Watchmen (TV Mini Series) See How They Fly (2019) User Reviews

"You can't heal under a mask"

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 5 January 2021]

Everybody expects a lot from season and show finales, where there should be ideally in my view a lot of emotional impact, all the ideas introduced and developed over the course of the run falling into place and where it all feels rounded off realistically. Some season and show finales have been very successful at that, 'Breaking Bad' and 'Inspector Morse' example. Others failed spectacularly, still remember vividly how angry those for 'House of Cards' and 'Game of Thrones' made me.

"See How They Fly" is not quite one of the best season and show finales (have actually heard varying accounts though of whether there will be a second season or not, but have believed for some time that this season is intended to be a one-off). It is also a slight disappointment after such a masterful previous episode. "See How They Fly" also is a long way from being one of the worst and does what a season and show finale should do mostly extremely well. It is a more than worthy end to 'Watchmen' and shows how far the show had come on since it first started, liked but not loved the first four episodes while loving the others.

All of 'Watchmen's' episodes are exceptionally well made and put a lot of films released today to shame. "See How They Fly" is gorgeously designed and the photography is some of the best of any television show from 2019, just love its style, atmosphere and how cinematic it looks. The lighting is suitably moody and matches the episode and show's bold tone, and the effects don't look cheap or under-budgeted, the squid looked surprisingly great.

The music is still haunting and the music choices are still inspired, especially effective are "Clair De Lune" and "Oh What a Beautiful Morning". A few of the tracks were used in other episodes as well, but this didn't feel recycled at all and like it was referencing what had come before and a way of tying things together.

Other 'Watchmen' episodes are more playful, episodes 3-5 and 7 namely, but the script is intelligent, occasionally subtly witty and has bold bite without being over-serious or dreary. The storytelling is bold and unflinching, ties things together, answers questions and puts it all into place. Amazing for an episode with so many ideas, a few too many perhaps, that are not trivialised and feel timely today. A lot of revelations and turns here and they are not just clever but quite shocking too.

Characters are richly fleshed out with Lady Trieu being at her most interesting throughout the whole show, and she was a character that showed enormous potential and made a big impression from the get go. Veidt's role in "See How They Fly" is also one of his most illuminating and a good deal is learnt about his character and motivations. The performances are stellar all round, Regina King and Jeremy Irons are big standouts as is classy Hong Chau.

My only criticism for "See How They Fly" was that the ending did feel a bit too rushed and anti-climactic, with not as much of a sense of finality that other show finales have.

Summing up, excellent conclusion. 9/10

A+

[jdank37 · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

Perfect ending to wrap up a great season of television. Congratulations to Lindelof and everyone involved and especially Regina King

A powerhouse episode.

[TheFirst01 · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

Haters will hate, but this episode brings in the goods. It may not have been as satisfying a finale as possible, but almost every loose end gets explained in this episode. Phenomenal in every way possible.

Excellent

[sscialli · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

Lady Truie , The Return of Archie , Frozen Calamari , death for real, senatorial goo, space flight , so much in so little time. Nice wrap up of the season and nice beginning to Next season , guess we shall see what idiots in programming decide(I always think of X-Files(1993) and Family Guy(1999) as two examples of idiots trying to cancel shows) . Nice round up on the wrap , we find Lady Truie identity and who knows what exactly will occur if the process was truly stopped. I for one am looking forward to next season.

"That guy talks too much"

[Fanatic_movie_goer · 9/10 · 16 December 2019]

A wonderful way of ending the season. There was great music, scenes, acting, directing and the script for the whole series was great.

What I loved about the series ending was that it didn't rush to the end. It was all done very beautifully with Regina King as the main character.

I just have to say again that the music was one of a kind. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross made a unique music that had their trade marks.

The acting in the whole series was great. Jeremy Irons, Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Blake Nelson and Don Johnson, they were all great in Watchmen.

I don't know how the screen writers are gonna make a season 2, but I'm rooting for more Watchmen. But I also can say that this could be a perfect ending for the film and the series, but I hope that it ain't.

Season One: Strong, Timely Messages Mixed With Delightful Weirdness

[zkonedog · 9/10 · 19 December 2019]

Before beginning the first episode of this show, I knew absolutely nothing about Watchmen as a franchise. I was aware of its existence as a landmark graphic novel, and that was about it. I mainly came to this series through the involvement of showrunner Damon Lindelof (he of LOST & The Leftovers fame), who is one of my favorite screenwriters in the business at the moment. While I obviously can't speak to the perspective of the hard-core fans of the source material, I think the fact that upon conclusion I can give this show 9/10 stars says a lot in terms of its overall quality.

There's a lot going on throughout Watchmen, so giving even a basic overview is a bit tough, but I'll give it a try:

In present-day (if not exactly present-universe) Tulsa, Oklahoma, everyone seems to be wearing masks. Judd Crawford's (Don Johnson) police force hides behind yellow facemasks due to fears of retribution over the "Redford-ations" given out by President Robert Redford. On the side, this same police force aligns itself with a group of masked vigilantes, including Angela Abar (Regina King) as Sister Night and Wade Tillman (Tim Blake Nelson) as Looking Glass, among others. The reason the authorities and the freelancers are in bed together? To prevent the spread of a white supremacist group, who-you guessed it-all wear Rorschach masks.

In a different narrative, a mysterious man (played by Jeremy Irons) living in an elegant castle is conducting experiments both with and on his servants Mr. Philips (Tom Mison) and Ms. Crookshanks (Sara Vickers).

Of course, the specter of Doctor Manhattan lies over all the proceedings, with the enigmatic Will Reeves (Louis Gossett Jr.), Laurie Blake (Jean Smart), and Lady Trieu (Hong Chau) all seeming to play a pivotal role in that endgame.

As usual for a Lindelof creation, Watchmen is an even mix of on-the-nose messages and delightful, quirky ridiculousness. It is equal parts biting social commentary (especially on the ideas of white supremacy and reparations), superhero deconstruction, and hilarious farce. Lindelof's talent, however, is mixing all those elements together and having it shake out perfectly balanced.

One of the hallmarks of this show, overall, is its ability (for the most part) to equally balance its serial nature with the quality of individual episodes. While I can certainly see the through-line of the season from beginning to end, there are also individual episodes that stand out as tours-de-force all their own. For example, "Little Fear of Lightning" tells the utterly moving story of Looking Glass (featuring a psychic squid attack!), while "A God Walks Into Abar" might be one of the most expertly-crafted episodes of dramatic television I've ever seen. This type of filmmaking certainly isn't a "race to the finish line" by any stretch. It stops to smell the roses and tell the individual stories along the way.

Lindelof's style may not be for everyone, as he is unflinching in his societal beliefs and quirky enough that more conservative/unseasoned viewers may scratch their heads a bit. But for those who love to thoroughly immerse themselves in prestige TV, this season of Watchmen is in Leftovers and Westworld territory. About the only reason I can't/won't give it the full 10 stars here is that it is so chock-full of characters/arcs that I feel like a re-watch is needed to catch all the threads. If/when that happens, this could easily be 10/10 material.

Amazing Series Finale, Amazing Miniseries, just Excellent !

[Tv-Addict1991 · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

I Loved Everything about this Episode, it was simply perfect !

Thank You For This Series, it was my Highlight of 2019 !

Amazing Series !

Unforgettable

[southdavid · 8/10 · 31 December 2019]

And so, a season (series maybe) finale that whilst not hitting the heights of some of the earlier episodes totally sticks the landing, pulling together the disparate threads of the plots into one totally satisfying conclusion.

With Dr Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) successfully captured by the 7th Kavalry and preparing to take his power for their own, Angela Abar (Regina King) launches a desperate escape mission to rescue her husband. Meanwhile Lady Trieu (Hong Chau) sets her own plan into motion.

I write this review on New Year's Eve in 2019 so can look back with a bit of reflection. I honestly thing that this "Watchmen" show was the best thing I've seen this year. To say that I approached it with trepidation was an understatement, given the reverence the source material requires - but every decision made with the series was excellent. To attach where they did, to build on certain mythology but not others, to build it about present day tensions much like the graphic novel reflected the threat of nuclear annihilation at the time. It has been phenomenal.

As I say, this episode in particularlis perhaps not as stellar as some of its predecessors. It is naturally a little more concerned with pulling the plot together and wrapping it up than in high concept artistry, or time bending machinations. That is not to say it doesn't have a few of its own revelations. The statue of Veidt, for an example. But maybe a couple of those ideas felt underwhelming, the tower, for example, didn't add up to much. However, for a show produced and written by Damon Lindelof, this much of an all-encompassing conclusion was more than you could reasonably have expected.

What next then? Certainly, I don't want another series that picks up exactly where this finishes. If you absolutely have to, my preference would be a show leading up to the 1995 arrest of Nite Owl. I'm not sure I want anything more at all, to be honest, given that there's now two high quality aspects to live up to.

They Pulled it of With Flying Colors

[gostuffawesome · 9/10 · 16 December 2019]

It wraps up the main story it does leave a few threads left open and that's a little frustrating but this is a masterpiece on the same level of breaking bad or perhaps just shy of it do not read spoilers unless you've already see it cheers

underrated show

[Seraphym1987 · 10/10 · 17 December 2019]

Loved the movie (2009). As for this series that came as a sequel I honestly didn't like the first 2 episodes, I was like "wtf! this is not Watchmen, not even close... But the rest of the episodes were brilliant and then I thought the first 2 were not so bad, they were essential parts in this great story. If there won't be a second season it's fine, the ending was perfect imo. If it will be renewed for 1 or 2 more season it would be great! 10/10 for this ep and 9/10 for the whole seas

Goo Goo ga Joob

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 18 December 2019]

I should have figured, everything Dr. Manhattan ever did had some context somewhere else. Why else would he start making waffles right before the gang of Rorschachs attack?

This episode solidly focuses on the Lady Trieu, and it explains a lot- you just have to facepalm yourself for not realizing it sooner. And also the final moments of Adrian Veidt's exile, say goodbye to Phillips and Cruickshank. But the question is, when did these events actually happen? That question is answered here.

The events that led up to this point is a tale that has unraveled like a cleverly woven tapestry.

We already knew pretty much exactly what was going to happen. That's the problem when writing stories about characters that know their own futures. There is a lot of thematic imagery that this episode returns to: Episode four introduces the egg and acorn elements. Egg, acorn. Pretty much the same thing and both become relevant. That's how you write for characters who know their futures, you tell their stories with well-placed references and vignettes.

The satisfaction is, seeing all of the little things that happened to make those futures come about.

We had our eyes focused on the Gang of Rorschachs and Senator Keene, Jr. - I suppose this is the same "Keene" whose father wrote the Keene Act which illegalized masked vigilante-ism. Now we know after watching this chapter that even the Keene Act was designed to do something else as well, it was a sham and a scam just like the tax scam of recent. But while we were all wrapped up in trying to figure out what was going on there, something even more insidious was happening. Our attention was taken off of it, in the same way that Dr. Manhattan was fooled.

A raging narcissist should never be afforded the opportunity to become a god, in fact they shouldn't be afforded opportunities to be in positions of authority or power either.

"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day, i've got a beautiful feeling, everything's going my egg..."

I had submitted a slightly different review just before this, but I think this one reflects my feelings about it a bit better. And none of them were "badly formatted". Insert anger emoji.

Great show, slightly disapointing ending

[aukenvisser · 7/10 · 16 December 2019]

Let me just say that I thought this show was phenomenal leading up to the finale. It did a great job of connecting to the original novel and continuing its themes while introducing some new ones, and the use of old characters like Dr Manhattan and Ozymandias was expertly done. It's still one the best shows of the year, but I think that the finale while satisfying was a little flawed. (spoilers coming up)

First of there were some plot holes, like how did the squid punch a hole in lady trieu's hand and destroy her machine but just be regular hail for everyone else? If it was really that dealt the entire area should have been levelled but there wasn't really that much damage. Also I wasnt a fan of how Angela and Laurie were such key characters this season but effectively did nothing this episode. They were just around for other characters to interact with but were pretty useless otherwise, which is weird because they were 2 of the main characters going into the episode. Angela in particular didnt do anything to help solve the problems the characters were facing. Lady Trieu telling everyone about her plan and effectively ruining it was uncharacteristic, if she actually was a genius she would have done what Ozymandias did in the original comic and not spoiled it until it was too late.

I hated the slapstick way Veidt went out, the smartest man in the world should have seen a wrench about to hit him, such a bad ending for a great character.

I think my biggest issue tho is the departure from the themes of the comic book. In the comics there are no real "bad guys", everything is morally gray and sometimes the "bad guys" do win. The opposite happened here where the good guys came out on top and Trieu's plan was foiled. If it was really like the comics she should have won, instead of her stupidly telling everyone her plan and the good guys getting lucky with the blood and teleportation.

Overall a great show and definitely worth watching, the acting and plot throughout the season is incredible. I just think the ending they set up for could have been so much better. Most of this is nitpicking, on its own its a good finale, its just not at the level of the original novel.

Anti-climax and missed opportunity.

[holani-05233 · 5/10 · 17 December 2019]

When the show started I was positively surprised. I loved seeing Don Johnson acting again and his part was great. I loved the production of the show; it has the feel of the 2009 Watchmen movie and even respected the actual ending of the comic with the giant squid disaster instead of the "psychic event" ending of the movie. I specifically loved the re-introduction of former Silk Spectre, Laurie Juspeczyk/Blake, in episode 3. An awesome episode, but she was slowly pushed to the background again, which was the first missed opportunity. But when the show progressed, missing opportunities became the rule rather than the exception. What I mean to say is that some rather cool set ups were presented: return of Silk Spectre, the Ozymandias story, the fascist cult with the Rorschach masks, the links to Dr. Manhattan, the Hooded Justice origin story (in spite of it not respecting the comic), the Vietnam story. In the end though, almost none of those set ups were used in their full potential. The cultist were just obliterated in one stroke and in the end it all turned out to be just a scheme which resulted to destroy a vital character from the original comic, Dr. Manhattan. So disappointing. And if they think that for season 2 they can let Angela take over the role of Dr. Manhattan, they will see the ratings drop like a brick in a vacuum... just a prediction. So to conclude, I was rather disappointed, especially after seeing the potential of the first episodes just being spoiled in the end.

What just happened?

[k_g_barreto · 8/10 · 20 January 2020]

I'm still trying to figure if this was a genius or a meaningless ending. Good episode though.

Wow!

[kollstrom · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

While probably not instantly topping episode 7 and 8 (which must be some of the most exquisite stuff I've ever watched on TV. this isn't far behind.

In retrospect, it's all about eggs and egos, and there are so many layers and metaphors lying around that books could be written about it.

There's Ozymandias' "eggs" being inseminated by Lady Trieu's mother (later cloned daughter), and there's Jons egg to be eaten raw by Angela.

"Fuck you Ozymandias!" while inseminating. Oh what a joy.

There's Ozymandias' daughter verging on the edge of megalomania, her father not letting it happen, and her cloned mother also seems to get the picture in the end.

There's Ozymandias, on the edge of megalomania himself, but maybe with a small sense of -- sense, in the end. "It takes one to know one".

There's the ego of the Keanes and their Rorschachs, who obviously always had it coming. I'm a little disappointed they didn't have them commit collective suicide though--to just wipe them out was a bit too easy.

At last, there's Angela's "moment of understanding" after having eaten the egg, for which we'll have to await next season.

As for the series as a whole, easily on my all time top 5 list. Wow!

Damon Lindelof & Nick Cuse writings RULE

[HiKissoff · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

The story started off confusing with the first several episodes but halfway it found a groove and has thus ended with another confirmation that the writing duo of Lindelof & Nick Cuse know what they're doing and have brought yet again another rich TV series where I can't wait to watch the next episode. Awesome last episode for the first season.

This is how you make a sequel

[SkandarSan · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

I was a bit skeptical at first since sequels like this tend to be full of fan services and cash urged writing. However, this managed to expand the Graphic Novel/Movie's universe to a well developed story.

I'm glad it didn't end as a cliffhanger; you could just watch this season and not any more episodes and every question was answered (except for the ending that just leaves out something for our own imagination), although I wouldn't mind if they went on with more seasons.

If they do go on with more seasons, I really hope they don't screw it up.

PS. We see a Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias, and Silk Specter fed up of this world, bored to some extent and this causes them to do all the things they have done in this season. This is for all of you complaining that Dr. Manhattan can't fall in love and so.

Great Finale!

[drm2642 · 10/10 · 17 December 2019]

This is Watchmen! The music. The way it takes American history and twists it. This show is very well done with a great story. There are twists and turns, but in the end I felt satisfied with the story. Virtually every quest is answered. The story really picks up in the second half of the season, but these last 4 episodes... wow... I love this kind of story telling! For some reason there are people up in arms about the racism angle with the story. Sad... As a fan/reader of the original material this is a great entry which feels like a part of the Watchmen universe. Worth the watch!!

Excellent ending to a great series.

[lukemac914 · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

I honestly can't believe how far we have come and I believe that this will go down as one of the greatest shows in history, whether there is a second season or not.

S1: Engaging in its event-driven action, although a bit too brooding, has some loaded messaging, and has no interest in helping anyone coming to this world for the first time

[bob the moo · 16 August 2020]

It is a big brave expensive decision to take Watchmen, expand its universe, and make a major HBO series out of it. It is a risk that may have come off in terms of viewers, but at least the critical reception has been mostly good. For me, it is an engaging series, but not one without problems - some of which are deliberate and by design. Opening with a violent massacre, the show is very clear in its intent to shock and confuse, and it seems to go out of its way to use plot devices which are deliberately difficult to understand, sometimes being overly complex to achieve a simple goal, but mostly it is deliberately done to provide a sense of mystery or oddity in the telling. It is an interesting approach - it worked for me, but then in combination with its other approach then it is could be a problem.

That "other approach" is the decision to very heavily link to the original material but not to explain it much, instead letting trusting that the viewer will know what it all means. I guess with the film version having done well then this is more likely than it was, but still, it was evident that you needed to at least be familiar with the material - which some people watching a Watchmen sequel will be, but there is probably a bigger chunk of casual viewers just coming to this as the next big HBO event. Within in this frame, the narrative is engaging and works its multi-location and time settings well into a solid story that reaches back into the Minutemen origins, draws on the Watchmen original story, and opens up new themes and characters. I did find that the very 'now' elements of the story did clang a little bit - particularly because they were played to the hilt. So white nationalism, lynching, sexuality, etc all seemed to be very current, and I disliked it for making me notice the casting choices as well - even though I do not think that the casting of King was due to her gender or colour, but rather her presence and talent.

All this aside though, the events drive the narrative, and the mystery and oddity help it. It is very brooding in its tone, a lot of which comes down to the score, but this fits the material even if it makes it feel very superficial in terms of the characters. The cast is deep in talent (famous or not), and the production values are impressively high throughout. So, there are issues with the messaging, and with how little it reaches out to new viewers, but it is engaging and very well constructed television.

Excellent ........ Excellent

[evgadevojka · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

The end of the series is phenomenal, of course there will be haters who will always hate themselves. I hope for a second season

WOW

[nckbrb · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

This show has continued to get better and better with each consecutive episode! One of the best finales i've ever seen and i hope that there is another season!

Anti climatic

[chaknuage · 6/10 · 16 December 2019]

You know how people say "it's more about the journey than the end" I don't think anything else could be more appropriate for the finale. It was an overall good series but the last episode just doesn't work for me.

One of the worst endings ever

[RussHog · 1/10 · 21 December 2019]

Dr. Manhattan cannot die, fall in love, and does not care about the problems of humankind. But in this show he dies, falls in love, and cares so much about Angela that he gives her his powers so she can fight white supremacy. This changes the great tragedy in the source material and hinders the power of the story. A mortal turned God would be a bad thing because a God wouldn't care about humanity. If Angela had Dr. Manhattan's powers she would not care about white supremacy. She would not even care about her own children anymore.

Egg anyone?

[alexcdispirito · 10/10 · 16 December 2019]

I hate spoilers, and never plan to share any, so here's my simple review that encompasses both the series as a whole and the finale. The first trailer piqued my interest as it did numerous people I'm sure, and the cast seemed to bring something new to a familiar story. Each episode built on the previous in a stellar, not rushed, fashion that kept you wanting to see how it would end up. This was done as character driven as I felt it should have been and it seems to remember the story of the novel, without being codependent upon it. Genius work on the part of both the writers, directors, and actors. The finale was worth every hour prior thereto. The way it revealed, without over stepping, each character was beautiful to watch. I was pleased that it was only the season finale, because I believe there's much more they could tell, so long as they're treading softly while also keeping up a great narrative. Overall I am impressed. The bravery to take on this project, knowing the ire of the fans is in some ways inevitable, but to do it anyway, is something special to behold. Bravo, and remember... Nothing ever ends.