Watchmen (2019) | Season 1 Series Review (HBO)

I decided to binge-watch HBO’s Watchmen (2019) after watching the first episode during the season premiere. I still remember the emotions that the first episode left me with. As a result, I decided to designate time to appropriately watch the series and write a full spoiler free season review.

Shock & Discomfort

Every episode this season had some shock factor that was immediately followed by disbelief and discomfort. I can guarantee that you won’t be bored by the way the story is told. Every instance in each episode has a purpose. The creators of this show use symbolism, foreshadowing, and straightforward information to keep the viewer engaged in the show. I guess regardless of how you feel, at least you are paying attention.

Past & Present

During this show, there are a lot of flashbacks used to present information to the audience. This happens with most of the running subjects in the show. For instance, when Lady Trieu sends Angela on a nostalgia trip to find out about Hooded Justice and her family heritage or Cyclops and it’s long-running corruption or Adrian Veidt’s history with Doctor Manhattan.

Depending on how focused you are on the show, you’ll be able to piece information together if it’s not blatantly handed to you. This season of Watchmen (2019) has a lot of puzzle pieces and the show will keep you engaged from one episode to the next.

People & Agendas

Regina King (Angela) is a strong character who portrays morals, while also having the grit in her masked persona. Her position ushers you into other branches of the story so that you can experience the conspiracy from all angles. From there you’ll find out the other major character motivations. Trying to explain everything that happened in this overall review is a bit of a disservice, so I won’t spoil anything.

Multiple stories are going at the same time, but all roads lead back to Doctor Manhattan and finding out how the story ends based on the different types of people and agendas involved is the best part of the show. The cliff hanger at the end of season 1 will keep you guessing about what is next for the characters. Honestly, this show will make you cringe at times. Assuming that is intentional, I would suggest you watch the show with that in mind.