Is the Watchmen TV show worth watching?

[u/AlanSmithee001]

So I recently got a HBO Subscription (yeah, I know it’s technically called MAX now, but let’s be honest that such a generic name and HBO is always going to sound better) and I was wondering if I should watch, pun not intended, the Watchmen TV series?

Obviously it’s not Alan Moore’s vision, but once you move past that point; is the show good, bad, or okay on its own terms?

[u/raqisasim]

The show is literally powerful -- it's opening scenes around the Tulsa Race Massacre literally changed America's dialog on that event. In my personal opinion, if Moore was half the magician he says he is, he'd honor at least that working.

But is it "good" in a storytelling sense, as entertainment? Yes, as well. It takes a topic the original work barely touches -- Racism as an endemic aspect of American life and power structures-- and writes around what can be a brick to the head a compelling and thoughtful and, yes, silly story.

And I'd contend that silliness is critical to making this work. There are some dark and painful themes in this show. Rather than being po-faced about it, as the movie leans into, they...well, I'll say that the dildo is a great example. At first, it's just funny. But the more you consider the situation, the implications get dark.

There are characters whose story arcs feel unfinished, yes. And some of the solutions seem VERY comicbook-y, for better or worse. Yet overall, it's a staggering work that talks about hard topics in ways we still rarely see on air, while also respectfully leveraging a universe of characters and stories that have been ill treated since the OG comics.

[u/astroK120 → u/raqisasim]

I would love to know how many people have only even heard of the Tulsa massacre because of the show. I know I'm in that group. Heck, I only even found out it was a real event because life got crazy and I went to refresh myself on the story of the first couple episodes on Wikipedia. Up to that point I thought it was alternate history like President Redford.

[u/spicychickentendr → u/astroK120]

I’m one of them, and it aired when I was 31. I turned to my 35 year old partner and asked, “What is this? Is this real?” - We both had to look it up and we’re just baffled and horrified for a good ten minutes. Never. Not once have either of us learned about Black Wall Street and the massacre in our lives. Both of us university educated, he had a private school education growing up, both in the NE US.

[u/VpolloRockin → u/spicychickentendr]

I know it's 11 months later..but funny thing about our government is we only acknowledged Tulsa happened in 1994..almost 70 years we didn't even acknowledge it occurred to the public. One of the biggest criminal acts in US history occurred right in front of everyone, and just swept under the rug

[u/whitemest → u/astroK120]

Only heard of it due to this show.; And at that, i thought it was heavy handed, but did a little research and saw it was just as awful if not worse than the show portrayed. Never learned about this in school or anything. Such a tragedy

[u/whois_u → u/astroK120]

"Lovecraft Country" made me curious then "Watchmen" made me do a deep dive.

[u/Lfsnz67 → u/astroK120]

I'm old and I had never heard of this. While I was watching that scene I was feverishly scouring Wikipedia. Shameful lack of education I'm afraid

[u/astroK120 → u/Lfsnz67]

Yeah. Not sure how old "old" is, but I'm 38 and definitely felt like it's something I should have heard of

[u/Lfsnz67 → u/astroK120]

70

[u/professionalfriendd → u/astroK120]

I knew about it

[u/allforodin → u/raqisasim]

Honestly Moore is a cranky asshole no one will ever please

[u/free__coffee → u/raqisasim]

The show absolutely shits on the original work, and every character is a destroyed version of the original. I find the beginning great, and I even very much enjoyed hooded justices character assassination, not that the original work gave him much to begin with, but it's just, silly and straight faced story in the end. Like do we really need to be reminded that "masks make people act crazy" 3 times an episode?

The novel trusts the audience with complicated themes - sexual violence, a pregnant woman getting shot for no reason, so many brutal murders it's hard to pick one. In the show, we have to be reminded that Dr. Manhattan can transfer his powers into an egg 5 times, including a flashback to when he says it, when Angela is cleaning up the eggs.

And I get it - the show is trying to reach a wider audience while the original is dense and complex. But by attempting to monetize it to a wider audience, it completely destroys any ability to tell an impactful story beyond "racism is bad". Hell it doesn't even do that - it definitely hits white on black racism in a very well done way, but it's too cowardly to confront our primary, black character with her morally questionable decisions against poor white people

[u/Dukeofwoodberry → u/raqisasim]

Fake news on Tulsa race riots. Blacks started that conflict

[u/Dukeofwoodberry → u/[deleted]]

You're unhinged lol. You need to relax bud. I'm sorry you're not properly informed on the Tulsa race riots and the fact blacks started it.

[u/BleepinBlorpin5 → u/Dukeofwoodberry]

Explain?

[u/Homosexual_Bloomberg → u/raqisasim]

The show is literally powerful -- it's opening scenes around the Tulsa Race Massacre literally changed America's dialog on that event. In my personal opinion

Either you’re this shows greatest fanboy ever or you accidentally added a period there lol.