It's finally a go for Amazon's "The Man on the High Castle" as its first season is scheduled to air this week and critics have been very positive towards the direction that the show is pursuing.
The show, which is based on Philip K. Dick's novel of the same title, has been commissioned for ten episodes for its premiere season. Although the full series is set to be sent to Amazon's streaming service on Friday, November 20, viewers have been teased with the show as early as January of this year when the pilot was aired.
A drama that focuses on a rewritten version of how the Second World War ended, "The Man in the High Castle" is set on a United States of America that is under the rule of the Axis powers. The said country is divided into three, with German Nazis dominating the East Coast, Japanese rule hovering the Western coast and a demilitarized zone named the Rocky State Mountains standing in the middle.
Led by multiple main characters situated in these three regions, the show takes a turn when a film showing the Allied forces actually winning the war comes into the possession of Juliana Crain (portrayed by Alexa Davalos). From then on, the quest on tracking down the man in the high castle who made the said film will weave the lives of these characters.
Since its soft opening last January, "The Man in the High Chair" has piqued the interest of viewers and critics alike. Writing for Deadline, columnist Dominic Patten pointed out how the show explores a universal theme of freedom and how nations are built.
Such is echoed during an interview with the show's executive producer Frank Spotnitz wherein he emphasized that the show aims to circumvent the selfish mindset of modern humanity through the lens of an alternative history which could have shaped the world differently had it took place.
"In my mind, we've become a very pragmatic, self-centered people, primarily concerned with making money, being safe and living a long life. And there's more to life than that. There are ideas and ideals we're supposed to stand for and that give those other things meaning," Spotnitz tells Cleveland.
On a separate review, AV Club notes that even though the pilot may have laid down the important cards a little too early, the visual aesthetic employed in the series played a major role in establishing the mood and overall authenticity of the narrative that the show is trying to portray.
"The narrative may sometimes feel bloated and ponderous, but the look and design of the show is never less than sterling," they said.
Amazon may finally have a hit in their hands as things look good for "The Man in the High Chair". The full first season will be available for streaming in Amazon starting November 20.
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