The idea to adapt Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal comic book for TV sounded like a hugely risky move, but HBO’s Watchmen turned out to be a total success, earning big ratings and critical acclaim. Following the completion of the nine-episode first season earlier this month, DC fans are now desperate for more, but the way the recent run ended suggests this particular story set in the Watch-verse is over. It’s possible, though, that if season 2 does happen, it’ll transform the show into an anthology series.
While breaking down the events of the season 1 finale with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Damon Lindelof was asked if he is interested in making a follow-up run. The EP declared that he is, but teased that maybe people shouldn’t be expecting a traditional season 2 formula.
“The answer to that question is yes, in the same way that I’m interested in anything that calls itself Watchmen. I do find it interesting, where the story could go next. More importantly, I think we always think about how season two of a show is the continuing adventures of the first season of the show. That’s what happened on Lost. That’s what happened on Breaking Bad. But there’s another thing that’s happened on television.”
Lindelof went on to point out sophomore years of TV past that come at the story from a different angle. Most fascinatingly, he suggested that Watchmen could become an anthology show in the vein of Fargo, with him open to allowing a new writer to come on board and tell their own story.
“Look at season two of The Wire. That season, it’s the docks. McNulty and the cops are relegated to being second-stringers, no pun intended, in the second season of The Wire. The third season is “Hamsterdam,” the fourth season is a deep dive on public schools. I think Watchmen, not unlike Fargo or True Detective, can accommodate a much larger space of storytelling. That’s interesting to me. As for me? I haven’t had the idea.”
Of course, the reason it would be so hard to continue the plot of Angela Abar/Sister Night (Regina King) is because the first season pulled out all the stops. We learned that her husband was secretly Doctor Manhattan and then she ended up potentially inheriting his god-like powers following his (apparent) death. Sure, it would be thrilling to see Angela deal with these world-changing abilities, but thematically, her story is done with.
What would you like to see happen in Watchmen season 2, though? Let us know in the comments section down below.
