Over the past several months, I've colluded with my colleagues on compiling a definitive list of the year's top 15 TV disappointments. Initially, after the inaugural episodes of this mini-series unfolded, I was poised to consign 'Watchmen' to that very roster. Yet, as is often the case with contemporary television, the inaugural episodes hardly serve as a reliable harbinger of a show's overarching merit. There's nothing quite like the exhilaration of witnessing a series defy expectations, rising from the ashes like a majestic phoenix reborn. Throughout the years, numerous shows have traced this trajectory, stunning me with their transformative narratives, and 'Watchmen' stands poised to be the next in this illustrious line.
The narrative commences with a poignant glimpse into the past, particularly the enigmatic origins of Dr. Manhattan. As the camera gracefully pans out, we're drawn into the world of a youthful Angela, who procures a video featuring Sister Night before venturing into the teeming streets, where a puppeteer stages a poignant reenactment of the Dr. Manhattan incident in Vietnam. Following a heartfelt conversation with her parents, the tranquility is shattered by the sudden intrusion of a rogue terrorist, who detonates himself amidst the chaos.
Angela jolts awake in Dr. Trieu's pristine office, where she embarks on a therapeutic journey. Simultaneously, her husband arrives, greeted by the ethereal image of a youthful girl, who enigmatically speaks of the millennium clock. In a parallel narrative, Agent Blake receives a distressing call about Wade, revealing that the entire cavalry has fallen victim to an untold fate. That fateful night holds many secrets, and Blake possesses the key to unlocking them.
Yet, before delving deeper into this labyrinthine mystery, Blake's path intersects with the Chief's residence, where he divulges a shocking revelation to Jane: it was Angela's esteemed grandfather, Will Reeves, who took her husband's life. As Jane utters the name 'Cyclops,' Blake's intuition sparks, deducing that the Chief too was entwined within the shadowy folds of that cult. His suspicions are swiftly validated as Jane, with a cunning smile, traps Blake in a chair and plummets him into the bowels of the house. With a punch of a button on her phone, she poses a dire question to an unknown recipient: should she extinguish Blake's life or spare him? The stakes have never been higher, and the game of cat and mouse has just begun.
Back in the confines of the room, Angela finds herself under the young girl's inquisitive gaze, as her memories with Will intertwine and blur, leaving her disoriented. As she navigates the flashbacks, she sharply identifies the perpetrator behind the bombing, the scene punctuated by an intriguing juxtaposition—a bag placed over the terrorist's head, mirroring the masked vigilante that Will once was. These fleeting glimpses of Will's past, shrouded in mystery, serve as a potent reminder of the racial undertones weaving through the episode's fabric.
Amidst a surreal court trial featuring Ozymandias, Angela awakens, her consciousness settling beside Trieu. Their conversation delves into nostalgia and the enigmatic young girl, who is revealed to be none other than Trieu's cloned mother, nourished by doses of nostalgia. Her experiments, all leading to the enigmatic millennium clock, remain shrouded in secrecy, Trieu withholding its true purpose.
As Angela's grip on reality slips, she forcefully breaches the previously locked room, only to confront a colossal, slumbering elephant, its lifeforce entwined with hers. With each cable she detaches, memories cascade back, including a haunting vision of her grandmother seemingly succumbing to a heart attack.
Once more, Angela stirs from slumber, descending to the depths of level 0, where a colossal globe confronts her, its existence intimately tied to the Manhattan booths spanning the globe—a testament to Trieu's vast organization. A sinister revelation unfolds: the Seventh Cavalry intends to capture Dr. Manhattan and harness his extraordinary power for their own nefarious ends.
With determination etched on her face, Angela sprints to her car, her destination clear—home. There, she carries out a chilling act, striking down her husband with a hammer, delving into his skull to extract the ominous Manhattan symbol. As an eerie blue aura enshrouds her eyes, the episode abruptly concludes, leaving viewers on the precipice of an uncertain future, the suspense palpable.
As a devotee of bizarre and stylish television, Watchmen echoes the mesmerizing allure of Legion, expertly balancing mind-bending visuals with narrative twists and revelations that linger long after the credits roll. The seamless blending of past and present, coupled with the gradual unraveling of mysteries, has culminated in a captivating narrative tapestry. With the final episodes looming, anticipation simmers for the paths this captivating journey will forge ahead.
