Tag: philip k dick

Vancouver Part 1

Posted on by in High Castle

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!


The End of the Worlds

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My favorite show, Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle is coming to an end this fall. The announcement and teaser trailer dropped when I was away on a work trip (in case you missed me!).

I haven’t gotten a chance to fully process the fact that Season 4 will be the last of the show that I love and have dedicated a considerable amount of my time and energy to—I wouldn’t trade all of the High Castle things I’ve created for the world! It’s been a huge part of my life ever since I saw Season 1 in 2016.

The melancholy mood of this sketch says it all! 

I honestly don’t know what I’ll do after Season 4. As I said, High Castle has been a huge part of my life for the past three years. It is a bittersweet feeling for me. While I’m glad they aren’t dragging it out, I am sad to see my beloved characters go. I wasn’t quite ready for that announcement yet.

As I sit here thinking about all the wonderful friends I’ve made through the show, I smile, so I’ll end this by saying that I want to give the cast and crew a proper thank you for everything.

~~~

Walking around NYC: Give me Those TMITHC Vibes!

Posted on by in High Castle

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!

It’s that Time of Year Again!

Posted on by in NaNoWriMo, Sisters

It’s that time of year again, folks! NaNoWriMo is back!

Last year I jumped in with vague impressions of a story and sank, but this year, I’ve got myself an outline, a plot, and an ending.

Sisters: Behind the Iron Eagle, take two!

I don’t know if the political climate is right for the original Sisters. I started it before a certain election. And despite the fact that I have disclaimers plastered everywhere, I am still wary about publishing it. I don’t want to give up entirely because I put a lot of research into it, and let me tell you, researching Evil in WWII will make your gut churn.

I understand why Philip K. Dick couldn’t bring himself to dive deep into the horrors and atrocities of the Third Reich for his unfinished sequel to The Man in the High Castle. From Wikipedia, The Man in the High Castle [book]:

Dick said that he had “started several times to write a sequel”, but progressed little, because he was too disturbed by his original research for The Man in the High Castle and could not mentally bear “to go back and read about Nazis again.”

Moving on from the dark and depressing…

Since there is a world of characters and places that already exist in my head that I’m not ready to toss into the Great Void yet, I started looking at other alternate endings to WWII, and Behind the Iron Eagle (BTIE) was born.

In BTIE, the allies dispersed after a grave disagreement over the handling of a defeated Germany. Only the Red Army remained as an occupying force in the end. Japan and the United States was at a stalemate, signing a non-aggression pact where Japan got Hawaii, and the US was awarded a lucrative manufacturing contract. Everything seemed to be going well after 1945 for the US and Japan. Their newly minted friendship created an economic boom.

But the great bear grew hungry. In 1955, the Soviet Union invaded the United States and defeated her.

The characters from Sisters return in BTIE. The People’s Republic of the United States is their way of life. They know nothing else, but is it a better life than the one we enjoy today?

Only time will tell as I trek through NaNoWriMo to write their journey!

If you are doing NaNoWriMo this year and would like to add me as a writing buddy, feel free!

Add Me! RlyehDreams

Coming to a Multiverse Near You: TMITHC Season 3 Review!

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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. 😉