Watchmen season 1

The new HBO series Watchmen is a follow-up to Alan Moore's acclaimed 1980s graphic novel set during the Cold War where masked vigilantes seek to bring justice without any form of superpowers. Zac Snyder adapted the novel in 2008 to mixed results and also made a director's cut which has earned some praise from fans although the films made several key changes to the story which prevented them from being held in the same high regard. With the TV series, Damon Lindelof wanted to try something different and see what life would be like some 34 years later in 2019 following the events that occurred in Moore's novel.

Regina King stars as an Oklahoma police officer where all officers are masked to protect their identity following a string of killings by white supremacists in a town with a dark history of violence. The world is a different place following the events in Moore's alternative history where America won the war in Vietnam thanks to superhuman Dr. Manhattan, a result of a scientific accident, and the big blue man resides somewhere out in space. For anyone unfamiliar with Watchmen, this will all sound very strange and I don't want to spoil what happens next.

The story unfolds over nine episodes raising more questions than answers in classic Lindelof fashion which can be engaging but has sometimes backfired on the writer. I never read the novel and only ever saw the film once which meant I was a little confused to say the least at the beginning. However, once you accept that many of the answers will come in time as we show reveals the history of this alternative universe it became one of the most entertaining shows of 2019. Unlike others, Lindelof and HBO have created a finely-tuned experience which never wastes an episode or fills in the story with redundant sub-plots.

Every episode here brought something new to the story and kept me coming back to see more. The cast which also includes such talented names as Tim Blake Nelson, Don Johnson, Jean Smart and Jeremy Irons are all fantastic. It seems silly to even mention it with an HBO show but the visuals in its design, use of camera work, the direction used to tell each story, and the music from duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is among the best seen on television.

I wouldn't call the show perfect as it dips a little in the final episode which fails to be as satisfying as everything that came before, calling back to the troubles Lindelof faced with Lost, but I can't deny Watchmen has been a refreshing experience. The decision to create a follow-up to something of a cult graphic novel can't have been an easy sell but it is great to see stories as bold and risky as what we have here. Watchmen might not be everyone but for those interested, I can easily recommend giving it a try.