Entertainment & Arts
The Complete Guide to The Man in the High Castle Season 3 – Premiering 10/5
WW2 historian Paul K. DiCostanzo breaks down Amazon’s upcoming The Man in the High Castle season 3, and the hidden WW2 history driving it.
Hawthorne Abendsen: The Greatest Unknown in The Man in the High Castle
Amazon Studios THE Man in the High Castle
I doubt anyone would fault me for saying Stephen Root is the perfect actor to portray this most enigmatic of characters, Hawthorne Abendsen (Stephen Root). This unpredictable, mercurial and tortured genius that is the key to everything may be the closest character to being genuinely unknowable as is possible.
Putting aside what we might be able to glean from the original novel, almost nothing is known about Abendsen in this series. From what can be seen, High Castle lives in remote isolation as the most wanted man in the occupied United States, changing locations often with the help of his most trusted lieutenant and liaison to the resistance, Lemuel Washington.
Abendsen has an advanced knowledge of traveling the multiverse, and likely coordinates his recruited agents that do travel and bring him new films to analyze, so as to avoid major catastrophe in his world. He also seems to view his Sisyphean task like working on an endless puzzle. The most important piece being Juliana Crane.
At the conclusion of The Man in the High Castle Season 2, Juliana’s half sister Trudy is presented to her by Abendsen. While there is absolutely no question that Juliana’s sister was shot and killed by the Kempeitai, it’s a minor jump to conclude that this isn’t Juliana’s Trudy. This is a traveling Trudy, who clearly originates from a different – albeit incredibly similar – universe. Very likely is this Trudy working for Abendsen as a film runner, and in some sense represents the “way out” Juliana has so desperately sought since the beginning on the High Castle saga.
Two things one can be certain about regarding Abendsen going forward:
He has a deep amount of personal care for the physical and emotional well-being of Juliana, and by extension Trudy as well. In fact he downright admires Juliana and her unnatural mind.
The other matter that is certain is going forward, both Juliana and Abendsen will need to work together. Her consistently unwavering judgement, and his massive knowledge of the multiverse are two invaluable tools that might make it possible to rid the United States from foreign occupation. Though however one chooses to look at it, The Man in the High Castle has his most important “puzzle piece” at hand, but who can say it will be enough? More to the point, the very nature of his character – as the audience has come to understand him – knows full well the fate of everyone is in the hands of a very dubious man – well intentioned or otherwise.
Yes, at times he seems one or two steps removed from Milton in Office Space. Though it’s fair to say that he is just a wee bit more stable and communicative… most of the time…
Do you have a question about The Man in the High Castle, or WW2 in general? Email Paul at the WW2 Brain Bucket Reader Q&A – the monthly column that answers all your WW2 related questions.
Want to learn more about alternate history of WW2? Listen to Paul K. DiCostanzo’s D-Day interview on KFAB 1110 with Gary Sadlemyer about if D-Day failed.
Write to Paul K. DiCostanzo at pdicostanzo@tgnreview.com
