TICK…TOCK…Damon Lindelof, showrunner of HBO’s WATCHMEN, has stated all along that from where he was sitting WATCHMEN was a one-and-done show. Well, the final episode of the series has arrived (HBOWatch’s review to come shortly) and now many are whining that there needs to be more. Uh, uh, uh, he warned us plenty in advance that there was a beginning, middle and end and that it would be contained within the nine episodes he and his cast & crew have presented.
Deadline put the question up to him one more time:
DEADLINE: So, let’s dip our foot in the pool right away, are we going to see more Watchmen or is this the end of the series?
LINDELOF: Oh, wow, just dive right in, shall we? I don’t know. That’s the answer.
All I can say is I’ve consistently believed and still believe that these nine episodes are a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. I have to acknowledge that not everyone’s going to see it that way, and I definitely don’t dispute any opinion that’s sort of like there should be more. I just don’t feel compelled to continue the story without a reason to do so. That reason should be a creative reason, idea-driven, and I don’t have any ideas for subsequent seasons of Watchmen currently.
DEADLINE: So, more Watchmen perhaps, just not Damon Lindelof at the direct helm?
LINDELOF: Well, I do think that the world is much more expansive than anybody gives it credit for. I would not decry or be insulted by a further exploration. In fact, I’d be quite curious about future iterations of Watchmen moving forward. Like I said, and I’m not being precious about it, but for me, we put all the ideas that we had into this season.
He does go on to say in the interview that he understands the desire for a second season and that all these character’s lives just don’t stop so there could be more to tell, but that he told the story he wanted to tell here, so why drag it on.
Others have weighed in on the question which leads to some confusion as to whether WATCHMEN does have a chance to reappear in some other form or fashion. Pulling from Variety come these quotes:
Nicole Kassell, director of three episodes of the show – “I’m still kind of recuperating from production. I just think it’s gonna take time to say what Season 2 would be.”
Stephen Williams, director of two episodes, of the show – “[It’s] a question so above my pay grade that I would not even know how to begin to venture an answer,”
Regina King, Angela Abar (Sister Night) just shouts out – “Absolutely.”
So, obviously the only one with the definitive answer is Lindelol and this is what he told Variety:
“I am deeply, profoundly appreciative for how well received the season has been up until now, and I don’t want to feel like I’m ungrateful, but I still don’t have any inclination whatsoever to continue the story,” he says. “And that is largely and almost exclusively based on the fact that I don’t have an idea. If I’m going to be involved in any more ‘Watchmen,’ I should be able to answer the questions, why, and why now, and the answers to those questions shouldn’t be, ‘Well, because that’s what you do, because the first one was good.’”
He chuckles. “I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a second season of ‘Watchmen,’ and I’m not even saying that that season shouldn’t feature some of the characters in this season of ‘Watchmen.’ I just don’t know what it should be.”
No one, HBO or fans, should pressure him into rushing into anything that he is not ready for. Look at the dissatisfaction and continuity gaffes that happened with GAME OF THRONES as an example. Maybe, a few years down the line, Lindelof and WATCHMEN will return with a strong continuation. Perhaps, someone else will pick up the mantle with Lindelof’s blessing?
For the foreseeable future the TICK…TOCK will come to a stop, unless you relive it all on HBONow/Go from time to time. The second that minute hand picks up again and the TICK…Tock.. resounds again, we will let you in on it.
3 comments
Watchmen was comic that was too short lived, why make a television show that has so much potential for future episodes then not write any. I myself have so many ideas for future episodes that would make this series “fly” up in it’s ratings and be a huge success …
Idk, after GOT and Chernobyl this year, I am open to HBO committing to more short-lived, high-quality pieces rather than shows that go too long and lose sight of their original purpose. Firefly is a meme at this point, I know, but there is something to be said for short and sweet. Quit while you’re ahead, you know?
I am totally okay with the Limited Series concept and so is HBO. It is a matter of semantics I guess. What is the difference between a Miniseries and Limited Series? The only time it seems to matter is how HBO wants the work to be categorized at Awards time.
I also would prefer short-bursts of high-quality programming than stringing out something that does not need to be. Though WATCHMEN was a great ride I am alright with it wrapping up in this fashion.