TV Review: Watchmen (2019)
Damon Lindelof“s venture into the Watchmen universe on TV was a controversial and divisive one. While most of this is due to the social commentary, focusing on race relations and police corruption, Watchmen is also based on a highly regarded graphic novel. Admittedly, I had passed on seeing this for months because I believe Watchmen is a story that shouldn“t be continued. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons told a complete and self-contained story with an ending that relies on its ambiguity, and it“s difficult for anyone to follow that standard in any medium. However, this is a show that needs to be experienced firsthand, and your opinion may depend on what you bring into the experience with you.
Does the 2019 Watchmen series live up to the graphic novel? No, though it comes closer than most attempts to follow in Moore“s shadow.
In fairness to Lindelof, he wrote and produced a show that has moments of genuine technical brilliance. The visual look of the series, from the cinematography to the lighting and even prop placement, is painstakingly detailed and considered. There“s clear attention to detail in each scene, including important pieces of setting, and the stylistic elements of each shot. The opening of each episode is slickly produced, using stylistic elements to reinforce the theme or visual motif of the episode. For instance, the short silent film from the 1920“s that opens the series is a clever visual idea that connects to the show“s ideas about superheroes and race. This is a show that looks good, at high professional quality, and all the pieces mesh together well.
The writing, unfortunately, is much more disjointed, and it stems from a conceptual level. Damon Lindelof is grappling with competing notions””following Moore while trying to surpass him, being a Watchmen sequel while trying to tell his own narrative. Because Moore“s Watchmen is such an intricately crafted story, some of Lindelof“s additions can come across as tacked-on in a way that doesn“t feel like part of the same narrative. As a result, some of the attempts at symbolism feel hollower than intended, while some of the racial themes don“t click with the direct follow-up plot threads. Adding to this is the absurdity of Veidt“s arc, which can get quite silly before the setup is revealed. When the story does work””and it does at many points””it can be quite enjoyable to watch. However, when it doesn“t, there are moments of cringe and even unintentional hilarity, especially in the early episodes. Still, it helps that most of the bizarre developments are explained well by the end of the season, and the show does get better towards the conclusion.
Some of this is accomplished by virtue of an incredibly talented cast of actors. Jeremy Irons is perfectly cast as an older Adrian Veidt, and indeed he“s the finest actor ever to take that role. Even when things don“t initially make sense, Irons conveys the charisma and intellect of Ozymandias convincingly in each scene. Louis Gossett Jr. is an actor I“ve respected since Iron Eagle, and he brings a grandfatherly dignity and respectability to Will Reeves. However, the new characters, headlined by a strong performance by Regina King as protagonist Sister Night, are all interesting to watch. Indeed, the focus on the new additions was welcome, especially during the episode centered on Tim Blake Nelson as Looking Glass, who ended up as a favorite character. However, it was also good to see old favorites like Jean Smart find new life in classic roles. Lindelof assembled a good, strong ensemble, and they anchor the show even through its weakest moments.
By the end of the final episode, I found myself liking Watchmen more than I expected. Though the decision to produce a sequel is as much a blessing as a curse, it“s worth a look if you“re still on the fence about this show. It is often a heavily political show, and that may be a barrier to entry for some. If you can look past those concerns, though, you may find much to appreciate.
Score: 4/5
Showrunner: Damon Lindelof
Starring: Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett, Jr., Jean Smart
Author Profile
- Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).
