Yes
Television Watchmen (HBO TV series)
- Thread starter Ish
- Start date
The events in the TV show take place 30 years after the events in the movie. The cops wear masks because criminals started hunting them down, so to protect their identity they wear masks. An extremist right wing group, who wears the Rorschach mask and follow some aspects of his character are the ones who started all this. Dr Manhattan is still in Mars. Veidt is officially declared dead.
Regarding epsidoe 1, this video will help -
Regarding epsidoe 1, this video will help -
The Leftovers.
Couldn't wait and watched both of these episodes. Much better than I expected. Surprised that they are handling the white nationalism issue well since nothing i have seen that I remember handles this situation well and too often just oversimplifies it (in the shadow of the moon).
Impressed with this.
Impressed with this.
I like how they made the show within the show a parody of Zack Snyder aesthetics...
Also, making Rorschach a hero to the white fascist terror group is a spot on reading of the original text, and Moore’s sensibilities in general.
Still, waiting for Lindelof to feck it up.
Also, making Rorschach a hero to the white fascist terror group is a spot on reading of the original text, and Moore’s sensibilities in general.
Still, waiting for Lindelof to feck it up.
Well they've certainly stacked it up high early on. It's certainly intriguing.
You'd have to be pretty dexterous to do something with the KKK - and other white supremacist threats - that isn't out and out villainy, particularly in the current climate. We've already seen torture and heavy policing, and that's some pretty sexy vigilantism going on, so what are they going to say about it I wonder. In the era of punch-a-nazi memes, not to mention the yank's continued lust for authoritarian institutions, can a big American show go all the way with the comics original themes. Or maybe they'll just end it by setting up a governmental watchdog to watch the Watchmen. Also some reparation stuff and some hints towards a general acceptance of racial separatism I think. Brave or foolhardy.
Also frigging love Regina King, and Jeremy Irons is looking good too.
It's going to be good, or terrible, or maybe a frustrating cop out. Can hardly wait.
You'd have to be pretty dexterous to do something with the KKK - and other white supremacist threats - that isn't out and out villainy, particularly in the current climate. We've already seen torture and heavy policing, and that's some pretty sexy vigilantism going on, so what are they going to say about it I wonder. In the era of punch-a-nazi memes, not to mention the yank's continued lust for authoritarian institutions, can a big American show go all the way with the comics original themes. Or maybe they'll just end it by setting up a governmental watchdog to watch the Watchmen. Also some reparation stuff and some hints towards a general acceptance of racial separatism I think. Brave or foolhardy.
Also frigging love Regina King, and Jeremy Irons is looking good too.
It's going to be good, or terrible, or maybe a frustrating cop out. Can hardly wait.
Yeah that does explain a lot.
I don't remember the film having any race/white supremacy undertones so don't know if I either missed that or they've just picked it up directly from the comics. First couple of episodes have been pretty good.
I've not read the comics but from what I know, the comics didn't have any of the politics/racially charged narrative the TV show has. But the show merely uses the comic book as a base to build the story.
I really hope they do an episode on Looking Glass, I think he's the most interesting character on the show
I saw a comment by an editor on IGN and apparently HBO screened the first 6 episodes for the press and according to her, is just keeps getting better and better.
Have you seen Leftovers? It kept getting better and better and he nailed the ending. He's come a long way since Lost.
Mate.... mate mate mate.... Mate!! No.
I’m practically a layman in comic culture terms, but even I know that Watchmen is one of the most intrinsically political works of superhero fiction, ever! It pretty much created political post modernism in comics. Most of Alan Moore’s work in the 80s was an unsubtle critique of Thatcherism (V for Vendetta) and Reaganism (Watchmen)...
The biggest failure of the Snyder movie, and every subsequent Watchmen project before this, was the abject failure to politicise it. And the complete misreading of characters like Rorschach as badass ass kicking heroes...
Per Moore himself...
Or...
Claiming the 2019 TV show has politicised Watchmen, is like claiming Bryan Singer politicised the X Men.
The best thing about these episodes so far is just how willing they’ve been to lean into the overt social politics of a modern Watchmen universe. Anyone telling you otherwise doesn’t understand it... or maybe doesn’t want to.
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The film was - ironically (in the real sense, not the wrong American one) - directed by someone whose next movie (and self-avowed passion project) is literally an adaptation of the founding text of the same junk ideology Alan Moore was deliberately trying to ridicule in the comic.
So naturally there was a bit of dissonance. And amusingly, a lot of people only familiar with the film, have been quite surprised by the abundant but on brand social commentary, as well as a lack of scenes where people slow down and then speed up again several times during a fight set to a rockin’ Smashing Pumpkins jam!
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Thank you for correcting me, I was going by some article I read. I've wanted to read the original comics for some time now, maybe I'll try to find some time in the coming weeks.
What’s the Lindelof reference you keep making Mockney?
I'm with Noodle. Watched the first episode and have no idea what's going on.
Just watch the second episode. It will all make much more sense.
Its no David Lynch; its not confusing once you watch Epi2
Jean Smart was outstanding in epi3
I've watched the first 2 episodes and have no clue whats going on.
For one what the feck is going on with Jeremy Irons?
OK, so this could be a massive spoiler, so don't tell me I didn't warn you
Looks like Veidt is in another planet, probably Mars, where he's been kept captive by Dr Manhattan. He's probably bio transformed the area and has built a dome like structure with clones to take care of Veidt. I think he's trying to make a space suit of some kind to escape but because it's super cold outside the dome, the clone froze to death.
I think that it's taking for granted that you know the back story then. As someone who never read the comics or watched the film I have no clue who most of the main players are or what they are doing.
Oh yeah, you should definitely try to watch the movie. If you haven't, you wouldn't understand many of things happening in the show. The movie is pretty good but I've heard the comics are way better.
Watching it now.
I saw the movie when it came out and remembered liking it. Is it worth watching it again to lead into this then? My GF and I have seen the first two eps, but obviously are at a loss as to what's going on. I take it this follows on from the film?
She was absolutely brilliant. My favourite episode yet.
Hmmm. See I actually quite like the film, but this does make a lot of sense since for something so gloomy and dark it didn't really seem to be about anything, other than a story about the characters in it. Feels like Snyder kind of missed a trick. Seems odd he'd take it on as a project if he wanted to ignore or paint out the message behind it. It's still the least shite comic book film he's made.
Also, anyone watching the film needs to keep in mind that it’s following on from the comics, not the film, which ends very differently, with a different reason being blamed for events... which is going to be even more confusing for you, especially since it’s already been referenced, and involves a major character being viewed entirely differently.
Not really. Zach Snyder doesn’t understand anything he adapts. This is the guy whose “money shot” of Batman vs Superman had Batman holding a gun, and then randomly mowing down people in his car
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Oh that makes sense of 'that scene' then.
Is the film vastly different, or just the end result?
My missus won't bother with the comics, but if the film still sets the scene (albeit missing the point), I could probably at least get her to watch that then explain how the end is different...
@Redlambs Oh yeah, she can watch the film and then just read up about the real ending to get the jist.
She’ll need to know about the squid though.
Ideally the show should work without everyone having to read 12 issues of a 30 year old comic beforehand, but it’ll certainly make more sense.
She’ll need to know about the squid though.
Ideally the show should work without everyone having to read 12 issues of a 30 year old comic beforehand, but it’ll certainly make more sense.
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I just showed the wife the film and then explained the comics ending.
What a show this is turning into. Lindelof could be 3/3 for me.
What a show this is turning into. Lindelof could be 3/3 for me.
I've just watched the film.
Then watched this.
Then watched this.
What I can’t get past is the terrible Okie accent from the politician. He sounds like a Canadian trying to sound like he’s from east Texas.
Looking Glass’s accent is acceptable, if only because he’s a much cooler character.
Looking Glass’s accent is acceptable, if only because he’s a much cooler character.
Yeah true. I meant odd in the general sense, not in the Snyder sense specifically. I don't really think every film has to to be loyal to the source material or deliver the same message as the source material, but he's certainly very good at making them about nothing at all.
Enjoyed all the episodes of this so far, though getting the feeling it's going down holes it's going to struggle to explain its way out of.
Snyder just read the comics and thought some of the scenes sounded badass. That film was awful.
This is trying to do something new with the source material. For those wary of spoilers, there’s nothing in the comics that could possibly tell us what will Happen. This is a full sequel.
what holes are you worried about?
But... the Snyder cut!? He loves putting panels on screen but that's where it stops for him.
I do actually enjoy Watchmen (film) for the most part, but you just have to laugh when the Sound of Silence plays at the funeral.
I had similar Lindelof fears but am hopeful from the early reviews, I'll get round to it soon. Is there some sort of backlash that's causing its current low rating on imdb, or is it just the usual?
Not really anything I can say that wouldn't be a spoiler. It's just doing that thing tv series do where at times it's being too mysterious for its own good. Often this results in fumbling attempts to tie up loose ends somewhere later down the line.
It's got enough going for it that I'll take the risk though
Oh wow, it's rated 6.8 on ImdB!! I've no idea why it's rated so low, it's a fantastic show
Yes it is excellent.
Probably a bit controversial or touches a nerve for some people?
Can't think of any other reason.
Almost certainly alt-right snowflakes review-bombing.
That's Tim Blake Nelson and I'm fairly sure it's his normal voice or at least the voice he does in everything else he's in.