Men in High Castles

Men in High Castles

Amazon Studios claimed The Man in The High Castle was their most viewed original series during its initial run. Imagine the irony when a man in his Mancunian castle asked me to review the first season. It came with some stipulations. The title couldn’t simply state the name of series and Review; from this I realised The Kinswah Reflective doesn’t want to feature high in search indexes. It couldn’t be assigned a score and I have to avoid spoilers. With the style of Simms View stripped away, here goes.

Being a literary wannabe, I could understand @Kinswah’s interest in this series but I’m more of a moving pictures guy so I can’t tell you if it’s close to Philip K. Dick’s novel. What I can say is the series as a whole follows one rule from English class I remember: it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. This turns out to be a problem.

The beginning starts like an adventure show, with some espionage thrown in. It’s an alternative world. The Nazis won World War II and America has been divided into three zones. The Germans have the East, the Japanese the West, in the middle (for no reason other than to serve the story) the middle is a neutral zone (Star Trek fans stepdown).

The early set-up sees a young man, Joe Blake, grab a van to go on a mission for the resistance in East America, or the Greater Nazi Reich. At the same time we see a young woman called Juliana witness her sister getting knocked off by the Japanese forces on the other side of the country.

Her sis, Trudy, was a resistance worker and had a film reel. We learn that these clips reveal a different world, one where the Germans lost the war. IE, our version of events. She takes it upon herself to deliver the film herself and heads off to complete Trudy’s mission.

See what we have going on here? Joe and Juliana heading to the same destination, and yes, they end up crossing paths. In these early episodes we have action pieces, this isn’t a spoiler, but, if you see a big bridge in one episode, expect someone to fall off it in the next.

Juliana leaving draws her family under suspicion. They are investigated by the Japanese and taken into questioning. In the oppressive world painted here, it’s not a good thing to be under the spotlight.

What it breeds is a doubting of everyone we meet. Enter the middle part of the story.

Juliana and Joe head off on their separate ways and we have the subplots build. An attempt is made on the Crown Prince in the Japanese state, the Germans are a politically divided bunch. Bizarrely Hitler is portrayed as the man maintaining peace. That’s right, the man that committed the genocide of six million Jews is a voice for peace.

His party see the Japanese as weak, they admit a war would finish them off. But for reasons not (initially) clear, Hitler wants to avoid war, even one he should win. The German narrative follows John Smith, a high-ranking American born Nazi officer. He interacts with Joe Blake and Rudolph Wegener.

Wegener is an old friend but a conflicted player in the game. His story makes up for the lag in the middle section. Upon instruction from the resistance, Juliana gets a new job working for Nobusuke Tagomi. He’s the Trade Minister for the Pacific States of America and a pretty nice guy. He fends off the inspector, Kido (not a bad man, just a bit of a jobsworth) and never abuses his position. Being a spiritual type, he’s looking beyond the politics of man.

The final episodes see the action pick up again and it is tense. Juliana and her partner do the work of the resistance which places them in peril. Wegener and John Smith’s ultimate missions are unveiled and we learn who the Man in the High Castle is and why he wants the film reels back. Well, we are left to make some assumptions there.

Studios often get criticised when they interfere with the production of a show or movie but perhaps here Amazon should have had a little word. Normally live action stories omit parts of the source material to the anger of fans. Here, a little leaning in the middle would have worked wonders.

A great ending allows us to overlook this and move on to season two with renewed expectation.

Now or Never for Kelechi

Now or Never for Kelechi

With Sergio Agüero suspended for four games, the duty to lead the frontline once again falls to his deputy Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian was given words of encouragement from the senior striker and Pep Guardiola gave him a runout in the dead-rubber Celtic match to shake off any ring-rust. The manager knows what many are in denial about: this is Kelechi’s last, best chance to stake a claim for a role in his long-term plan.

At first glance, that will appear to be an overly dramatic statement, well-suited to the silly season of newspaper headlines currently doing the rounds. Add to it how he’s universally loved by City fans – perhaps since he solidified his fan-favourite status in last season’s FA Cup tie with Aston Villa – and any constructive criticism is dismissed with anger.

Based on pure stats, the adoration and unwavering support seems justified. Three goals and three assists in nine Premier League appearances and two strikes from two Champions League games doesn’t tell the whole story. His contributions have made impacts – a goal and an assist in the league at Old Trafford the most eye-catching – but his overall play has left much to be desired.

It may seem snide to pick holes when a youngster is in the formative years of his career, transitioning from youth player to first teamer. But we know from recent activity at the club – the ruthless ejection of Joe Hart, for example – that Pep Guardiola takes emotion out of all decision-making processes. Kelechi was retained as the back-up striker when Wilfried Bony was sent out on loan.

Admittedly, a back up to Sergio Agüero does mean fleeting appearances but it comes with the proviso that when required, the Argentine’s boots can be adequately filled. This hasn’t happened, he’s offered little hint he’s improving as a footballer, becoming a specialist impact man instead.

Agüero himself has been made to up his game, offer more overall play. Pep’s public comments about this earlier in the season were a clear marker to all his players. For his strikers, it meant even they couldn’t avoid full immersion into the new system. Goals are not enough to ensure a place in Pep’s masterplan.

Arguably, Iheanacho’s most complete performance was in the 4-0 win against Bournemouth. But his goal aside, he barely got a mention as all eyes were on a magnificent Kevin De Bruyne performance and the confirmation Raheem Sterling was a player reborn.

Kelechi does have a bit of grace. In many ways, his age affords him time, he is a pet-project of Pep’s. However, progress needs to be visible. Months have passed under Guardiola’s tutelage and while all City fans still happily sing the Nigerian’s name, the nagging feeling he might not make the grade increases.

This suggestion will anger many but those offended should take a minute to consider how the fans have inadvertently acknowledged Kelechi hasn’t taken the bull by the horns.

It’s the time of year millions celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus and the growing excitement about our own junior of the same name tells its own story. A great weight of hope and expectation have been placed on the shoulders of a young man very few had heard of a year ago. Even when he was scouted in the Olympics by City fans, his performance whetted the appetite as “one for the future.”

The team’s dip in form, coinciding with Kelechi Iheanacho’s failure to emerge as a better-formed player, means suddenly, he is being talked about as our saviour.

Had things panned out with Kelechi’s development in the manner Pep hoped, Gabriel Jesus would be expected to recuperate after an extra-long season. The fact he’s needed shows the current contingency plan has failed.

Of course, it may be that Guardiola has already braced himself for a shortfall in quality so has other plans on standby. Nolito was signed with the tagline of being able to double-up as a striker. The reality of this has been somewhat different. A tablespoon can stir a cup of tea but it’s not a teaspoon. He’s proven to be clinical but his inclusions always come with an eye on midfield duties.

It’s plausible the next four games will see a conversion to Kun’s role but unlikely it would be before Kelechi has a crack at asserting his suitability for the job.

Should Nolito find himself playing as a stand in for both strikers, it opens up another possibility: we don’t play with any recognised strikers. It’s a formation Pep’s applied before and there’s certainly enough midfield talent that can rotate and open teams up, allowing players with an eye for goal to get forward.

Which brings us to the option that would have looked like fairy-tale stuff less than a month ago: Yaya leading the line. He’s looking lean and motivated. Already he’s reopened his scoring account and could quite easily run into the gaps players like De Bruyne and Silva create.

It’s also conceivable that four games from now Kelechi Iheanacho will have more than doubled his tally for the season and talk of his development will be conveniently shelved. But unless his osmosis into a Pep type player becomes apparent, nobody will be able to confidently say he’s coming along well, and this season’s back-up man will be next year’s fringe player.

Rosberg and Hamilton: Two Different Champions

Rosberg and Hamilton: Two Different Champions

Nico Rosberg shocked the world with the announcement he would be retiring from F1 after reaching the top of the summit. Well, shocked everyone except teammate Lewis Hamilton. His former best friend and championship protagonist managed to turn the news into another demonstration of his negative attitude.

After a belated congratulation to Nico on Twitter, he sat in a press conference looking smug that the German had left the sport and claimed to have not been moved by the news. He got the dig in that it was the first time Nico had won in eighteen years, so he wasn’t surprised he was packing it all in. The implication – in fact, direct statement – is that he always defends his crown, whereas Rosberg has run away from the challenge.

This is classic Lewis, only seeing the world through his eyes, judging others by the standards he sets himself. Standards that have recently, once again, been called into question. The old adage about being a bad winner and a bad loser will now follow Lewis around until he retires. He hinted that could also be soon but it was likely bravado, an attempt to steal back some of the limelight.

What Hamilton and Rosberg present us is a unique opportunity to see the two sides of the same coin. That coin being what it takes and what it means to be a champion.

Lewis Hamilton is the natural born talent. Billed as the fastest man but this doesn’t – and hasn’t – made him a true champion. He’s the idea of a perfect racer, the deserving winner. The reality is a guy that has off days, managing to cover up his shortcomings with the attitude of a spoilt brat. But distraction and misdirection have helped build a legend.

Hamilton’s talent speaks for itself. Any Formula One fan will tell you he’s one of, if not the greatest, driver of his generation. Perhaps only Fernando Alonso could be said to have more raw talent but poor career moves have damaged his chances to prove this. Sebastian Vettel has amassed more titles, he being the opposite to Alonso and benefitting from an extended run in the dominant car of the day.

A look at the list of F1 records and it’s clear to see Lewis will leave a lasting legacy, one that only the most gifted can achieve. He has scored more points than any other man in the history of the sport (admittedly, he benefits from the new scoring system); he ties with Michael Schumacher and Vettel for most podiums in a season; is third in the all-time list for podium finishes with a higher percentage of podiums than Prost and Schumacher above him; third for total poles behind Senna and Schumacher; most wins at different circuits.

The list goes on, he appears in most categories in a high position, and tops fifteen of the all-time charts (many from his debut season run). That side of Lewis Hamilton cannot be doubted. It is what’s led to him becoming a champion. It’s also what separates him and Nico.

One is driven to go on, smash records. One content and complete following the ultimate success. For Rosberg, reaching the pinnacle was the end of a journey. Each step of that the German was mindful of how a champion should behave, something that has eluded Lewis.

Hamilton’s ultimate goal is to be mentioned as an equal to Senna and Schumacher. He’s mistaken their ruthlessness and transformed it into petulant behaviour and entitlement. They could never accept defeat with a smile but they wouldn’t tarnish the fair success of others.

Lewis attempted this following the Abu Dhabi grand prix. In an interview with Channel 4, he was offered a chance to pay respect to the new champion and was asked if on this occasion, Nico had won in a fair fight with the same car. Hamilton openly scoffed and said: “I wouldn’t say that. No.”

The Briton has been unlucky with failures this season. Those are elements beyond his control. The “what ifs” aren’t helpful and take away from Nico’s hard work. They also cover up the moments he made mistakes that hindered his championship push. Had his starts been more consistent, the mechanical failures wouldn’t have mattered.

Also, as Lewis points out, he’s the only Mercedes driver (including customer teams) to have suffered failures. Rather than this point to a conspiracy, it should be a pause for consideration. It seems reasonable the most ragged, on the edge racer would ramp up engine modes more frequently. It’s possible his racing style took the finite life out of the engines at a faster rate.

But Lewis has never taken a gracious approach to failure or the success of others, why should he look inward for problems when he can blame imaginary “higher powers” within the team.

Nico Rosberg may lack the God-given minerals that make Lewis a natural competitor but there is more than one way to be a success. He has become champion through focus and dedication, hard work and sacrifice. These alone aren’t what make him the opposite side of the champions’ coin: it’s his demeanour and attitude.

Rosberg was the ultimate professional. He took his setbacks with a smile, the lips sealed to avoid uncomfortable comments that could come back to haunt him. Working alongside Schumacher and then Hamilton, he never looked out of place as a driver, he was more than an equal with how to present himself.

For all of Lewis’s derogatory antics, Rosberg has the last laugh. Hamilton will never be able to wrest the crown from his head. He retires undisputed champion with nothing left to prove.

People will claim he was scared to defend the title, and while Hamilton would still have been favourite going into the new season, it wouldn’t have been shocking had Rosberg retained. Just as the Brit wasn’t surprised by Rosberg’s retirement, no one would have been by another close challenge from the German. The psychological hold over Rosberg had been broken.

And why should Rosberg satisfy Hamilton’s desire to recapture the title by beating him? Lewis talks of how he’s always allowed people the chance to challenge for his crown as some act of nobility. Rosberg has been the noble man of the pairing and doesn’t need to hinder his personal life to please the wants of a self-centred man-child.

Hamilton’s recent comments will remove any doubts about the content of his character and anything lingering in Rosberg’s mind about whether it was a decent exit strategy.

He retires proving the adage “nice guys come last” to be codswallop. As a nice guy, he came first. Technically less times than Lewis this season, but first where it mattered most: top of the championship standings and attitude stakes.

Lewis will most likely repeat the former of those himself – he’s too talented to avoid a fourth title (unless he falls foul of the decisions that have blighted Alonso’s career path) – for the latter he’ll need further education on behaviour and mental approach.

Hamilton lacked the gracious, humble approach a decent gentleman would having taken following the climax of the Abu Dhabi grand prix. But he can learn from these mistakes as long as he takes constructive criticism on board. There were enough former drivers and champions highlighting the error. A good man has open ears.

Nico Rosberg was the man who didn’t need such lessons. He bided his time and struck when the opportunity arose. He leaves the sport as the perfect example of how a champion should carry themselves.

He drives into the future with the number 1 pasted to his car for all eternity