- Is "Watchmen" season two really dead?
Well, don't believe everything you've heard.
"Watchmen" ended its nearly perfect nine-episode run on HBO
late in 2019 with an ending that was equally explosive
and personal and open-ended, and we won't say
anything more about that before the spoiler warning.
But suffice it to say, on a scale of one to 10
giant blue dongs, this series scored a perfect 10.
Who wrote this?
- Stuart. - You're not wrong.
Now of course one of the many, many, many pressing questions
on fans' mind after the credits rolled was,
"Is there going to be another season?"
Now before we get into things too far,
you should know that this episode of "Nerdist News"
is gonna be all kinds of spoilery about HBO's "Watchmen,"
so if you haven't seen it, pause this video
for approximately nine hours, then come back afterwards,
and during those nine hours,
the implication is you should watch it.
Otherwise, what are you doing with your life?
And if you have seen it, give us a like and subscribe.
So folks, if you're still here, it's safe to assume
you've seen the show and remember
how "Watchmen's" first season ended
with basically everyone's plans thwarted,
with the Seventh Kavalry destroying Dr. Manhattan,
Lady Trieu destroying the Seventh Kavalry,
and Ozymandias destroying Lady Trieu.
But it's the final scene where Angela Abar's
about to find out if she's been gifted
Dr. Manhattan's powers ending right before we find out
the answer to that question, and that had fans
on the edge of their seats.
Does she or doesn't she?
While some were content with the open-ended nature
of this shot, akin to "Inception's" spinning top
or the finale of "The Sopranos,"
there's no denying that there's still plenty of story
left to tell thanks to the excellent world-building
from everyone involved, and many were hopeful
that a second season might be in the cards.
But those hopes for a second season appeared to be dashed
when "USA Today" reported on Thursday
that HBO was not going to pursue a second season
because "Watchmen" showrunner Damon Lindelof
was not going to be involved.
So what did that say?
HBO programming chief Casey Blois told "USA Today":
It's really in Damon's thinking about what he wants to do.
If there's an idea that excited him about another season,
another installment, maybe like a "Fargo, "True Detective"
anthology take on it, or if he wants to do
something different altogether.
We're very proud of "Watchmen,"
but what I'm most interested in is what Damon wants to do.
They also reported that Lindelof told them he has
"no interest in a second season" and gave HBO his blessing
to do another season with someone else,
so that seems pretty cut-and-dry, right?
It seems like we're all done watching "The Watchmen,"
or at least we're done watching "The Watchmen"
on HBO for now, but it turns out
reports of "Watchmen's" demise
might have been greatly exaggerated.
There's still some evidence left here to be examined,
because after reports went out that the show
was no longer walking this mortal coil,
Casey Blois himself, ostensibly the man
who controls its fate to an extent, tweeted out
a "Decider" article that new seasons of "Watchmen"
are still a possibility despite reports.
So what's actually true here?
Let's round up some evidence.
In an interview with "Variety" last month,
Damon Lindelof revealed his thoughts
about doing more of the show, saying:
Should there be another season of "Watchmen"?
And if there should be another season, what would it be?
I'm not saying I don't want to do it or it shouldn't exist.
I'm just saying, "Boy, every idea that I had
"went into this season of 'Watchmen.'"
I'm gonna put up my antenna, see if it's receiving anything.
And while it looks like he didn't get
that eureka moment he was looking for,
according to his quote in Thursday's "USA Today,"
there's still plenty more to this story.
In that same "Variety" article from December,
Damon Lindelof also said: I actually do agree
with HBO that this should be a continuing series.
Maybe it'll continue in a year or two.
Maybe they'll continue it in four years or whatever,
but I want to see more "Watchmen."
I always said to them, I do see "Watchmen"
as "Fargo," as "True Detective."
They were ongoing anthology shows, but each season
had a design with a beginning, middle, and end
that allowed subsequent seasons
to feature entirely different characters
or even be set in entirely different time periods.
And this statement was reinforced
by Casey Blois's earlier tweet about doing
an anthology series like "Fargo" or "True Detective."
So if it seems like "Watchmen" were to continue,
it would definitely be in some sort of anthology fashion,
much like the shows we mentioned already.
And furthering the "True Detective" metaphor,
we know HBO isn't gonna rush things.
Many credit "True Detective" season two's failure
as due to the fact that the writing process
for its sophomore season was significantly sped up
to make sure it hit airwaves as soon as possible
after the first one finished, and that's why,
when that season was panned, HBO took a step back
and took their time to make an excellent third season.
And it seems like HBO's learned their lesson from that.
Sure, they'd want more seasons of "Watchmen,"
but they're gonna make damn sure that the timing
and the story is pitch perfect, even if that takes time.
So while it's true that HBO isn't actively in production
on a second season, they will still make one
if all parties agree there's a new story to tell
that's worth telling.
And if we had to wager a guess, we'd say
that there's a good chance the show will come back
for another season, but it's gonna be some time,
at least a year or two, until we hear
any sort of announcement.
There are still plenty of mysteries left to explore,
like who is Lube Man, even though we all know it's Petey?
And what's up with Daniel Dreiberg, aka the Nite Owl,
who we last heard was in prison?
And how did the Red Scare become a Nazi?
- I'm not a Nazi!
I'm a communist.
- But even if the show doesn't continue,
it told a great story, and even if its ending
was open-ended, it certainly wasn't a cliffhanger ending
that definitely needs to be revisited.
Even some of the writers involved with the show
have given their support if Lindelof decides
that "Watchmen" is just a one-and-done.
We'll just have to wait and see, though,
if the right story comes up, eventually.
But what do you folks think?
Do you want a second season of "Watchmen" right now
or was one season enough?
Did it make you want to go back
and watch Damon Lindelof's other show, "The Leftovers"?
And could you see it return
as an anthology about different characters,
like the saga of lube man, perchance?
- The (beep)?
- Tick tock, HBO, ball's in your court, let's discuss.
Thank you so much for watching.
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