John Smith Abandoning His Brothers｜The Man In the High Castle｜Season 4

[@notta2042]

John Smith could have easily by himself carried this entire tv series

[@pep590]

Excellent analysis.

[@TheJosephPrice]

He largely did.

[@printezstroman]

I'm watchin The Handmaid's Tale and the fact that they don't have a character that's as heavy as Smith is very obvious.

[@audreyandremington5265]

and Kido

[@fifthcolumn388]

Audrey and Remington and Tagomi

[@ShinoCoffee]

"We were brothers" These 3 words alone really hits out hard.

[@noobster4779]

Out of all the allied nations the US would most likely be the most sympathetic and easiest to turn to nazi ideology. I mean their race laws and daily segregation were already close to the same. It is an illusion to think the US would somehow not be converted. Think about it that way: before the nazis germany was seen as one of the most progressive and modern countries around, especially considering the free culture. Didnt take a lot to convert them to fight for the nazis to the bitter end.

[@adamboh393]

That’s only in the South up North especially in this time 1940s) it is far more socialist and liberal and wouldn’t succumb to Nazi ideology as quickly, however the show does show Nazi ideology has taken hold in America with children voluntarily euthanising themselves because of Nazi ideology.

[@trollerjakthetrollinggod-e7761]

@@adamboh393 actually, an overwhelming majority of Americans across the country at the time preferred losing to the Nazis than actually having full equality.

[@hunterfurlong8642]

@@trollerjakthetrollinggod-e7761 But that was before Pearl Harbour and the Nazi declaration of war, when the Nazis declared war it changed many opinions to being staunchly anti-fascist.

[@mohamedelkayal2068]

@@hunterfurlong8642 the irony only when it gets personal do people act.

[@robertmoore6149]

This scene was horrific. You know where these men are going. It's a virtual (or actual) death sentence. The fact Smith literally turns his back on them is so powerful and crushing.

[@capslock7833]

well they picked the wrong side and lost so fuck em

[@ottersirotten4290]

most likely POW Camp

[@xavieribanez-padron4857]

@@capslock7833 They didn't pick any side, they were jewish

[@capslock7833]

@@xavieribanez-padron4857 :)

[@andezong9565]

CAPS LOCK what’s it like being an asshole/troll?

[@daimonfug]

I felt this scene. Really disturbing. This was what some people were acutally going through 80 years ago.

[@ReformedSooner24]

Your Lord and Savior Particularly in the east.

[@MakisHMMY]

You guys mean Europe ?

[@ariefraiser140]

@@MakisHMMY Yea. During ww2 there were plenty of countries where jewish people grew up side by side with non jews and were neighbors even family. All that changed when the Nazis invaded.

[@forgetful9845]

@@ariefraiser140 Certain leaders even tried to protect their Jewish populations from Hitler, even though Mussolini was an ally the Italians attempted somewhat to protect their population, but alot of them still perished.

[@barrymoon7418]

yawn

[@RaulSmith]

I really did not like how this show ended but I have to say Rufus Sewell's performance as John Smith really helped further cement this as one of the best shows Amazon prime has ever had. This scene is exhibit a. Without saying more than a few words, Sewell really helps sell the conflict inside Smith's soul as he watches his friends, his brothers in arms, being led to a fate worse than death and he is powerless to do anything about it without risking his family's safety. And you see future John as he comes to grips with how badly he betrayed Danny and how deep into his soul his betrayal cut into him. Some amazing acting work on display here.

[@jemert96]

Fully agree. I really prefer the more character-driven storylines in the first seasons over the more generic nazi-scifi and black-underground-fighters that we got in the last seasons. The fourth season felt more like something you would see in a Disney Star Wars movie honestly. "Things! Explosions! Excitement!" to quote Cinemasins. I think John Smith, Frank Frink, Hawthorne Abendsen are the show's best characters, but sadly all of them were criminally underused in the last seasons in favor of random Japanese/German palace intrigue

[@gargk999]

I agree - Sewell was fantastic. I also really enjoyed Cary-Hirokuyi Tagawa as Trade Minister Tagomi. His quiet, understated performance of his character emphasized his struggles with being part of such a feudal society which conflicted with his basic humanity.

[@Peter-bx7ip]

@@jemert96reviving a zombie thread! An article about the fourth season indicated that the story writers did not know it would be the final season until the start of production for it. They were extremely bummed out. This indicates they were at least aiming for five seasons, which would have given S4 more room to breathe.

[@Fulcrum.Actual]

This was the exact moment he sold his soul

[@horationelson1840]

Debaditya Sinha I do not agree. I already assumed he had done much worse than this two seasons ago. Best character of the show, by far, my favorite. Shoulda lived.

[@Lightingwarrior]

@Lord Farquaad You never know what you truly would've done until your in the situation, so don't go assuming a person would not do it, as there are some who would do it and there are some who wouldn't. There are plenty of real-life examples of people taking a dangerous risk like this, simply because it was the right thing

[@cowmoo5596]

@@Lightingwarrior who

[@sonogamirinne7172]

@@Lightingwarrior this is the time the nazi won not in our time when they lose, stupid hero

[@DarkAdonisVyers]

@@Lightingwarrior The movie, Dread, shows that a vegan can be starved into cannibalism. This is nothing, compared to that.

[@zacherypierre1712]

Don't get me wrong I love this scene for its emotion, very dark, but I can't help but wonder how much more impactful it could have been had we spent more time with Danny. Like if we knew of him from an earlier season from flashbacks before the Nazis took over and it was revealed he was jewish later.

[@kgbcommitteeforstatesecuri3315]

Yeah i always thought that. This scene sent chills on my spine seeing a bro betray his. If we saw danny develop, i would have cried.

[@michaelheath2866]

Well part of it was them being rushed. This season shouldn't have been the last. I'm not sure I can forgive Amazon for screwing this up. What would have been even more impactful would have been to see John joining the SS, and being stationed in his first...camp. Maybe even seeing Danny there before...well yeah they could have hit us a lot worse if they'd wanted to.

[@THE_GUY_ONE]

Now that I think about, I believe it would be great if it was Danny who would turn out to be The Man In The High Castle.

[@michaelheath2866]

@@THE_GUY_ONE That's interesting. Like imagine if he had been in a camp. He knew his family had been killed and he was in despair. Then like other travelers, he willed himself to another world and became the first to bring back the films? Or maybe he escaped like others and somehow the travelers brought him the films. That might have been a very good story arc. I don't mind the way they did it, I loved Hawthorne, but your idea could have worked too.

[@wysoft]

Danny being Jewish was probably an afterthought, and might not have even been known to many others besides John. In the early 20th century, even in the US, many Jews anglicized their names and converted or were non-practicing. He was arrested primarily because he refused to join the American Reich, despite John's attempts to convince him otherwise. They were told by their superior that any holdouts would "get nothing... or death." For his superior officer to give Danny the choice to join the Reich with the rest of his fellow officers suggested that his ancestry was not known.

[@denzelpardillo1181]

And after that he's Johanne Schmidt.

[@syncout9586]

So he can guide others to a treasure he cannot possess?

[@denzelpardillo1181]

@@syncout9586 well i think thats the case now since he's already dead and the american uprising is about to start.

[@RowNumbers]

lmao

[@leog463]

You mean "Johann" without the "e"

[@denzelpardillo1181]

@@leog463 nahh i meant Johanne.

[@elfbruh]

season 4 was definitely rushed due to cancellation issues; but, goddamn did it have some brilliant fuckin moments in it

[@odog1372]

Yeah to me then ending was not nearly as good as it could have been had it not been rushed

[@jaredkrol3739]

They tried to cram 2 seasons of half baked story into 1. It’s a shame because it really probably could have been very good

[@temparalflux914]

@@jaredkrol3739 just be grateful it actually had an ending, so many stories on TV get cancelled half way through, never to return.

[@ernestw2474]

Honestly, it's hard to imagine to see American in WW2 US Army uniform have Nazi armband and perform Nazi salute.

[@shiranijossuerojascastrill9385]

@Newbeginnings19 2019 Like the current president of U.S.A.?

[@shiranijossuerojascastrill9385]

@Newbeginnings19 2019 ok ok don't worry. I'm only speculate with the ucrony and the history. Is a very creative exercise for me. By the way IS A HISTORICAL FACT THAT MANY AMERICANS HAD GERMAN ANCESTRY. YOU SAY IT! AND THE HISTORY PROVES IT.

[@Valkar-Zorin]

I think US uniform with nazi armband сould never happen no matter how much alternate verses there are. The time US and USSR were allies was the best time in last 100 years. Thank you americans for your help in WW 2. Lets remember these good times. From Russia.

[@UchronianKing]

Check out real-life footage of the American Nationalist Party rallies that took place BEFORE the war. Nearly all nations that fought against Nazi Germany had pre-war fascist union parties. In that alternate world, John Smith had a family to look out for, his nation had lost, so what else could he do? If he joined the resistance, his family would be in danger of reprisals by the new Nazi state. In this alternate history, the United States was the biggest and most powerful of democratic Allies - and yet were still invaded, fighting desperately against both the Japanese and the Nazis. What was in reality a German 'two-front' nightmare also proved the same for the Americans featured in 'The Man in the High Castle'. Certainly they would have fought tenaciously, committed to a war of attrition, but ultimately the Nazi atom-bombed Washington DC (in December 1945) shortly after effectively ending the war. Without a Congress or President, plus the administration wiped out by the blast, including of course the casualty shock value, the American military was given a stark choice: surrender or witness more cities obliterated....until you DO surrender! Some of the back-story is sketchy, but in this scene of transition Smith's then superior explains that General Patton took over both military and presidential control, soon shaking hands with Marshal Goering and agreeing to surrender terms. Would Patton also be condemned for making this terrible decision? Or, whatever the cost to their freedom, have saved millions of lives so that perhaps, one day, they might somehow gain advantage of a future situation? Even so, stoic resistance and militia groups sprung up all over occupied North America and it wasn't quelled until sometime during 1947.

[@UchronianKing]

@aboctokThat's right: Vichy France was (initially) unoccupied but nevertheless forced to align and comply with Nazi Germany's policies as a vassal state. One tragic outcome of this was that the Free French under Allied command were at times in direct confrontation against Vichy Frenchmen. If the United Kingdom had been invaded and occupied (to whatever extent), a similar thing would have happened. The Royal Family might have been evacuated to New Zealand, key politicians to Canada, or even India and fight on there against the Japanese foe, meanwhile Free British troops would accompany them - perhaps later fighting under US command if America entered the war. SPOILER: There was one scene in 'It Happened Here' where the protagonist nurse is captured by invading US troops, and one of the officers is actually wearing a British uniform; like the Free French and insurgents during the Paris Uprising against Nazi rule, many Free British troops would be keen to spearhead a US-led liberation of their homeland.

[@J_C_CH]

This is basically the villain origin story of how a hero would turn to evil. We first see John in 1962 as a devout officer in the Third Reich, pretty much the epitome of villainy. But through these flashbacks, we see a once great man, a good soldier who had the respect and love of his brothers in arms. And then, just like that, in order to save himself and those he loved, he turns to evil in order to ensure their survival. Kinda like Anakin in the SW prequels, if you see where I'm going with this. Good men will be pushed to do anything to save those they love. John Smith is the Darth Vader of this series.

[@thekekambas8463]

I was thinking the same thing

[@ballingonja]

Even in season 1-3 he has always been trying to save his own skin and his family. It really shows, he isn't out for anyone, not even the reich. It kind of sucks how they destroyed his character in season 4 though, he legitimately wanted to reform America.

[@richardbeck3472]

But if you can be pushed to do anything, are you really that good to begin with?

[@J_C_CH]

@@richardbeck3472 Hey, as we all know, sometimes all it takes is one bad day.

[@niyon6427]

No he is not Darth Vader completely. Even Darth Vader found redemption and corrected his ways in end . John didn't . John is an American Nazi from start till the end

[@richardl9014]

You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

[@MajoradeMayhem]

I love that this series is literally about the cowards who did not become a hero. The heroes are dead. This is what remains - John Smith and all like him.

[@alphariusfuze8089]

*A hero that not be remembered by anyone*

[@K24B]

I'd rather become the "villain" rather than fighting 2 giants

[@davehasenford3985]

or vice versa

[@thepatriot3018]

I think John wanted to help him but he was thinking in his wife and son

[@johndelacruz8505]

That is called the instinct to survive. We are all capable of such callous behaviors. We as humans can do pretty terrible things.

[@spectre111]

Sometimes I think we say that the Nazis were monsters to comfort ourselves because it's not nearly as terrifying as what they really were. Human beings, just like everyone else...

[@Dadouf112]

Stanford Prison experiment comes to mind

[@ReveredDead]

So damn true. People 95% of the time say "Oh I would never in my life do that". They truly do not know themselves. If you have a family, you will do anything to protect them.

[@J_C_CH]

@@spectre111 That's actually a very haunting thought. You can't even call them animals, because you never see animals carrying out mass genocide.

[@spectre111]

@@J_C_CH Makes me think of Sigourney Weaver said in Aliens. "You don't see them backstabbing each other over for a goddamn percentage."

[@goldeneagle3088]

You could see the great regret and remorse that john felt in that scene, knowing he should have done something but yet knew it could lead to the death of his family and himself. What could he do? That feeling of being powerless and scared that it goes against everything you believed in once before.

[@TheBigExclusive]

I'm not taking the side of the Germans, but this wasn't even a realistic plan. The prisoners would NOT get far on foot. The Nazis would track down any prisoners quickly. Then execute John and his family for helping. The prisoners were just desperate and trying anything to get away.

[@JoseReyes-yo6il]

Yo la neta si hubiera hecho algo no me hubiera importado es tu hermano yo le hubiera dicho que detenga el camión ya que tenia una bomba o algo así la cosa era sacar a tu hermano y a los que se pueda

[@cashmahne]

You let the men out and take your chances

[@anthonyparillo7832]

I get your point but those men were his family as much as his wife

[@anthonyparillo7832]

@@cashmahneeasier said than done, I’d like to see you casually “take your chances” with nazis invading your country

[@CameronM1138]

This was the best episode of the series. Rufus Sewell did such an incredible job with this role.

[@Soulsphere001]

Combined with the scene right before, it's such a great scene. Obviously John wants to help his friend, but the fear of being caught and the thought about what would happen to his family prevents him from doing what he knows is right. I love the scenes before, when he sees his friend in the other universe. The pain he feels is heartbreaking. But he chose that life to save his family, and he'll have to live with it. It's too bad the show ended as it would have been interesting to see where his character arc went. I don't believe he would have defected again, unless the lives of his family could have been guaranteed.

[@RoSoliTaire]

One of the best and most complex characters ever created. Even from the beginning, each of John Smith's terrible decision for the Reich in order to keep his position and save his family was never short of subtle confliction, and Rufus Sewell enacted the required subtlety so well. And this scene right here finally cemented the complexity of John Smith. Also, I think this is the very first episode where we see him cry.

[@JoeFromCanada93]

Phenomenal scene, shows the parting moment of Smith's innocence; the point of no return was crossed early on during his career as a Nazi. I can't believe this show took off so much in the past few days. Such a huge gain in viewership.

[@spentcasing3990]

To me what makes this so powerful is that John Smith isn't an evil man, he's a regular person like you or I. Even his name is nothing extraordinary or memorable. Because of that when he has to choose and makes the choice that he does it's that much more impactful. Because if we were all in that position a lot of us would do what he did

[@Pdmc-vu5gj]

Speak for yourself...scum

[@tommyhunter1817]

Some things a worse than dying.

[@bad74maverick1]

Sometimes........... Dead is betta.

[@The_Honcho]

Watching this scene in American uniforms in the US really hits hard, especially when you take a second to think this exact thing happened to nations all over Europe and their soldiers

[@michaeld8280]

Very good point! Vichy France on larger scale.

[@garystefanski7227]

@SmeatPlays except Poland, zero collaboration, zero puppet government, zero branch of SS.

[@pimppimpproductions6497]

@@garystefanski7227 Depending on what you define as Poland, in many of the eastern areas of the second polish republic, there was collaboration (Lwow area and what not)

[@EIfric]

good lol😊

[@aoki6332]

@@michaeld8280 yeah almost every french collaborator did what they did for more than just siding whit evil where most where sentenced for there "treason" from the same people that run away in africa leaving the country i found Marshal Philippe Petain being a way more better man than de Gaulle he sacrificed a lot to make sure that more will survive the occupation there a lot of misinformation on him and at the end of the day instead of runing away like what people wanted him to do he came back to France and accepted his trial

[@dtommerica765]

The saddest and most painful thing to watch in Man in the High Castle.

[@iggyarctic5711]

Melting the Liberty Bell into a damned swastika AND destroying the Statue of Liberty!

[@itsblitz4437]

God that was freaking horrifying, and how John Smith went on the path to villainy.

[@Alte.Kameraden]

0:59 heavy breathing, you can just feel that his heart is sinking to his stomach, that feeling that none of us enjoy.

[@thschnick]

They spend the season showing that John Smith is haunted by his past decisions just to "subvert our expectations" and have him go full GoT Season 8 at the end. Moments like this are painful because they give us a piece of something great then spoil it all with the rest of it.

[@wilji1090]

I would agree to an extent, but there was a moment that actually led me to think differently. He told Helen that he "forgot how" to be something other than the Party's hatchetman (You don't become Oberstgruppenfuhrer of the SS without doing some atrocious things mind you, nevermind the fact he became Reichsmarshall and the Reichsfuhrer of the American Reich) which I think, like Whitcroft, Smith has joined up with the intentions of striking back but ultimately lost himself in Party doctrine and the like. Smith's conflict with the Party's ideology was even foreshadowed as far back as season one when Rudolph Wegener had asked him about why he didn't sail anymore (Smith had talked about sailing as a form of soul searching) and the comment got a weird reaction from Smith. Then there's the whole ordeal with Thomas. Anybody can preach adherence to an ideology, but it's an entirely different matter to adhere to it when it's affecting you personally. Someone like Eichmann might've been willing to euthanize their child, but Smith wasn't. Thomas choosing to surrender himself to be euthanized left its mark on Smith and haunted him arguably even more so than here. He could lie and tell himself that his brothers in arms had escaped captivity and maybe even have made it to the Pacific States, but with Thomas? There was no lying. Thomas willingly surrendered himself for a cause that Smith likely NEVER truly believed in. But since he had to play the role, he eventually became consumed by it and so when the moment came that he could turn back and undo a lot of the damage the German Reich had caused, he chose to continue playing the role because it was all he knew then.

[@AManNamedHawk]

Such an amazing and compelling scene. The fact that his name is Smith really shows that it could be anyone who falls this low.

[@pep590]

Almost impossible to do anything as the other soldiers were really kind of watching Smith and told him to get into that meeting, plus the Germans were in the truck already and could have seen Smith in the mirrors, if he tried to come over to the truck tailgate.

[@robertmoore6149]

He said and did nothing. He literally and figuratively turned his back on his fellow countrymen. That was the start down his road of being a principal collaborator. He rose through the ranks and profited personally tremendously. His inaction here as well as other actions shown demonstrate his hands are covered in the blood of Americans. Time and time again he proved himself to be a self promoting opportunist. It is little wonder why he killed Himmler and turned on the regime. He has a history of doing that already. At his core, he is a traitor and cant be trusted.

[@pep590]

@@robertmoore6149 No, after thinking about it more, you are exactly right robert.

[@robertmoore6149]

@@pep590 Very generous of you to say. Thank you.

[@agentandrewmiltonpinkerton9818]

@@robertmoore6149 most selfish is that his best friend considered to tear up that nazi flag use to 103 nukes in silo and become a super power a democratic state captalist. where freedom can be brought back use the nuke at germany and japan and you already win

[@agentandrewmiltonpinkerton9818]

@@robertmoore6149 also i think his dreams his method are to become big even in 1000 multiverse where we won he is still is a business man so his method is being big maybe there is one universe where he isnt a business man and only a taxi driver or a merican general but still his method is growing

[@anathema2718]

John Smith has abandoned his friend for help. It was a very serious and painful decision for him. He made the decision to protect his family, but he was feeling guilty.

[@bryanperalta740]

What's sadder is that he betrayed his friend for nothing, his son eventually died and later him and his wife.

[@SpokeNyan1390]

@@bryanperalta740Yeah well he didn’t know that would happened in the past.

[@SpokeNyan1390]

@@bryanperalta740But John in 1946 didn’t know that all of that would happened.

[@jesussalvador8495]

This was very hard to watch especially when Danny is begging his friend Jhon for help and all Jhon did was betray his friend and watched him being hauled away like cattle to the slaughter

[@Graymenn]

oh you mean that part that was pretty much the whole clip

[@jesussalvador8495]

Smedley Butler yea especially the actors they really made this the best performance

[@Graymenn]

@@jesussalvador8495 it really would be a boring scene without them

[@jesussalvador8495]

Smedley Butler agreeably true but the series as a whole is awsome

[@WhiteBoy-mq9nt]

Actually he didnt watch , he looked away because this film wanted to make ot very clear that John did not want to be in this situation and it hurt his heart.

[@ChristiansEdits]

How cruel it is to be in a situation where you cannot choose.What he did was a necessary evil in order to assure his family survival. Imagine the blame he carried his entire life after all the things he did.

[@zexonhairi7215]

Not a necessary good. It was just necessary for his survival. But it wasn't inherently good.

[@edalder2000]

Smith saved himself and got intoxicated with power. Excuses were made so that John Smith would never feel guilt. He was just "following orders." The Nazis used that excuse at Nuremberg. All but a few of the main Nazi defendants hung thanks to saying they were "following orders."

[@jackson7962]

@@edalder2000 The Winners kill the losers. It's not about justice. And if the Allies lost churchill and his lot would've also been justly hanged for their bombings on civilians.

[@GallowsPole805]

Jackson Yes... Marshall and MacArthur and everyone else (Truman too) war criminals for firebombing German cities and nuking mainland Japan. History is dictated, taught, written, and executed by winners.....

[@ramananrampragash6790]

@@jackson7962 Enough with your sympathy for Germany. Yes the allied bombings killed people but the Germans were no saints. The Luftwaffe had killed far more innocent civilians during its bombing campaigns in the Spanish civil war, Battle of Britain and during the invasion of the Soviet Union. The number of German civilians killed during allied bombing raids cannot come close to those lives killed by the luftwaffe.

[@truthprevails5911]

John Smith's reunion with his boy Thomas ....what an awesome scene

[@fazbell]

Hated to see this series end. Really fascinating alternative history.

[@TheMabiNerd]

this series ended on a note that would make game of thrones blush.

[@spookyt8692]

So, my dad was a police officer. He has always been by the book and the law is the law for a reason, if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear sort of gentleman. Anyway, at a wedding last year we got into the discussion of the role of the police when it comes down to it. He said that fundamentally the role of the police is to protect the government. I asked him what he would do if he was at a protest or riot in London, say near Parliament. If given the order would he open fire (Armed police) on a crowd if he saw his two brothers in it. He said he didn't know. This scene reminded me of that exchange between us.

[@gbrooks2k9]

In America, the police would absolutely shoot first

[@AndreyKarlovich]

Practically speaking, there was literally nothing John could do with truck about to leave. I mean yeah sure, you open the lorry's door and then what? Everyone comes out and then the driver and the vehicle commander would have noticed and then John Smith joins his old friend and dies too. Then what? His son grows up without his father and mother has to fend for herself in the late 1940s US, hell yeah as if she can work while nursing a baby of that age..... Then again with John Smith taken out of the picture, a lot of things wouldn't have happened.... BUT someone else would eventually replace John Smith.... but this is just my opinion.

[@cristivali5787]

well this scene is not based of continuing an opinion, is just about how john let his old fellas die. I mean after u lost a war, i dont think u should care about turning your tables but to remain with your men, is based only that john didn`t want to save his old friends.

[@noobplays-saslow2920]

@@cristivali5787 He couldnt have saved them anyways, there was other soldiers about and the drivers. John unlocks the door and before most of them can even get out the truck they are surrounded by soldiers, the ones who left probably get killed immediately and now John is also going to die. What sense is that?

[@gbrooks2k9]

They said they were going to wait until it was down the road. Which makes sense.

[@haydricht6899]

1:19 When your best friend gets in trouble at school for something both of you did, but only he gets punished.

[@CasualGamingDad187]

A hard choice. Knowing men he saw as brothers were going to die but releasing them could mean the death of his family

[@edalder2000]

I watched " Man in The High Castle", but there were days I could not-this scene is one reason. The show is a great alt-history, but it hit too close to me. My uncle Benny survived Auschwitz. He and 3 other relatives made it out. The rest of Benny's extended family, 40-50 people, died in the camps. Benny came to America and started a family in Pittsburgh. He told me that seeing the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor was among the greatest moments of his life. I know that, in John Smith's world, I would not exist. My father and most of my family would have been murdered by John Smith and his turncoats. "The Man in The High Castle" makes me feel fortunate that The Nazis lost.

[@RakaZet]

♥️🌹

[@michaelclasby6648]

Erik smith I don’t think you can compare what the Nazis did to current Israeli policies

[@cashwat210]

Erik smith Palestinians were never massacred by the millions

[@knight7se7en]

“Now now how come your talk turn cold? Gain the whole world for the price of your soul.......”

[@garyfrombrooklyn]

Rufus Sewell is an incredible actor, his non verbal displays are powerful. I’ve always seen him in antagonistic roles but his performance in Zen (an Italian police drama) is hilarious and equally compelling

[@BigSmileKenny]

*Steve Rogers has left the chat*

[@ShadowCammando24]

Goddamn that scene was so hard to watch. John Smith has to be my personal favorite character of the series. Everything he did, he did for his family.

[@BlackfyreHD]

The original sin of John Smith

[@Twentyfourseven80]

I was extremely impressed with this show, I do not like to binge watch shows, but this one was done in a week. now i need to read the book.

[@Hoowler]

Its such a powerful scene. The pain and guilt he felt over not helping Danny and the rest. He would have been shot and Danny would still be in a death camp. Since his commanding officer and one more were right there looking at him. Smith was completely powerless

[@kathirtahasin4452]

Some series overstay their welcome till we beg for their death. Others throw themselves off a cliff at their prime because they fear the former. This did just that

[@kennethwebster8767]

The Karma he got when he went through the multiverse, and that dude knocked on his door.

[@Perais1337]

That scene was such a gut punch

[@atlaskaiser693]

If he saved him the whole American unite he serves under would be redflagged John knew that and couldn't react

[@iggyarctic5711]

B.S. -Smirh is a COWARD!

[@JW_PUNK29]

John Smith should have had his own show

[@Zerosen89]

when he started on his path to evil

[@alphamega8660]

Zerosen89 started? bullshit

[@joshbrown5842]

This show was so good ontill the final episode man. It’s a real shame that they couldn’t stick the landing with this series.

[@eternal5930]

They could've had it go on one more season and have Ed, Jack, Childan, Juliana everybody against the Nazis in a battle. And after that Amazon could ask Netflix to put it on there and expand the fanbase.

[@ArgonYouTube]

@@eternal5930 Or better yet, get rid of Juliana and all the middle crap and just have the show with John, Kido and Tagomi. Sounds like a better show tbh

[@ReadmanJ]

Not gonna lie, this scene *Wrecked* me.

[@indoroyale7848]

Its comforting there are many universes and there could be one where he helps his fellow comrade

[@mardiffv.8775]

Like the old Deep Space 9: Garek tells doctor Bashir: "A Cardessian officer had to choice between his brother and the state. He chose the state". This is the same.

[@cheddacheese8112]

The only moment in the whole show that gave me goosebumps

[@brettdeadrick524]

Great buildup to his dying words.... "Glimpse through that door and see all the people you could have been...and know that out of all of them...this is the one you became."

[@slightlyistorical1776]

It would’ve been interesting if he was forced to encounter the differing variations of himself: one that died in the War, one that was living in OTL, one that released his brothers from the truck and joined the Resistance, etc.

[@saintpresterpare2951]

This is the only part of the series which make me cry.

[@osedebame3522]

Best scene in the whole season

[@bosmerfromcanada3878]

He's struggling not to cry because he knows he has damned himself, like Hawthorne Abendsen told him later on.

[@flukeman022]

Seems in some of the episodes he stopped caring for the Jews but when travelled to another world and met up with his Jewish friend it hit him real hard.

[@Willysmb44]

This scene haunts me like no other scene I can recall from anything ever on TV

[@wobert2485]

You were my brother Anakin! I loved you!

[@lucasdaignault3466]

This scene was so sad. I couldn't stop thinking about it

[@Valcon12345]

Same...both my grandfather's served in that war.

[@ericofthewest24]

Rufus Sewell and John Smith were too good for this show! Such a shame this series had powerful moments like this only to end as a clumsy mess.

[@Generalcapybara64]

Wow …… that must’ve been hard for him

[@overtakemedia7076]

This is when John realized he had been fully turned. He could've very well opened the latch and let them escape when the truck got on the road, and nobody would've known, but he doesn't. Not because he's afraid of getting caught, but he has been convinced that what going to happen to them is right. The emotion we see in this scene is not him trying to ignore his brothers as they are hauled off. But it's in fact him, wondering why he doesn't want to help them after all they've been through together. He doesn't know why he can't do something as simple as open a latch, when not too long ago, he would've taken a bullet for them.

[@bigj1905]

I still think it’s to early for that. At this point John’s motivation is more dependent on saving his family rather than believing in the Reich’s ideology. So he doesn’t free them because if they escaped the Nazi’s would know it was John because a solider spotted him just before. So he sacrifices his comrades to ensure his families safety.

[@2snowgirl520]

Russell Sewell is so under appreciated. This show is also so under appreciated.

[@ApplePotato]

After watching this I asked myself what would I have done. 1) Rescue Danny, but risk my own family. They might not even make off the base. 2) Let Danny go. And live with the guilt for the rest of my life.

[@someguy9293]

A hard destination indeed.

[@ReveredDead]

People will always put their families first. It is the bedrock of human nature to protect their offspring over everything else.

[@wegeebooster4339]

this was the moment when i knew that John was the best character in the show

[@UnRu1eD]

His whole story is really sad.

[@firemangan5024]

John could’ve just loosen the ledge and tell then to not escape until they are at place where no one can see them and make a run for the neutral zone.

[@lawrence5027]

you can see the guilt in his eyes

[@PastorKensCurveballs]

Man I am envious of you with that package. It is amazing what you got.

[@taylorverrall118]

"How do we live with our own survival?"

[@marcoosmith89]

this actor is awsome

[@GandaltheWhite]

The whole point of john smith was that he was a family-oriented first and above all

[@pointly]

You have two families: Your wife and children and your brothers-in-arms. If you were forced to side with one or the other, the decision you make will be painful for you, no matter what you choose. You will have to live with that guilt.

[@ZAR556]

Maybe this is what's like for France/Dutch army during Nazi occupation

[@tugrulserhat]

he kinda got his revenge at the end but the show ended too soon after that. it's a crime against humanity that this show ended in such terrible state...

[@PadecMaybeReal]

When youre the top fragger in TF2 and gets autobalanced.

[@lyricbugle8171]

I can't imagine the burden he carries

[@binder38us]

This was gut wrenching. This is where John Smith became a true Nazi. This is where he left his humanity and became a facist monster.

[@standureux6969]

Well, what choice did he have ? Free him and be executed ? When he has a wife and a son ?

[@teebrinner5939]

He did the right thing only in time to be betrayed by his wife.

[@Kray21728SP]

John Smith, he really doesn’t have a choice. Abandoning his brothers......he have no choice. There’s nothing he can do. Very sad and horrified about this.

[@nathanwhitfield8517]

He frees them. They escape, are recaptured, and tortured until they name John Smith as the accomplice. He is arrested. The officer insisting his presence testifies he saw John Smith near the truck validating the timing and means of escape with the confession. His family is rounded up and executed along with him AND the escaped prisoners. Yep, that's a better ending...NOT!

[@clayton9482]

This video, gives the watcher first hand of what some if not most Germans went through when they saw their former friends being taken away

[@gordonproductions284]

Imagine Dwight schrute in this universe

[@ernie_like_hemingway]

He would be an assistant regional reichführer.

[@jesesfin]

@@ernie_like_hemingway assistant to the regional reichsfuhrer

[@tysonstuart312]

@@jesesfin lmfaoo

[@djfigliola8432]

This is when John realized he had become evil

[@carlosbecerra5385]

Que triste y real momento.

[@null-xf9pd]

This show was so good

[@Gillan1220]

Then he walked the path of darkness

[@MrNoosphere]

I could never get a handle on the characters in this show. Here's Smith in our timeline, his pal and war veteran friend Lenny has just visited him and watched football with the family. Smith remembers back to Lenny in his timeline, and how he left him to his death, the horror on his face. Then later Smith takes charge of the whole American Reich and that first thing he does? Set up death camps just like the ones Lenny got shipped to. It's like Smith is supposed to have a redemption arc but the show kept faking it out.

[@EdgyShooter]

I think the saddest part is that if the roles were reversed, I'm pretty sure Danny would've helped John

[@johndavis8669]

0:30 Here is the goof. A/C window units were not around in 1946

[@dtommerica765]

They easily made 1-2 season on the how the Allies lost and everything that happened afterwards. What happened to the Major US Leadership? Did General Patton join the Nazi and help lead troops against Russia? What about the Kennedys? Did football ever become a thing? So much they could done!

[@kennethlee2278]

DTOM MERICA football was a thing well before the war started

[@alonenjersey]

More than likely Joe Kennedy Sr. was one of the many who not only was against America's entry in WW2, but was truly anti-Jewish as well. He no doubt would have welcomed the Nazi "liberators" with open arms. As for General Patton, he was probably the only true American leader left after the Nazis (in this series) dropped a A-Bomb on DC on Dec. 10, 1945.

[@dtommerica765]

alonenjersey do you think the Nazi would have used Patton to help fight the Communist ? Like how in our timeline Patton wanted to use the Nazis to fight the Communist?

[@richardl9014]

Obviously, they rush it, they should really make one episode focus on the war and some scene of Japan and German invasion. They are spending 10 millions per episode and never had a real combat episode.

[@panzertee9790]

We heard Omar Bradley’s voice as a nazi officer in a recording at some point

[@silverminkyt5949]

Why am I crying I have never even seen this but this hurt to watch

[@muhummadalsaddique8293]

How does that man sleep at night.

[@alinamilic]

How many people would do the same? Be honest with yourself. Most of the people are not heroes. We want to believe that in such situations we would demonstrate heroism and high moral principles but the reality is different...especially today. Our moral principles are lower than ever before so probably a good half of everyone you know would act the same.

[@forgetful9845]

"Our moral principles are lower than ever people" Ever since Aristotle people have been declaring the decline of moral values. If they were all right, we'd be devoid of any conception of morals. Morality simply evolves.

[@weazels]

@Berzerk Llama The west may have become more tolerate the rest of the worlds the same as it always has been and with good reason.

[@underoverrated2959]

I haven’t literally had this happen but I have a good idea what it feels like to be in the back of the truck

[@samuelwithers2221]

To everyone here trying to justify what Smith did, you missed the entire point of the scene. Smith had a choice, a risky one, but a choice between a heroic action or becoming the Nazis' bitch. And he folded. This was the start of his descent, the first compromise in a long list of atrocities. And after this first domino, all the rest fell into place. John Smith was never a member hero, or noble, or even a good person. He was, and is, a cunning manipulator, who'll sell anyone out if it benefits him. He saw this in the end, saw how his loyalty to the party got his wife and son killed, and he killed himself.

[@Modie]

Would be true, if it was not also stated by the same show that he is actually a good person, a heroic one at that, when he was shown saving Juliana in the parallel world. Yes, this was alternate John, but it was always said that the two worlds show the same people going different directions because of circumstances, not because of thei character. So, this analysis is not really true when considering different parts of the show. And this is what irked me about the ending so much. He was finally having power. Yes, he was not a good person, but he was now able to do what he wanted, not what he had to. The whole scene of him giving the order to attack makes no sense when he only one episode prior talked against the same idea when he wasn't even in a position of power. Furthermore, the actual Führer at this point supported his idea, so there is literally no reason for him to do it. Furthermore, with the ending, the whole section of going to the alternate world had 0 impact on the story or the character. You could literally cut Johns travel there and just make him watch movies of his son and the story could unfold in the same way. There was no character or story growth in these sections and they also didn't add anything to the already very well defined character. This, with the knowledge that they wanted to do at least one season more, leads me to believe that there was at least a different ending planned for John. I am not saying he would have had a complete redemption arc, but the ending was obviously not what the writers had in mind in the beginning. And before you say, they forshadowed it with alternate John mentioning that he would have changed if he had stayed longer in the army. It is the same problem GoT S8 had. Foreshadowing alone isn't enough. The path has to be understandable. I would have understood it if they actually had shown this process of loosing himself in having power and actually changing. But he didn't. Before and after he became Reichsführer he only had his son in mind. He couldn't care less about the war as long as his family is safe. It was a decision completely out of character at this point and I guess it was only done to give Juliana and her group some importance in the story again, because they had nothing else to do in the current story.