So in addition to Jeremy Irons being Veidt (which seems obvious), can we pretty much conclude that Louis Gossett Jr. is Hooded Justice? I just started rereading the book (because it seemed like a good excuse to do so), and it’s quickly mentioned that Hooded Justice disappeared in 1955. The timeline seems to line up, unless I’m missing something obvious. Add in Gossett’s mentioning that he can lift 200 lbs, the opening Tusla scene backstory, the “American Hero Story” TV show going on in the background throughout the episode, and Gossett being right next to a hanging victim seems to be pretty heavy indications.
Also, what’s up with Veidt’s servants? Are they robots? Are they organic constructions he’s been cooking? It looked like Mr. Manhattan’s nuclear chamber at the end there - is Veidt trying to recreate a superpowered hero? Or maybe just people?
…speculation: (put in spoilers for those who would prefer to follow along and enjoy each episode for what it is and don’t want to play the speculation game)
I’m calling it now: Irons is playing Doctor Manhattan, not Veidt. That was lampshaded earlier in the episode when Sister Night said that Doctor Manhattan “can’t look like us.” My theory: Manhattan’s figured out a way to look like us. He built himself a castle and an army of clones. He occasionally sits around in the nude. And puts on plays that follow his origin story. Because why not?
Having seen the first two episodes, I am very impressed by this show so far. It has dived right into some of the most significant political issues of our time–institutional racism, right-wing nativism, white supremacy, police violence, the use of power, and a host of other things.
And they’re (so far) doing it well by not making unambiguous white hats and black hats.
The antagonists are uneducated racists white people who if they were in charge would make the world a worse place, but it so happens that they are actually right about one significant conspiracy theory.
And all of this in my view fits in perfectly with the original tenor of the comic book, especially the development of Rorschach’s ideological descendants. This is pretty much what he would have done had he survived.
They’ve also taken good opportunities to mix up TV tropes–the main character so far is a black woman born in Vietnam with an adoptive family who is shades-of-grey laced action “hero.” And they’ve moved the setting to Tulsa, a “red” area in our current parlance.
The second episode didn’t clear up anything. I don’t like it when there’s no plot. If there are plot twists along the way that’s one thing, but there’s no plot to be twisted right now.
So Judd had a Klan robe in his closet - and we did say that perhaps he was working both sides. I wonder why Angela survived when it looked like she was so close to death - perhaps Judd was that particular Rorschach and just knocked her out instead.
The alien device grabbing Will was a pretty fun way to end the episodes (friends in high places indeed). Also think they are setting him up to be Hooded Justice.
Really enjoyed the play (blue penis makes it appearances!) and the reveal the servants were clones. Also realized from it that Mr. Phillips is Tom Milson from Sleepy Hollow!
It looks like the prediction that “Veidt’s” assistants are artificial was spot on and it is 95% confirmed that our friend in the wheel chair was Hooded Justice (although the eyes we saw did not look like a black person behind the mask to me). The play was a clever way to fit in the origin of Doctor Manhattan which I assume will become relevant when he returns.
Interesting side note. My wife knows nothing of Watchmen. Never read the comics or saw the movie and is enjoying this so far as an interesting, albeit confusing alternate world drama.
Second side note: my friend whose only experience with Watchmen is the 2009 Movie said to me jokingly, “I’ll watch if it has a giant blue penis like the movie” (he did not like the movie and still calls it the movie “with the giant blue penis”). Well now I guess has to watch
It wasn’t just in his closet. It was displayed like a trophy or something. I wonder whether that was just for effect – it’s more dramatic to have something displayed rather than just another outfit hanging alongside others in a closet – or whether it has a deeper meaning.
Yeah, the Chief is apparently the only publicly known Police officer. He expects reprisals. Yet he drives off, down the only road coming from his heavily guarded home, without a escort.:rolleyes::rolleyes:
Haven’t seen the second episode yet, so this may have already been resolved, but:
That’s kinda what I thought; it seemed heavily implied to me—Osterman’s father was a watchmaker, hence the fob watch, and the play’s title, ‘The Watchmaker’s Son’.
Personally, I thought the first episode tried too damn hard to cast its hooks. Kinda seems catering to an audience willing to chase down niche references and clever pop-cultural touch stones, but beyond that, I’m not really seeing where it’s going. But I’ll give it a fair chance.
This is what I’m talking about. I like the concept, but I want to be told a story. Don’t make me figure out how everything fits together, that’s the writer’s job.
It’s the first two chapters of a story. I don’t need everything spelled out in the beginning.
And no plot? Of course there’s a plot.
In an alternative reality, the police have to hide their identities under a threat from a white supremacist terrorist group. One police officer, who was injured in a mass attack on police several years ago, faked her retirement and now works as a masked detective. A recent resurgence of terrorist activity has resulted in the death of her supervisor/mentor/father figure and it looks like a relative she didn’t know is involved.
That’s a plot. There are other plots too. You really want the whole thing laid out for you in the first two episodes? I don’t. There’s enough there to keep my interest.
I don’t want the whole plot, but there’s nothing there so far. What are the goals of any character? Everybody’s killing each other, but to what possible end? So far we see an extension of what’s been going on for years beforehand, how do we know if something new and different is occurring? We don’t know this universe, both episodes have ended with unexplained and unanticipated events from unknown antagonists (if they even are antagonists), but not even a clue of what difference it makes. This is a 9 episode season, they need to explain a lot more than this by the end of the second episode.
If you like this style, that’s fine, but I’m not interested in following along to just end up in a final episode cliffhanger tease for the next season without any real wrap-up of the story so far. That’s just the start of a basketball game that ends up in 100-100 tie with 2 minutes left. I can just wait and watch the last 2 minutes to find out what happens in the end.
Can you give us an example of a 2nd episode of a series that answered plot points, just so we have an idea of what sort of expectations you have here? Because that seems a little too much to ask. I tend to come back after intermission when I go to the theater.
Either way, yes - it’s a 9 episode season. But it’s based on a 12 issue comic series, and that seems to have stuck its landing pretty well. I’m 2 issues into my latest reread, and I gotta tell you - if you’re looking for plot points to resolve quickly, maybe an Alan Moore property isn’t your cup of tea.
Do you mean the Hooded Justice from the show-within-a-show? I’m not expecting that to be all that historically accurate.
I just realized that the protaganist in “Oklahoma!” is named Jud. Has anyone gotten either a spurned lover vibe from Judd, or even that there might have been an affair there between Judd and Angela?
