Finished watching season 3. I didn't like it as the other two, but it was still good. SPOILERS FOLLOWING OBVIOUSLY
For sure the pace was sped up, the first two seasons were slow, but they had gigantic payoffs, especially the ending of season 2 which I discussed some posts (but many months) ago which was absolutely stellar. This one was not so climatic, but it had many huge moments.
First of all, while they pulled the wicked irony of having us rooting for Himmler, they didn't whitewash the father of the Holocaust. Last season I was "happy" that he took over, and now in the season finale when he was shot I was like "Choke on your blood you bastard!!!!!", which he totally deserves in this reality, our own and all the other existing ones.
Also the final episode gave us a dimension jump, of Juliana (while being shot nonetheless!!!), that I expected to arrive in at least two moments earlier in the season, but it didn't: when Joe Black was about to shoot Tagomi (whas a cop out to have troops passing by) and especially when Frank Frink was awaiting execution. Poor Frank. I really, really thought that reciting hebrew prayers was his way of calming down and "going zen" so to speak and preparing for a dimension jump but no, they Game of Thrones-'d us with him being beheaded. Shit.
So, basically the two people who shagged Juliana this season got murdered, what a price to pay
I really didn't see Joe Black's death coming, but he was such a confusing character to begin with. I'm still not sure if his affection for Juliana this season was sincere, all a cover, or a mix of both.
Oh, and the Man in the High Castle himself was probably the most free person in the jail, it was great to see him confuse everyone with his nursery rhymes and then taunting John Smith with his failure. And what a chilling line from Juliana, I thought he would try to remind him how he saved his life indirectly by killing Dixon but no, she taunted him as well with the idea that he taught his son so well the nazi ideology, that he died for it.
And not that it matters to the overall grand scheme of things, but how badass was sweet, mild and calm Tagomi brutally asskicking the Nazi assassin sent to off him?
never, ever piss off a calm dude, they're the worst when they snap into action!
Looking forward to season 4, I'm curious if John Smith will further slip down the nazi clutches or if he will have a moment of redemption. As I read elsewhere, it looks like this season was about hope - those who have it, even if they die like Frank, pass along their message of peace and longing for a better world, and those who lost hope and switches sides like John Smith, for the sake of his family, now have no family left to protect, with Thomas dead and his wife running away with the daughters.