10 Best TV Pilot Cliffhangers Ever
7. The Man In The High Castle - Nazi Blake
Based on the Philip K. Dick novel of the same name, The Man in the High Castle was a critical and commercial hit during its initial run. Set during an alternative history United States where the Nazis won the war, the show concerns a small group of resistance fighters struggling against the fascist regime.
One such rebel we’re introduced to from the opening is Joe Blake. After struggling to be taken seriously by the resistance he’s trying to join the ranks of, they finally relent and give him a truck to deliver cross-country to Canon City. The city is located around the USA’s Rocky Mountain region in the so-called neutral zone; a Wild West-style DMZ that is semi-free from the German and Japanese overlordship.
We come to trust Joe throughout this opening episode, as we see him journey cross country fighting sleep deprivation and military patrols. Through his eyes, we are introduced to a terrifying new reality where Nazi propaganda is rife and the terminally ill are casually burned to death in “hospitals”.
By the episode's conclusion, we’re excited to see our protagonist take the fight against the regime. That is until he makes a call to John Smith, an SS Obergruppenführer and obvious villain, to confirm he’s actually an undercover Nazi looking to root out the American resistance.