HBO’s Watchmen ended its first and (so far) only season to general fan fair and satisfied reviews. Followers of creator Damon Lindelof’s past work were relieved to find the greater bulk of the questions raised by the series answered in its final episode. Lindelof has also claimed that he could provide those answers because he designed season one as a standalone and relatively self-contained story.
But the show was a success, both for HBO and viewers, and that certainly means at least executives will be looking at how to keep the money train rolling. Does the HBO series need a sequel? It certainly deserves a second season for its quality alone. But it’s not a simple decision. A sequel, yes or no?
Yes - Adrian Veidt’s Trial
Fans of the graphic novel as well as the HBO series deserve a sequel so they can finally see what happens when Adrian Veidt/Ozymandius is finally called to court for his crimes. His plan may have staved off a nuclear war, but it certainly didn’t bring world peace, and there’s still the minor problem of his giant squid having killed millions of New Yorkers. Everyone deserves the chance to see what happens to him.
Was the smartest man in the world really as smart as he always claimed to be? Will the truth really mean the end of the planet, as he claimed when convincing the likes of Silk Spectre and Nite Owl to help keep his secret? Only a sequel will tell us.
No - Don’t Ruin a Good Thing
Like Game of Thrones before it, this HBO series was beautifully rendered. It was a pleasure to watch, why do we want to ruin it? There can be too much of a good thing. Some plots, and tropes, and characters can only be stretched so thin before terrible chaos ensues.
The first season may deserve a sequel for quality, but it may need to avoid one for exactly the same reason. Trying to add detail and stretch people for another nine episodes may only end up hurting everyone, viewers and creators together.
Yes - Angela Abar
This is really just the beginning of Regina King’s fabulous Angela Abar/Sister Night. Will she have more powers now? She could be more than a masked detective. Or, she may still be a masked detective. But Angela learned all about her past in this first season, and she has quite a future ahead of her no matter what type of power she possesses.
Regina King alone should be enough of a reason to set forth on another season. She owned every moment she was on the screen throughout nine episodes, and that was while sharing time with a blue god and Jeremy Irons.
No - It’s a Self-Contained Story
Lindelof has already said he wrote the story as a self-contained season. That means the ends that actually needed tying up have been tied. Why convolute and water down what has already been set down for the audience? Just for a few extra dollars? Television would be better off if all executives looked at quality over quantity every time.
This is an opportunity for HBO to prove it is willing to do just that. Some books don’t need to be a part of a series. Just like some shows don’t need to go beyond one season.
Yes - Dan Dreiberg
We never got to see Dan Dreiberg as Nite Owl. Dan is the only survivor of the original graphic novel protagonists who did not merit any screen time here in season one. What better reason to have a season two than to explore what happened to Dreiberg. The whole world isn’t in Tulsa, even if the first season made it seem that way.
Nite Owl the character has his own extensive backstory. Dan is the second Nite Owl, after all. Police wear masks now, should Dan still be suffering because he chose to wear one too? And, they keep using his technology (look at those Archie flying machines the police use) Dan deserves more credit.
No - The Original Comic Was a Mini-Series
HBO’s show should be allowed the dignity to bow out the same way the original story did. Watchmen was never a series meant to exist forever. This is not the tales of Batman or Captain America.
The Watchmen graphic novel was written as a mini-series. It would make perfect sense for the show to be left as a mini-series as well. The show was successful because it stayed true to the style and feel of the original book. The show can continue to honor its source material by letting the story end while everyone’s integrity is still intact.
Yes - Everyone Loved Season One
The only reason a sequel season is even being considered is that season one of Watchmen was a success with both fans and reviewers. There is obviously a successful team already in place, who are collaborating to produce original and entertaining content.
It’s only right to give them the opportunity, if they so desire, to try and replicate their success a second time. Regina King and Tim Blake Nelson deserve a show of their own just for the acting chops they put on display already.
No - There’s Not Enough Book Content Left
This season deserved to be called Watchmen because it used enough of the original source material to connect it to the graphic novel. However, having revealed both Dr. Manhattan and the true history of Ozymandius and the giant squid there just isn’t enough source material left for a show to deserve the title of Watchmen should it decide to produce a completely new story for a season.
The show was never called Sister Night or Looking Glass. The program was called Watchmen, and that’s now a story that has been told.
Yes - Topher Just Learned About Sister Night
Who didn’t love the look on Topher’s face as he realized his adoptive mom was the infamous Sister Night, masked detective of Tulsa.
There’s always been something different about that kid and a second series would give everyone time to explore it. The Watchmen has always been a story that explored generations. From Nite Owl I to Nite Owl II. From the first Silk Spectre to the second. From Hooded Justice to Sister Night. Perhaps Topher is the real jumping-off point for a continuation of the series.
No - This was an Original Story
When Damon Lindelof announced he was working on a Watchmen show he also stated he was not adapting the novel nor making a sequel. He was “painstakingly” creating an original world with callbacks to the source material.
It was a contemporary story. It was original. Why should Watchmen fans want a sequel to a story that wasn’t Watchmen to begin with? Perhaps it’s time for Lindelof to go work on a completely original television concept instead.
