Watchmen

Starring: Regina King (9 episodes), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (8 episodes), Tom Mison (8 episodes), Sara Vickers (8 episodes), Jeremy Irons (8 episodes), Andrew Howard (7 episodes), Louis Gossett Jr. (7 episodes), Jean Smart (6 episodes), Tim Blake Nelson (6 episodes), Dylan Schombing (6 episodes), James Wolk (6 episodes), Lily Rose Smith (6 episodes), Adelynn Spoon (6 episodes), Danny Boyd Jr. (6 episodes), Frances Fisher (5 episodes), Hong Chau (4 episodes), Don Johnson (4 episodes), Cheyenne Jackson (3 episodes), Jovan Adepo (3 episodes), Michael Imperioli (1 episode) (uncredited)
Directed by: Nicole Kassell (3 episodes), Stephen Williams (2 episodes), Henry Louis Gates Jr. (2 episodes), Steph Green (1 episode), Andrij Parekh (1 episode), David Semel (1 episode), Frederick E.O. Toye (1 episode)
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery
2019

Seasons Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Masked police officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma tackle a white supremacist group bent on world domination.

Review:
Tim: When I started tracking television series, I decided I wouldn't review a series until it had concluded and I'd seen every episode of it. In today's very different television landscape, that's proven more difficult than expected. There was the 2016 revival of The X-Files, after a 14 year absence. You have True Detective, that continually sits in limbo. And now, you have Watchmen, which sure looks like a limited series, although there's still some desire to expand it to season two. It's been over 3 months since the finale aired and it still seems like HBO is content to leave it be. The uncertainty is a little difficult for someone in my seat.

Regardless about the potential future for this series, I need to treat it as a 9-episode limited series. That's currently the best understanding of it. And, I can say, I was blown away by how fantastic this series was. I'll always love Damon Lindelof for his work on Lost (still my favorite television series of all time) and he once again shows his genius with this series. I was actually a big fan of the 2009 film (I know many were not), so I was ecstatic to see that world continue in this series, which is set 34 years after the events of the original comic (and the film). That allows this series to play with older versions of the familiar characters while telling its own story.

I really liked the setting of this series in Tulsa, Oklahoma. That's unexpected. It allows the series to tell a self-contained story about racial violence that also connects with masked vigilantes, masked police officers, a white supremacist group, giant squids, and so much more. It's kind of an insane amalgamation of different ideas, but it works. Lindelof's genius was telling this story in the context of the larger Watchmen universe. The most compelling moments don't include Dr. Manhattan or the other characters from the original. I loved the new ones they created especially for this series. I did not expect that to be the case.

The cast is fantastic. I loved Regina King as Angela Abar. Her identity as Sister Night was incredibly cool. The series gives King a chance to truly act- she gets so many terrific moments throughout her nine episodes. She's able to craft this fascinating, complex character and get the audience to connect with her. There's so much to celebrate about this series, but you have to give King the lion's share of the credit. This series heavily depends on her and she rises to the occasion. My personal favorite of the series was Tim Blake Nelson and his Looking Glass character. I'll never be able to describe how much I loved his portrayal. First off, that reflective mirror mask is undeniably cool. But more than that, he gives this heartbreaking, vulnerable performance of a man dealing with unimaginable trauma. He plays this character who has tried to piece his life back together bit by bit over decades, and despite all that work, is still constantly trying to prevent the cracks from growing.

I have to pause here to highlight episode 5, "Little Fear of Lightning". That was one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen. It was a departure from the main storyline of the series. It spent most of its time on Looking Glass. We see how he survived the 1985 squid attack and we see him dealing with the PTSD decades later. Nelson gives perhaps his greatest performance as a man struggling to hold it together. That was absolutely riveting television. That was the moment when my enjoyment of this series turned into love. It was fantastic.

Although I was far less enthusiastic about the plot involving Adrian Veidt, Jeremy Irons was the perfect actor to bring him to life. His performance is flawless. It's not his fault that the story was less effective- Irons is great in the role. Don Johnson gave a superb performance as well. Jean Smart stole nearly every scene was in. I loved her in Legion, but she's even better here as Laurie Blake. She delivers so many hilarious lines with perfect comedic timing, and conveys this sense of intelligence, weariness, and a devil may care attitude. She was so good. I do have to say that I was pretty disappointed in Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. His role was undeniably difficult, but he's not good in it. He's one of the worst members of the cast and his performance didn't rise to the level it should have. He wasn't very good in Aquaman, he was forgettable in Us and he wasn't convincing here. He definitely hurts the series. Louis Gossett Jr. was great in a small role. Hong Chau did some great things in her episodes. She gives an odd but memorable performance. The cast in its entirety is excellent.

I loved how this series looked. From the colorful masks, the use of light and dark, the visual effects- it all looked so incredible. The visual effects were top notch and I give HBO credit for investing in them. The costume designs were amazing. I already mentioned how much I loved Looking Glass' look. Angela's costume is fantastic. Even the yellow police officers' masks helped give the series its own signature look.

As much as I loved this series, I'm torn about it not continuing. If the quality was this good, I'd love to see five seasons of the show. However, Damon Lindelof has repeatedly stated that he doesn't have ideas for a second season, that they incorporated all their plans into this one. Maybe that's okay. He created an absolutely fantastic limited series that isn't watered down, didn't have too many ups and downs. This isn't a series that overstays its welcome- it's 9 episodes that were all fantastic. Watchmen was excellent, one of the best series in recent memory. That's good enough.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Series, We Recommend: Watchmen (2009), Lost