Watchmen

So aparently everyone is trashing this show because of the race issues? Come on people, now taking that aside, this show has really started strong, respecting the characters of the original graphic novel but also introducing new ones, and if you're a big fan of Watchmen, you will love the references, can't wait for the next episode.

The series brilliantly creates a world similar to ours but with a unique parallel history in which events happened but with different starts or ends. In modern times, the cops takes white supremacists way more seriously than they do in our reality, which is why people are screaming about "wokeness." But it's far more complicated than that, because its masked cops ignore civil rights and can be fairly lawless, which - guess what?! - is not what we social justice types are after.

The complex morality is echoed in the complex plotting, with a bunch of dark characters in a very strange, dark, violent world and a story arc chockfull of mysteries.

The cast is first rate, most notably Jeremy Irons as a peculiar aristocrat and the phenomenal Regina King as the ultimate ass-kicker.

As for its relation to the graphic novel and movie, I read/watched them but it was years ago and honestly I don't remember much of anything about either one except they were both quite good. I may like this series better than either so far (based on the first 5 episodes), but I couldn't even hazard an opinion on the debate as to whether it is to the source material. As an entity of its own though, it is absolutely brilliant, and I highly recommend it.

Promising start, I will definitely come back for the next episode...in fact, pretty sure I ll watch the whole season. I wanna point out the good cinematography...I wasn't expecting to be this good after watching the trailers.

Not only is it an incredibly well-crafted series on all the best fronts of cinematography, story, effects, editing and acting performances, the way it spun the original Watchmen storyline around itself was mesmerizing. New, interesting characters combined with old favorites, and even a few shadows of their ghosts.

The performances by Regina King, Don Johnson, Time Blake Nelson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen III just to name a FEW of the outstanding roles, were award-worthy across the board.

Jeremy Irons, Jean Smart, Hong Chau, Louis Gossett, Jr...these were revelatory performances. Now a weak link among them.

Like a good book, I couldn't put it down and it left me wanting more. If you haven't seen it, you don't know what you're missing. I'm gonna go rewatch the series for a fourth time now.

Absolutely gripping and intriguing. Exquisitely stylish, dark, gritty, violent and thought-provoking. This is an absolute binge-worthy show. The cinematography, use of lighting and color is masterful. The transitions are magical. The somber, ominous, mysterious-sounding electronic-tinged soundtrack from Trent and Atticus is beautiful. It sets the tone perfectly for the show and acts as a sort of character throughout the episodes. The use of music and audio design is excellent. As dark and bizarre as the show can be, it actually has moments that are pretty funny that lighten things up. Like Robert Redford being one of the 4 most important presidents. The world-building is immaculate and fascinating. It makes you wonder what our world would be like if history had turned out slightly different. The performances from everyone are undeniably flawless, it drives the show forward and keeps it engaging.

I love how they tease things throughout the show via foreshadowing. The way that everything is presented and the way the story is told makes for a very entertaining and intriguing watch. The storytelling is impeccable. A show that cleverly covers topics like racism, segregation, law enforcement, government, legacy, wealthy elites and conspiracy theories. It's also a satire on superheroes. Attention to detail is insane. It's a pretty bizarre show that gets weirder and weirder as it unfolds. It can be a bit cynical in a comedic way, but then again the show covers serious and relevant subject matter on our socio-political climate. The ideas they come up with for this show are out of this world, they're thought-provoking. The black and white episode was a masterpiece, incredible storytelling and an insightful origin story. I love how they give backstory as well to some of the other characters like Looking Glass, Sister Nite, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias.

The characters, the lore, the story, the world-building - everything is fantastic. You can't help but become consumed by the show. The further you get into each episode, the more layers start to unfold, the more the world starts to open up and the more you learn about everything that's going on. The best part is seeing how everything and everyone is connected. It's a beautiful mix of Sci-Fi, Mystery, History, Action and Drama. Watchmen is thoroughly entertaining, grippingly intriguing, beautifully complex and bizarre. A show that's masterfully put together and brilliantly told. This one definitely deserves to be watched.