Ep 4. Happy Trails

In The Man in the High Castle season 4 episode 4, titled "Happy Trails," tensions continue to rise between the Resistance and the Japanese occupying forces, as well as within both groups themselves. Juliana is still grappling with the loss of her sister Trudy and her role in the Resistance, while Chief Inspector Kido is haunted by the mistakes he's made in his pursuit of justice. Meanwhile, John Smith is faced with a decision that will have significant consequences for his family and the future of the Nazi Reich.

As the episode begins, Juliana is on a mission to retrieve a film depicting an alternate reality where the Allies won World War II. She and her partner, Wyatt, infiltrate a high-security facility to steal the film, but things quickly go awry when they are discovered and a firefight ensues. In the chaos, Juliana manages to escape with the film, but she is haunted by the violence she witnessed and the toll it's taking on her.

Back in San Francisco, tensions are brewing within the Japanese occupation as Taishi Okamura, a high-ranking official, arrives to oversee the crackdown on the Resistance. His methods are harsh and brutal, causing divisions among the Japanese leadership and jolting the Resistance into action. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Kido is struggling with his conscience after personally executing several Resistance members, including Trudy, Juliana's sister. He seeks absolution from his mentor, Tagomi, but finds no solace.

In New York, John Smith is grappling with a decision that will determine the fate of his family and the Nazi Reich. He is visited by Dr. Mengele, the chief medical officer of the Reich, who informs him that his son, Thomas, has a debilitating genetic disease that can only be cured by experimental surgery. However, the surgery is risky and could have unintended consequences. Smith must decide whether to proceed for the sake of his son or to risk everything by defying the Nazi hierarchy.

As the episode progresses, each of these storylines begins to converge, setting up a thrilling climax. Juliana teams up with Joe Blake, a former Nazi agent turned Resistance member, to decipher the film they stole and hopefully find a way to stop the Nazis and Japanese from continuing their reign of terror. Kido is tasked with carrying out Okamura's orders to capture the Resistance leadership, but he begins to question whether this is the right course of action. And Smith must weigh the consequences of his actions, both for his family and for the future of the Nazi Reich.

Overall, "Happy Trails" is a tense and suspenseful episode that sets the stage for the final stretch of The Man in the High Castle. The characters are all grappling with weighty moral dilemmas and struggling to navigate the complex political landscape of this alternate reality. As the series hurtles towards its conclusion, it's anyone's guess which side will come out on top and what the future holds for the characters we've grown to know and love.