HBO's Watchman 2019 Series

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Watchman TV series HBO

Directors: Nicole Kassell 3 episodes

Stephen Williams 2 episodes

Step Green 1 ep

Adrij Parekh 1 ep

David Semel 1

Frederick E.O. Toye 1ep

Writers:

Cord Jefferson

Jeff Jensen

Claire Kiechel

Damon Lindelof (Lost) - creator

Alan Moore (wrote the original comic book but distanced himself from this project)

Stacy Osei-Kuffour

Nick Cuse

Actors:

Regina King as Angela Abar/sister night

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Cal Abar and MM

Tom Mison/ Mr. Phillips/ Game Warden

Sara Vickers as Ms. Crookshanks

Jeremy Irons as Adrian Veidt

Andrew Howard as Red Scare

Louis Gossett Jr. as Will Reeves

Jean Smart as Lauri Blake

Tim Blake Nelson as Wade Tillman/Looking Glass

James Wolk as Joe Keene

Hon Chau as Lady Trieu

Don Johnson as Judd Crawford

This is a show that tries to be complex in its portrayal of systemic racism and interpersonal violence against people of color. However, at times it doesn’t know if it wants to simply reenact racism by leaning into stereotypes and fears held in American society for decades or expose the false beliefs the behaviors reveal. Optically, it presses the shame button multiple places in the story, white man versus black man, white woman versus black woman (competing affections for the same black man - hits the “why did this fine and blessed black man pick a white woman and the competition that ensues). God as a black man. Etc. Ultimately, It didn’t strike an empathic cord, it was visually explicit, but the story narrative lacked the edginess of the visual effects. At one point I wondered if I was watching a porn video. Regina King and Hon Chau save the story with their portrayal of believable and amazing female characters. I’m not sure that even their heroics save this story from being an exploitive, manipulative, mess.

Watchman TV series is about systemic racism in that it depicts white supremacists and racists in different era’s committing racist acts on multiple levels.