Wow what a great episode. Now I see why Angela is in blue lighting on the poster.
5
I think Senator Joe wants to use his doorway to rescue Veidt
4
I still don't know what's going on in this series but I am loving every minute of it. As far as the scene with the elephant - elephants are known to have long memories. Nostalgia...indeed.
11
I’m not sure what’s going on either, but I’m still in the game and enjoying the ride. Besides, I admire and respect Regina King’s work so its a must see.
2
Anyone else see the similarity between the Trieu trademark and the Tesla trademark? I Googled this point and saw that a couple of days ago someone on Reddit noticed the same thing, and added that both Trieu and Elon Musk are immigrants out to save the world -- and that their inventions use a fair amount of lithium.
6
Regarding "Watchmen" and viewer confusion - yes, it certainly can get confusing keeping all the moving parts straight, regardless of whether one is familiar with the underlying graphic novel story line or not. But so far at least, the show respects its viewers by both providing explanatory exposition without being ham fisted about it, and by providing clues regarding where things are heading. There are mysteries of course, but there are no "gotcha" moments of deliberately pulling the rug out (or activating a trap door) from under the viewers: "Lost" lesson learned, a lesson the writers of the second season of "Westworld" should have heeded.
8
@Julio I'm in full agreement. With "Watchmen" I don't feel manipulated, and the narrative twists that are presented feel earned (unlike Westworld).
4
Remember Veidt was the main speaker in the multi-screened video that Senator Joe showed Angela, so there's the connection with him in the plot. Presumably we'll see more of Joe & Veidt's collaboration. I agree about Agent Blake, and it'll be interesting to see her deal with Dr. Manhattan when he returns next week. Crazy show, but the surprises are fun and it's so well done all the way around. Lindelof is superb at creating these mind blowing, never boring, TV shows!!
7
I agree about Adrian Veidt's supblot, while it's been a good way to provide backstory, it has no connection to anything yet. Presumably someone is going to save him, as requested, but it's going to take some serious action for him to have any relation to the main story.
Wondering a bit about the elephant as part of the memory treatment. Because elephants never forget? Just to be weird? Because they have larger brains?
As for Dr. Manhattan posing as a human, presumably eliminating his own memory to do so, this is a huge departure from his character and the source material. And it's too bad that senator Joe had such a weak rationale, thought it would have been more interesting for him to point out how America was getting more fascist, abandoning the rule of law, and so on.
2
I am glad that in this (alternate reality) Watchmen, VHS also dominated over Betamax as the videotape standard. The Veidt Courtroom scene reminded me of "Monty Python & the Holy Grail". But Veidt didn't "Fart in the General Direction" of the Judge. The character Lady Trieu leaves me Cold and Limp. I prefer my "Dragon Ladies" in a tight Slit Dress/Skirt. Just saying.
1
I would like to think that if someone has just confessed that a fantastical white supremacist plot is not only true, but worse than imagined, and then starts pointing what looks like a TV remote at me, cursing all the while, I would do something, ANYTHING, other than just sit there mumbling "What the hell?". Then again, maybe not. Ironically, Looking Glass, the object of so much scorn from Agent Blake, appears to have been much more adept at avoiding Seventh Kavalry plots. And for a group that seems otherwise fairly inept, the Klan/Kavalry/Cyclops seem to manage to get their racist paws on some pretty advanced technology.
So after seeing most of the (thoroughly enjoyable) season spent debunking heroes, whether of the masked or unmasked variety, I am skeptical that Lady Trieu and Dr. Manhattan will be the saviors of humanity. I have more faith in Angela Abar and Wade Tillman overcoming their particular demons and thwarting Senator Keene.
Finally, as entertaining as the scenes with Veidt have been as a sort of disturbing non sequitur, I do think he has a role to play, particularly now that we know his trial lasted a full year. Perhaps that asteroid crash in the farm Lady Trieu purchased has something to do with Veidt's part in the (Season 1) grand finale?
13
@Julio Could Veidt be Lady Trieu's father? That would explain a lot...
3
Yes yes yes on the remote! I would have been out of the door before the 2nd click. Seemed a bit out of character for Laurie not to be on top of that one. I thought she was trying to use a Mesmer light instead of a trap door at first.
3
@Capybara Definitely possible, though Lady Trieu seems to have accomplished an enormous amount in her own right. Yet I remain skeptical of Lady Trieu's intentions, and it certainly seems implausible that the ginormous "Millenium" (Doomsday?) Clock was designed specifically to thwart the Cyclops plot involving Dr. Manhattan. Of course, the ultimate Damon Lindelof mind blower would be if the Millenium Clock were designed to randomly make 2% of the world's population suddenly disappear and get transported to wherever it is Veidt has been hanging out - thereby linking "The Leftovers" to "Watchmen". But I digress.
1
I've never enjoyed a show more in which I've been so confused..
25
Legion was also rather confusing and excellent.
4
@Dan Stackhouse And also had Jean Smart in it.
1
Except for “Lost”, also by Lindelof. I’m very thankful for these reviews to give me an idea of what’s happening.
I’m just glad mirror guy seems to be alive. Buckling in for last two episodes. Hope the end lives up to expectations!
11
As to a flag with 51 stars, we could go back to the circle design, with three rings containing 16, 17 and 18 stars.
1
Couldn’t agree more...
“It should be said that Vietnam’s induction as the 51st state has been a big aesthetic negative to the American flag. One new star yields a hot mess.”
4
This was a surprise....
Young Angela is adorable
16
I think the Veidt stuff will pay off with Trieu bringing him back. I think he's her father, it would explain why she has a statue to him and her comment about how her father will be there soon.
I don't know how any of that helps Dr. Manhattan or thwarts the plans of the 7th Kavalry, but we'll see.
18
Incredible show. Between this and The Leftovers Lindelof has gained so much goodwill back from me for what happened with Lost's last few seasons. This is so good and so respectful of the source material while also expanding on it and investing this world with a much needed modern awareness that it's making me like the comic more. I thought that original material was good but flawed, silly and naive at times. This show keeps a healthy dose of the silly but in a warm way and mainlines some nostalgia into its pages so it re-contextualizes everything. Alan Moore probably wouldn't approve but for me that's made it broader and truer to the American experience in either this world or the one his pages inhabits.
18
The show has been audacious in its bold reimagining of the WATCHMEN universe. Despite his legendary animus against representations of his work, Alan Moore should be pleased at how this series has picked up where he and Dave Gibbons left off. It's bold and mesmerizing, although we'll see if they can sustain it through the first season. I'm hoping so, because it's been a dazzling first season.
The Ozymandias subplot is ultimately the weakest link, and this latest episode was no exception to that trend.
Otherwise, everything else has been wonderfully memorable, and giving proper nods to the original source material in so many ways.
8
This was the first episode I've really enjoyed.
Otherwise, the series is confusing. Way too much energy being expended trying to follow by this commenter who never read the original material.
1
@fast/furious
I'm not at all familiar with the source material either, so I resonate with your post. But, with no points of reference and left entirely on my own, HBO invited a "new" viewer to explore the magic and imagery of this DC Universe without prejudice and it's really quite exquisite! And I get most of it! Great storytelling and the characters are compelling; in fact I'm not often confused... Until I visit these recaps.;)
The author has the distinct advantage of being able to compare and contrast original plot and character developments against this HBO interpretation. I wish I can say I care enough about how an episode departs from, or is enhanced by original content, but Scott offers some witticisms and insight in 'Tick Tocks' I find amusing and helpful. I guess I'll keep plugging away on my own journey of discovery. I really do love the show... It's quite an odyssey!
14
This series is fantastic and the last three episodes have been the best by far, for the way the weave in an out through the original material while providing deep dives into the characters of Mirror Guy, Hooded Justice and Abar. If the show is missing anything, it's a deep connection between the characters and the audience and each other. The book struck a great balance between character and plot development. This show leans more towards plot (however convoluted it is) and in that way, it's been more Game of Thrones than Sopranos. But maybe that's changing, and the show is getting better for it.
As for this write up, can we please orient ourselves in a way where we don't need to write/read lines like "The original footage appeared as early as 1968 in the antiwar documentary “In the Year of the Pig,” by the Marxist director Emile de Antonio, who sought to raise people’s consciousness about the horrors of war. For “Watchmen” to appropriate a shot like that borders on exploitation..." We can't use war footage in art anymore? Particularly when the art is looking to make a similar argument to piece it is utilizing?
I thought the "Living in America" scene was perfect. If the lyrics are a little "on the nose," the vibe of the scene was perfect.
Quasi-3rd world fast food in the 1980's, I'll take the borscht.
10
I need to see the last two episodes before I can comment on the overall quality of the show but I just want to say that I really admire Damon Lindelof and others involved for their ambition. It would have been so easy to play it safe, make the story some lazy “continuation” of the comic but instead, they decided to go for it, they decided to try to be so much more (just like the original comic did).
Whatever happens I salute the creators and HBO and I’m hoping that with the last two episodes they knock it out of the park.
44