Where can I get a Rorschach mask?!
*** WATCHMEN (HBO) ***
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Last: 3 yr ago by third coast..
My main thought as I was watching tonight was more of a concern that hardly anyone is going to "get" this. As someone who read the graphic novel once over 15 years ago, watched the animated version of the graphic novel in the lead up to the movie, watched the movie itself 10 years ago, and then rewatched the movie again maybe five years ago - i.e. I've been exposed to this story FOUR times in full - even I had trouble keeping up with all the references and what not. To set a "sequel" series all these years later, with absolutely no catch up or recap or in-story exposition (at least in the pilot), and then also set it in Tulsa, Oklahoma, of all places, with virtually no original characters, is either super ballsy or super dumb. Again, I really liked what I saw, but that was WAY more "inaccessible" than I was anticipating. Considering they're going with the graphic novel ending (the giant squid) and not the movie ending, the audience for this show is basically only people who have read a 33-year-old graphic novel, which seems insane to me.
Speaking of, for anyone who's fuzzy on Watchmen, here's an Alt Shift X video from last month that does a great job recapping the graphic novel, at least in broad terms...
And here's the awesome "In the Weeks Ahead" trailer...
I do admit it seems way too early to kill him off, and he's definitely not a big enough name for the surprise, "Oh, sh*t, they killed Don Johnson's in the pilot!" reaction. My guess is it's something along the lines of what you're suggesting. There's still seemingly so much more to his character it feels like with that ominous shot of the photograph in his closet, the cocaine, etc.
Same. I had no clue who Jean Smart was playing until I saw that.
If I have to go watch an online video or read a blog to understand the show I watched, then I call fail.
I dont know the Watchman story outside of the movie (which I thought was really good). Not sure what I watched last night, but it didn't seem to have much at all to do with the watchman...
I dont know the Watchman story outside of the movie (which I thought was really good). Not sure what I watched last night, but it didn't seem to have much at all to do with the watchman...
I liked the episode overall but I think with pretty minimal changes they could have told the exact same story without it being related to Watchmen at all.
The 2012 Before Watchmen series was pretty hype and seems like a good idea on paper until you read it and you realize the stories about the actual crime fighting days of the Watchmen is the least interesting part of their story. I don't think i got more than two issues in any of those series before I gave up entirely.
What makes Watchmen great is it is a very well written/drawn and complete story. There are no loose ends or angles that really need to be covered outside of what was written. I really hope this series does a good job but why dive back into this series 30 years later if your ties to it are tangential at best?
The 2012 Before Watchmen series was pretty hype and seems like a good idea on paper until you read it and you realize the stories about the actual crime fighting days of the Watchmen is the least interesting part of their story. I don't think i got more than two issues in any of those series before I gave up entirely.
What makes Watchmen great is it is a very well written/drawn and complete story. There are no loose ends or angles that really need to be covered outside of what was written. I really hope this series does a good job but why dive back into this series 30 years later if your ties to it are tangential at best?
When the it started raining squid all I could think of was this scene from one of the Treehouse of Horror episodes, "its raining again".
That was weird but I really dig it. Definitely in
CNN is an enemy of the state and should be treated as such.
Basically every critic is saying the same thing: episode six is amazing and where it all clicks together. I'm in agreement that it shouldn't take that long for a show to gel, but whatever. Sounds like it's at least interesting and bizarre enough until then.
So, we have an alternate America where in 2019 Robert Redford has been president for 30 years, Nixon is (possibly) on Mt. Rushmore, and it randomly rains squid?
And white supremacists fly the Rorschach banner?
Maybe I'll watch that above video later, but wtf is going on?
Was Jean Smart in the premiere and I missed her, or is she just in the upcoming scenes?
Oh, American Hero Story featuring the OG Watchmen? Was Mr. Manhattan still on Mars in a news clip?
That was all over the place
And white supremacists fly the Rorschach banner?
Maybe I'll watch that above video later, but wtf is going on?
Was Jean Smart in the premiere and I missed her, or is she just in the upcoming scenes?
Oh, American Hero Story featuring the OG Watchmen? Was Mr. Manhattan still on Mars in a news clip?
That was all over the place
It was an interesting pilot that's for sure. I liked what I saw and am intrigued in what direction they decide to go with the story. The world building and the soundtrack by Reznor and Ross are worth it alone and excited to see more from Irons and the introduction of Jean Smart.
My biggest complaint about the episode was the ultra-lazy stereotype of trailer-trash white supremacists as the apparent bad guys. Really? So, so dull and uninspired. How long did that take to come up with? 5 seconds?
I mean, they were referred to as "terrorists" by Tim Blake Nelson....so why add the other aspect that constricts just who would be members of this group?
It would have been much more interesting to have Rorschach's followers be average, ordinary Americans who have no faith in the government after the lies from the end of the graphic novel and the sacrifice of Rorschach. Then, the "Cavalry" could be made up of anyone: white, black, Hispanic, poor, middle class, differing religions, etc. Instead, the writers have pigeon-holed the bad guys as God-fearing white rednecks.
Also, having the "terrorists" be from all different background would at least allow for some ambiguity about who is "right" and who is "wrong" and could lead to interesting philosophical discussions. Kinda hard to find any ambiguity with skinheads.
I mean, they were referred to as "terrorists" by Tim Blake Nelson....so why add the other aspect that constricts just who would be members of this group?
It would have been much more interesting to have Rorschach's followers be average, ordinary Americans who have no faith in the government after the lies from the end of the graphic novel and the sacrifice of Rorschach. Then, the "Cavalry" could be made up of anyone: white, black, Hispanic, poor, middle class, differing religions, etc. Instead, the writers have pigeon-holed the bad guys as God-fearing white rednecks.
Also, having the "terrorists" be from all different background would at least allow for some ambiguity about who is "right" and who is "wrong" and could lead to interesting philosophical discussions. Kinda hard to find any ambiguity with skinheads.
If we're at episode 10 and that's still the case, I'll complain right along with you. But I'm holding out hope there's more than meets the eye in that regard.
(and by that I mean I'm hoping for racist Transformers)
Enjoyed the first episode. I understand some of the complaints about it but I have no problem being patient with HBO shows.
Some cool world building here, explanations for lack of smart phones, the full "Veidt Declared Dead" Article, etc.
https://www.hbo.com/peteypedia
Some cool world building here, explanations for lack of smart phones, the full "Veidt Declared Dead" Article, etc.
https://www.hbo.com/peteypedia
Oh, and in keeping with the theme of the movie, imagine my disappointment in seeing the N rating before the show only to be rewarded with old man thigh and young man butt
All warm up for the return of the blue dong.
GiveEmHellBill said:
My biggest complaint about the episode was the ultra-lazy stereotype of trailer-trash white supremacists as the apparent bad guys. Really? So, so dull and uninspired. How long did that take to come up with? 5 seconds?
I mean, they were referred to as "terrorists" by Tim Blake Nelson....so why add the other aspect that constricts just who would be members of this group?
It would have been much more interesting to have Rorschach's followers be average, ordinary Americans who have no faith in the government after the lies from the end of the graphic novel and the sacrifice of Rorschach. Then, the "Cavalry" could be made up of anyone: white, black, Hispanic, poor, middle class, differing religions, etc. Instead, the writers have pigeon-holed the bad guys as God-fearing white rednecks.
Also, having the "terrorists" be from all different background would at least allow for some ambiguity about who is "right" and who is "wrong" and could lead to interesting philosophical discussions. Kinda hard to find any ambiguity with skinheads.
The entire point of the original is how every side of any argument is actually kind of messed up, so I would be very disappointed and surprised if these guys are just shown as evil incarnate for the entire series.
Remember, this is TexAgs. Any chance people get to complain about a perceived cultural or political slight, without having seen the whole thing in context first, they'll jump at it.
I'm in til the end.TCTTS said:
If we're at episode 10 and that's still the case, I'll complain right along with you. But I'm holding out hope there's more than meets the eye in that regard.
I was just kinda disappointed that this was the initial conflict for the series. It's just not very fresh or interesting.
I get that. And you may end up being right. I just think Lindelof is smarter than to ultimately go that route, but I might be wrong.
I get that, and I shouldn't be antagonistic. Apologies. It's just that the race stuff was SO blatant and cliched that it totally feels like misdirection. So I'm saying let's not take the bait until we know for sure whether it's bait or not.
No slight; I just don't feel that a Watchmen series where white supremacists are the villains sounds right.TCTTS said:
Remember, this is TexAgs. Any chance people get to complain about a perceived cultural or political slight, without having seen the whole thing in context first, they'll jump at it.
I hope this does goes deeper than that, but it just felt too lazy out of the gate.
I'm in because I was a big Lost and Leftovers fan but the boring stereotypes of racial violence and that as the backdrop of the show is cheap and boring and a total let down.
I really enjoyed it. The soundtrack was fantastic. The squid rain was great. The whole farm scene was fantastic.
My only complaint was not enough screen time for panda.
My only complaint was not enough screen time for panda.
With the good reviews I'd like to ask before watching, is the white supremacy bits just an eye roll or does it actually get preachy? It's probably just bad timing that I just finished "the Boys"(and the conceited Christian camp episode), so I really don't feel like being preached at again.
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