Intrigue Alone Should Put Watchmen On Your Watchlist

The Seventh Kavalry, a cloak-and-dagger syndicate portrayed as the immediate evil in episode one of Watchmen. Photo Credit: Medium

Every year, many new television series come and go. The network TV shows generally last a few seasons and peter out, occasionally hitting on a new idea. Otherwise they just recycle material re-branding it as a "fresh take" on courtroom drama, or a new medical series with a doctor who's changing the whole system. How bout an emergency drama, or a new law enforcement show? The networks peddle out the same mindless dribble because it works well enough to get ratings, and really that's good enough for them. They settle for mediocrity. When HBO comes out with a new series however, people take notice.

It's not just HBO that has cornered the market on prime-time TV dramas, other premium channels like Starz and Showtime have their hits, FX and AMC generally impress niche audiences around the states, and of course Netflix/Hulu/Prime and the streaming services dominate the networks as well (only difference, these shows are meant for those who binge). To me, the Americans that watch these channels one.. can afford it obviously (none of these services or stations are free), and two.. want something different, something better. They want to be WOWED, shocked, amazed. They want to hit Twitter with their minds blown, or argue using online forums. At least I do... but this article isn't about network television and why its content is inferior to companies like HBO. This article is about why Watchmen is the next series worth watching, whether it ends up being just one season or ten.

The actual length of the Watchmen TV series is nine episodes for now. Some have rumored that it may be more of a mini-series, meaning only one season, but that may not be the case. The truth is much of this series has been kept under wraps so far, and episode one didn't exactly answer any secrets. I won't give any spoilers other than extremely basic plot points, but before that here's what we know going in. The series is written and produced by Damon Lindelof, best known for his work as a co-creator and co-writer on shows like Lost or The Leftovers and films like Prometheus, Cowboys & Aliens, and Star Trek Into Darkness. We also obviously know that it will be loosely based off the Watchmen comic books, but to what extent will the show relate to the movie or the comics (if at all)? Will characters carry over? Supposedly a few may make their appearances, but we haven't seen how or why yet. The only plot reveals thus far have been slim, shrouded in the mysterious unknown. It's no surprise that the co-creator of Lost had an influence on the first episode of this series, because it had a similar nature to it.

Creator Damon Lindelof at the HBO premier of Watchmen. Photo Credit: Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

All we can tell is that this American universe (taking place mostly in Tulsa, Oklahoma), is different from our universe. It is a form of alternate reality, let's say. A white supremacist group named the Seventh Kavalry is the immediate threat that Lindelof tells us about, but very little details are given besides their name and minor clues about their history. We don't know their current goal, or who commands them, we only know that they use the Rorschach mask as the face of their movement. Also of note in this reality; police officers hide their identities with masks, vigilante superheros are not uncommon (but do seem a thing of the past), and it was no surprise when what looked like squid rained down from the sky. Yep, there were certainly some odd moments in the premier (like Jeremy Irons entire intro scene), but one thing Watchmen's first episode did not lack was intrigue. It leaves a trail of breadcrumbs that you follow along with lead-actress Regina King right to the edge of a giant cliffhanger. We do know one thing though, if Lindelof's newest work is anything like his previous creations, it's worth finding out where it's heading. At the very least, for curiosity sake, and because the journey is already more interesting than whatever's currently on the major networks on a Sunday night.

Supposedly, (according to Newsarama and ByTheNumbers) over 1.5 million viewers have already streamed or watched Watchmen's opener live, so the hype is real folks. The trailers and ads were particularly enticing (and this is coming from someone who did not enjoy the movie or read the comics), not to mention HBO comes with a certain prestige after recent hits like Game of Thrones and Westworld (not to mention countless others) brought the television platform to all new heights. With the void after Thrones being larger than ever, America is looking for the next blockbuster series. I'm not sure if Watchmen is it, but right now it's one of the best chances we got. Buckle in!