HBO’s Watchmen: Everything We Know about the Show
Last year, HBO’s Watchmen debuted and it blew my mind. I have always been a huge fan of the original Watchmen graphic novel. I did not think that the movie adaptation did a good job of capturing the heart of the graphic novel, so I couldn’t even imagine what a sequel would look like.
Expert writer Damon Lindelof was put in charge of creating a series set in the Watchmen universe, taking place during modern times. I was nervous when I read they were making a Watchmen series, expecting it to go the way the film did.
What is the Watchmen about?
Watchmen depicts an alternate history in which superheroes appeared during the 1940s and 1960s and caused history to change so that the United States won the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal was not exposed.
The series is absolutely amazing. The first season focuses on Tulsa, where race relations have been tense for years. Masked vigilantes are outlaws, and the local police are trying to prevent a race war from breaking out.
Over nine episodes, HBO’s Watchmen manages to honor the original graphic novel while also creating something entirely new and bold. It is an excellent and unique take on the superhero genre.
If you loved the first season as much as I did, you’re probably wondering if they’ll make another season. Here’s what we know so far.
Watchmen Was a Hit
Creating Watchmen was a bold move for HBO. The show ignores the movie adaptation and is a direct sequel to the graphic novel. So the show is counting on audiences having read the comic, or at least have an understanding of the events that took place.
The series won several Emmy’s, including the best-limited series of the year and the best lead actress for Regina King. Watchmen was a big success for HBO. It gained a ton of critical admiration for good reason.
HBO has the series listed as a limited series, which usually means just one season. However, HBO has openly stated that they would be totally willing to do another season of the show because of the success of the first one.
HBO recently launched its newest streaming platform, HBO Max. This new platform has become the home for a huge catalog of Warner Brothers content, including most of the DC universe.
With big DC titles like Wonder Woman 1984 being released straight to HBO Max, it seems like Watchmen found its perfect home. if they do decide to make more seasons, HBO Max is the best place for the show to exist.
Watchmen: Movie vs Show
In contrast to a movie, the show perfectly captures the entirety of the original graphic novel. Watching the show gives me the same sense of dread, confusion, and mystery as reading the graphic novel, while the movie felt a little bit like things going on for 3 hours with little emotional impact.
When did watchmen start on HBO?
Watchmen was premiered on HBO on October 20, 2019.
The Cast & Crew
HBO’s Watchmen has an incredible cast. Led by an excellent performance by Regina King, every supporting character pulls their weight.
All of the actors were praising the series even before it aired, knowing that they had made something special. Jeremy Irons stands out with his perfect portrayal of Ozymandias.
Tons of the cast members have spoken their praises of the showrunner, Damon Lindelof. He was a lifelong fan of the original graphic novel, and he went out of his way to make sure that the series was not disrespectful to the source material.
A lot of the show’s concepts and direction came straight from him. Regina King herself says that she would love to reprise her role for a second season, but only if Lindelof returned as the showrunner.
Lindelof himself is indifferent towards doing another season. He has stated that he wanted to cover the topic of racism in America within the world of Watchmen, and the series came to a good conclusion.
He has expressed that he would love to do another season if the inspiration hits him again. If a clear idea comes along, he would love to work on the show again.
Watchmen TV Series Writers
The DC Comics series, Watchmen is a graphic novel which is written by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The DC Comics published it as a 12-part series from September 1986 to October 1987.
This American superhero drama series with the same title which was based on 1986 was created by Damon Lindelof who also worked as the executive producer and writer for the Watchmen TV series which got premiered on HBO. Some others who are a part of the ensemble cast are Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Howard, Jacob Ming-Trent, Tom Mison, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Louis Gossett Jr., and Jeremy Irons.
There’s Still Hope
In conclusion, another season of Watchmen is still a possibility. Everyone seems to be on the same page, it all comes down to Damon Lindelof’s vision for the show.
HBO has the show listed as a limited series for now, but that could change. The executives have said they would love to continue the show, but they also are not interested in a different showrunner taking over.
So, we can still hold on to some hope that Lindelof is feeling inspired again. The show did come to a satisfying conclusion, so if there is no season two, the ending is still great the way it is.
I would love to see where the story would go from the finale. There is a ton of potential for future storylines. The show resolved the conflict with the white supremacists, but they didn’t answer the question about the egg and Dr.Manhattan’s powers in that final episode. Hopefully one day we get to see those questions answered, and we can get another full season of awesome Watchmen action.
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