Category: High Castle

Vancouver: Part 2

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A Man in the High Castle story

Technically this isn’t Vancouver, and I was going to save these photos for last because it was the final part of my journey, but I was inspired to write a #HighCastle mini story, so here we are! I took the photos at Snoqualmie Falls in Washington State.

The Bird in the Woods

Takes place during Season 1: Episode 10

The morning chill stung his nose, but his heart was racing so fast that he did not feel it. A breeze rustled through the giant pine trees, creating an eerie whir. As he walked beside the man who had orchestrated the assassination attempt on his life, John thought about Helen and the children. If anything should happen to them…

Helen was a strong woman, a good woman. She knew what to do.

He was tempted to suck in a sharp breath, but that would reveal the fear threatening to consume him. Don’t let your emotions get in the way of what is right. 

As their boots padded along the silent trail, a steady roar began to permeate through the morning mist. A bird chirped overhead, and John slowed his pace. His nemeses shot him a sideways glance.

“Have you seen the waterfall?” he asked.

“I have no desire to,” Heydrich replied. “It’s best to stay on the trail. We have much to discuss. It’s time to end the silence between us.”

“Indeed,” John replied. The trail wrapped around a tree, and John knew that, like it or not, Heydrich would get a view of the falls. The roar grew louder, and the moisture in the air began to stick to his face.

The trail wove them around an ancient tree as wide as a vehicle. The waterfall burst through the foliage, and John shot his nemeses a look.

“You get your wish, Smith,” Heydrich said, his tone even. Another bird chirped overhead, its cries muffled by the power of the water. It chirped three times before John began walking again. Heydrich issued a wry laugh.

“For a second there, Smith…”

John did not answer. He did not need to. His man was in place. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, prickling the hairs on the back of his neck.

Whatever happens, Helen, I love you. 

… Fin …


Vancouver Part 1

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There is no way that this isn’t going to be a post about The Man in the High Castle 😉 I mean, they filmed in Vancouver! My work trips are busy, so I take every last free second I get. From waking up at the crack of dawn every morning to using the few precious free-hours the first day, I explore what I can.

Sunrise in Vancouver

I sat on my balcony that first morning and watched the sun rise over the harbor. It was such a wonderful moment of pure peace! The cool morning breeze was quiet as I looked across the water. I felt an air of introspection and absolute happiness. I can’t help but wonder if the cast & crew had ever watched the sunrise and if they felt the same way.

Before I left for this trip, I looked up High Castle filming locations and mapped out the one closest to where I was going to be, and thankfully, there was one was within walking distance.

It was awesome to see something in the show up close. I am so thankful for those precious few hours that first day!

Sunrise — Season 1: Episode 2
Smith’s headquarters building.

Screencaps of the scene where Smith and Klemm walk inside. 
As always, please read my disclaimer below. 

Please read!


Walking around NYC: Give me Those TMITHC Vibes!

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I just got back from the first trip of the new year, and let me just say that being in New York City has rekindled my love for The Man in the High Castle. I mean, these photos. Look at them. I can imagine Smith peering out his window or speeding down the streets in his staff car. I can picture Joe driving a delivery truck or walking along the sidewalk on his way to see Rita and Buddy.

 

I got myself a few souvenirs to go on my High Castle shelf. I couldn’t resist. The gift shop I purchased them from had all kinds of NYC trinkets (that goes without saying), and I probably would have purchased the entire store had I enough money. Needless to say, there will be some High Castle aesthetic photos in the near future.

With my passion for the show renewed, I got to thinking. What is my favorite season? Episode? Who is my favorite character (besides Smith)? I’ve never sat down and done an all-time favorite list for this show.

Top 5 episodes:
All of Season 1

  1. Three Monkeys (S1:E6)
    • I remember being blown away when I first watched this episode. I love everything about it, especially all of the cunning twists and turns on Smith’s part. When the camera pans on Smith’s face at the end as he holds his drink, his expression still sends chills down my spine.
  2. A Way Out (S1:E10)
    • I could spend an entire post discussing this episode and why I rank it #2. For now, I’ll just mention the final scene between Wagner and Hitler—powerful and tragic at the same time.
  3. Kintsugi (S2:E6)
    • Tagomi connecting with his family in the other world and trying to mend the damage his alternate self created is why I rank this one at #3. I cannot get over the touching way he repaired the mug with his grandson’s name on it.
  4. Duck and Cover (S2:E5)
    • Luke Kleintank deserves an Emmy for his performance (I know I say that a lot about High Castle, but I mean it). When he found out that he was Lebensborn and broke down in that abandoned nursery, I felt my heart break!
  5. Revelations (S1:E4)
    • This is one of those episodes where the soundtrack was spot on every second of the way. Frank’s most powerful moment was when he lowered the gun.

I’m going to talk about my favorite scenes in a future post because I feel that there are enough of them to rank—the same goes for characters too!

The Man in the High Castle S3 Trailer!

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I’ve been meaning to make a recap post ever since they dropped that badass trailer, but every time I sit down and think about it, I change my S3 theories and have more and more questions.

Here is the trailer for those of you who haven’t seen it yet or just want to enjoy 2 minutes of badassary:

Season 3 Official Trailer

I don’t even know where to begin! There are so many things going on in a multiverse of directions, that my head hurts (in a good way)! One thing is for certain: Season 3 is going to differ greatly from the previous two seasons. Is that good or bad? Only October 5th can tell.

My Takeaways:

1. The Resistance plays a huge role in this season with Juliana at the helm, gathering support, sharing the films, and lighting a fire under people who were otherwise complacent.   

2. There is a growing movement against Chief Inspector Kido that turns violent at one point (the clip they played at SDCC made it look like they were angry about fuel prices, but it seems to be more than that).

3. Someone new is controlling things at the Reich now that Hitler’s dead, someone even more insane—or so it appears, because the destruction of American artifacts like the Statue of Liberty looks like it came straight out of the mind of a comic book villain (my other theory is that the “Americans” decide to do this as some warped display of loyalty).

4. Joe’s loyalties remain ambiguous, but that’s the strength of his character.

5. John has a much more powerful role now (not that he wasn’t powerful before).

6. John is directly involved with the multiverse machine and may even travel to one of the other realities.

7. What is this possible war John mentioned? You could hear the fear in his voice as he spoke to Helen. Is the Japanese empire going to head for war after all? 

8. A nuke explodes in the trailer, and my guess is that it is a test because of its location. The Japanese empire got the blueprints for building nukes all the way back in Season 1.

A book based theory:
If you’ve read the book, you know what happens to Joe Blake at the end. I have a gut feeling that Jason O’Mara’s character ends up being like the book version of Joe. It makes so much sense from clips of him I’ve seen.

1. He’s very friendly with Juliana
2. He knows she can get to the Man in the High Castle
3. It makes sense that someone would send a spy into her circle

Here’s to October 5th! 
I want to go back and look at my theories after S3 airs and see if I’m spot on, barely missed the mark, or am completely and utterly off base.

Sketching Through Those Hot Summer Days

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How is everyone’s summer so far? I feel like Summer is always the shortest season—probably because it’s my favorite. Time flies when you’re having fun!

I’ve done a lot of drawing over the past few months. It’s crazy to look at art I’ve done just a few years ago last year!?!?!? and see how different my style is now. And no, I didn’t realize I did that Kathy drawing last year. I thought I did it in 2016! Mind blown.

I don’t know what spurred the change. I just remember having a severe case of art block sometime last year. On a whim, I started sketching a photo as it appeared because I couldn’t think of anything to draw (I can’t remember which one, but it was probably High Castle related. I’d bet money on it, ha ha!).

I enjoyed shading and sketching like that, so I kept doing it! It’s honestly therapeutic, especially after a long day’s work. I’ll normally find a documentary on YouTube, have my reference picture up beside it, and start sketching.


Other things I’ve been up to over the summer include expanding my antiques/WWII era collection (albeit, very slowly) and working on Sisters. I realize those aren’t the most exciting things in the world, but hey, I’m happy.

What have you been up to this summer? Finish any exciting projects? Travel anywhere?