HBO did a great job with its Watchmen series, making it complex, yet understandable, even to those uninitiated in the Watchmen world. Despite the popularity of the graphic novel, it makes perfect sense that the show would work hard to include an audience that has not yet read the story Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons laid down on the page.
Still, it is recommended that those who enjoyed the series take a look at the book. There are a few things, even beyond the Easter eggs, that only those who read the original Watchmen series will have understood when they appeared on the screen.
Laurie Recognizes Ozymandias
When Jeremy Irons appears on earth, Lady Trieu obviously knows who he is. We were given her backstory in the finale. But, when FBI agent Laurie is knocked backward in the chair she’s been bound to she looks up into Adrian’s eyes and assumes she’s dead. Part of this assumption comes from the fact that she also recognizes Adrian Veidt, Ozymandius, standing above her. It is clear she is not happy to see him. How far back does their acquaintance go? Odds are you may have some questions if you did not read the comics.
The Smiley Faces
Thought that egg smiley face was just a fun image to add for kicks and giggles? Not so much. Unless you read the graphic novel, or at least looked at the cover, you probably don’t understand that the smiley face image comes with it’s own intricate backstory. It’s based on the button once worn by deceased Watchman, The Comedian (father to agent Laurie Blake). It’s important as the first clue to enter the comic book story when Rorschach shows up.
The Rorschach Masks
Worn by members of the seventh cavalry, those masks with Rorschach blots are not just a replacement for Klan hoods, they are based on the mask once worn by another deceased Watchman, Rorschach. He was, for all intents and purposes, the protagonist of the Watchmen comic series. His persona is reflected to television viewers a little bit through the appearance of Wade Tillman as Looking Glass. Unfortunately for those who only tuned in for the show he, and his history, go unmentioned throughout.
The Clock
Did you like the yellow clock that appears behind Angela Abar on the Watchmen series poster? Well, that’s another callback, much like the smiley face mentioned above, to the graphic novel. The Doomsday Clock, as it is known, counts down in the comic series as the world inches closer to nuclear war.
It’s an even bigger symbol when you remember that Jon (Dr. Manhattan) had a father who was a watchmaker. This is the only real reference we get on screen, but it’s much more prevalent on the page.
President Robert Redford
What a ridiculous detail for the television series to include, right? Not so much. Redford is mentioned toward the end of Alan Moore’s tale, making a bid for president against Richard Nixon. That’s right, even Robert Redford has an alternate history created on the page before his name was ever dropped on HBO. Redford’s incredibly long term is also not a surprise since Nixon reigns long past two terms in the book.
Nixonville
The trailer park where Sister Night and Looking Glass go to help arrest suspected members of the Seventh Cavalry isn’t supposed to be just ironically named for the departed Republican president. What is not detailed in the show is how Nixon, with the help of departed Watchman, The Comedian, successfully sat for more than two terms as President of the United States in this historical timeline. While details of Redford’s terms are offered up throughout, Nixon’s connection to the show and timeline are only clear if you read the book.
Joe Keene Jr. And His Bid For Office
Joe Keene Jr. gets a shout-out in the premiere episode in a radio add, and then becomes a key player on the show. This is not just filler, this is key background information, though you wouldn’t know if you didn’t read. The Keene Bill, which also gets little mention, outlawed vigilantes in masks unless they registered with the government. Thus, the importance of his son seeking power, particularly the office of the presidency, should not be taken lightly in a new world of masked police officers.
Newsstand Guy
Newsstand guy gets a lot of air time in the second episode as well as the finale. Why was he given such prominent placement? Well, if you read the comic you would know that a New York newsstand also makes a number of appearances in the pages of the Moore comic.
Like that stand, this one carries copies of The New Frontiersman, once Rorschach’s favorite source of right-wing news. There’s no real reason to obsess over a single newsstand in the HBO series except for the connection it has to the original source material.
Archie The Airship
Did you like the airship Judd flies in the premiere episode of the series? Excited to see its return in the finale? Well, if you didn’t read the comics, and you don’t know the history of Nite Owl (the second Nite Owl in particular) then you don’t really know where this technology came from. Both the police and Ozymandius stole it from Dan Dreiberg, yes, the Dan mentioned sitting in prison. When he was allowed to go about his vigilante activities his big asset was technology, which he designed, Archie the airship most certainly included.
The Older Generation
While Angela Abar’s grandfather, Will Reeves, is revealed to be the original maxed vigilante, Hooded Justice, little else is revealed about the original Watchmen. What non-readers won’t know is that Agent Laurie Blake had a mother and father who were also Watchmen members before her and, the Dan Dreiberg who is sitting in prison, was the second person to take on the mantle of Nite Owl. Laurie, in her vigilante days, actually took on the same name as her mother, The Silk Spectre. There’s a lot more history to the characters and their crusade than the show goes into.
