HBO's Watchmen is only four episodes into it's run, but has already proven itself to be the must-watch series of 2019. Acting a sequel to the original comic book series created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the series follows a host of new heroes operating in Oklahoma as they are swept up in a grandiose mystery.
Over the course of its run, it has managed to be both captivating and timely, dealing with themes such as racism, police brutality, and expanding on the socio-political subtext in the original comic series. If that's not enough to convince you that Watchmen should be your next TV obsession, here are ten reasons that might do the trick.
10 Short and Sweet
While many viewers will base their continued investment in a show on the level of commitment, Watchmen has made no secret that it will not be a prolonged television experience. Despite its critical success and solid ratings, the creators of the show have made no secret that there are currently no plans to return for a second season, so fans and intrepid viewers can rest easy knowing they are not in for a decade-spanning commitment.
While this may be disappointing, it does bode well for the series to be working towards an endgame from the get-go.
9 Don Johnson
While his role in the series has been riddled with mystery, and despite the fact that Johnson's character Judd Crawford (*SPOILER ALERT*) died at the end of the first episode, Don Johnson has been a major player in the series and has given a fantastic performance.
His death is the catalyst for a major mystery that has been playing out ever since, with disturbing revelations (such as the secret he kept in his closet) and conspiracy aplenty.
8 Looking Glass
Taking on the role of a rebooted Rorschach, Looking Glass may very well be the coolest new superhero to arrive on the scene in this series. A detective with a very particular (and visually stunning) method of interrogation, Looking Glass is a wry and cynical operative, distrusting and intuitive, not unlike the psychologically scarred hero from the comic that he is meant to ape.
The performance of Tim Blake Nelson as the reflective rogue is well-rounded and eminently watchable and will leave fans buzzing after each scene he appears in.
7 Special Agent Laurie Blake
It was well-known that Watchmen would eventually end up folding in characters from the original comic series, but the involvement of original Silk Spectre is a treat that many fans didn't see coming. Now an FBI agent, for as of yet undisclosed reasons, Laurie Blake (AKA Laurie Juspeczyk AKA Silk Spectre) works in a unit designed to catch vigilantes and stop them from operating outside the law.
Droll and dryly witty, Blake (now using her father's last name) becomes a major player in episode three, as her insights and background lead her straight into the Crawford murder case. Her larger role to play in the series has yet to be revealed, but with Jean Smart bringing her to life so vividly, one can assume Silk Spectre will have a major effect on the story going forward.
6 Callbacks and References Galore
In addition to the presence of Laurie Blake, HBO's Watchmen features a plethora of callbacks and references to the original comic series. Easter eggs and subtle nods to the universe created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons pop up in nearly every scene, from squid storms, verbal hat-tips to Rorschachs journal and police gear that seems to have been designed by Nite Owl himself.
Eagle-eyed viewers with a familiarity with the comic will be delighted to see the myriad of references but to say much more might spoil the fun. Happy hunting!
5 The Cult of Rorschach
One of the most intriguing elements of this revival would have to be the white supremacist cult that has popped up in the years following the events of the comic: The Seventh Kavalry. Donning themselves in Rorschach masks, the cult is a racist organization that launches multiple attacks on the police force and bastardizes Rorschachs already distasteful ideologies to suit their needs.
It's still unclear what part they will have to play in the coming events, but their frightening presence on the show signals that they'll be a major player going forward.
4 Adrian Veidt
What's the deal with Ozymandias? That's the question that must be on every viewer's mind as the misadventures of Adrian Veidt have been playing out in what seems to be a lavish Victorian countryside while the main plot is explored in Oklahoma.
So far, Veidt has been seen putting on stage adaptations of the origin of Doctor Manhatten, hunting buffalo, trapesing around in his old costume and, most intriguingly, being assisted by a duo of clones(?) named Ms. Crookshanks and Mr. Phillips in an attempt to escape this countryside. Is he alive? Is he dead and trapped in purgatory? Is he imprisoned in a fake reality constructed by Dr. Manhatten? The theories of how Veidt ended up where he did, and how he plans to escape, are countless and have kept fans enraptured throughout the run.
3 Reznor and Ross
Outside of the story and the craft of the filmmaking, one of the highlights of the new Watchmen series has got to be its pitch-perfect score by Nine Inch Nails members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
While we expected nothing less from the Oscar-winning composers of The Social Network and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, we're still left breathless every week at the level of craft they have provided in composing this series' themes. Heavy on synth and perfectly suiting the action and mystery of the series, Reznor and Ross' score is reason enough to tune in every week.
2 A Vast and Insidious Conspiracy
The Tulsa Massacre, Adrian Veidt, the death of Judd Crawford. All of these elements have been hinted as parts of what Louis Gosset Jr's character refers to as a "vast and insidious conspiracy, that if I told you about would make your head spin."
The theories surrounding how all of these events will coalesce have been as numerous as they are head-scratching, but it's hard to deny the fun in theorizing. Who knows how this will all play out? Only Damon Lindelof. But we're all excited to continue the journey and unravel this mystery together.
1 Regina King
The jewel in the crown of HBO's Watchmen is Regina King's spectacularly ferocious Angela Abar AKA Sister Night. With the coolest costume, a deep knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, and a relationship with every major power player in the story so far, Sister Night just might be the element that ties the entire series together.
Both a powerful presence and a well-developed character, Regina King dominates this sequel series and is perhaps the most singularly badass leading lady on television this year. All hail the King!