HBO's Watchmen is an endlessly captivating character study
We've watched the first six episodes of HBO's Watchmen. Let's talk about it.
Watchmen is produced by HBO and created by Damon Lindelof.
HBO’s Watchmen is a sequel to Alan Moore’s critically acclaimed graphic novel of the same name. This is an in-depth character study; a slow-burn drama focusing on political and social commentary in a world where squid tend to fall from the sky. That inherent silliness - where you realise you’re watching two characters talk about racism while a blue man is destroying sand castles on Mars - is where this show thrives.
What’s it all about?
The Seventh Cavalry are the main antagonists of this series - although there might be more to them than meets the eye.
Watchmen takes place in Tulsa Oklahoma, in a very different intepretation of 2019. You might be fooled into thinking it’s set in the future, what with all the strange new technology on display - but it’s not. It’s a world after the original Watchmen storyline; after Rorschach and every other vigilante of his generation. Set 34 years after the events of the comic, Robert Redford is now President of the United States and a white supremacy group of Rorschach followers have risen, calling themselves The Seventh Cavalry.
Watchmen is created by Damon Lindelof, and anyone who’s seen Lindelof’s previous two shows (Lost and The Leftovers) knows that he favours ensemble casts. While there is a main character that grounds the show, each episode tends to focus on a particular character and their background.
Regina King plays Angela Abar flawlessly - a woman who begins to discover a vast conspiracy somehow tied to her heritage.
With that in mind, the series largely focuses on the exploits of Detective Angela Abar, as she slowly begins to uncover a vast criminal conspiracy in Tulsa. Ever since The Seventh Cavalry simultaneously committed attacks on the police sometime ago, cops wear masks and have secret identities to protect themselves and their families.
It’s a cool twist on the average superhero story. The main characters are still busting up crime, wearing costumes and have secret identities - but they are the police this time. They’re brutalising normal citizens just like Batman would, but it feels uncomfortable now that there’s a badge pinned to their chests. The full extent of the law is behind them, and everything they do is more or less legal - so why does it feel so wrong?
How is this a Watchmen show?
If you haven't seen the graphic novel - don't worry. You'll be just as confused as everyone else.
If you didn’t read Watchmen or watch the Zack Snyder film - don’t sweat it. The show is knee-deep in mystery and stubbornly refuses to answer your questions about the earlier materials until much later. Knowing the events of Watchmen isn’t entirely necessary, even if characters from the graphic novel end up being main characters here. The show eventually fills in those blanks for you, though you might be confused at first. Looking up a wiki page or two in advance certainly wouldn’t hurt.
On the other hand, Watchmen fans will find a lot to like about this show. Seeing characters from the comic (Ozymandias and Silk Spectre) appear in the series is simply a delight, especially when they’re played to perfection by actors like Jeremy Irons and Jean Smart.
Ozymandias was my personal favourite character from this season. You just never know what's going on with him - and it's great!
Ozymandias’ storyline appears quite separate from everyone else at first. It’s delightfully weird and bizarre, and you’ll constantly be trying to figure out what he’s up to. Jeremy Irons utterly owns the role. Silk Spectre - or rather, Laurie Blake - is on an anti-vigilante task force, which is quite a turn from her old costumed days with the Watchmen. Doctor Manhattan abandoned her and all of Earth a long time ago - but she still tries to communicate with him every once in awhile.
So, should I watch this?
This world is really intriguing - there's always something going on in Tulsa.
Note: This article was first published on 16 October 2019.
I might have buried the lead here a little bit. This is an excellent TV show, through and through. Everything from the storytelling and acting to the cinematography and music are absolutely brilliant and makes this one of the best TV shows of 2019.
Lindelof tends to produce character-focused episodes, which I love. He’s done some brilliant ones in the past (Lost’s The Constant, The Leftovers’ Two Boats and a Helicopter), and he does so again here. Episode 5 (LIttle Fear of Lightning) stands out by shining a spotlight on Tim Blake Nelson's character, Looking Glass - though I won't spoil why. These episodes make these characters stick with you with some very good writing.
Looking Glass was another highlight in this show - he has a really great episode this season.
Acting is great from top to bottom from this show’s entire cast. Regina King kills it as Angela Abar, a character who is almost as lost and confused as we are throughout this season. With a stellar cast including the likes of Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II - I honestly can’t name a weak link among them. With the show’s heavy focus on character study, it helps that the actors are consistently great.
Cinematography and directing deliver on HBO’s tagline - It’s not TV, it’s HBO - and it shows. Production here is way better than what you’d expect from the average TV show. I want to draw attention to the music though, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails. My God, the music is fantastic. Every scene is scored so well, keeping you glued to the screen and winding the tension up to 11.
Conclusion
No, Batman doesn't appear in this show - but you should check out DC Comic's Doomsday Clock series, in which DC and Watchmen characters are thrown together for a huge event. It's really good.
I consider The Leftovers the best television show of all time, and that show was all about mystery. It answered one question for every 50 it raised, and it delighted from it. This show continues that Lindelof pattern. You won’t quite know what’s going on half the time, but who cares? It’s stunning television either way.
The writing is near flawless, the music is fantastic, it loves to get creative with opening logos and the actors are wonderful. What else is there to say? HBO’s Watchmen is a masterpiece - or the first 6 episodes are, at least. Let’s hope the rest of Season 1 sticks the landing. While we're at it, let's hope for a Season 2.
Watchmen will premiere on Monday, 21 October at 9am (Singapore time) at the same time as the US on HBO and HBO GO.
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