WATCHMEN Season 1 Spoiler-Free Review; "A Gripping Piece Of Television It's Impossible To Look Away From"

WATCHMEN Season 1 Spoiler-Free Review; "A Gripping Piece Of Television It's Impossible To Look Away From"

Watchmen premieres on HBO this Sunday but does the series from showrunner Damon Lindelof live up to what's come before? Absolutely, and you can find out spoiler-free review of the first six episodes here.

Review Opinion
By JoshWilding - Oct 18, 2019 08:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Watchmen
Regardless of whether you're a fan of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal graphic novel or discovered this world through Zack Snyder's visually stunning big screen adaptation, it's fair to say that the thought of a Watchmen sequel of any sort is potentially controversial (look no further than the mixed response to DC Comics series Doomsday Clock for proof of that). It's a perfect standalone tale in many ways and there's been a lot of confusion and speculation about what Damon Lindelof is bringing to the table for this HBO "adaptation" since it was first announced. Well, it definitely builds on what's come before but is ultimately so much more than a straightforward follow-up. 

With a host of brand new characters and familiar faces from the past, Watchmen manages to tread a fine line between fan-service and creating a story that can be embraced by those who are complete newcomers to the franchise. It's hard to say whether those in the latter group will get as much out of the series as viewers familiar with the story - they may even be downright baffled at times - but this is a show which requires a lot of patience from anyone who watches it as Lindelof returns to his Lost roots to deliver a story full of twists and turns, compelling mysteries, and plot threads which aren't necessarily wrapped up in a neat little bow by the time the credits roll. With so many shows now available on streaming platforms, HBO is asking a lot for people to tune in on a weekly basis but this is television at its finest and there's no way you'll be anything other than hooked after that first episode. 

Watchmen really embraces the graphic novel with some phenomenal visuals, dark humour, and fascinatingly rich and complex characters. Nicole Kassell's direction starts things off right but it remain consistently high quality throughout and this has all the fingerprints of another classic HBO series (it certainly has the potential to rival and possibly eclipse Game of Thrones and Westworld if the first six episodes are any indication). It's hard to say anything about the story without delving into spoilers but rest assured that it definitely delivers in that respect by expanding this world in a present day setting, while also delving into what's come before in a satisfying and unexpected manner. This isn't necessarily Watchmen 2 but it's definitely a sequel and fans of that original group of characters will be very happy indeed.

The most interesting decision here, however, isn't the way it references the source material but to have so much of the story stem from the Tulsa, Oklahoma, race massacre of 1921. The themes and topics touched on feel painfully relevant and are an undeniably fitting choice for this spiritual successor to the original story. Just like Moore and Gibbons put a dark twist on the 1980s with their graphic novel, Lindelof uses Watchmen to make us take a long, hard look in the mirror and to think about the world today. That makes it difficult viewing at times but the showrunner finds a nice balance between that and the sort of storytelling you would hope to find from what is essentially a comic book/sci-fi series at heart. 

Led by stellar performances by Regina King and Tim Blake Nelson, the casting here is superb and there's not a bad performance to speak of. Jeremy Irons steals the show in every single scene he's in with a wonderfully eccentric performance that you won't be able to tear your eyes away from. Jean Smart is as excellent as ever and more Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is never a bad thing!

This is without a doubt one of the most ambitious TV shows to have come along in quite some time and the most exciting thing about every instalment are seeing all the ways it continuously manages to surprise us. Even after six episodes, it's impossible to predict what's coming next and that's not an experience many small screen offerings deliver these days. It feels like we're being taken on a journey with Watchmen and it's been far too long since we've had a series which demands discussion on a weekly basis. This is water-cooler TV at its finest and comparable to the likes of Breaking Bad and The Wire when it comes to being left with so much to talk about after every episode. It takes no time at all to become invested in this world and you'll soon find yourself becoming, well, lost in it. 

The best new TV show of 2019, Watchmen is the sequel we've been waiting for and a gripping piece of television it's impossible to look away from. 

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Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 10/18/2019, 8:09 AM
Damn, you watched the first

Episodes? Lucky bastard!
tmp3
tmp3 - 10/18/2019, 8:09 AM
So [frick]ing pumped for this to finally start on Sunday!! Good review @JoshWilding
Kman
Kman - 10/18/2019, 8:23 AM
Im still kinda skeptical - an HBO live adaptation of Spawn was always my wish. But I can't deny the reviews and quality I've seen so far. I'll be watching day one.
Visualiza
Visualiza - 10/18/2019, 8:31 AM
Take notes, Snyder.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 10/18/2019, 8:38 AM
@Visualiza - I'm pretty sure they don't even let him in the building anymore...
SpideyPuffsMJ
SpideyPuffsMJ - 10/18/2019, 9:10 AM
Awesome. I was hesitant when this was announced because of the singularity of the source material but if Lindelof pulls it off then more power to him. I need a new HBO show badly so let's go for a ride this Sunday.

RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 10/18/2019, 9:21 AM
tmp3
tmp3 - 10/18/2019, 9:27 AM
Throwback
bobevanz
bobevanz - 10/18/2019, 10:24 AM
I just rewatched the motion comic of Watchmen on the dc app. I really wish the movie had that same ending (aside from the panels and panels of dead people in New York) but this will definitely make the tv show more interesting. Also I gotta say that the older blonde lady has to be Silk Spectre, hence Archimedes in the trailer.. at least I hope so lol
OmegaEffect
OmegaEffect - 10/18/2019, 10:33 AM
Wonder if Dr. Manhattan is in it?
narrow290
narrow290 - 10/18/2019, 10:34 AM
HYPED! Hello HBO re-newel..
tmp3
tmp3 - 10/18/2019, 11:12 AM
@narrow290 - Check out Succession too while you're at it, and Barry/Chernobyl
narrow290
narrow290 - 10/18/2019, 11:32 AM
@tmp3 - I will for sure! Barry was awesome! and of course, my 2nd favorite show ever the Wire..
alanb
alanb - 10/18/2019, 12:15 PM
It was initially reported that a character called Pirate Jenny would feature in the series as played by Adelaide Clemens. Can anyone confirm if this character still features?
SpideyPuffsMJ
SpideyPuffsMJ - 10/18/2019, 12:35 PM
Watchmen is Zack Snyder's best film and peak as an adaptive filmmaker imo. Maybe 300 truly is but I don't know or care about that source material. All downhill from there though. Obviously.
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