Watchmen has been in the news a lot lately. First, the story and its characters have become a main point of intrigue and mystery in DC Comics' Rebirth line. Perhaps more mysterious, though, is the revelation that the thought-to-be dead HBO television series has entered pre-production. While little is known about be planned adaptation, my mind has been reeling at the idea of a long-form adaptation that could delve deeper into Watchmen than Zack Snyder's 2009 film was able.
Let's get something important out of the way from the beginning: I love Watchmen. It's not exactly a controversial opinion that the series is a masterpiece of storytelling, and there really isn't much that hasn't been said. What is somewhat controversial, however, is fan opinions of the Watchmen movie. I personally find it to be quite enjoyable, with only a few gripes; it is, in my opinion, a great supplement to the book. And I want to stress the word "supplement," because I don't think any adaptation could serve as a replacement to the original's achievements.
What I would like to address, however, is the potential of this new planned series. While some of these points may seem like suggestions of improvement of Snyder's adaptation, others are simply my fanboy obsession wanting to see the Watchmen name attached to something phenomenal. These opinions, therefore, are wholly my own, though (being my own biggest fan), I think they're valuable.
So here they are: my six hopes for the Watchmen HBO series.
More Minutemen
One of the strengths of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' original Watchmen series is the sense of legacy. The central characters feel like an extension of the previous generation of crime-fighting vigilantes from the 1950s & 1960s. In the case of Silk Spectre and Nite Owl, that description is quite literal; both are modern iterations of heroes of the same name from the Minutemen. And, of course, both groups featured Edward Blake, a.k.a. The Comedian, whose murder is central to the plot of Watchmen.
The rich history of the Minutemen is explored more in-depth throughout the pages of the original novel, and especially in the supplemental materials such as excerpts from Hollis Mason's autobiography Under the Hood. With it, Moore and Gibbons contrasted the early days of superheroics with the much shadier, more subversive characters from the book's alternate 1986. This commentary on comic books of the past versus the then-present state of the industry is crucial to the deconstruction of the superhero that is the backbone of Watchmen.
Unfortunately, the 2009 film didn't quite have the time to establish much of that history. Though it does touch on the Minutemen in specific scenes (and in that absolutely wonderful opening credits sequence set against Bob Dylan's fitting "The Times They Are A-Changing"), the focus of Zack Snyder's adaptation is the 1980s. The majority of the Minutemen is seen in the mockumentary Under the Hood, a fake featurette adapting Hollis Mason's in-world book of the same name.
With more time to flesh out the history of superheroes in the world of
Watchmen, a TV series can include all the details the 2009 movie couldn't. Spending more time with the Minutemen during the good days will make their inevitable downfall feel that much more tragic.
Crimebusters
Formed by Captain Metropolis to rekindle the team-ups of the past, The Crimebusters is the group of heroes in the 1970s & 80s that become most of the central figures of Watchmen. In the 2009 movie, Metropolis was all but erased, opting instead for Ozymandias to put together the team—this time under the name Watchmen.
Though it may seem like a nitpick, changing the name to Watchmen adds a more literal meaning to the title of the novel when it is not supposed to be. The title Watchmen, of course, comes from the phrase "Who Watches the Watchmen," found spray-painted on various surfaces in the book's alternate New York City. The title is meant to be symbolic of the authoritarian tactics of vigilantes, superheroes and politicians. Without that symbolism, one of the central themes of the novel is lost, and that was a major complaint of Snyder's movie.
Adding the Crimebusters back into the HBO series will both instill some of the novel's symbolism and bolster the sense of legacy. Give us Captain Metropolis!
Less Gore
A major criticism of Snyder's Watchmen was the portrayal of violence. While some of the central figures certainly have an affinity for the gruesome (i.e. Rorschach), the majority of the characters aren't looking to break criminals' bones or straight up murder them. This was not the case in 2009.
There's a scene midway through the film in which Dan Dreiberg and Laurie Juspeczyk (a.k.a. Nite Owl and Silk Spectre) are attacked by a group of Knot-Tops, one of the local gangs. This same scene in the comic plays out quickly: the characters, whom the Knots don't know are former superheroes, defend themselves and leave their foes unconscious. The film shows the ex-vigilantes snapping arms to expose the bones, twisting heads around the wrong way and breaking necks, and causing all kinds of critical, fatal injuries. This is out of character for these two, and, frankly, it confused many who had not read the source material prior to the film's release.
This level of superhuman violence gives the impression that Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are superpowered beings, which is, of course, not true. While it would make sense that they'd be more adept fighters given their superhero past, this gratuitous violence is in direct contrast to a central plot device: these characters have given up the superhero life and become regular, "fat and flabby" (as described by Rorschach) members of society. They simply are not in the shape to be punching people to death with single blows.
For the TV series, it would be wise to show the struggles of these ex-heroes as they are forced back into their personas. Not only would it match the source material, but it would also allow first-time visitors of the alternate 1985 to better understand the world.
More Backstory
In addition to the Minutemen's history, the novel features interviews with Adrian Veidt, a psychological analysis of a young Rorschach, and magazine articles about Dr. Manhattan. These supplements are crucial to the world that Moore and Gibbons were building, and the series should absolutely include them. Imagine entire episodes about young Walter Kovacs as his psyche begins to break into what would become Rorschach. The longevity of the TV series would allow for more exploration of Moore and Gibbons' America, and the series will be better for it.
That Giant Squid Monster
As the plot of Watchmen climaxes and readers discover that Ozymandias is the mastermind behind Comedian's death, Dr. Manhattan's desertion, and just about everything else from beginning to end, something weird happens: a giant alien squid monster appears in New York City, killing millions. The same happens in several key cities around the globe. The supposed alien attack, also perpetrated by Ozymandias, is meant to unite the people of Earth against the same enemy, thus creating the bonds of peace. More importantly, it seems to work.
Those who had read the graphic novel prior to 2009 were no doubt missing Ozy's hybrid squid creature, as the film version's attack was changed to be an explosion resembling Dr. Manhattan's energy signature. The choice to alter the climax seems to stem from an issue with time—the script could not take time to include references to Ozymandias' genetic experiments, thus the squid would have seemed to have come out of nowhere and make little sense in the larger plot. With a TV series, fleshing out more of Ozymandias', uh, hobbies, would be well within the realm of possibility. Give us the experiments, and give us the damn squid!
Politics
The real-life 1986 in which Watchmen began publication was an odd time in both America and England. Neo-conservatism was at its peak in both countries, and America's Cold War with Russia created a feeling of uncertainty and despair while President Reagan had previously campaigned under the slogan, "It's Morning in America!" Watchmen Presents the reader with the inverse of Reagan's decree, suggesting that it's more midnight than morning. The comic highlights the outside-the-law tactics of superheroics, and even shows the horrors of what happens when vigilantes work within the confines of legality with Dr. Manhattan's gruesome Vietnam attacks to Comedian's secret life after the Keene Act bans vigilantes.
Now in 2017, the political climate is just as disconcerting as that of the 1980s. The millennial American is filled with vitriol and cynicism, and the world of Watchmen should serve as a direct reflection of that mindset. If the TV series is effective, it will channel a parallel of modern America into a familiar alternate 1985.
While I stated before that I think my opinions are valuable, they are, of course, nothing definitive. I'm just a guy who really, really likes Watchmen. Perhaps there are a few points I missed, and maybe there are some I included that others would find unnecessary. Luckily, that's what comment sections are for!
I have high hopes for Damon Lindelof and his team, and I personally can't wait to see what HBO has cooking with Watchmen.
What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Feel like arguing with some internet strangers? Hit the comments below with your thoughts.