The Man in the High Castle — Series 4 Episodes 3: The Box — A Review

23rd November, 2019.

OK … 

It’s true: I’ve caught some TV, tonight.

In possibly more ways than one.

Firstly?

The officially official trailer for Dr Who’s twelfth series is now out.

And it looks rather good.

Especially if you saw that Cyberman, too!

~≈†≈~

I also have to admit … I’ve signed up for Apple’s Apple Arcade: its game streaming service.

It seems cheap enough: and there’s a lot of games on there that seem the sort of thing I’d go for.

I have to say, thought: there’s one game on there: called Marble It Up: Mayhem!

You have to roll a marble around a 3d obstacle course.

It’s fantastic looking: and very enjoyable to play.

But?

The controls for the desktop — Mac — version are like this.

For a START?

Whoever ported the game across to the Apple Arcade, obviously didn’t know about the Mac’s one button mouse.

And W, S, A and D are fine keys for up, down, left and right.

If you’re right handed: and using the mouse in your right hand.

Guess which left hander tried it on the Mac, first … ?

Yep: Juggins, here … 

At least the version on the Apple TV … benefits from the game controller.

~≈†≈~

Talking to TV … ?

Talking of TV, I managed to catch some, tonight.

Yes: I’ve managed to catch episode 3, of The Man in the High Castle’s fourth season.

This is looking good.

~≈†≈~

Episode 3 — The Box — opens with Helen Smith (the Reichsmarshall’s wife, Chelah Horsdal) heading back for Nazi America.

Keen to see her daughters: and seemingly wanting to get her eldest, Jennifer (Genea Charpentier), out.

Meanwhile … ?

Meanwhile, Juliana (Alexa Davalos) is in our world, and trying to buy a gun.   Seemingly, she wants to defend herself from this worlds version of Reichsmarshall Smith (Rufus Sewell.)

Back in the world of the High Castle?   The alliance between Bell Mallory’s (Frances Turner) BCR, and Wyatt’s (Jason O’Mara’s) group of resistance fighters is going ahead with it’s raid.

Wyatt’s group?   Managing to kill three out of the four planned targets, but missing the vital fourth target.

Inspector Kido (Joel de la Fuente), himself … 

He … ?   Has a good reason for being late.   His son, Toru (Sen Mitsuji) … ?

Toru’s post-traumatic stress disorder … is getting worse … 

How many problems that will cause?

We will only find out, after Reichsmarshall Smith’s agents find Juliana.

~≈†≈~

Now … 

Is this a good episode, I hear you ask?

Yes: it is.

There’s pure emotional drama from the word go: with Helen back into the hell hole that is her marriage: and her life: in Nazi America.

And as a high point?

As a high point, a scene between Juliana, and Alt-John Smith, where the pair discuss ‘the war.’

Alt John tells Juliana he left the army — even after getting a field promotion — because the guilt of his actions was too heavy.

Leaving Juliana to confer the ‘powerful man who shot me’ was someone who’d behaved badly, during the war … but hadn’t regretted it.

We, of course, know who Juliana is talking about: even if Alt John, doesn’t.

The scene’s a beauty … 

And a scene that leads to the apparent death of John Smith … 

Frankly?

Good?   I don’t know.

I do know this.

I want to see what happens next …