Martin Carr reviews the season 1 finale of Watchmen…
There is such a bewildering amount of information crammed into this finale that Cliff Notes are recommended. Combined with a breadth of vision people will remember long after other shows fade into memory, Watchmen demands your attention. Definitions of gender, debates on cloning and theological discussions are just a few ideas up for discussion. From a narrative point of view it goes one further incorporating poignancy, character pay offs and revelations which honestly astound.
In terms of symbolism beyond the imposing portraiture, broken eggs and notions of hubris Lindelof and company continue rewriting rule books just because they can. For all the high minded Easter eggs, references in or out of focus and flexible uses of flashback Watchmen remains universally appealing. Through mainstream soundtrack homage and genuinely diverting character moments, See How They Fly remains staggeringly clever without succumbing to arrogance. From topical President Redford comparisons through to eye opening Ozymandias antics things come together via frozen seafood, impregnation syringes and historical massacres. Between Agent Blake, Angela Abar and Doctor Manhattan this finale is emotionally biblical.
Clapperboard introductions give way to time travel before other segues ensure a narrative mash up which delivers on the unconventional without once feeling forced. Our soundtrack veers between planet suites, old fashioned show tunes and reimagined classics, all the while bombarding us with ever increasing levels of visual invention. Every step on this road which includes an ingenious Star Wars reference, a P T Anderson homage and one final hat tip to Zack Snyder feels measured. To say that there is lots going on goes nowhere near doing it justice.
This meditation on absolute power, overreaching ambition and family is many things besides and even this description fails to scratch that surface. It offers up a unique interpretation of the human condition and unflinchingly shows us bereft of vanity and beset by weakness. In the final analysis Watchmen will be remembered as a staggering achievement across the board, ending on such a tantalising proposition that even uberfans and purists must surely be intrigued.
Martin Carr
