It all feels very organic and, by the end, immensely satisfying. By the end of "The Road Less Traveled," Juliana's entire world changes and she's set on a bold, new path that helps connect - well - just about everything. It takes about two episodes before Season 2 starts taking on its own glorious shape. Juliana kicks things off by actually meeting The Man in the High Castle himself (played by Stephen Root), and that actually becomes one of the least interesting interactions she has this year. As characters who felt slightly muddled back in Season 1, and whose "love" connection never really hit home, Juliana and Joe get to go their separate ways this season and wonderfully expand. In fact, one of the biggest accomplishments this year involves the evolution of both Juliana and Joe. Hunted by both Japanese authorities and the Resistance who've now labeled her a Nazi traitor, Juliana makes some very desperate choices this season. Frank is out to somehow free Ed from prison, Joe - with multiverse film in tow - is uncomfortable being labeled a hero by the Reich, and Juliana is beset on all sides by those looking to exact revenge. Instead, we dive right into the aftermath of Season 1, now with new insights into each of our main characters. As if to say, "This is a dark and overtly morbid show so you need to figure out right now if you want to keep going." There's nothing that immediately deflating in Season 2. Perhaps I'm just remembering back to how the second episode of Season 1 dealt with the unjust execution of Frank's sister and her kids, which was an out-of-the-gate gut punch that almost acted like a litmus test for viewers. I wouldn't go so far as to say Season 2 of Amazon's The Man in the High Castle is lighter than its freshman year run, because it most certainly has its fair share of grim scenarios, but it does allow for more nuanced character moments - prioritizing them, in fact, over some of the heavy-handed world building of Season 1.
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