I’m rewatching it and I only watched it for the first time 7 months ago 🙈 I cancelled prime after watching it (among other things ) and then I saw it was on Netflix and… I’m writing a fic about it sooo I need to do research anyway…
Thoughts second time round:
I dig Joe and Juliana this time. I was very unenthusiastic the first time, I just didn’t want her story sidetracked by romance and I didn’t want her to betray Frank. But it isn’t at all. It makes me sad now knowing where it went :( His love for her was very sweet. Their connection cut through the divides of politics and borders.
I really noticed this time the contrast between our timeline Juliana and TMITHC Juliana. It’s very stark when you see Tagomi go back in time. She’s more lively, upbeat, almost a different person. It’s the same later with John.
I like Frank more. The first time I thought his rage, resentment, lack of communication with Juliana, his treatment of Ed was hard to watch (unfairly, I thought him a bit whiny 😶🌫️), but now I have more patience for him (not that I didn’t have sympathy before!). I loved, loved the conversation between him and Mark in episode 7 S1.
Frank : No one wants to buy my art.
Mark: So do it for yourself. Beauty is important, Frank. It gives us hope.
Frank: I don’t know where it’d get me.
Mark: you don’t need anyone to keep you down, because you got a little fascist right there telling you what you can and cannot do. That’s how you let them win.
However, later on I didn’t like his behaviour with Sarah. I thought he was quite insensitive with her, and I was sad that she died. The first time I didn’t mind their dynamic, but now I’m iffy.
The kindness of Tagomi hits harder this time round, especially after what Juliana has gone through. Again, the connection between him and Juliana is beyond borders, politics, culture etc. Tagomi is a boss you’d want to have. Kido, absolutely not.
I love all of Childan’s scenes. His scenes provide a bit of levity in this bleak world.
I can’t stomach the Nazi scenes any better tbh, I want to punch them all.
The main villains of this series are the most complex, nuanced villains I’ve probably seen in a tv show. I really like Kido sorry not sorry and I enjoy the contrast between him and John, and in how they differ. I find myself wondering how after S4 he would fare. How would all that built up emotional suppression and the loss of his high place in the world come to affect him? I won’t ever forgive the writers for not developing the relationships with his son and Gina more
My partner told me recently that this series lives rent free in my head, and it really does! Maybe I’m a bit obsessed… 😬
