Episode 8 of
Watchmen just wrapped up on HBO and it's fair to say that it might be one of the finest hours of television we've seen this year. After last week's shocking cliffhanger which saw us learn that Cal has been Dr. Manhattan all along, the show addressed all the questions we've been asking since.
The show has now fully established itself as a sequel to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' critically acclaimed graphic novel despite initial claims to the contrary, and Dr. Manhattan's return is a game-changer. Now, we're delving into everything we learned about Jon in this episode, including where he disappeared to for twenty years, how he became Cal, where he sent Ozymandias, and much more.
So, to check out this breakdown of tonight's episode of
Watchmen, hit the "View List" button!
Dr. Manhattan Walks Into A Bar...
The episode kicks off by revealing how Angela first met Dr. Manhattan. He returns to Earth, picks up a blue mask off the ground, puts it on, and walks into a bar where she's having a drink.
He immediately sets his sights on Angela but has a hard time winning her over as she hates Dr. Manhattan and isn't interested in being picked up by some guy cosplaying as him. He wins her over as the episode progresses and it doesn't take long for us to learn where he's been for 20 years...
Europa
Dr. Manhattan isn't, and has never been, on Mars.
Instead, he went to Europa (one of Jupiter's moons) and decided to have a go at creating life. Effortlessly using his powers to do so, we learn that he teleported the mansion he grew up in as child there and the "Adam" and "Eve" he came up with were replicas of the couple who took his family in.
They're also the man and woman who we've seen Ozymandias interacting with since the first episode!
How Jon Became "Cal"
Jon and Angela have come to the conclusion that they can't be together while he's, well, blue and that means he needs a new body and an identity which will allow him travel to America from Vietnam in that guise. They head to the morgue and pick someone who had no family and, as you might have guessed, that person is Cal.
Jon removes the symbol from his forehead and it's revealed that his voice has changed because his vocal cords loosened during his transformation. He's a new man but his powers remain.
Things Become Strained
Jon may have found a way to hide who he really is but he still experiences time very differently and that proves to be problematic for his relationship with Angela. He needs a solution and that leads to him visiting Ozymandias in his arctic base in 2009. He's grown frustrated with humanity and somewhat unhinged as he clearly wanted credit for "saving" the world.
He's the one sending those squids around the world to maintain world peace and as their conversation continues, we learn that Jon wants a way to inhibit his powers so he can live a normal life.
Remember when Ozymandias attempted to blow Dr. Manhattan up? Well, that was just Plan B and he's always had a device capable of removing his powers and it's been hidden from Jon thanks to Tachyon particles. We learn that the only way those will come back is he's put in a life-threatening situation and that's how Cal managed to save Angela from the 7th Cavalry.
Ozymandias Leaves Earth
Jon tells Ozymandias about Europa and reveals that he grew dissatisfied with his creations because all they wanted to do was please and adore him. That just wasn't satisfying, so he left them behind.
Well, it just so happens that Ozymandias is someone who craves adoration and he sends him there (which finally explains where the villain is and why he's so desperate to escape and return to Earth).
Jon Loses His Memory
Angela places the device into Jon's head but the downside is that he's going to forget who he is.
However, she comes up with a cover story that he was in a car accident which caused him to forget his past and both Jon and Angela accept that this is the only way they can really stay together.
However, we then move back to the present day and Dr. Manhattan's return to the world...
Dr. Manhattan Returns
Dr. Manhattan is back but the device has played havoc with his mind and he's confused. He's also retained Cal's appearance despite being blue again and sends his and Angela's children to safety.
Before the 7th Cavalry can arrive, we learn that Jon once visited Angela's grandfather but the unique nature of his powers means that when she asks him in the present how the one-time Hooded Justice knew about Judd Crawford and his racist paraphernalia, it's because of her posing that question to him
today, prompting Jon to ask her grandfather
then.
It's a time paradox and she's the one who set off this entire chain of events.
The 7th Cavalry Wins
As the 7th Cavalry attacks, Dr. Manhattan unleashes the full extent of his powers, blowing heads up left and right. However, just as it appears as if he and Angela have won the day, their device teleports him away and the stage is now set for Senator Joe Keene to try and steal Jon's powers.
However, it seems he knows something Angela doesn't so it may not be quite as simple as that!
An After-Credits Scene You Can't Miss
Make sure you stick around during the credits because we do indeed get to see what Ozymandias is up to a year after his trial. He's stuck in a jail cell for refusing to stop trying to escape from those who "worship" him and makes it clear that he wants to return home and needs to because his people need him (there's that desired to be needed again).
As he starts tucking into the cake marking another year that's passed there, we see Ozymandias discover a horseshoe and he uses that to start digging at the ground in a bid for freedom!
What an amazing episode, eh? What did you guys think of these Dr. Manhattan reveals? As always, be sure to head to the comments section below to let us know your thoughts on that.