The weekly WATCHMEN episode sum-up

[Awesome Possum]

I like the visual contrast, Angela wears black makeup around her eyes in the same pattern her grandfather wore white makeup.

The implication of the chief being related to Cyclops seems to be that the differences between then and now are superficial, and racism has only changed in that it learned to be sneaky enough to satisfy politics.

In the 1940s you explicitly tell a black person they are inferior. In the 2010s you tell them they are an equal, but set things up in the background to still not have any real power.

Both were also inspired by movie characters from their childhood who fought crime. Will had the silent film where the marshall wore a hood and Angela had a blaxploitation film about a nun who fought crime with a gun, it's even where she got her name.

 

[theenglish]

Both were also inspired by movie characters from their childhood who fought crime. Will had the silent film where the marshall wore a hood and Angela had a blaxploitation film about a nun who fought crime with a gun, it's even where she got her name.

Good observation. I hadn't noticed that. How should I attribute that to you when I use that in future discussions with my friends IRL?

I like the visual contrast, Angela wears black makeup around her eyes in the same pattern her grandfather wore white makeup.

The implication of the chief being related to Cyclops seems to be that the differences between then and now are superficial, and racism has only changed in that it learned to be sneaky enough to satisfy politics.

In the 1940s you explicitly tell a black person they are inferior. In the 2010s you tell them they are an equal, but set things up in the background to still not have any real power.

Nice parallel to contemporary times. Today in the real world, white supremacists have learned to work within the system to further their agenda. Similarly, contemporary dictators have subverted the democratic system to remain in power by the will of the people.

 

[kitik]

I was going to say they've got a lot to wrap up with only 1 episode to go, but thinking about it a bit more, I think they've actually kind up wrapped up a bunch of arcs already.

 

[Relayer1]

Didn't it seem odd to anyone how Manhattan got caught ?

He had all the time in the world to teleport himself or the bad guys, or the weapon. Or to just kill everyone at once. Or to destroy it. Or to avoid the confrontation entirely.

Predestination doesn't cover it. Just because it always happens that way doesn't explain why it happens that way. There would always be other options.

 

[jaime]

Didn't it seem odd to anyone how Manhattan got caught ?

He had all the time in the world to teleport himself or the bad guys, or the weapon. Or to just kill everyone at once. Or to destroy it. Or to avoid the confrontation entirely.

Predestination doesn't cover it. Just because it always happens that way doesn't explain why it happens that way. There would always be other options.

Haven’t got to the end of the episode but it’s quite apparent that because of Manhattans relationship with time (a) he is deeply afraid every single day and (b) he is blinkered, walking through a mapped route. His Jesus/Cal life is the only time he wasn’t.

 

[Relayer1]

It may be a mapped route but there's no reason for it to be mapped that way. No tachyon field to stop his powers working, no hostage to stop him doing anything, no reason why it had to go down that way.

If it was just 'It always plays out that way', why does it ?

 

[theenglish]

Didn't it seem odd to anyone how Manhattan got caught ?

He had all the time in the world to teleport himself or the bad guys, or the weapon. Or to just kill everyone at once. Or to destroy it. Or to avoid the confrontation entirely.

Predestination doesn't cover it. Just because it always happens that way doesn't explain why it happens that way. There would always be other options.

I don't think it is a matter that he will cease to exist, but rather he will be transformed in some way. He is giving up his current existence for something better/greater either for himself or humanity--does anybody know if this is ending on a cliffhanger?

 

[Relayer1]

I don't think it is a matter that he will cease to exist, but rather he will be transformed in some way. He is giving up his current existence for something better/greater either for himself or humanity

Maybe. It had to be his choice for that to happen.

 

[jaime]

It may be a mapped route but there's no reason for it to be mapped that way. No tachyon field to stop his powers working, no hostage to stop him doing anything, no reason why it had to go down that way.

If it was just 'It always plays out that way', why does it ?

Because Manhattan hasn’t cottoned on to the fact he is seeing possible futures, that it is him who is choosing how that plays out. He’s avoiding taking responsibility for his actions. It is written so it is done...even though Angela has already showed him that’s not true (leave, vs get out) and só has Veidt (plan a and plan b) he is not apparently aware he is making choices and manipulating events even without knowing he is doing so. He is the observer crystallising events, and he doesn’t realise it (or perhaps it’s all a long suicide. He’s in pain every day.)

 

[Q2UnME]

The ending didn't make sense, as others have pointed out better than I. I'm hoping that the next episode will shed a better light on the events. The writing on the show, so far, has been superb. I'm really hoping they (the writers) didn't drop the ball on this plot point. There was way too much time and too many different paths it could of went.

 

[jaime]

The ending didn't make sense, as others have pointed out better than I. I'm hoping that the next episode will shed a better light on the events. The writing on the show, so far, has been superb. I'm really hoping they (the writers) didn't drop the ball on this plot point. There was way too much time and too many different paths it could of went.

I haven’t seen the ending, but it’s worth remembering there is only one path in this world...Manhattans. Unless he’s off the map, anything else is pointless.

 

[XCV330]

It may be a mapped route but there's no reason for it to be mapped that way. No tachyon field to stop his powers working, no hostage to stop him doing anything, no reason why it had to go down that way.

If it was just 'It always plays out that way', why does it ?

Time has been shown, in the Watchmen, to not require normal causation (I.e. Judd's death from loop causality). From his perspective it is all one tableau. But obviously there is more to what happened. I am just not sure what. It was important to him that Angela saw him standing on the water.


Side question: who exactly are Veidt's 8 million children?

 

[kitik]

(I.e. Judd's death from loop causality).

When that scene happened, I was like "whoa, that was pretty cool". Talk about a great way to answer some of our questions.

Side question: who exactly are Veidt's 8 million children?

Yeah, I was wondering what that was in reference to.

And I do have to wonder if, thanks to that tachyon technology, there's any relation between Veidt and the 7th Kav. And what is Lady Trieu up to with her clock?

 

[XCV330]

When that scene happened, I was like "whoa, that was pretty cool". Talk about a great way to answer some of our questions.
Yeah, I was wondering what that was in reference to.

And I do have to wonder if, thanks to that tachyon technology, there's any relation between Veidt and the 7th Kav. And what is Lady Trieu up to with her clock?

And where is Looking Glass? Pirate Jenny and Red Scare have had more screen time the last couple of weeks.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I got the impression that Manhattan wanted to be captured or allowed himself to be.

 

[Noname Given]

I got the impression that Manhattan wanted to be captured or allowed himself to be.

^^^
That's the only thing that makes sense in that episode. IF Dr. Manhattan didn't want to be captured, he wouldn't have been. Hell, he could have teleported anywhere else in the world, gone to the Moon, Mars, etc. but he CHOSE not to.

 

[Awesome Possum]

^^^
That's the only thing that makes sense in that episode. IF Dr. Manhattan didn't want to be captured, he wouldn't have been. Hell, he could have teleported anywhere else in the world, gone to the Moon, Mars, etc. but he CHOSE not to.

They made a point of having a scene where he told Angela that she had to see him walk on water for something that happens later. He also said that their relationship would end in tragedy so he’s known the entire time what is going to happen because of how he experiences time.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Side question: who exactly are Veidt's 8 million children?

The first thing that figure makes me think of is the population of New York City, but he killed 3 million of them in 1985, and those tourism adds we saw the other week make it look like the number didn't bounce back or even plummeted more (e.g., being able to walk in Central Park for hours without seeing anyone else).

He might have been referring to his damn cephalopods.

 

[gblews]

Great performance by Ya Ya Abdul Mateen. Dr. Manhattan was imperious, detached, funny and caring all at the same time. I loved the way they conveyed to us a semblance of the way he experiences time. I'll bet the belly aching on some of those Youtube channels is shrill about the revelation that a black actor is playing Dr. Manhatten.

I had been wondering how Will found out about Judd's KKK outfit. The fact that John snitched in another time because Angela told him, was pretty logical within the context of the show.

Got confirmation that Jon was the one who saved Angela on the White Night.

Yeah, I kept wondering why Jon didn't teleport the portal ray or himself and Angela somewhere else. But as some have suggested, I think Jon did 'want" to be captured probably in order to accomplish some goal. That goal could be his own death, but without the 7th Calvary being able to consume his essence. It might have to do with whatever the plan Will and Lady Trieu are working on.

I'm wondering if Viedt will somehow figure into the final resolution, and if so, how.

This show has been unexpectedly great. I remember when I first heard about HBO dong a Watchmen show, I rolled my eyes. But just goes to prove, a great show need not be one that you were necessarily pining for or felt like was "needed."

 

[The Old Mixer]

An observation about Adrian...I don't think his segments have been in chronological synch with the main narrative of the show. Our clue is those anniversary cakes. The one in the last episode only had seven candles. So in the show's present day, assuming he gets off Europa, he may have been back on Earth for as much as three years.