[JemHadar]

Binged the 4 seasons this week.

Fortunately the unique Philip K. Dick flavour of looking at things, the world, humans, humanity was not too diluted although the series deviates significantly from the book that served as source material. The plot is not so much an adaptation as it is inspired by the book. For the most part the episodes flew past and some pertinent and poignant observations about human nature were well scripted and acted, be it flirting with caricatures for dramatic convenience.

The final ending was, IMHO, completely misguided and unnecessary. The show runners missed the mark completely trying to turn a brutal but satisfying conclusion (you will know when you see it) into a positive mysterious “mise en place” for a 5th season that never materialised. I do recognise that the payoff the show deserved would have been too much for most audiences in its nihilistic yet profound reckoning. Ultimately the current ending does a disservice to the legacy and spirit of Philip K. Dick’s work.

Ignoring the ending; the storytelling and the acting in the show were first rate as the silent scenes often were the most eloquent and revealing. Although this show does not pretend to be an essay on “the evil that men do” it does offer a “sanitised” view on the horrors of fascist rule. For me, the scene in which Helen calls for all of this “to stop” and John replies “I don’t know how” captures the essence of the story. The ambiguity of the characters could have been explored more in previous seasons but the fourth and final season more than makes up for it.

In true Philip K. Dick tradition the story holds up a mirror and asks the question “what would you have done”. Minor spoiler: the premise of the “Quantum Multiverse” is incorporated into the story very well and never becomes a distraction until the very end. “Nebenwelt” or not, the narrative serves as a grim reminder that “cause & effect” can spawn monsters that can swallow one whole or that it can amplify small acts of kindness into forces that shake empires to their very foundations.

The power of Philip K. Dick’s stories is that they shatter our views on reality. For every question answered more questions emerge that unavoidably transcend the framework of what we call humanity. The producers did succeed in capturing that sense of paranoia and dread and if you like dystopian stories and have the stamina for it “The Man in the High Castle” is a binge-fest.