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On Sunday, HBO aired the first episode of its newest series, “Watchmen.”
“Watchmen” is a sequel to the graphic novel of the same name written by Alan Moore. The story is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in an alternate reality where white supremacy runs rampant throughout the country, forcing police officers to wear masks to hide their identities and turning police into something closer to vigilanties.
Although the show could never replace the fantasy void left by “Game of Thrones,” the first episode shows great promise of just as many subplots and a slew of well-developed characters.
The writers did an excellent job of portraying Oklahoma history and culture throughout the first episode. There were several not-so-subtle nods toward musical, “Oklahoma!” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.
The title for the episode, “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice,” is a line from the song, “Poor Jud is Dead,” from the musical. The main theme from the musical and the Oklahoma state song, not so surprisingly titled, “Oklahoma,” can also be heard in the first episode.
The show opens with scenes from the 1921 Tulsa Race Riots — an event that ended with over a hundred people dead and 35 blocks of Tulsa burned to the ground — where the show immediately introduces themes of racism and social issues.
However, HBO doesn’t stop there. With a strong female lead, Sister Night, portrayed by Regina King, HBO seems to be taking on a large number of social issues in this new show.
It’s obvious that HBO does not skimp out when it comes to paying for only the absolute best in CGI and costuming. It gives viewers the feeling that they could be watching a high-budget movie on the big screen.
With only the first episode out, it’s hard to tell where “Watchmen” will go. If HBO can keep it up, they just may have another multi-award-winning series on their hands.
New episodes are released on Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
