The musings of a dedicated grasshopper
Welcome to another #FanCastleSunday! Today I’m diving in and taking a deep look at Smith and why his fate was the perfect storm. Smith is one of the most well written and complex characters of all time, played by the talented Rufus Sewell (he truly deserves an Emmy for his performance as John Smith).
There is so much I wanted to say, but I couldn’t fit every little detail, scene, and character interaction that amazed me into a single review. I may go back and do a Little Details I Noticed post in the future.
The Man in the High Castle (TMITHC) Season 3 is different from the first two, and while there were rumors of it having a positive outlook, I felt that it is the darkest and most depressing season of the show so far—this isn’t a criticism. If you haven’t watched it yet, strap in for the ride and grab a box of tissues while you’re at it.
You will need them.
Before I tread into spoiler territory, I just want to say that the acting, the visuals, and the costumes blew me away. Everyone involved with the show did such an exceptional job! Kenneth Tigar (Himmler), Rufus Sewell (Smith), and Chelah Horsdal (Helen Smith) deserve Emmys for their performances (well, everyone involved in the making of the TMITHC does!).
And now for some spoilers!
I’ve broken down the review by my favorite characters this season.
Admiral Inokuchi
My favorite new addition to the show! I mean, it doesn’t hurt that he has a fleet of badass ships with him. I loved his peaceful pragmatic approach to everything, “We need to win them over.” Finally a high ranking official in the Pacific States that gets it (other than Tagomi, of course!). I want to see more of him in Season 4.
Tagomi
He continues to be a beacon of hope and goodness while possessing a calm, peaceful demeanor. Himmler greatly underestimated him, and the scene where he defends himself against his would-be assassin was perfection, right down to the solemn expression on his face. He did not want to do it, but it was the last resort because it was him or the assassin.
I loved the meeting between Tagomi and Smith. It was so well written and acted on all fronts. I’m glad the two characters got to see each other face to face. They are so very different. I’ve always wanted to see an interaction between the two.
Kido
One does not mess with Chief Inspector Kido.
I enjoyed watching him go to the Neutral Zone posing as a member of the Yakuza and having to tolerate other people to blend in.
Clerk: Information isn’t free.
Kido: *Slams his head against the desk*
Well, he tried. 😉
I didn’t expect him to actually catch up with Frank, so when *it* happened, I was shocked. I found it interesting how he drove out to the site of a WWII Japanese Internment camp and how he changed into his uniform to give him a ceremonious execution. I’m still trying to figure out if it was a sign of respect, or if Kido felt an immense amount of guilt because the bomb happened under his watch and, therefore, he was honor bound to execute the culprit.
Ed, Robert, Frank & Jack
I absolutely adored these four. I loved every second they were on screen. It was so nice to see Frank showing remorse for his actions in Season 2.
As for Ed, I am happy they gave him a boyfriend (Jack). It’s been established that he is gay since Season 1, and I always wondered if they’d ever put him in a relationship. I felt that this relationship fit perfectly into the story because Ed is a character we’ve cared about since Season 1, and Jack seamlessly flowed into the storyline and helped progress the plot. He is a likeable character that you can’t help but root for. I loved the dynamic between him, Ed, and Robert. I look forward to seeing more of them in Season 4.
The trio unfurling Frank’s banner in San Francisco was such a beautiful way to protest without causing anyone harm, and I wish they were the leaders of the resistance because it was just so pure, honest, and good. It was my favorite scene of theirs.
Before I move on, I loved the reunion between Frank, Ed, and Juliana.
Smith
The home he’s built for himself and his family is collapsing around him. The sins of his past and present are catching up with him. Thomas’s death shattered his world. The perfect, warm family life he’s enjoyed for so long is now a mere shadow. Everyone he cares about is either dead or gone. He’s lost Wagner, Thomas, Erich, Joe, and Helen whisked the girls away from him.
His storyline was the darkest and most depressing of all. Watching Helen fall apart during the first half of the season was heartbreaking. When she left and told him that she was running from him, I wanted to cry (Chelah Horsdal deserves an Emmy for that performance).
As the season progressed, he grew more stoic and distant, and she embraced her emotions—her heart led her to do what she thought was best. The contrast between the two was chilling and a so beautifully sorrowful.
One thing is for certain, Smith is reaping what he’s been sewing for the past 15 years. I don’t want redemption for him. I want him to get what he deserves. Remember the memory dream sequence involving the little girl in Cincinnati.
Let us not forget that.
With that being said, he is my favorite character, and Rufus Sewell is an extremely talented actor who portrays the character so perfectly!
Here’s to looking forward to what Season 4 has in store for us, and hopefully we won’t have to wait 2 years. 😉
The Man in the High Castle cast members were at NYCC to discuss Season 3. Oh, and the best part? An exclusive early look!
A huge thanks to @nerdophiles for live tweeting the panel!
The official sneak peak!
Talk about a thriller! Here are my thoughts & theories, some T&T:
Smith’s Revealing Facial Expressions
Season 2 left us with Smith preventing a nuclear war and getting access to Hitler’s vault of films.
In the clip above, he is clearly troubled before the doctor even begins his spiel about the traveler on the table.
My initial guess is that Smith watched some of the films, saw a different version of himself or something equally disturbing, and was suddenly called to the lab. The doctor only confirmed what looked like a world-shattering suspicion for him. Look at the way he moves and rubs the back of his head. Smith, who is always in control and always has a plan within a plan, is distressed.
Another factor that most certainly has a play in Smith’s temperament is Thomas’s fateful decision at the end of Season 2. I can’t imagine what he thought when he returned home and discovered his son had decided to be euthanized. It had to be life shattering.
And then to have your entire reality as you know it broken like that with clear evidence that, yes, the films are real and that there are different versions of you running around in alternate worlds…
When the doctor says they are working on mechanical ways to travel between worlds, the camera zooms in on Smith’s face. I get the distinct feeling he is thinking about Thomas and making mental plans to steal a Thomas from another world as soon as they figure out how.
The Multiverse
The doctor calls the other worlds “the multiverse” and reveals that they’ve been trying to find a way to cross into other worlds. I have no theories on how the writers will incorporate “the multiverse” into the story now, but since they’ve done such an awesome job at keeping this show unique, I am confident that it will be good and not your run of the mill sci-fi cliché.
Season 3 to be released in 2018
Nooooo! All I can hope is that it’s not released when I have to travel (my work’s travel season starts in 2018). I will not have time to watch it when I’m away. I am hoping they release it between trips or after travel season. *crosses fingers*
Avoiding spoilers when you are not a binge watcher is rough as it is, but add I-literally-cannot-watch-it to the 10 days (1 ep a night) it will take me to watch the show? *cries*
Special character guest, RIA Agent John Smith, talks about his latest assignment. Being a secret agent is not all glam, guns, and action.
I don’t know why I always get tossed the weird, odd-ball missions. Maybe Director Rollins hates me, I don’t know. Last week I had to track down a lunatic wearing a baseball cap wrapped in foil. Yes. I had to follow this weirdo all over town (and no, he couldn’t make it easy for me and live in the city). This nutjob lived in a dumpster by the A.D. railroad tracks of a small town up in the mountains.
What did I learn?
Clyde Butterworth spent his afternoons singing incoherent songs with a voice that made you want to smack your own face with a frying pan. When he wasn’t singing, he was glued to a dented flask of empire-knows-what or collecting pine cones.
And so, this “threat” to national security made last week a living hell. Honestly, what unknown atrocity did I commit to get stuck with such an empire-be-damned assignment? You might be wondering why the RIA would waste its resources on a certified lunatic.
It was all because of this letter he had somehow managed to slip under the local police chief’s door. Director Rollins was convinced that this was the work of the mastermind behind the recent increase in insurgent cells around the empire.
A translation to spare you from deciphering that mess:
They’re watching you. I’m watching you. Empires rise and fall, and soon they will be our masters. I am their frontman. I am their voice! They demand the release of Mitty.
Mitty is not the charismatic terrorist leader Rollins thought he was. Nope. Mitty is a dirty sock puppet our friend uses to harass people downtown. His favorite antic was,
“I AM MITTY THE GREAT! PULL MY FINGER & LISTEN TO MY TRUMPET SOLO!” I’m not going into the details. Use your imagination.
After a day of trailing this guy, I begged (yes, begged) Rollins to have this guy carted off to the nut house. But no. My boss was still convinced that this man was some sort of eccentric genius and actually said that he was impressed with his ability to disguise the truth so well.
IMPRESSED.
After a week of this torture, I submitted all the footage I had of the guy, and I was finally authorized to arrest him and drop him off at the mental health facility in Springfield.
The police chief bagged Mitty and submitted the soiled sock as evidence because this is exactly what the RIA needs to send to the lab, and please tell me you heard the sarcasm in my voice.
So here I am with an evidence bag containing the most grotesque sock I have ever laid eyes on. What should I do with it?
Send your answers to [email protected] with Mitty the Great as the subject.
Rated T for Teen – Contains foul language
The free copy is in .epub format (which works on most major tablets and eReaders). If you prefer a .pdf version, please let me know when you send your answer in.
Stop and look both ways before crossing the street!
You’ve got this great idea. It might be the most awesome thing since instant coffee, and you want to rush your fabulous thing so that the world can see it! We’re talking ASAP. You scramble faster than a NASCAR driver at the Daytona 500 and zoom through that final lap. You post it on the Internet.
…Aaaaannnnnd you wait for the likes. The Internet is dead silent. You ask yourself, “Why?” Your thing has all the fabulousness of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood riding his beautiful elk into battle, right?
This is a pitfall everyone has fallen into at one point or another, myself included. You’re giddy, and you feel young again! You have all the excitement of a 10 year old kid who just finished stringing a macaroni necklace. The teacher loved it. You show it off to your parents. DAD LOOK WHAT I MADE! LOOK HOW AWESOME! You got that instant thumbs up back then. It was a sure deal.
Posting your stuff on the internet is much the same. You just finished something amazing, and you crave those digital thumbs ups, recognition for your hard work. You want to be patted on the back—it is only human to desire validation and praise, so don’t feel bad for craving it.
Look at this sketch for example. I was excited after finishing it, I mean John Smith as a Romulan Commander!? Heck Yeah! It’s an okay first attempt; I’ll give it that, but I know it can be so much more than what it is. Was I tempted to blast it on every channel of the Internetz as soon as I finished it? You bet I was!
Back to your awesome thing you just posted. Where did you go wrong?
Every good product comes with planning, practice, and patience. That thing you posted was awesome, but what if it was only the first draft of something even more amazing?
Look at John Smith now. I listened to that tiny, inner voice of mine and decided to draw another sketch and to perfect his face. Sure, I could have colored in the first attempt, but I don’t think it would even compare to this one. I took the first sketch and decided to do another one, this time using many reference pictures of the actor instead of just one.
The bottom line is this: don’t rush. Take that awesome thing and wrap it in bacon, and by bacon, I mean your genius because your genius is one of the few things more awesome than bacon.
I will discuss ways and provide tips on how you can mold your first attempts into amazing works of art, prose, or [ insert your hobby here] in my next post, The Three Ps of Making Something Awesome.
High Castle in the News!