Watchmen HBO (yet another thread)
I've just finished rewatching the HBO miniseries for the first time since it had originally aired and wanted to share some thoughts on it.
It's been about a decade if not longer since I've read the original graphic novel or seen the Snyder film, so my recollection of some of the events was a bit fuzzy while watching the show. That said, my personal takeaway from Moore's graphic novel was that having a DSMV-listed disorder was a prerequisite for being a masked vigilante. In that regard the show absolutely excelled and "got" the source material. Laurie Blake's characterization of a broken person who sees vigilantes for the losers they are - is brilliant. Jeremy Irons' performance as Veidt is equally good, hammering home that although a certified genius, he was also a pompous buffoon with his huge ego being his biggest weakness. The supporting cast in form of Lady Trieu, Looking Glass, Will Reeves all helped elevate the show - each of the episodes that focused on their respective backstories were among the best.
I enjoyed the social commentary and the setting of America as a "liberal utopia", where descendants of racial injustice victims actually get reparations, homosexuality is accepted, cops require prior authorization to handle firearms, while USA and Russia are best of buds and communism is seen as not that big of a deal. The more important details to me are that America still ended up as an authoritarian regime - it's never been explicitly said, but Redford's been in power for 28 years by the time the present day events of the show start. Law enforcement officers are now more legally protected than before. Also all of that hangs on the dumbest hoax staying a secret - no thanks to Veidt's ego.
My biggest gripe though is with Angela Abar and Cal/Manhattan and how that arguably most important, most human part of the story was executed and the directing choices that were made. To get it out of the way - I enjoyed their plot and I enjoyed the actors. I can't say for certain if it was the dialogue writing or the performances, but seeing those 2 onscreen together made me feel like I'm watching a show made by an entirely different creative team. And I get that Angela/Sister Night is supposed to be the "straight" guy audience conduit in a show full of weirdos. I get that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is packing a magnum dong - there's no reason not to show it if he's playing Manhattan. And I get that it's possible the production budget was close to exhausted when it came time to do Manhattan's makeup and VFX.
I just don't think writing him as an autistic alien in the final episode was the way to go. Not only is it bad writing using the character for a final exposition dump, but it just doesn't fit with how the character was introduced in the "A God Walks into Abar" episode, where it's established that Manhattan was still very much a human who got fed up with his utopia on Europa and came down to Earth to flirt with and pick up a random baddie in Vietnam.
Just my 2 cents on it.