Foyle's War (TV Series) High Castle (2015) User Reviews

He's Baaacckkk.....

[A_Different_Drummer · 9/10 · 6 April 2015]

Did you ever have a friend from school whose company you really enjoyed but, alas, you eventually had to go your separate ways? Well Foyles War is like that. When Horowitz swore on a stack of Bibles (vintage, wartime Bibles) that he was done with Foyle, we took him at his word.

We shouldn't have. Foyle is back and this reviewer could not believe how much he had been missed.

True, some of the transition episodes (to MI5) in the last (supposedly final) season were not entirely on the mark, but in this opener to S08 Horowitz and Kitchen and Weeks show that they they have lost none of their edge. Or charm. Or skill.

Overall fun. Even the risky trope of the pregnant woman running for her life from the bad man -- risky because it might not have worked -- was a treat.

Entertaining. Fun. And reminds one of how unique this series was, and hopefully will be again.

Good as always, but a rare mistake!

[SuzyCayenne · 8/10 · 4 June 2015]

I am a bit of a WW II buff, and while I generally find Foyle's War to have a very authentic air, and I love how the plots revolve around real (but often not well known) aspects and incidents, I caught a pretty basic error in this episode: When the wife is being interviewed by Foyle, she mentions her husband worked at Bletchley during the war.

But Bletchley and the role of the codebreakers remained highly classified information until several decades later! And people took it very seriously--there were married couples who only found out in the 1970s that both of them had been at Bletchley (it was a huge operation) at the same time during the war. To speak about it in the 40s would be to break the Official Secrets Act, which could result in criminal prosecution. So, it would have been unlikely that the wife would even have known about her husband's war work, and even if she had, unlikely she would ever have spoken of it.

that said, I love this series. I only wish there had been more episodes in the earlier seasons!

The next war will be over oil.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 26 December 2019]

Foyle's War returns for an eighth and final series, now in the guise of an espionage thriller series.

It's a complex story, surrounding the dealings of a corrupt Nazi businessman.

This is an episode of immense quality, it's a terrific story, a complex and intriguing plot, and boasts a terrific set of characters. It's also a glimpse into the future, the importance of oil right across the world.

It's very clever, it has some great tension, and it's also a particularly great episode for San and her husband, both have sizeable parts.

Excellent. 9/10

The politics of oil

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 5 January 2015]

This, the first episode of the eighth series opens back in 1942 with a couple of young ne'er-do-wells sneaking onto a ship intending to steal some whisky; they are spotted after they start syphoning it off and flee; one of them is violently sick. Cut forward to 1946 and a man is found dead in a London Park; the only clue being the address of Clayton Del Mar, the head of American oil company, found in his pocket. This is what gets MI5 and thus Foyle on the case as the Del Mar is playing a key role in securing British oil interests in Iran. Del Mar denies all knowledge of the dead man but Foyle is convinced he is lying. The dead man was a professor who had been working at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials and it looks as if he may have established a link between Del Mar and a Nazi industrialist. The case will see Foyle heading first to Germany then east into Soviet occupied Poland while his driver Sam goes undercover at the Del Mar house as the person employed to read to Clayton Del Mar's father. Away from the case Sam's husband is not keen on her continuing to work while pregnant but must question his position when a constituent approaches him to complain that she has lost her job just because she is a woman.

This was another solid case for Foyle. There is a good mystery even though there is little doubt about who did it; the question is just why did he do it and will his importance mean he will get away with it. The story nicely combines a wartime story with the new post war politics where East and West are competing to gain access to Iranian oil and will go to great lengths to prevail. There is a good sense of danger; especially when Sam is in Del Mar's house and is coming under suspicion. The women's rights subplot did feel a bit tacked on although it was handled well enough and wasn't done in a black and white way… the woman hadn't just lost her job to a random man; she lost it to the man who had the job before he'd been conscripted to fight in the war. The acting was solid; Michael Kitchen is Christopher Foyle and the rest of the cast were good too; although I was surprised that an actual American didn't play Clayton Del Mar… not that there was anything wrong with Nigel Lindsay's performance. Over all a good start to the season.

Love, love the show, but....

[gooney918 · 8/10 · 2 August 2016]

As usual, a wonderful glimpse into another time, with Foyle demonstrating the best of human nature. My only complaint is with the portrayal of the Clayton delMar character. His attempt at an American accent and demeanor is very distracting to the story and inaccurate to the extent this story reflects the activities of Standard Oil Company. Note to British actors/casting directors: most Americans do not affect a Texas accent and swagger. In this episode, it would have been more accurate for delMar (as the son of a rich industrialist based in New York) to have the "General American" accent. I watch a great deal of British-based television and it makes me a little mental that the Texas accent is the "go to" form.

Oil Has Always Created Power Structures

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 26 September 2016]

This episode is loaded with spy versus spy implications. It involves a man who has the skills to negotiate for Iranian oil. He is an evil man who is taking over his father's petroleum business, but who has no sense of morality. He is willing to step on anyone who gets in his way. His father (actually, the man who played Frazier Crane's father on that show) is an invalid and knows what his son is doing. In his own day he probably left a few bodies scattered around. Sam and her new husband aren't seeing eye to eye on the rights of women (though it is exacerbated by her pregnancy). She finds her husband in the arms of a female constituent who has asked for help and runs of in a huff. He was merely consoling her. She then takes a job, spying on the oil guy be reading to his father and then snooping around. At times it's hard to know the good guys from the bad. Foyle has become a pain in the ass of the leader of the investigative group he is working for. Of course, he will land on his feet, but it isn't always that's simple.

Unsecured load

[ianmet-65148 · 9/10 · 16 February 2021]

I love Foyle's War and gave it 9 but must point out that whisky barrels would never have been left spaced apart and unsecured on a ship that was set to sail. Must be the fourth time we've watched this one.

Not a mistake- Iran.

[priscillahodgkins-21456 · 9/10 · 2 February 2023]

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

Repeating my short review as this app demands more words before it allows me to submit the text.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.

The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.

So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.

The not quite so high castle

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 9 November 2017]

Loved 'Foyle's War' and was immediately hooked when first getting into it. Love it even more now, on re-watches things that didn't quite make sense at first are clearer and things that were not noticed or appreciated before are and much admired. Everything that came over as brilliant on first viewings still are brilliant on re-watches.

"High Castle" is the first episode of the sadly last season of this wonderful series and while it is a decent episode it's a long way from being one of the best 'Foyle's War' episodes. To me it's a lesser episode, that it's far from bad is a strong indication of how good 'Foyle's War' is and how fantastic the best episodes are in the series' prime. "High Castle" could have been better. Two of its biggest problems is the over-obviousness too early of the killer, written in such an over-the-top way that one knows that they're involved in some way from the start (the only other 'Foyle's War' episode to have a too obvious denouement is "Bleak Midwinter"), and Nigel Lindsay's hammy and one-dimensional performance (also sporting the single worst accent of the series).

Could care less for the flat underdeveloped character of Adam and there are parts of the story, like agreed the Vera subplot, that feel incomplete.

Still, there is a lot to like about "High Castle". Just had to get that mad clear before one got the impression of me disliking the episode. Which is further from the truth. The quality of the production values are high. with beautiful costumes, the evocative way the characters are made up, the look of the houses and cars, pretty locations and authentic-looking scenery. The music is in keeping with the mood and doesn't overpower the drama while still making an impact.

Writing is intelligent, sophisticated and thought-provoking while the story is suitably complicated (apart from the denouement, which is disappointing because most endings of 'Foyle's War' are very surprising) and intrigues.

One thing that wasn't picked up by me but now is and admired hugely is the tackling of what was seen as truths but some really misconceptions and seeing British during and after the war in a new light. This was a bold move and dealt with a lot of honesty and tact. The character tensions were also handled very well and added a lot of intrigue.

Michael Kitchen is truly superb as Foyle, subtle, intensely determined, commanding and above all human. One of the most interesting television detectives there's ever been and Kitchen has rarely been better. Honeysuckle Weeks is charming and loyal, am really liking that she is becoming more developed and coming into her own even more, and Hilda and Arthur are worthy regular characters, if not yet as interesting as Milner (missed but not enough to wish for his return).

It is a pity that Lindsay is not up to snuff, because the rest of the supporting cast do solidly. In particular John Mahoney who plays his father, he is excellent and like in 'Frasier' one can easily mistake him for an American (he may live in America, but he was actually born in England, that shocked me when first finding out).

To conclude, a decent episode with a lot of good things but considering the high calibre of 'Foyle's War' in general "High Castle" could have been much better. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Contrived.... not up to usual standards

[george-841 · 6/10 · 5 July 2015]

Love the characters and atmosphere, so a new episode of Foyle's War's default minimum rating gets a 6 from me. I can't do any better than that for the story because it really isn't very good.

Implausibility rules here. For example, once again using Sam as an undercover operative in a clearly dangerous situation (men have already been murdered) is entirely unbelievable. To top it off, she has to be a LIVE-IN companion to the old American billionaire! She's a married woman! How does she explain this to her husband, the long-suffering chauvinistic MP? Well, she doesn't have to because the writes conveniently supply her with an excuse to leave home when she catches her husband in the clinch with one of his constituents. She must have been relieved to have a good excuse because she doesn't pause to give him a chance to explain that he was just consoling the woman over the loss of her job. (This storyline is conveniently abandoned at this point, making clear that feminism and equal rights to work were not high priorities in post-WW2 Britain.) The whole story was entirely too predictable, which is surprising for a Foyle's War episode; earlier episodes kept me guessing to the final denouement. I mean, the moment they told us one of a series of photos taken before the war in Nazi Germany, pictures of businessmen with Himmler, it didn't take a genius---or a Mr. Foyle---to figure out that an American businessman was compromised and trying to cover up the mess.

This story could have been done in a half hour, regrettably.

Two more episodes to go, and to review. I sure hope they get better!

High Castle

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 8 June 2019]

The episode starts in 1942 with two young men trying to siphon off some whiskey from a ship bound for America.

We then move to London in 1946 when a dead man is found with the address of Clayton Del Mar who runs an American oil company. Del Mar has powerful contacts in Britain and elsewhere. He is working with middle eastern governments to get them to reduce being reliant on the Soviet Union and talk up British interests. Foyle is tasked by MI5 to investigate.

The dead man was involved in the Nuremberg trials as a translator. He had travelled from Germany to meet Del Mar. There seems to be some links between Del Mar's companies and helping the Nazis during the war.

Foyle sends Sam undercover to look after Clayton's infirm father who thinks his son may not have what it takes to run a powerful oil corporation. Foyle goes to Germany to find out more about the dead man who was a professor.

There is weakness in the writing of this story which is already overstretched. Sam needs to be a live in carer as she goes undercover. Sam just conveniently walks in on her husband consoling a young lady in the house who has lost her job. This enables to walk out of the house. The whole Soviet agent subplot in London was unnecessary. Some of the acting was a bit iffy. Both Rupert Vansittart as the MI5 Head and Nigel Lindsay as Clayton Del Mar were one dimensional

A very weak entry of the series.

[caviar1234 · 7/10 · 20 August 2016]

High Castle is the first episode of the eighth series of "Foyle's War", and in my opinion it has to be one of the weakest entries of the whole series for many reasons. First of all, the murder mystery itself is way too straightforward comparing to others. The identity of the murderer is quite obvious from the start, the motive could also be figured out near half way through the episode, which is rare for a quality series like Foyle. Secondly, the conclusion is far from satisfying. There are many loose ends untied, most notable being that we never find out exactly how Clayton Del Mar managed to murder Herman Linz, did he pay someone to do it or else? This is a huge plot hole in my opinion. Also at the end of the episode, the Soviet agent just murders Clayton Del Mar and runs away. We never find out if he's been caught or not, which makes me feel rather dissatisfied. Thirdly, the subplot about Vera Stephens's job goes nowhere and never resolves. She just disappears after creating a huge misunderstanding between Sam and Adam, I wonder if that's her sole purpose for being in this episode. No idea if Mr Horowitz's original script was like that or something happened during the production process, but overall it's very unsatisfying, the mystery is too simple and the conclusion is quite unsatisfying. It just feels unfinished due to all the loose ends left there.

Mistakes

[angushersey · 2/10 · 17 February 2021]

This is a goof. Iran was referred to on a number of occasions. In 1946 Iran was still called Persia. Angus.