Watchmen: Tower of Babble Breakdowns Tower of Babble

Nothing ever ends. A theme that has played out through the Watchmen saga
from the beginning. The sentiment feeling particularly poignant today, as
we digest the final instalment of HBO’s Watchmen and are left wondering if
this is, in fact, the end. There is no question that this is the end of a
great season of television. One that dove deep into social issues while at
the same time crafting a nearly flawlessly written story around jaw
dropping film making. A season of television capped with a finale that
stuck the landing on nearly all it’s plot lines like an Olympic acrobat at
the end of their routine. A show so complex that trying to unpack it all
can twist the brain and make you feel like a genius one moment and an idiot
the next. It’s almost all too good to be true. Which leaves the only
remaining caveat; will there be a season 2? There’s a real possibility that
HBO’s Watchmen will only be remembered as a one-off television sequel to a
best selling graphic novel. A series that was so unlikely to even exist,
never mind be as amazing as it turned out to be, that it too could only be
described as a thermodynamic miracle.

With the season drawing to a close we finally get our first look at Dr. Manhattan, and get to spend some time in what we perceive as his past. Much like the Watchmaker chapter from the original comic, the episode attempts to translate Manhattan’s perception of time by exposing the audience to interconnected and overlapping periods in his life. A conversation over beers with Angela provides a through-line as the episode jumps between various events; including a young Jon Osterman having his first voyeuristic experience, Veidt explaining his first plan to neutralize Dr. Manhattan, Jon adopting Cal’s existence, and Veidt’s retirement to Europa.

Back in 2019 Angela is forced to sacrifice her husband’s demure, family man persona, in order to warn Manhattan of the impending attack. While Jon reconnects with Angela, he is having his first/last conversation with her grandfather in 2009, and the pitfalls of “time travel” are displayed. With the 7th Kavalry descending on them time is running out for the indestructible man; once again, the most powerful being in existence is the prisoner of providence, and once again he is too late. Always has been, always will be. Too late.

Dan and Jeremy are back to breakdown the latest episode of HBO’s Watchmen series; the most appropriately titled episode to date, this week left us all in feeling shock and “An Almost Religious Awe”.

Angela relives some of her own memories as she comes down from the Nostalgia trip; Petey stumbles into the aftermath of Looking Glass’ last stand; Lady Trieu takes advantage of an elephant that never forgets; Laurie overplays her hand; Veidt faces day 365 of his trial; Bian’s true lineage is revealed; Joe Keene explains his master (race) plan; and, with the Doomsday Clock close to midnight, the bell tolls for Cal and Angela’s secret.

Zack Snyder is a polarizing figure, but regardless of what you think of him or his movies, he certainly knows how to draw a crowd. His movies are often over the top, action packed, and visually stunning. Which also happens to be a great way to describe one of the most polarizing films in his entire oeuvre; Watchmen. Based on the most critically acclaimed graphic novel of all time, one that was considered by many to be “un-adaptable”, Snyder certainly had a lot to live up to. Leaning on what he knew best, and in much the same way he approached 300, Snyder almost slavishly pasted the pages of the book onto the screen. In so doing he created a film that is adored by many for it’s unwavering adherence to the source materiel, and for others, they saw a disjointed tone piece, albeit gorgeous and well acted, but missing a coherent through-line. Something that was lost as it changed formats. Regardless, it’s a movie that can be dissected in million ways and will likely be talked about for decades, and the ToB Crew is here to do exactly that. Julian, Dan, and Jeremy unpack each glorious moment and misstep in this NON-exclusive version of the ToB Film Club. This one is for everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to our American listeners, and for all the non-American Tob Fans out there, there’s still something to be thankful for today. It’s all of you! That’s right, this special ToB Film Club is for every fan of ToB. Thank you for sticking by us for over 5 years! Typically our Film Club episodes are exclusive to our Patreon, but this month called for some bonus content! Of course we still encourage you all to help support the show and in turn gain access to all our previous Film Club episodes, as well as any exclusive content coming in the future! You can find a link to our Patreon right HERE.

Again, thank you all!

The full ToB crew is back to recap Watchmen’s 6th episode “This Extraordinary Being”. Juxtaposing a character reveal in the hagiographic “American Hero Story” with a deep dive into the true origin of Hooded Justice.

After ingesting a nearly lethal dose of Nostalgia Angela finds herself stuck in her grandfather’ memories. Both Angela and the audience experience the crippling injustice of 1940’s America, and the first vast and insidious conspiracy is revealed. As Angela struggles to retain her senses, we witness the first masked avenger’s origin, the inception of the Minutemen, and the degradation of Will Reeves. As with so much of the show, and original comic, the truth and public perception are two completely different things.

The ToB Crew returns to discuss the first episode of HBO’s Watchmen that actually starts to answer some questions as opposed to just asking them. This episode primarily follows Looking Glass as they lay out his “secret origin” as well as some answers to other pressing questions (like where the hell Veidt has been this whole time!). More importantly however, it’s another amazing hour of television and Daniel, Jeremy, and Julian and here to break it all down.