HBO’s Watchmen series is looking to be a one-season show as creator Damon Lindelof says he’s not interested in making a second season. Based on the popular DC Comics series of the same name, Watchmen became an instant hit for HBO when it was first released in October of last year. Still, despite the praise, Lindelof feels that he’s already told the story he set out to tell in the show’s first season, and isn’t willing to take the reins for a potential season 2. Without Lindelof on board, the show is now essentially dead in the water, as HBO doesn’t seem keen on moving forward with anyone else in Lindelof’s role.
According to HBO programming chief Casey Bloys, Lindelof “brilliantly took this graphic novel and just kind of broke it open and created a whole new world.” Bloys adds that those at the network are very proud of Watchmen and what Lindelof was able to do with it, also suggesting that any potential the series has to proceed lies squarely on Damon Lindelof. With Lindelof moving on and HBO left without the possibility of his involvement, that all but kills the Watchmen series dead. “It would be hard to imagine doing [season 2] without Damon involved in some way,” Bloys says.
Watchmen premiered on HBO back in October and quickly established itself as one of the most must-see television programs of 2019. The show serves as a sequel to the original comic book series, taking place over three decades later. The story focuses particularly on racist violence in Tulsa, Oklahoma, picking up with a vicious attack on the local police department by a group of white supremacists. This brings about new laws which allow the police to conceal their identities with masks, including Angela Abar – also known as the street vigilante Sister Night. Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jean Smart, Jeremy Irons, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II star.
Critics also all mostly agree that Watchmen is a very high-quality series. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of Watchmen managed to score nearly-universal acclaim with a 96% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The series has also been given many prestigious award nominations for many categories at different events. This includes wins for Regina King for Best Actress and Jean Smart for Best Supporting Actress at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards. The show also named as one of the Top 10 Television Programs of the Year at the American Film Institute Awards.
Still, not all hope is lost for a second season. Though he wouldn’t personally be involved, Lindelof has “given [his] blessing” to HBO to pursue Watchmen season 2 with another writer-producer, suggesting there’d be no hard feelings whatsoever. Of course, given the network’s hesitance to delve further into the Watchmen universe without Lindelof on board, I wouldn’t hold my breath on it happening. Let’s just enjoy the first (and probably only) season for what it was. This news comes to us from USA Today.
