It's all gone a bit rubbish this. Superficial zingertainment. It has all the Watchmen gift shop memorabilia but it's approach to storytelling is the antithesis of Moore-Gibbson. I know this type of pachinko plotting has an audience though so good luck to them.
Television Watchmen (HBO TV series)
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Good episode with a few of the twists hinted at earlier on becoming apparent.
Having to explain to the missus what the Giant Squid attack was all about without sounding like an uber nerd was tough. She enjoyed the soundtrack though.
Having to explain to the missus what the Giant Squid attack was all about without sounding like an uber nerd was tough. She enjoyed the soundtrack though.
Yep, I also gave up on this, too bad as so much wasted potential.
See, I always pictured Ozymandias in the comic talking with an overly affected Harvard-Yale accent almost exactly like that.
The worst are the American professors that somehow developed a tint of an "English" accent.
I've come to this without reading the comics, with my only frame of reference being that bang average film. As a result, I've loved this so far.
How did Moore-Gibbson tell the story, and is the change more than just having to work this story into the conventions of a different medium?
I loved the the last episode. All the actors are also hitting it out of the park so far.
For some reason I thought David Benioff and Damon Lindelof were the same person and had dismissed both this and The Leftovers as a result, despite the strong reviews. Now I've just seen that alt-right stupid people might not like it either. Suddenly I'm interested.
Yeah, the alt right proving how little they understood the source material is just one of lots of reasons to watch. The Leftovers is also great.
Why does Jeremy Irons sound exactly like his character from Die Hard 3?
I can't figure out if he's pretending to be American, pretending to be a German pretending to be American, or pretending to be an English person pretending to be an American, or if he's just supposed to be English and that's just what he sounds like?
Thought the latest episode was a bit silly. Took a long time doing an awful lot to actually say very little. Why would Spielberg make a black and white film about a giant squid attack? And in what way would this be comparable to Schindler's List? Especially as if we're saying Spielberg still existed, that film would also exist? Seemed a bit of an odd and blunt comparison to throw in
Still enjoying it over all though.
I can't figure out if he's pretending to be American, pretending to be a German pretending to be American, or pretending to be an English person pretending to be an American, or if he's just supposed to be English and that's just what he sounds like?
Thought the latest episode was a bit silly. Took a long time doing an awful lot to actually say very little. Why would Spielberg make a black and white film about a giant squid attack? And in what way would this be comparable to Schindler's List? Especially as if we're saying Spielberg still existed, that film would also exist? Seemed a bit of an odd and blunt comparison to throw in
Still enjoying it over all though.
When they started talking about Spielberg winning an Oscar for Pale Horse I must admit my initial thought was "how did I miss that?" 
It only clicked when they started talking about the scene with the girl in red. Duh. I guess they're saying he shelved Schindlers List and went with the squid thing instead although my initial thoughts would be, 'too soon?'.
And yeah Jeremy Irons is defo doing his Die Hard accent which like Mockney suggests, is I assume his terrible attempt at a kind of Euro/American one. I don't think British actors get enough shit for doing crap American accents personally. I think in general American thesps are much better at doing ours.
Martin Freeman is rubbish at them. Stephen Graham struggles too. Only decent ones I've seen were Idris Elba and Dom West in the Wire but then I'm not a Baltimore native so they might be crap too.
It only clicked when they started talking about the scene with the girl in red. Duh. I guess they're saying he shelved Schindlers List and went with the squid thing instead although my initial thoughts would be, 'too soon?'.
And yeah Jeremy Irons is defo doing his Die Hard accent which like Mockney suggests, is I assume his terrible attempt at a kind of Euro/American one. I don't think British actors get enough shit for doing crap American accents personally. I think in general American thesps are much better at doing ours.
Martin Freeman is rubbish at them. Stephen Graham struggles too. Only decent ones I've seen were Idris Elba and Dom West in the Wire but then I'm not a Baltimore native so they might be crap too.
Loving this so far.
Dom took a lot of shit for his accent, if I recall. I don't mind Irons much; he sounds like an Ivy Leaguer trying to put on some posh airs. It sort of works with his character.
It's the Okie Senator that's the real travesty.
I was the same. I was trying to think what "pale horse" could mean until she started talking about the girl. I think the problem is it's just a crap comparison. Just a bit full on and lazy when generally that type of stuff has been quite relevant and well done in this series so far.When they started talking about Spielberg winning an Oscar for Pale Horse I must admit my initial thought was "how did I miss that?"
It only clicked when they started talking about the scene with the girl in red. Duh. I guess they're saying he shelved Schindlers List and went with the squid thing instead although my initial thoughts would be, 'too soon?'.
And yeah Jeremy Irons is defo doing his Die Hard accent which like Mockney suggests, is I assume his terrible attempt at a kind of Euro/American one. I don't think British actors get enough shit for doing crap American accents personally. I think in general American thesps are much better at doing ours.
Martin Freeman is rubbish at them. Stephen Graham struggles too. Only decent ones I've seen were Idris Elba and Dom West in the Wire but then I'm not a Baltimore native so they might be crap too.
I'm looking forward to lube man's next appearance.
Well less happens for a start. For example I couldn't see the comic depicting the lettuce off the truck scene, quickly followed by the honeytrap reveal, then a gun blank twist in the very same scene, followed swiftly by the politician unmasking, all on the set from the mystery video, and whilst introducing some kind of teleportation/portal/string theory mechanic. And because less is happening (or less is happening because) his story and characters are richer. Moore creates worlds tightly wound in meaning, allegory and symbolism (occasionally to a fault), where this plus this equals that. There's a depth and focus (sometimes fussiness) to his work. I'm not saying that these things mean that Moore is necessarily good and the show necessarily bad but the weight and quantity of events in each is different. (Oh Moore is fecking brilliant.)
And maybe this show has more to say than I'm giving it credit for and there are layers to reveal and the heavy, ever more sprawling plotting will tie up into a satisfying whole. I don't want to be the #notmywatchmen guy. However it's all starting to look like one of those formulaic: novelty>mystery>twist>WTF:ll shows that are so popular now. I find them exhausting and unsatisfying (others love 'em).
Also yes the medium is a restriction but the style of this show seems less like Moore-Gibbons than what is possible on the telly. I guess I'm just trying to pre-empt the "faithful to the source" rubbish that's bound to come. I'm happy to argue that this is not that but at the same time I don't want to tear something down for the sake of it, if others are digging it. Be like me: read the comic.
Have you read Moore's Miracleman and then Neil Gaiman's Golden Age of Miracle Man?
Gaiman's work is possibly the best comic I ever read on super heroes alongside Planetary
After recently re-reading parts of all three, I now believe Golden Age of Miracleman and Planetary are hands down superior to Watchmen.
In 1990 that would have sounded blasphemous but I think the original is actually a little overrated at this point (21 year old me would hate me of right now for saying that but that was before I read novels from Pynchon, Delillo, Robert Coover and more that make Moore's early work appear a bit juvenile in comparison).
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Can I watch this without watching the movie? Would things not make sense? As I missed the movie in the cinema, and have just put off watching it for the longest time even when hearing the directors cut is better than the cinema release.
Im sure this might have been covered in this thread, but ive been hesitant to read the thread as ill probably spoil the show.
Im sure this might have been covered in this thread, but ive been hesitant to read the thread as ill probably spoil the show.
Yes
I mean that was just a fantastic episode of television. Best I’ve seen since the Red Wedding.
I've not read those. I've mainly read the Moore hits: The League, From Hell, V, Watchmen, the porno book, a little Batman and Swampy but I don't know much about the deep cuts. I've only read a smattering of Gaiman, though I want to read more.
These look very interesting. Thanks for the recommendations.
I decided to give this a try as the trailer looked promising. Watched the movie eons ago, so had no idea what to expect. First episode was mehh. But now I can't wait for the next one. It is definitely so so good. Even though I think I am not fully understanding the whole concept, but pretty sure it will come together soon. But all in all very enjoyable television.
First 2 episodes I wasnt sure about it. After that I think its been brilliant. Fully invested now
Watched first two ep and so far so good and I hear it will keep getting better, I do appreciate when adaption of Moore's writings get it right as a fair few have gotten it wrong. I'd of loved it if for robocop 2 then went with Moore's ideas.
Sorry, wrong thread. Can't edit or delete it seems like. Please delete, mods.
So... that episode then. Like where Seinfeld is stuck in the Chinese restaurant the entire time.
May end up better in retrospect but not necessarily enjoyable at the time.
May end up better in retrospect but not necessarily enjoyable at the time.
I've read the comic and love it and could hardly disagree more. Moore has panels in which he has dialog front and center while two different things happen in the background simultaneously. Like any good story-teller he varies the pace enormously, which is exactly what you see in this series. You're criticising the show for having too much happening and not enough character development when they spent half of this episode focused on Wade doing nothing except stewing in his own psychosis. The moment when he is lying on his bunk gazing at the empty bunk opposite is exactly equivalent to The Owl sleeplessly obsessing.
Similarly the comic had multiple strands that were only pulled together slowly, just as we are seeing with the show. It might still go off the rails, of course (and I speak as someone who thought Lost was shallow manipulative trash which doesn't make me hopeful) and God knows the movie showed how hard an adaptation the comic is, but fr me so far the series is about as good as one could possibly hope for.
I think it is brilliant.
The squid attack killed 3,000,000 people and psychologically damaged millions more. If you think about how 9/11 has scarred America's psyche with ~3,000 deaths, it hardly seems outrageous that a thousand times that number would have someone like Spielberg making movies about it.
why would his memories be in black and white
I just finished episode 6 (I'm in California - not sure if we get it earlier than the UK). I think it is possibly the single best hour of TV drama I've ever seen, and absolutely true to the comics. Interested to know what you think.
I think I'd have to watch it again, but I enjoyed it.
Those pills sure are a handy, consequence free way to fill out some back story.
Cracking episode nonetheless and everything starting to fall into place now.
Cracking episode nonetheless and everything starting to fall into place now.
I've neither read the original stories nor seen the movie, but I watched the first episode and that made me watch the next one, and so on. At the moment the characters, the acting, the action and the drip drip of backstory are keeping me entertained.
I do fear that it's going to be another Lost or Prison Break, where I got sucked into the mystery and just got more annoyed/bored as the story was revealed - or stretched to fill the available number of episodes.
But, innocent until proven guilty! For the moment I'm enjoying it in its own right, without knowing anything about its roots, the characters, or any back story from the source material.
So apparently Fred Trump was lovingly referenced in this weeks episode -
https://www.vox.com/2019/11/25/20981767/watchmen-episode-6-fred-trump-recap
Nice.
https://www.vox.com/2019/11/25/20981767/watchmen-episode-6-fred-trump-recap
Nice.
Best episode of the season so far
Just phenomenal television
Latest episode was really very good. Only complaint is it's getting towards the end now and it feels like not a lot has really happened. The last two episodes have had their own mini story going on in their own right which is fine, but the main story has barely moved on at all in that time.
Yeah, I might have to admit Lindelof is actually great if he sticks this landing.
Last episode was phenomenal. I actually think they are giving "answers" to almost all small mysteries raised periodically.
They have revealed a lot of stuff though. Like Senator working with the terrorist group, how hooded justice killed the chief, Irons' character being stranded in a moon like place far away from Earth. They needed to do a lot of world building in first season
I'm actually so invested in the show that I've started the comic and yeah, I'm enjoying it so far.
Coming into it without any preconceptions, it's quickly turned into one of the best things I've seen on TV for quite some time. Episodes 3 to 6 have been increasingly excellent. The last one being the best of a very strong bunch.
Anyway, back to the comic...
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