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- HBO
- Oct 20, 2019
- HBO
- Oct 20, 2019
Season Episodes
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Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
85
94% Positive
33 Reviews
33 Reviews
6% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
85
94% Positive
33 Reviews
33 Reviews
6% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Ambitious, imaginative, provocative and engrossing. ... A triumph of style and substance, it never sacrifices pace for preaching or pontificating. At least in the first six episodes made available to critics, it remains every bit as entertaining as it is intriguing.
This is breathtaking, ambitious television that only gets richer with each subsequent episode.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 502 User Ratings
5.9
56% Positive
279 Ratings
279 Ratings
8% Mixed
40 Ratings
40 Ratings
36% Negative
183 Ratings
183 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 502 User Ratings
5.9
56% Positive
279 Ratings
279 Ratings
8% Mixed
40 Ratings
40 Ratings
36% Negative
183 Ratings
183 Ratings
Told through a complex and riveting mystery, a murder investigation is at the center of “Watchmen’s” first season. It’s up to Angela Abar/Sister Night to do the unraveling. King balances her divergent roles as mother, wife, friend and vigilante with a mix of grace, sincere affection and ferocity. ... After an unevenly paced premiere episode, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this new series. But after episode two I was all in.
Relentlessly entertaining, odd and creative... Watchmen is a tour-de-force, no doubt, but there's a landing that definitely needs to be stuck.
He’s packing a punch. Watchmen is a show that will be scoured for clues about yet-to-be-birthed fan theories, even as it’s an intrinsic provocation of the sorts of genre fans who were angered by Star Wars centering women and people of color, or outraged by the suggestion that certain superheroes, James Bond, or Hermione Granger might be black. It’s not just that Watchmen’s main character is a black woman, it’s how the new show reframes what came before it.
You may not always be sure what you're watching, but good luck taking your eyes off Watchmen. [28 Oct - 10 Nov 2019, p.8]
To tackle the meanness and violence of history in a truly serious way — with superheroes or with mere magnificently brave mortals telling the story — demands a focus “Watchmen” simply lacks, and attempts to make up for with a tone of increasing dudgeon. What “Watchmen” sets out to do, taking the opportunity of an artwork perceived as unadaptable and writing a whole new story, is admirable. But both that original artwork and, more crucially, this story deserve better.
A powerful and engaging series taking the watchmen universe into new territory.
Great performances, visually stunning and my favourite show of 2019. I hope they make many more.
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SEASON 1
This is infected with the modern political correctness "movement" so if your sensitive to that either your going to love it or hate it independent if its actually a good story.
Going back in time im a big lover of Lost by the same maker Lindelof and you do see the same ability at the start of the show to build something very interesting and then a inability to have a ending.
That being said you may notice that im still giving this show a fairly good grade above average and thats since this is my type of bad. Not going to justify my taste its very flawed but im still having a decent time even while being pained by the many weakness of the tv show.
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SEASON 1
I'm on the fence about the first episode I just streamed. Like many have said, well set in the Watchmen alternate universe it had really very little to do with the original Watchmen IP, both graphic novels or movie. It uses the Watchmen universe as a jumping off point for its own story and world building.
Is that a bad thing? No I don't think so, not really. Nor do I see it as a propaganda piece as some posters are suggesting. Artistic endeavors will always reflect the times they're created in to some degree. Early superheros were bastions of good and righteousness and were a reflection of their times. In turn later heros were more gritty and human, some even heavily flawed as the Watchmen were, reflecting the general mistrust of institutions and the symbols they employed.
The current story is understandable and relatable as it reflects the current polarization between alt-right and alt-left forces in society in an interesting way. So I don't have any problem with the storyline so far, and found it quite entertaining. But setting it in the Watchmen universe doesn't really make it the Watchmen regardless of how well done or relevant it is. IMHO it's more of a marketing ploy than anything else.
And that's why I'm on the fence. On its own it's fine and well worth the watch, with a compelling story and great acting. As a continuation of the Watchmen canon it falls a bit flat and does seem like it's attempting to piggyback on the Watchmen's fame. If they'd called it anything else with the understanding it was set in the Watchmen universe I'd given it an 8 or 9. As it stands the best I can do is a 6 because I can't help but feel I'm being manipulated into watching it.
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SEASON 1
I didn't know anything about watchmen before watching this. Here is my view of how the show works:
episodes 1 - 2: a very cool and emotional crime x police story to trick you to watch the rest of the show
episodes 3 - 8: introducing new characters and crazy nonsense background stories while you slowly forget to care about the main characters
last episode: the actual story
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SEASON 1
