Disclosure: I have not read the novel which serves as this show's source text, so don't expect a review comparing the series with the book. The show could best be described as an alternate reality period piece. The pilot episode is certainly intriguing enough to give the show hope for the rest of the season. In regards to world-building, the show has a strong start. As far as character-building goes, it still has quite a way to go. The premise is a classic "what if?" Essentially, Hitler and the Axis powers won WWII and split the US into the Greater Nazi Reich and the Japanese Pacific States, with a Neutral Zone in the middle. In general, people have accustomed to the occupation, and life seems fairly normal. However, a Resistance does exist. The premise itself has great potential, but the characters seem rather boring. Set in the 60s, the main characters don't seem to fit as flawlessly as the cast of say, Mad Men. Neither of the two main characters demands attention from the beginning. There are, however, more interesting characters on the periphery. The characters need work, but the world they exist in does not. The alternate 1962 is very detailed. Some design elements are definitely eye-catching, but some of the more impressive details are more subtle. For example, some structures are visibly newer than others, and some glimpses of what was formerly America peek through. There have also been subtle changes to the pop culture of the time, such as an invented game show titled Guess My Game with a Nazi soldier as a guest. Its the intermingling of the everyday and the unthinkable that makes the show chilling, such as when a trooper offhandedly remarks that the ash in the air is from the burning of cripples and the terminally ill at the local hospital, referring to them as drags on the state. The shows biggest challenge is making me care about the characters as much as I do their alternate reality world.
Review of The New World
