Kindness

**"Kindness"** is the ninth episode of Season One of *The Man in the High Castle*, and the ninth episode of the series overall. This episode, along with the rest of the season, was made available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video on November 20th, 2015.

## Synopsis

*With time running out, a desperate Frank is forced to put his life on the line to help Joe. The pieces finally fall into place for Smith as he uncovers who was behind the assassination attempt. Tagomi is devastated when he's confronted with the consequences of his scheming, and Kido's investigation takes a dramatic turn when he makes an important discovery.*

## Plot

The episode opens with Juliana  and Joe  being thrown into a gloomy, locked room. Frank  waits in front of the bus with Ed, who attempts to badger him into the bus. He refuses, saying he won't go without Juliana. The bus drives off without him.

Thomas  falls down the stairs in the Smith household and the family rush over to him. When Amy  makes a dig about Thomas being clumsy, John snaps at her to shut up. Despite Thomas saying that it is nothing, John assists him up the stairs to help clean him up.

Joe asks Juliana what she planned to do when she ran away. A man unlocks the door and grabs Juliana before intimidating Joe with a gun. They take her to a location with Okamura, Karen and Lem. Karen hands over 10,000 yen to Okamura who pockets the envelope but refuses to give them the film. He tells him that because they brought the Kempeitai to his business, the 10,000 will serve as compensation but he wants more money for the film itself. When Juliana asks what will happen to Joe, Karen tells her that they spent 10,000 yen getting Juliana out and they can't afford to get Joe. Okamura informs her that if the ransom for Joe is not paid, he will be handed over to the authorities. Because he is a Resistance member of higher position, the ransom for him is 50,000 yen. Juliana tells him that she will get the money to him; she asks Karen and Lem why they chose to rescue her. They reply that it is because she got a job at the Nippon  and tell her that if she does manage to get her hands on 50,000 yen, the money will be better off spent on trying to get the film. Juliana argues against them.

John visits Erich, who is wheelchair-bound, in the hospital to thank him for saving his life. Erich thanks John for saving his, too. John voices his concerns, stating that he believes Heydrich  wants him dead but he doesn't know why. He gives Erich an envelope and tells him that if anything happens to him, he has to give it to the Fuührer and only the Fuührer. John states that although he doesn't think they will come after him, he stationed a guard outside his ward just in case. Before leaving, he tells Erich to recover soon because he needs men he can trust around him.
Chief Inspector Kido  visits Tagomi to ask for records on the import activity of ships arriving in Osaka because there are suspicions that the Yakuza  are using them to smuggle heroin. Tagomi comments that the Kempeitai have generally been tolerant of drug smuggling, to which Kido replies "Perhaps, but no more."

Ed stops Juliana, who was on her way home, and tells her that she needs to follow him. He takes her to Frank, who is hiding out at Ed's place. Juliana apologises and Frank angrily confronts her. She explains the situation to Frank, who refuses to give Juliana his money, telling her to let Joe die and asks her why she cares so much about him. Juliana reaffirms that she loves Frank but because Joe saved her life, she has got to try to save him. Frank is persuaded and although they only have 46,000 yen, he will pay the ransom.

Heydrich and Rudolph Wegener have a meal in a restaurant, which Rudolph points out is pecular considering the fact that he committed treason. When Rudolph asks why he has not been taken to the firing squad, Heydrich tells him that the Fuührer has trust in him and he is planning to exploit this flaw. Threatening the lives of Rudolph's wife and children, he leaves Rudolph to stew in this ultimatum.

Frank, armed with a gun, goes to the Yakuza to pay the ransom and although he has less than the named amount, Okamura releases Joe anyway. Joe confronts Okamura and demands him for the film, to which he responds that it is no longer his. Desperate, he sees Frank's gun that he tucked into his jacket and locks the door. He grabs Frank's gun, kills two of Okamura's henchmen and points the gun at Okamura. He gives Joe the film and Joe knocks him out. Frank and Joe escape through the air vent and Frank confronts him. When asked where he is taking her, Frank tells him that he will take Juliana someplace he will never see her again.

Sergeant Yoshida informs Kido about the film that was stolen from the Yakuza. Kido initially believes that it is a lie but Yoshida gives him Joe's case file and tells him that he was accompanied by another man, fitting the description of Frank Frink.

Back at Ed's place, Jim (Ed's grandfather) asks if Juliana and Frank are in trouble to which Ed responds that everything is fine. Jim insults her for carelessly threatening the lives of Ed and himself before saying that he wants them out within ten minutes otherwise he will call the Kempeitai themselves. Frank returns from rescuing Joe and the two make their way out when Ed chases them up. He hands them a few hundred yen which Juliana and Frank refuse at first, but eventually end up taking. He then tells Frank that he will get rid of the gun, and tucks it into his trousers.

John and Captain Connolly take a walk, where John tells him that he knows that Heydrich wants himself and Lautz out of the way. He tells him that he knows Connolly is aware of this and lists the evidence he has against him. Connolly protests saying that he wasn't involved but John pushes him off the building. He later tells Klemm  to call the police because there has been a suicide.

Juliana and Frank find Joe and ask him for help getting out of the city as they cannot get bus tickets without I.D.. A Kempeitai officer yell at them to stop and they split ways but not before Joe gives Juliana the film and makes plans to meet at a nearby school later.

Heydrich walks into Rudolph's hotel room accompanied by soldiers. Rudolph hands over a list of names and Heydrich comments, "Ten lives in exchange for yours." Rudolph responds, "That's the plan." Heydrich plans to take Rudolph to Berlin and use him to kill the Fuührer who is "old and frail" and, apparently, standing in the way of the Empire.

Tagomi is visited by General Hata who asks him about data regarding the uranium deposits in the Neutral Zone. Hata talks about the failure of developing the Heisenburg Device which has put Japan at a strategic disadvantage to the Nazi Empire. At the Crown Prince's address, the Science Minister discovered a roll of microfilm in his suit pocket. It contained the technical information needed to build their own device. When Tagomi mentions parity, however, Hata responds that the Crown Prince has changed since his assassination attempt. He is now aware that the Nazis have become a significant threat. Tagomi protests this and says that attacking with such a dangerous weapon will only cause Nazi retaliation and all-out war. Hata tells him that it is not his position to say so and his only job is to provide the necessary data regarding the uranium deposits.

At a phonebox, Joe calls John to tell him that he acquired the film but that he had to kill two members of the Yakuza to get it. He asks for help getting out of the city, which John easily agrees to. Joe then tells him that he needs help getting Juliana and Frank out of the city too, which John declines. He tells him that the next time he sees her, she is not to be rescued but to be shot. Although Joe verbally agrees, when John hangs up he assaults the phonebox in frustration.

An informal meeting between Okamura and Chief Inspector Kido ensues. Okamura tells him that he knows that the real assassin of the Crown Prince fired from a clock tower and he believes he pursued a false suspect to disguise a truth Kido has known from the start: the assassin is a Nazi agent. He continues, "If it were known that a Nazi fired at our Prince, that would be an act of war, a war many in the Reich would be happy to see but one our empire would almost certainly lose." Kido neither denies or confirms this accusation. Okamura then tells him that he has the name of the real assassin but that he cannot be paid off by money and even so, the price is very high.

John returns home, and is welcomed by the sight of Heydrich and his family sitting together in the living room. Heydrich had been telling the Smiths war stories from the past. They have a separate discussion in John's office where Heydrich mentions Connolly's death. Heydrich invites him hunting and talks over John's protests that he has work in the morning. He then tells John to bring Thomas along, and John tells him that they should leave their families out of this.

In his office, Tagomi gazes at the heart-shaped necklace that is clasped in his palm. Kotomichi steps in and asks if he needs anything. Tagomi asks him where he is from to which he responds, "Nagasaki."

Frank and Juliana are waiting for Joe in a school where they planned to meet. Frank is disgusted by the children's art which is very political. Frank voices his doubts that Joe will show up and Juliana tells him that he will come because she has the film. They watch the film using the school's projector, which shows the atomic bombing of Japan. Juliana states that this film isn't like the other one and the two gaze stricken at the aftermath of such a devastating event. The film then shows Frank, who is being held at gunpoint by Joe, who is wearing an SS uniform.

## Cast & Characters

* Rupert Evans *as* Frank Frink
* Luke Kleintank *as* Joe Blake
* DJ Qualls *as* Ed McCarthy
* Joel de la Fuente *as* Takeshi Kido
* Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa *as* Nobusuke Tagomi
* Rufus Sewell *as* John Smith

**Guest Starring*** Carsten Norgaard *as* Rudolph Wegener
* Rick Worthy *as* Lemuel Washington
* Arnold Chun *as* Kotomichi
* Steve Byers *as* Lawrence Klemm
* Neal Bledsoe *as* Captain Connolly
* Ray Proscia *as* Reinhard Heydrich
* Hiro Kanagawa *as* Taishi Okamura
* Keone Young *as* General Hata
* Quinn Lord *as* Thomas Smith
* Gracyn Shinyei *as* Amy Smith
* Genea Charpentier *as* Jennifer Smith
* Lee Shorten *as* Sergeant Yoshida
* Aaron Blakely *as* Erich Raeder
* Camille Sullivan *as* Karen
* Jason Asuncion *as* Hiro
* David Chin *as Plainclothes Policeman*
* Sky Kao *as Kempeitai Officer*
* Michael Q. Adams *as Bus Driver*
* Frank C. Turner *as* Jim McCarthy
* Russell Porter *as Mystery Man*

**Uncredited*** Jason Riki Kosuge *as Japanese Soldier*(Voice Only)
* Corina Akeson *as Nurse*