Prime Video’s 2015 adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle posited a grim reality: an America subjugated by the Axis powers following a nuclear assault on Washington. While that series explored its high-stakes premise through four seasons of sprawling drama, HBO’s alternative history of the World War II era feels uniquely chilling due to its restraint. Spanning only six episodes, this miniseries is an ideal candidate for a weekend deep dive.
The 2020 miniseries The Plot Against America, based on Philip Roth’s 2004 novel, often invites comparisons to the contemporary political climate, yet it remains a steadfastly faithful period piece. Created by The Wire alumni David Simon and Ed Burns, the show presents a terrifying “what-if” scenario: Franklin D. Roosevelt is unseated in 1940 by the isolationist aviator Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh’s platform—rooted in keeping America out of the global conflict—slowly unravels into a regime marked by diplomatic ties to Nazi Germany and an encroaching, domestic wave of fascism.
The narrative centers on the Levins, a working-class Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey, navigating the rapid decay of their social landscape. The series meticulously documents how Lindbergh’s populist rhetoric emboldened systemic antisemitism and fueled the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. As the government promotes programs to displace Jewish children into rural, pro-isolationist households under the guise of “cultural assimilation,” the Levins are forced to grapple with a nation increasingly hostile to their identity.
John Turturro delivers a career-best performance as Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf, the token Jewish advisor to Lindbergh. His portrayal of a man intoxicated by the illusion of political influence is masterfully nuanced; it is both captivating and infuriating to watch him slowly realize he has been a pawn all along.
The series often hits uncomfortably close to home. One particularly striking sequence involves a rally for political critic Walter Winchell, where state-sanctioned violence against protestors is met with passive observation by local law enforcement. This dynamic—where the police prioritize the protection of the status quo over the safety of dissenters—feels hauntingly relevant given the socio-political unrest seen in recent years, from the Rittenhouse trial to the 2026 crackdowns on protesters by federal agencies.
Despite these grim realities, The Plot Against America functions as an ode to resilience. Patriarch Herman Levin (Morgan Spector) serves as the stubborn moral anchor of the show, steadfastly refusing to abandon his home for Canada. Even when confronted with blatant antisemitism during a family trip to D.C., his belief in the core tenets of American democracy remains unshaken, even as the world around him turns unrecognizable.
The show highlights the profound weight of individual choice. Whether through the overt rebellion of Herman’s nephew, Alvin, who travels north to enlist against the Nazis, or the quiet courage of neighbors shielding the Levins, the story emphasizes that indifference is its own form of complicity. Simon and Burns do not shy away from the cost of this choice, showcasing how propaganda can erode even the closest family bonds.
As the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary this July, The Plot Against America serves as a sobering, essential watch. It captures the eternal tension between the American promise of multicultural democracy and the recurring, insular urge toward autocracy. It is a vital reminder that the battle against fascism is rarely won by grand, cinematic battles; rather, it is won or lost incrementally, at the ballot box and in the choices we make every day.
Source: Polygon
