# A Watchmen HBO TV Series... \[Open spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546 "2017-06-21T16:21:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/221 "2019-11-21T06:40:11Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …this really isn’t following the Lost formula, but more the formula that Lindelof moved to later on with the Leftovers. Lindelof brings together great writing rooms and some of the behind the scenes stuff on the leftovers … If we get a resolution half as good as the Leftovers finale (which, along with B5’s Sleeping in Light, was probably one of my favourite series finales of all time) that would be good enough for me. You keep pushing that show, but I despised it. It was horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/222 "2019-11-22T03:54:53Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You keep pushing that show, but I despised it. It was horrible. I thought it was awful too. I get that different people like different things. What I don’t understand is why anyone says The Leftovers wrapped things up nicely and answered the questions it had posed. It really just…didn’t. Makes me fear a bit for Watchmen, although this is a very different kind of story. I have read a few article suggesting Lindelof only plans to do one season and if it continues it will likely be under someone else (of course he might change his mind). ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/223 "2019-11-25T02:58:53Z")
This latest episode is so good that I’m angry it’s almost over! ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/224 "2019-11-25T08:47:49Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You keep pushing that show, but I despised it. It was horrible. …thank you for sharing your opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/225 "2019-11-25T12:54:25Z")
Episode 6: wow ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/226 "2019-11-25T14:55:30Z")
I’m confused. I thought grandpa was the baby abandoned in the farmer’s field by his parents fleeing the Tulsa Massacre. But it seems that he’s an older boy that found the baby. So where did he come from and what happened to the baby? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/227 "2019-11-25T15:30:32Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > I’m confused. I thought grandpa was the baby abandoned in the farmer’s field by his parents fleeing the Tulsa Massacre. But it seems that he’s an older boy that found the baby. So where did he come from and what happened to the baby? What do you mean, where did he come from? He had been secreted away by his parents (along with the baby) to be taken to safety. Neither the baby or the kid were “abandoned”, if by abandoned you mean intentionally left in the farmer’s field. They were orphaned. The baby grew up to be the journalist lady he married and had a kid with. I’m assuming that kid was Angela’s father. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/228 "2019-11-25T15:38:01Z")
The whole concept of Nostalgia pills is crazy to me, so I was fully prepared to not like the trip down memory lane. But it turned out to be an awesome way of doing a flashback. Much better than if Will had simply told what had happened. I busted out laughing when Blake was talking to Angela stuck in the freeze-frame and she said, “Your eyes are wide open and it’s kind of creeping me out right now.” I actually felt something for both Blake and Angela at that moment. I’m probably going to rewatch the episode today. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/229 "2019-11-25T16:13:12Z")
So if some folks were upset that they weren’t explaining things… well that was a whole episode devoted to explaining things. Really awesome way of doing it as well. The guesses that Reeves was Hooded Justice was try. The mesmerizer ray seems way too overpowered though… and how come no one else figured that tech out? ---
**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/230 "2019-11-25T16:14:42Z")
That episode kind of derails this theory: > **[The Fate of Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis](https://watchmen.fandom.com/wiki/The_Fate_of_Hooded_Justice_and_Captain_Metropolis)** > > Occulted Watchmen: The True Fate of 'Hooded Justice' & 'Captain Metropolis' is a paper by James Gifford, originally published in 1999. The paper presents a theory that both Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis did not die (as is alluded to in... ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/231 "2019-11-25T18:15:47Z")
That was a pretty amazing episode. The B&W, the music, the story. It was really dense, thought provoking and entertaining. Also answers a long time question readers of Watchmen have wondered about since the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/232 "2019-11-25T23:21:57Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > I’m confused. I thought grandpa was the baby abandoned in the farmer’s field by his parents fleeing the Tulsa Massacre. But it seems that he’s an older boy that found the baby. So where did he come from and what happened to the baby? The grandpa—Will—was the little boy watching the movie about Marshal Bass Reeves in the opening scene of the first episode. His parents persuaded friends to take him in their car with the note “watch over this boy.” He hid in a basket in the back of the truck. Outside of town, after all the adults had been killed, he found a baby girl who grew up to be his wife, the journalist. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/233 "2019-11-26T00:05:46Z")
As someone who was worried a bit by the previous episode, this episode was superb. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/234 "2019-11-26T01:13:10Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Howard Jones, “Things Can Only Get Better” – [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OO9LloDSJo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OO9LloDSJo) > > “Careless Whisper” – [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ) Forgot to say thanks! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/235 "2019-11-26T03:17:18Z")
I hate just me tooing but yeah, wow. Not much told that most of us weren’t already presuming, but what a powerful and effective telling of it! ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/236 "2019-11-26T03:58:38Z")
I feel ashamed to say this, because everyone in this thread seems to be so hip and in-the-know, but it was only until this latest that I realized that we’ve been watching scenes from a show within the TV show (The American Hero). And this show is a highly inaccurate portrayal of reality. Like, the scene where the real Hooded Justice busts out of the storefront window once Arson Storekeeper whips out his gun sits in stark contrasts with the analogous fictional scene with the fictional Hooded Justice, who is shown busting _into_ the store through that same window to beat up gunmen. Also, I gotta think there’s something significant about the Cyclops symbol and its similarity with the squid eye. I predict that in the next couple of episodes, we’re going to see Lady Trieu’s backstory. And it’s going to be just as graphic and fucked-up as Will’s. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/237 "2019-11-26T06:27:11Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > … > > Also, I gotta think there’s something significant about the Cyclops symbol and its similarity with the squid eye. > … That’s the “OK” symbol, I think, the new “racist” one.:rolleyes: Altho well done, this epi went nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/238 "2019-11-26T17:34:36Z")
Ah the irony : > **[HBO’s “Watchmen” is great. Its comic creator Alan Moore wants nothing to do...](https://qz.com/quartzy/1732050/why-alan-moore-wants-nothing-to-do-with-hbos-watchmen)** > > The HBO drama raises questions about the ethics of playing with someone else's creation without their permission. _HBO’s Watchmen, as excellent as it is, raises questions about the ethics of playing around with someone else’s creation without their permission. It’s putting the debate about creator rights back into the spotlight at a time when a huge portion of the most successful TV shows and films are thriving off the backs of their originators._ Did Alan Moore get permission to use Mina Murray, Fu Manchu,Allan Quatermain,Dr. Jekyll,Captain Nemo, Alice, Wendy or Dorothy? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/239 "2019-11-27T03:39:28Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Also like the raid on the compound … really Wade? Why go in until the back up you think you’ve called for arrived? I told you this show has the worst police procedure of any modern tv show. Notice how the Senator correctly assumed that Wade would violate all protocols and do exactly what he did? I did not expect June to be the baby. If Will is 105 in 2019 he was 7 in 1921. That makes him 24 in 1938, actually kinda old to be a rookie in those days. But the baby couldn’t be more than one year old. So if June was the baby she is at most 18 in 1938. But she has an adult job and lives in a large apartment on her own. That makes as much sense as ordering a bottle of memories from somebody who doesn’t know you and finding out they’re filled with memories sliced from a man nobody knew was alive. Did I miss some exposition there? These were two great episodes, nonetheless. I’m flabbergasted that the show can be so smart and so dumb at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546/240 "2019-11-27T05:12:41Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > … That makes as much sense as ordering a bottle of memories from somebody who doesn’t know you and finding out they’re filled with memories sliced from a man nobody knew was alive. Did I miss some exposition there? > > These were two great episodes, nonetheless. I’m flabbergasted that the show can be so smart and so dumb at the same time. As to the first, yes I think you missed some there. Will had those pills with him and intentionally left behind. These were curated memories that he wanted Angela to experience. For reasons. But you are exactly right. In a weaker show with poorer production or poorer acting or uninteresting characters the flaws in this show would reach Doctor Who moon level. Will was shining the same Mezmer light at Angela - was his plan to control her? But he planned to have her experience his memories … although the way in reach she did was not something he could have exactly planned … but he apparently knew she would … And again, the actual plot reveals of this ep are nothing that most were not already pretty confident of. But we look past all of that because the telling is done powerfully, the production values effective, the acting amazing, the characters interesting ones we feel for and with. No it doesn’t stand up to deep plot analysis, and we don’t care, because it still presents other things that make us think and feel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-watchmen-hbo-tv-series-open-spoilers/789546.md?page=13)