this briefly on Twitter–he went from the selfish, greedy antiques dealer to sacrificing it all for his wife.

4. Frank Frink – He was my favorite character in Season 1. His story that season was the most relatable. You have this ordinary guy just trying to keep his head down and follow along, obeying his Japanese occupiers who, by no fault of his own, was thrown into tragedy and chaos. He could no longer be ‘that’ guy. His life was forever altered, and he had an understandable reaction to it. I was thrilled to see him go back to his Season 1 roots in Season 3.

3. Takeshi Kido – Kido is someone I’ve always loved to hate. He was such a bastard, but I couldn’t help but want to see more.

2. Nobusuke Tagomi – Let’s just say that if Tagomi ran for president, he’d have my vote. He was the ultimate bastion of peace, tranquility, yet held a firm hand when he needed to.

Speak softly and carry a big stick – Theodore Roosevelt

Coming in at #1, my ultimate favorite High Castle character (and possibly favorite character of all time)

1.  John Smith – Smith was unlike any character I’d ever seen, which is what drew me to the show after watching the first episode. He possessed such confidence, cunning, and ruthlessness, yet he was also a family man. He managed to climb the ranks of a dark, vile organization all the way to the top, unphased all the way up until the very end when he was forced to look at himself. I cannot stress enough how relieved I am that he did not get an inane redemption arc. His ending only made me like the character more.