TV SHOW REVIEW - Watchmen: Season 1
‘Watchmen’ is arguably one of the most influential comic books ever published, and given some of the complex issues that it tackles it’s not hard to see why. So when in 2009, Zack Snyder directed the movie adaptation, people were excited. When HBO decided to make a TV series about it, 10 years later, people were even more excited.
The plot is essentially a continuation of the original story and we are shown the world where America won the Vietnam War with the help of an omnipotent character named Dr Manhattan. The story focuses on Angela Abar who is a vigilante working for the Tulsa Police Department. When she stumbles upon what she believes is the murder of her police captain by an unknown black man, she begins to unravel a mystery where nothing is quite certain and there are intricate plans being made by shadowy organisations that could change reality as she knows it.
I think going into starting this show, I was a little apprehensive because I knew that the show would have to have something that the original comic book did not in order to succeed and the truth is, it really did. The intrigue kept me gripped from the first episode and the more the story was shown to me, the more interesting I became.
It was quite evident that no expense had been spared in terms of the casting of this show. With a younger cast such as Regina King and Yahya Abdul-Mateen, alongside the experienced actors such as Jeremy Irons, the show was always going to have a high calibre of acting. I think all the acting was phenomenal, most definitely no complaints there.
Again, with the set designs, the show was trying to be bold and the filmography reflected the high budget. Some of the scenes in space and flashback scenes were so well done. The music was also pretty good in a lot of the episodes.
Overall, I think all the expectations I had of this show were not only met, but they were also superseded. I certainly expect it to be renewed for a second season, and I can’t wait for what the writers have in store for us!
Rating:
Story Arc: 16/20
Acting: 15/20
Filmography: 15/20
Integral vs filler episodes: 13/20
Enjoyability: 14/20