The first and potentially only season of Watchmen is now over and I’m having some feelings, people. I was a big fan of the movie version and this season has been insanely well executed. Let’s talk specifics before we start questioning if anything is going to be coming back around. But first I must ask: what happens when the smartest man in the world meets the smartest woman in the world?
We open on a flashback, or rather in a flashback to 1985. Adrian Veidt (Jeremy Irons) is in his fortress in Antarctica creating instructions for the future president and elaborating on the giant squid thing. What Adrian doesn’t notice is his cleaning lady secreting herself away into his office and secreting into herself some of his love jam. Low key, that’s a heck of a way to get back at a person. Fast forward to 2008, he’s still in Karnak and gets a visit. Lady Trieu (Hong Chau) decides to pay homage to the smartest man alive and ask him for a $42 billion dollar gift. Well, she decides to ask daddy for some inheritance. She wants to build a machine to destroy Dr. Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and absorb his powers to do something for good. Ozymandias insists he’ll never call her his daughter, and frankly just because Dr. Manhattan has these powers does not mean he owes the world to save its ass.
Let’s face it, the world is kind of a hot mess is a lot of different ways in a lot of different places. Dr. Manhattan would easily become obligated to the world if he was constantly fixing everything. I understand the frustration of being a human but we have to learn to fix our own problems. Big blue dude is not indebted to the world. At this moment in 2008, Lady Trieu has worked out he’s hiding out on Europa and she’s sending a satellite to take photographs. The satellite will arrive in a bit and capture Ozymandias begging to be saved. As it turns out he spent 8 years on Europa before being rescued and now he’s back on Earth.
Meanwhile, Laurie (Jean Smart) is still being held hostage, though there’s a friend on the inside. Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson) infiltrated the Kavalry and now they’re chilling in an abandoned department store, waiting for things to happen. Senator Keene (James Wolk) explains in detail, as all villains do, of the gathering of the elite Cyclops leadership to witness the destruction of Dr. Manhattan and the absorption of his powers. Woah, two people want to kill him and take his powers? It’s almost like no freaking wonder he used to live on a moon or undercover or on f*cking Mars! Just because he can easily destroy things doesn’t mean there aren’t people who haven’t already tried or that people wouldn’t. But who will get to do the deed? Well, you can’t make an omelet without breaking any eggs.
It was quite an awesome moment as a fan to see a mini-reunion of sorts for some characters. Ozymandias, Laurie Blake, and Dr. Manhattan were all present in the film version and recreated here in an amazing story, not tied to canon. The casting and acting were perfection. Everything felt true to the world-building and grittiness of the graphic novel. The score was off the chart. The cinematography was breathtaking, particularly episode 6, ‘This Extraordinary Being’ when Angela (Regina King) was under the effects of Nostalgia. The creators have stated the season was created to be self-contained and truly it was. We may not get a second season. And honestly, I’m truly happy either way. A season of television really doesn’t get this good and completely self-contained. But would I also take a season two of Laurie teaming up with Mirror Guy? Yes, yes I would.
What about you? Are you ready for the end of Watchmen?
