Can ‘The Man In The High Castle’ Season Two Succeed Without A Showrunner?

When The Man in the High Castle returns for season two tomorrow, something is going to be very different about the show. Namely, it no longer has a showrunner. Series creator and season one showrunner Frank Spotnitz stepped down from the series in May while the second season was in production and no one was officially tapped as his replacement.

During the show’s panel at Summer TCA, a reporter asked the cast and producers to confirm whether or not the show was being run, well, without a showrunner. Executive Producer David Zucker answered, “We’re running in many ways like a republic and in that sense, and again it’s very unique to this show, there are sort of senior powers in every aspect of the realization of this show. And that frankly is something Frank [Spotnitz] himself instituted. I don’t know how anyone could accomplish something of this ambition without putting incredible stock in what your cast has to say about the characters that they are bringing to realization, to your keys, to your designers…the contribution across the board, and obviously starting first and foremost within that writing room, is incredibly critical.”

He added, “No one would, I think, choose to build a show this way and going forward we’re going to continue to figure out how to realize this show with all the forces we have at hand. But at this point, I think we have a system that is working as good as we can make and we’re going to continue to find ways to improve it.”

So what does that even look like? When I spoke to some of the cast after the panel, none of them seemed to think that the show had changed much with Spotnitz’s departure. They told me the tone hadn’t changed and that if their characters were evolving, it was in ways they were excited about.

Actor Rufus Sewell, who plays Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith on the show, shed some light on what this collaborative, king-less process looks like. He said, “One of the great things about the way we’ve been working — and one of the reasons that after the departure of Frank Spotnitz as the showrunner, that the tone has stayed very much the same — is that what we’ve established with Frank, which is continuing, is that we were very, very involved in the writing. We wouldn’t write it, but we would get involved quickly and have our thoughts taken into consideration, our voices — we’re very much involved with our voices — our opinions were very much, very much taken into consideration so that we have an ownership of our characters. A part-ownership.”

Rupert Evans plays Frank Frink and he actually seemed to think that his once-passive character’s arc had been much improved this season. There’s a change,” he said. “Yes, I’m very glad that we’ve tried to depart from what he experiences in season one and I think he kind of moves forward in a more pro-active way in season two and finds himself standing up. He finds a way of processing what happened in season one. And he finds himself involved in a group of people who are radical in their approach, really. He finds himself in a kind of resistance cell.”

I then asked Evans what is was like playing a male character sort of relegated to what would be a traditional “girlfriend” role. Frank spent most of the first season in varying degrees of distress while Julianna led the charge in various adventures and escapades.

“That was noted, yes,” he said.

“Who noted it?” I asked.

“I did,” said Evans.

“Well did you like having the tables turned like that?”

“Yeah, I think we’ve learned a lot from season one and I think we’re all trying hard to have more of a clear arc for all of us this season,” he said. “Particularly in respect to my character, he certainly departs from where he was and takes huge steps to sort of ‘man up’ and to find out who he is and also to find out if he can make a change or if it’s possible to be in charge of one’s own destiny, instead of being someone who is dictated to by the state.”

One of the hallmarks of this so-called Golden Age of Television is that the showrunner is an auteur of sorts, but if The Man in the High Castle‘s second season is successful it might cast this presumption into question. Can shows be handled by committee? Do you need one singular voice driving the narrative? And how ironic is it that a show that is so focused on a fascist America is the one experimenting with a democratic production process?

Interestingly, when I asked star Alexa Davalos what her favorite part of the new season is, she didn’t talk about her character Julianna Crain’s arc, but instead sung the praises of the show’s team. She said, “For me, the overall kind of joy of the show is the people I’m working with and that just takes precedence over everything else. And we’re such an awesome team and family. We have a real, incredible, unconditional trust and that’s what makes it amazing no matter what.”

Season Two of The Man in the High Castle debuts on Prime Video tomorrow.

Stream 'The Man in the High Castle' on Prime Video