Ethics and the Other in Long-form Television Series: Two Case Studies

In this article, I develop a philosophical interpretation of two television series, The Man in the High Castle and Better Call Saul, in light of the ethics of alterity articulated by Stanley Cavell and Richard Rorty through their reflections on the conceptual pairs acknowledgment/avoidance and solidarity/cruelty. The general problem is framed by Rorty’s thesis that, in a post-foundational philosophical era, narratives can reach where moral theories cannot. The analysis of The Man in the High Castle will emphasize the differences between the series and Philip K. Dick’s novel, particularly the introduction of a negative hero as the protagonist. In the case of Better Call Saul, special attention will be given to the relationship among the characters of Saul, Kim, and Howard. The analysis of the two series will allow for a complication and cross-reading of Cavell’s and Rorty’s reflections on the theme of the Other, and will suggest – through brief references to series such as The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men – some generalizations on the pervasive presence of the negative hero in American long-form television.