'The Man in the High Castle' Recap: 'Escalation'

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Thus far, The Man in the High Castle is a television show that has yet to rely upon storytelling devices to advance the plot or character development, simply because of the fact that its rich and unique setting has never required it to. Being set in an alternate universe has its privileges and the brutal nature of this world and the challenges every character faces when it comes to survival alone is fascinating enough to keep our attention.
 
But now that this universe is thoroughly established and we’ve explored a good chunk of life in the Japanese Pacific States and the Greater Nazi Reich, the time has come at last for the series to inject a touch of traditional storytelling into the mix and as it turns out, the notion of second chances was introduced in the third episode of season two and heavily expanded upon in the fourth episode, and I say that, because every single character was more or less handed the opportunity to start over fresh in ‘Travelers’…while ‘Escalation’ explored exactly what they decided to do with said opportunity. 
 
As it turns out, save for one, every single character embraced their shot at a new life with gusto, especially Frank. Because shortly after having the opportunity to fight with the Resistance, he quickly discovered that it gave him quite the high and minute by minute, he found himself more focused on fighting the Japanese above all else, going so far as to help the Resistance get their hands on some explosive material and while it’s quite amazing to see life in Frank’s eyes for the first time, his newfound path is not without its consequences since both Ed and Childan have concerns about the fact he’s more focused on the fight than paying back the Yakuza.

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​On the New York side of things, Juliana discovered her new identity and newfound sense of anonymity could work to her advantage, allowing for her to blend in seamlessly when it came to her continued hunt for George Dixon. But alas, a few members of the Resistance discovered she's in town, making for one interesting day as she worked to escape them. While she dealt with that mess, it’s clear now that John Smith’s views of the Reich have changed completely since he appears to be disjointed and uninterested in his day to day work, and judging from his conversation/confession to his wife about why he put down the doctor, his family and their safety is clearly the only concern on his mind and he will focus on that above anything else.
 
However I did make mention of the fact that someone was displeased with their second lease on life and that honor fell to Joe Blake, who spent most of the episode filled with fury and disdain for his father, Martin. Despite the fact that Martin attempted to extend an olive branch to his son, providing Joe with a heartfelt apology, Joe was having none of it. It really seemed as though there was no way to reason with the young man, at least not until the beautiful Nicole asked him to listen to dear old dad and perhaps give the Reich and his father a second chance, and seeing as to how Joe can never say no to a pretty girl, he seems to heed her advice. 
 
Yet while all those characters dealt with their new leases on life, a few other plot lines were slowly taking shape as well. Trade Minister Tagomi has figured out how to move between realities and Kido is up to something as well and while these last two episodes were slow burners compared to the season premiere they were still fascinating and important. This story served as the set up for something far greater, especially when you consider the fact that Juliana has finally made contact with George Dixon. She will obviously be faced with an incredible choice soon, to try and use peace to change the future and reason with an old family friend…or murder him in cold blood to ensure that millions of lives are saved…

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