Post by Martin Brundle - Martinfly on Dec 20, 2019 21:06:30 GMT
Why the “Watchmen” 2019 TV Series is an alternate universe different from the 1986 Graphic Novel.
Written by me.
Point 1: The Rorschach's Journal had no consistent effect on Post-Squid society.
As simple as that, Moore always intended the very ending of Watchmen as being a “final twist”. The Rorschach's Journal was supposed to sabotage Veidt’s plan in the aftermath and thus “restart” the entire Doomsday Clock’s countdown.
In the TV universe, instead, the journal just served as further inspiration and new basis for the Seventh Kavalry movement.
Point 2: Hooded Justice.
For the TV universe, the Hooded Justice character has been rebuilt from nothing. He has been given a vastly different nature and origin story from his graphic novel counterpart.
In the TV universe, his civilian identity is indeed William Williams/William “Will” Reeves, and he’s black. You know the rest.
Point 3: Ozymandias in 1985.
The flashback depicting Adrian Veidt being filmed on November 1st, 1985, is the proof that “this” Ozymandias is an alternate counterpart from the graphic novel one. His personality, behaviour and mannerisms are consistently different, being the result of Jeremy Irons’ peculiar interpretation.
Besides, he appears like a less provident and paranoid man, being partially unaware of Bian’s presence in Karnak and even her ultimate “escape”.
He also collects samples of his seed, apparently without any valid reason other than vanity; a strong divergence from the canonical portray in the graphic novel and even the movie.
Point 4: Dr. Manhattan has a different nature.
In the graphic novel universe, Dr. Manhattan is basically an “electromagnetical” consciousness (Jonathan Osterman) bonded with the quantum realm and thus transcending physical existence. The consciousness manages to rebuild a new body for itself and turn into Dr. Manhattan. His vast powers comes from the quantum realm, not the reassembled body; indeed, his physical organism is just a vessel/medium, not the intimate source of his powers.
In the TV universe, the atomic components building Dr. Manhattan’s body are the real source of his powers, so basically his “new body” is a super-powered version of Jon Osterman’s human one.
That’s why both Joe Keene and Lady Trieu attempt to disassemble him and merge/fuse with his atomic components in order to become super beings.
Also, Manhattan presents several new weaknesses: a cannon based on tachyons is able to teleport his atomic structure elsewhere, while a special cage emitting lithium ions can “muddle” his brain processes and interfer with his control over time perception.
Point 5: Dr. Manhattan’s time perception is also different.
In the TV universe, Dr. Manhattan does actions because he forsees them in the future; basically, he merely fulfills his “future visions”. He meets Angela Abar in 2009 just because "that's the way he has seen it the future", without any logic reason. Indeed, he had no logic reason to teleport himself from Europa to Vietnam, other than meeting an unknown black woman he doesn’t even know (yet).
That doesn't work for Moore’s Dr. Manhattan. In the graphic novel universe, Manhattan just experiences past, present and future simultaneously, but he is STILL driven by free thoughts and impulses (like everyone else) in order to do what he eventually does... cause and effect. Despite experiencing his future at the very same time with his past and present time, he does what he does just because he feels that way and has logic reasons to do that.
Point 6: Jon Osterman is German, not American.
In the TV universe, he moved to UK in 1936.
Point 7: Ozymandias is a better engineer.
In the TV universe, Ozymandias creates various machines and devices, far exceeding the capability of his graphic novel counterpart. In 1985, he manages to create a mental device able to erase Dr. Manhattan’s memory. On the other hand, he’s a less proficient fighter...
Point 8: Robert Redford.
This whole subplot is non-existent in the graphic novel’s 1985.
Written by me.
Point 1: The Rorschach's Journal had no consistent effect on Post-Squid society.
As simple as that, Moore always intended the very ending of Watchmen as being a “final twist”. The Rorschach's Journal was supposed to sabotage Veidt’s plan in the aftermath and thus “restart” the entire Doomsday Clock’s countdown.
In the TV universe, instead, the journal just served as further inspiration and new basis for the Seventh Kavalry movement.
Point 2: Hooded Justice.
For the TV universe, the Hooded Justice character has been rebuilt from nothing. He has been given a vastly different nature and origin story from his graphic novel counterpart.
In the TV universe, his civilian identity is indeed William Williams/William “Will” Reeves, and he’s black. You know the rest.
Point 3: Ozymandias in 1985.
The flashback depicting Adrian Veidt being filmed on November 1st, 1985, is the proof that “this” Ozymandias is an alternate counterpart from the graphic novel one. His personality, behaviour and mannerisms are consistently different, being the result of Jeremy Irons’ peculiar interpretation.
Besides, he appears like a less provident and paranoid man, being partially unaware of Bian’s presence in Karnak and even her ultimate “escape”.
He also collects samples of his seed, apparently without any valid reason other than vanity; a strong divergence from the canonical portray in the graphic novel and even the movie.
Point 4: Dr. Manhattan has a different nature.
In the graphic novel universe, Dr. Manhattan is basically an “electromagnetical” consciousness (Jonathan Osterman) bonded with the quantum realm and thus transcending physical existence. The consciousness manages to rebuild a new body for itself and turn into Dr. Manhattan. His vast powers comes from the quantum realm, not the reassembled body; indeed, his physical organism is just a vessel/medium, not the intimate source of his powers.
In the TV universe, the atomic components building Dr. Manhattan’s body are the real source of his powers, so basically his “new body” is a super-powered version of Jon Osterman’s human one.
That’s why both Joe Keene and Lady Trieu attempt to disassemble him and merge/fuse with his atomic components in order to become super beings.
Also, Manhattan presents several new weaknesses: a cannon based on tachyons is able to teleport his atomic structure elsewhere, while a special cage emitting lithium ions can “muddle” his brain processes and interfer with his control over time perception.
Point 5: Dr. Manhattan’s time perception is also different.
In the TV universe, Dr. Manhattan does actions because he forsees them in the future; basically, he merely fulfills his “future visions”. He meets Angela Abar in 2009 just because "that's the way he has seen it the future", without any logic reason. Indeed, he had no logic reason to teleport himself from Europa to Vietnam, other than meeting an unknown black woman he doesn’t even know (yet).
That doesn't work for Moore’s Dr. Manhattan. In the graphic novel universe, Manhattan just experiences past, present and future simultaneously, but he is STILL driven by free thoughts and impulses (like everyone else) in order to do what he eventually does... cause and effect. Despite experiencing his future at the very same time with his past and present time, he does what he does just because he feels that way and has logic reasons to do that.
Point 6: Jon Osterman is German, not American.
In the TV universe, he moved to UK in 1936.
Point 7: Ozymandias is a better engineer.
In the TV universe, Ozymandias creates various machines and devices, far exceeding the capability of his graphic novel counterpart. In 1985, he manages to create a mental device able to erase Dr. Manhattan’s memory. On the other hand, he’s a less proficient fighter...
Point 8: Robert Redford.
This whole subplot is non-existent in the graphic novel’s 1985.
