Who's Watching???

A young child sits in a darkened movie theater enthralled; viewing a black and white silent film. This; as a young woman plays the music score on piano, apparently agonized and anguished for some as yet unknown reason. The film is of a masked heroic figure pursuing an apparent villain, both on horseback, in some epic of the American Old West. The scene is reminiscent of the sepia toned opening of the classic “Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid.” Both woman and child are African-American. The scenario is about to drastically change as gunfire, aerial bombs and shouts of horror, pain and insults engulf innocents on the streets outside of a once peaceful, almost idyllic town.  This jarring opening is based on the real life “Black Wall St. Massacre” in Tulsa Oklahoma’s Greenwood District in 1921. 

We fast forward to modern times and almost everybody is masked. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? Who and what was the cause of the aforementioned carnage? Why is shrimp/sushi raining from the sky? These are the overriding questions of the premier episode of “Watchmen?” Questions that essentially remain unanswered well into viewing subsequent episodes of the new HBO television series and sequel to the brilliant graphic novel “Watchmen.” 

Originally published in standard monthly comic book installments “Watchmen” was later collected in its entirety and released for readers in the nineteen eighties. It was created by artist Dave Gibbons and writer Alan Moore. It has been much lauded and revered over the years; even chosen by Time Magazine for the top 100 novels released within the years of the magazines conception. “Watchmen” exists in an alternative universe and like every good comic book world there are visions of the fantastic, the futuristic and humor along with ample doses of hysteria and dystopia. 

This satisfying T.V. series by design is complete as a story unit and by decision of creator Damon Lindelof feels like there is no necessity for any further episodes; although someone in the future might have ideas for additional stories. Damon Lindelof has done a brilliant job of production, narrative, and received phenomenal performances from a cast of extremely gifted actors of passionate professional skills and inspiration. Regina King, Don Johnson, Lou Gossett Jr., Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Jeremy Irons, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Hong Chau all starring and feature in illuminating ways.   

“Watchmen” is provocative, disturbing, eye-popping and triumphant television. Watch the compelling first of nine episodes and you will quite likely be committed to seeing it through to a conclusion both jarring and elusive.