Watchmen season 1, episode 2 review: Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship

Det. Angela Abar is the study of HBO’s Watchmen “remix,” in which she struggles with the question “Who are you?” while uncovering startling secrets.

34 years after the event of the Watchmen graphic novel, the world seems to be at peace. But in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a new threat has emerged in the form of a white supremacist group called the Seventh Kalvary. Three years earlier, they targeted police officers and their families during what came to be known as “The White Night.” Ever since, the Tulsa PD have worn masks, costumes, and created secret identities to protect themselves from future reprisals.

One of the few police officers who kept his identity public was the dedicated, good-natured, musical-loving, cocaine-sniffing chief of police, Judd Crawford (Don Johnson).

However, shortly after he and his wife, Jane (Frances Fisher) had dinner with detective Angela Abar, a.k.a. Sister Night, (Regina King) and her family, Judd is lured out to a deserted county road. Angela then received a call from a mysterious old man in a wheelchair (Louis Gossett Jr.) and found Judd dead, hanging from a tree. The only suspect, illogical as it might be, was the old man in the wheelchair.

The man’s name, we learn, is Will, and he’s a 105-year old survivor of the 1921 Tulsa race riots. He’s also the same little boy we saw both in the prologues for first episode and this one, entitled “Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship.” And although he claims to have “strung up” Judd with the power of his mind, not everything he says is crazy. What’s more, he has a far deeper connection with Angela than even she realizes.

“Who are you?”

As it is throughout the superhero genre, the question of one’s identity is prevalent throughout “Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship.” From the opening showing Germans during World War I questioning via propaganda leaflets why African-Americans fought for a country that treated them as second class citizens, to 24-hour DNA scanner terminals (hosted by this world’s Treasury Secretary, Henry Louis Gates, Jr.) to see if donors qualify for reparations, the question “Who are you?” is always being asked.

Of all the characters, Angela is the one who’s often the recipient of this question. And what we see of her during this episode is someone who, deep down, doesn’t know who she’s really supposed to be. As Sister Night, she puts on the persona of a ruthless, avenging nun. As Angela, she plays the role of a loving, compassionate housewife.

Yet there are times in which these dual identities bleed over. For instance, after the police find Judd’s body, she hesitates in participating in the brutal round-up of suspected Kalvary members. Yet when during her talk with her son, Topher (Dylan Schombing), she doesn’t shy away from telling him that the world isn’t “lollipops and rainbows.” (As an aside, I definitely want a set of anti-gravity Legos.)

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She’s also presented in sharp contrast to her fellow detectives. Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson) seems completely detached and emotionless. Like Rorschach from the comics, he also never completely takes his mask off, even while at home, as though he’s completely dedicated to his job.

Red Scare (Andrew Howard), however, is “bad cop” personified. When he’s not boasting “I’m not a Nazi, I’m a communist” while beating up reporters, he’s the one who leads a full-on police raid into “Nixonville” that’s clearly more about wanting to bust some heads than actually investigating into who killed Judd. Clearly, like Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novel, this will be a series exploring the psychology of the so-called superheroes.

We also learn why Angela was so devoted to Judd, enough to overlook his cocaine habit. A flashback reveals what happened to her during the “White Night,” which we learn took place at midnight on Christmas Eve. Judd was the first person she saw after waking up in the hospital after her attack. It’s a moving scene, one which shows through King and Johnson’s performances that these two struck up an immediate bond of friendship. We also learn that the children she and her husband Cal (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) originally belonged to her partner, also killed along with his wife during the “White Night.” Later, we see that her adopted kids’ grandfather is still hanging around, whom Angela pays off to keep him away.

One thing that’s particularly interesting is that there were two Seventh Kalvary members who attacked Angela during the “White Night.” Yet Judd made it sound as though there was only one attacker per family. Moreover, after killing one and being wounded by the second, Angela was pretty much dead to rights. Why didn’t the second Seventh Kalvary member shoot her when he had the chance? Clearly, there’s more to the “White Night” than just an attack by guys wearing Rorschach masks.

“…It’s only just begun.”

As you might expect, this episode continues giving viewers blatant echoes from the graphic novel. Except here, they definitely align more with showrunner David Lindelof’s idea of this series being a Watchmen “remix.” Just like in the graphic novel, there are characters at a newsstand who act as a kind of Greek Chorus, only with the comic book kid replaced by a precocious girl who actually reads the news. The scene also underscores that no one has an explanation for why it rains squid.

Another echo occurs with the introduction of Senator Joe Keene (James Wolk) during Judd’s wake. Watchmen fans may recognize this is the same surname that’s on the “Keene Act,” the anti-vigilante legislation which outlawed masks except those in government service. Apparently, with Reford not seeking re-election, he’s making a presidential bid. He also doesn’t seem aware that Angela is still an active duty police officer, but that could just be feigning ignorance. Either way, this definitely isn’t the last we’ll see of him.

We’re also have our first glimpse to this version of Watchmen’s story-within-a-story. In this case, it’s the fictional Ryan Murphy series, “American Hero Story,” recounting the rise and fall of the Minutemen. The “premiere episode” focuses on Hooded Justice, the first of this world’s costumed crime fighters who, as readers of the graphic novel know, might have been murdered by Eddie Blake, a.k.a. the Comedian. While never confirmed, it’s also believed Hooded Justice may have been a German circus strongman named Jacob Müller, something “American Hero Story” also alleges.

It’s no coincidence, I’m sure, that these scenes showing Hooded Justice stopping an armed robbery are directed in a style reminiscent of Zack Synder, who, of course, did the film adaptation of Watchmen. Or that, the voice provided by Hooded Justice bears a striking resemblance to the speaking style and mannerisms of Rorschach. But notice how Hooded Justice’s voiceover plays over scenes of Angela driving up to the Crawford’s mansion? The implication is that, despite being different races and genders, there’s not that much difference between the two.

Another story-within-a-story occurs about Adrian Veidt (Jeremy Irons) and his play, “The Watchmaker’s Son.” As suspected, it’s all about Dr. Manhattan. Performed by his servants Mr. Phillips (Tom Mison) and Ms. Crookshanks (Sara Vickers), we see an absolutely hysterical re-enactment of how Jon Osterman became the omnipotent superbeing. In keeping with the play’s cheap production values, Veidt’s simulation of the accident involves burning Mr. Philips alive, who is then replaced by another Mr. Philips, naked and covered in blue body paint.

Yes, Philips and Crookshanks are clones of some sort. As for why Veidt is doing this? It seems to have something to do with his “anniversary” pocket watch, which still works after being incinerated. What’s Veidt planning? Who knows. But one thing we do know is this: for someone who’s supposedly the world’s smartest man, Veidt is definitely not the next William Shakespeare.

“There’s a vast and insidious conspiracy at play…”

Of course, Watchmen wouldn’t be Watchmen if there wasn’t a conspiracy at the heart of its murder mystery. And just like with the Comedian, there are literal skeletons in Judd Crawford’s closet. After pretending to faint at Judd’s wake, Angela, using a pair of Nite Owl style goggles, discovers a hidden cabinet in Judd’s bedroom. Inside she finds a Ku Klux Klan robe with a sheriff’s badge.

That’s not the only stunning revelation she receives. Having taken a coffee mug used by Will, she obtains a DNA test only to discover that Will…is her grandfather. Moreover, according to Will, he has “friends in high places” and he means that literally – because as Angela finally decides to take him in, a bright light appears in the sky. Then a giant electromagnet descends on the car Angela put Will in, then lifts him and the car off into the night.

So what does this all mean? Was Judd really a member of the Klan, or perhaps allied with the Seventh Kalvary all along? Or was one Judd’s relatives a member of the Klan–perhaps the man with the boy in Judd’s black-and-white photograph–and Judd keeps it as a way of reminding him of his shameful past? Did Will really kill Judd because of this, and if so, how? And what’s this conspiracy he’s trying to warn his granddaughter about? Finally, what is going on with Adrian Veidt?

No doubt things are going to get even stranger from here. Even so, this episode does a better job hooking viewers into the series than the first episode did. And with next week’s installment bringing in yet another character from the original graphic novel, the world of HBO’s Watchmen will continue to grow even more fascinating and bizarre.