‘Watchmen’ Season Finale ‘See How They Fly’ Review: Everything Ends

Watchmen ends its first season. With the Blue God finally joining the fold, Tulsa bears witness to yet another tragedy. As the inevitable events take place, one cannot help but feel hopeless as the Blue God seemingly gives himself away. In the midst of this, links from the past, both known and unknown, bring all plots together in one final arc.

On Sunday’s Season Finale of Watchmen, the Seventh Kavalry, led by Senator Joe Keene (James Wolk), capture Dr. Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Meanwhile, Lady Trieu (Hong Chau) anticipates the Kavalry’s moves, brings her father, Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) back to Earth. As the chaos erupts, Angela Abar/Sister Knight (Regina King) and Laurie Blake (Jean Smart) unwillingly watch, unable to help.

Sample 2346

Mark Hill/HBO

The final episode ties the knot to Lady Trieu’s ancestry. At the cold open, the nature of Trieu’s conception plays out.  Also, Trieu tells Bian (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) the truth of her existence. At first, the thought of fathering a child baffles Veidt. As the episode progresses, however, he eventually accepts Trieu as his daughter when he is in need of her help. The similarities between their character are obvious: Trieu inherited Veidt’s superior intellect, turning her into a genderswapped version of him. Their motivations align as well, both being smart people who want the power of a God to themself. However, a key difference sets them apart from each other: experience. Veidt knows better than to attempt what Trieu is trying to achieve.

Unwilling Witnesses

Mark Hill/HBO

Both Laurie and Wade Tillman/Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson) find themselves unwilling audiences to the Seventh Kavalry’s God-Killing Show. Although Wade fairs better compared to Laurie, tied to a chair, both of them could do nothing but watch as the racists mess with Dr. Manhattan. Towards the end, however, their presence becomes worth their while. Unfortunately, they did not save Dr. Manhattan from Trieu’s device, but they do save humanity, keeping Trieu an iced squid fall away from Dr. Manhattan’s powers. Also, they come home with a bonus: they walk away with the man who killed millions.

Saving Humanity and (probably) Getting Credit

Mark Hill/HBO

One could not see anything besides horror in the look of Veidt’s face when it came to Trieu. He most certainly did not wish for anyone to achieve what he did, let alone be the father of someone who outclasses him. However, desperation pushes him to lay down pride and ask his daughter for help. For the most part, what Trieu achieves bewilders Veidt. Seeing how she started from nothing, Veidt eventually expresses how impressed he is with what Trieu accomplished. Things change as soon as Dr. Manhattan transports Veidt, Laurie, and Wade to Karnak. Immediately knowing what to do, Veidt executes a plan to keep Trieu from acquiring Dr. Manhattan’s powers. It indeed does take one to know one as Veidt realizes that Trieu is doing exactly what he tried to do thirty years ago. With that, Veidt stops Trieu from becoming what he once wished he could become.

Watch the Eggs

Mark Hill/HBO

Angela suffers such a tremendous loss. Not only is she unable to defend Cal/Jon/Dr. Manhattan, Angela could do nothing but watch, too. The only source of comfort she can find is that her kids, Topher (Dylan Schombing), Rosie (Lily Rose Smith), and Emma (Adelyn Spoon) are safe in the theater with their grandfather, Will Reeves (Louis Gosset Jr.). After watching her lover die and surviving the iced squid fall, Angela and her family come home, exhausted. Angela may have lost her husband, but her new family remains intact, settling in the Abar home. When reminded of one of Jon’s theory about passing his powers, Angela gambles with the idea. Damon Lindelof perfectly ends the season with a cliffhanger: Will Angela acquire Dr. Manhattan’s powers through the egg, just like he theorized?

‘Watchmen’ Season 1 Finale ‘See How They Fly’ Final Verdict

Watchmen perfectly captures the graphic novel’s atmosphere. A highly problematic set of (this time former) superheroes deals with the aftermath of events thirty years ago along with modern society’s current problems, too. Watchmen creates a new group of heroes that spring from the old guard. The show does an excellent job of creating a realistic world with the elements from the comics paired with the new characters audiences surely loved. While it remains a mystery if the show gets a second season, the Season Finale is satisfying needs no follow-up. It leaves us something to think about, along with the other concepts and mind-trickery that each episode presented. A second season is not something that seems far fetched; it does sound like a good idea, but again, the season suffices to the story. In an era of superhero shows, Watchmen stands out as the most political, ideological, and unconventional.