Watchmen has a wonderful gift of making someone feel completely uncomfortable from the moment the episode begins. Surrounded by corpses a good, religious boy screams “What Happened?!” and I find myself in the same boat as that guy. Then we find out this happened with no explanation? I swear I need a notebook to keep track of what happens each episode and the list of details and loose ends made.
I enjoyed the delve into ‘Looking Glass’s’ history and I do find the host of various, dubious characters that make up the force of masked police. The ‘psychic blast’ that has clearly traumatised Wade into living a life in fear of the possibility of his demise. The introduction of Cynthia left me horrified that she had an adorable pup which she promptly terminated the moment it didn’t look the same as the others. It would be incredibly difficult to like such a character but from her, we did find that the medication Angela provided Wade to test was called ‘Nostalgia’. Why does Will possess a memory interfering medication? And how does it relate to Angela with him being her grandfather?
The giant squid attack in Watchmen does change things. The ever-present pseudo-world of our own full of advanced technology, aliens and gods fills you with this sense of discomfort. “Why aren’t people petrified?” sticks with me as her point is valid and if this episode does anything it is world build. Though it takes a sledgehammer to the pace of the plot – it helps build tension with the discovery of the Seventh Cavalry scene aligned with the ominous ticking of the clock.
Furthermore, the discovery of the new technology that the Cavalry has adds to the tension of what their plans are. The addition of the Senator to the Cavalry was not a surprise to me. Given the prominence, the character had in the previous episode and a determination to prove himself it seems appropriate that he would take a sinister role that would enable him more power.
The discovery of the attack being staged sends Wade into a spiral. Angela is arrested and we end with the shot of Cavalry members storming into Wade’s property heavily armed.
I have many questions and very few answers! Who is this gamekeeper? Why was Adrian sent to live on…Jupiter? What does Doctor Manhattan have to do with this?
