Watchmen is every bit as good as the reviews say it is. It's one of the best shows of the last several years. It addresses several tough topics and does so in such a gripping way that you can't stop watching. It also stays true to the original source material as good as any show based off a comic has. It's just a dark, gritty superhero show.? The writing and acting are what makes this show so special. There's a reason this show won so many awards and that's because it deserves it. The only negative thing about this shoe is that it's only a limited series because this is a show that could've been great for several seasons.
1,472 Reviews
Entertaining
Supermanfan-1312 December 2023
I absolutely loved Watchmen! It's a thrilling dramatic series that will absolutely keep you entertained throughout the series with its powerful storytelling! It's just a shame that they're only limiting it to one season. I know it was only suppose to be a one season limited show to begin with but you would think with how good the ratings were, how good all the reviews were, and all the awards it's won they would've tried for a 2nd season anyway. I mean this show broke records for how many award nominations it got including 26 Emmy nominations (it won huge awards such as Best Limited Series, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Writing, etc., etc.). Oh well, we were lucky to have such an incredible show even if just for the one season.
If you could strip out some this would get 9 stars, which it deserves
cherold26 November 2019
The series brilliantly creates a world similar to ours but with a unique parallel history in which events happened but with different starts or ends. In modern times, the cops takes white supremacists way more seriously than they do in our reality, which is why people are screaming about "wokeness." But it's far more complicated than that, because its masked cops ignore civil rights and can be fairly lawless, which - guess what?! - is not what we social justice types are after.
The complex morality is echoed in the complex plotting, with a bunch of dark characters in a very strange, dark, violent world and a story arc chockfull of mysteries.
The cast is first rate, most notably Jeremy Irons as a peculiar aristocrat and the phenomenal Regina King as the ultimate ass-kicker.
As for its relation to the graphic novel and movie, I read/watched them but it was years ago and honestly I don't remember much of anything about either one except they were both quite good. I may like this series better than either so far (based on the first 5 episodes), but I couldn't even hazard an opinion on the debate as to whether it is to the source material. As an entity of its own though, it is absolutely brilliant, and I highly recommend it.
The complex morality is echoed in the complex plotting, with a bunch of dark characters in a very strange, dark, violent world and a story arc chockfull of mysteries.
The cast is first rate, most notably Jeremy Irons as a peculiar aristocrat and the phenomenal Regina King as the ultimate ass-kicker.
As for its relation to the graphic novel and movie, I read/watched them but it was years ago and honestly I don't remember much of anything about either one except they were both quite good. I may like this series better than either so far (based on the first 5 episodes), but I couldn't even hazard an opinion on the debate as to whether it is to the source material. As an entity of its own though, it is absolutely brilliant, and I highly recommend it.
Anyone saying that this isn't Watchmen never read Watchmen
bingobingo2528 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Watchmen at its heart as a graphic novel and now a TV show isn't about deconstructing the myth of the superhero. It's about us. It's a very dark, realistic take on our country and our people with superheroes as the cherry on top.
This show demonstrates that beautifully. While the comic was about the fear and anxiety of the 80's, this show is about today. The writing is clever. The subtle ways the writers managed to continue from where the comic left off (just a few decades later) is very well done. The way the show mocks many of the folks here who are complaining about the show being "too political" (as if the graphic novel wasn't) by having their beloved Rorschach be the face of a white supremacist movement is sharp. If you saw him as the hero the first time around, Moore's comic and its themes went right over your head. I love how this show points that out.
Regina King is a force to be reckoned with. This show is exactly what a true fan would want and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to revisit the source material.
This show demonstrates that beautifully. While the comic was about the fear and anxiety of the 80's, this show is about today. The writing is clever. The subtle ways the writers managed to continue from where the comic left off (just a few decades later) is very well done. The way the show mocks many of the folks here who are complaining about the show being "too political" (as if the graphic novel wasn't) by having their beloved Rorschach be the face of a white supremacist movement is sharp. If you saw him as the hero the first time around, Moore's comic and its themes went right over your head. I love how this show points that out.
Regina King is a force to be reckoned with. This show is exactly what a true fan would want and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to revisit the source material.
WATCH THIS!!!
jrandles-8291511 November 2019
The majority of the comments here came after one episode. One. Episode. I'm now 4 episodes deep and this story is great. It is timely. It is scary. It's exciting.
Episode 4 starts with a message, "If you don't like the story, write your own."
That is absolutely right.
I have never reviewed a show after four episodes but I traveled to IMDB and saw the rating and felt obligated. This show has acting, cinematography, sountrack, you name it.
It is doing what a good series should and building the story. This show is great. Watch it.
Episode 4 starts with a message, "If you don't like the story, write your own."
That is absolutely right.
I have never reviewed a show after four episodes but I traveled to IMDB and saw the rating and felt obligated. This show has acting, cinematography, sountrack, you name it.
It is doing what a good series should and building the story. This show is great. Watch it.
Don't listen to the trolls!
erinlorijackson26 October 2019
Don't let the whiny reviews stop you from watching a great series and I read the comic. Damon Lindelof did a great job with this series. I swear people are always looking for something to be offended by. The characters are good and the storyline is good. Watch the show for yourself and stop reading reviews from people who are easily triggered. There was nothing cliche about Watchmen. Trolls really need to be prevented from making reviews because their reviews all sound the same.
Haters gonna hate
therealjustjakenit13 November 2019
How do you review a show after one episode? Two or even three? Let the show develop. The fan boys are crying for all the wrong reasons. This is a very good sequel to an amazing graphic novel with the politics updated to our times.
It's okay to hate it
jsauri25 October 2019
This is not an adaptation of the original Watchmen graphic novel. This is a continuation. So yes, it has a very different look and feel than the comic and the previous movie.
This is very politically charged. The original graphic novel was, as well. Although they had to tone it down for DC comics to publish it, Moore and Gibbons created it as a backlash to politics of the time. They used an alternate universe setting to make it more palatable for readers. But if you missed the subtext in the original graphic novel, please read some interviews with Moore about his view on it.
In my opinion, this series embraces the spirit of the original graphic novel's commentary on current power struggles in America. Just as the original was set in the time period it was published, this is set in a mirror of our current time period, extrapolating how the previous world would have evolved.
It's okay not to like it. Fans of the graphic novel may not like it because it's different. People who are easily triggered by racial politics will definitely not like it. But if you enjoyed the bleak brutality of the graphic series, and are not afraid to see a different view of what America could be in a completely fictional and hypothetical alternate universe, then this is a well crafted example of world building.
This is very politically charged. The original graphic novel was, as well. Although they had to tone it down for DC comics to publish it, Moore and Gibbons created it as a backlash to politics of the time. They used an alternate universe setting to make it more palatable for readers. But if you missed the subtext in the original graphic novel, please read some interviews with Moore about his view on it.
In my opinion, this series embraces the spirit of the original graphic novel's commentary on current power struggles in America. Just as the original was set in the time period it was published, this is set in a mirror of our current time period, extrapolating how the previous world would have evolved.
It's okay not to like it. Fans of the graphic novel may not like it because it's different. People who are easily triggered by racial politics will definitely not like it. But if you enjoyed the bleak brutality of the graphic series, and are not afraid to see a different view of what America could be in a completely fictional and hypothetical alternate universe, then this is a well crafted example of world building.
Nothing short of spectacular
daoioz21 October 2019
Had to write this review considering all the hate. Great pilot, one of the best ones I've seen in a long time. Beautifully shot, great acting, intense, relevant and highly entertaining. If you have any taste for thought provoking movies, books or shows, you'll love it.
Nowhere near a 10 or a 1
bozzod16 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I have no issue with the underlying story and using white supremacists as the villains. What is problematic is taking the Watchman characters and just changing them to your whims to create a story. So Jon who had shed his humanity just does a complete 180 and comes back to Earth to pick up a random girl in a bar. Said girl then decides to start a relationship with this robotic individual with no personality. Ozymandias comes off as goofy comic relief just because it was needed in the story, not because it was his established character. And we really are to believe some cleaning women was able to determine that Ozy had sperm hidden in his office, find out his password, impregnate herself, and escape Karnak, which just happens to be in Antarctica? Potential was there to be better.
Extremely Uneven
chris-86-11477316 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Ignore every review that places politics front and center. The show is utterly nihilistic about the politics. The Seventh Kavalry is obviously evil, but everyone seems to entirely miss the fact that the two woke, authoritarian, socialist, utopian statists are every bit as evil, thinking all that's stopping them from saving the world is the accumulation of power.
That said, the show itself is at times great and terrible. There are episodes so corny and ridiculous that they're nearly unwatchable and then episodes that are totally stunning. The show is extremely ambitious so not always hitting the mark is to be expected.
It is absolutely worth watching, but not nearly as good as people are pretending, and certainly not as flag-wavingly woke as they're thinking.
That said, the show itself is at times great and terrible. There are episodes so corny and ridiculous that they're nearly unwatchable and then episodes that are totally stunning. The show is extremely ambitious so not always hitting the mark is to be expected.
It is absolutely worth watching, but not nearly as good as people are pretending, and certainly not as flag-wavingly woke as they're thinking.
I loved the movie, the show was awful
s0apt0ken16 March 2022
The Watchmen movie is one of my all time favorite movies, containing complex themes and morally conflicted characters. The show lacks everything that made the movie a masterpiece. While the movie is a moral dilemma hiding within a superhero movie, the show is a superhero TV show hiding within a show that claims to have interesting ideas. Racists are bad people; such an interesting idea.
The first two episodes start off strong, balancing the weird sci-fi superhero elements with the racially driven drama. After that it just goes downhill. The plot twist makes very little logical sense, the villains of the show are some of the least interesting villains I've ever come across, and even the twist villain is boring and predictable. In the end, the whole point of the show is that racism is bad, and time travel superpowers are weird to think about.
4.3/10. Don't watch it unless you have a lot of time on your hands and want to watch a plotless but exciting superhero show.
The first two episodes start off strong, balancing the weird sci-fi superhero elements with the racially driven drama. After that it just goes downhill. The plot twist makes very little logical sense, the villains of the show are some of the least interesting villains I've ever come across, and even the twist villain is boring and predictable. In the end, the whole point of the show is that racism is bad, and time travel superpowers are weird to think about.
4.3/10. Don't watch it unless you have a lot of time on your hands and want to watch a plotless but exciting superhero show.
Intriguing
MattWillow23 September 2023
To start off I haven't read the novel which probably make my opinions of this somewhat void. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this show maybe even more than I thought I would. I watched the movie quite a while ago, and I have to say that I liked the series better. For an "outsider" it was at times hard to follow the plot and who was who, but as a whole the story was engaging and suspenseful. The comedic parts here and there were a good balance to the more serious stuff. You wanted to watch the next episode, which is more than you can say about some series. The racial aspect was present like in many shows today, but for me at least not in a way that ruined the experience. Regina King and Yahya Abdul Mateen were the clear cut stars of the cast. Believable acting and good chemistry between them. Also Jean Smart and Jeremy Irons deserve praise for their roles. Usually have a difficult time coping with Irons, but here he's quite alright. The wheels came off a bit in the finale, which was a shame, but it didn't deter the fact that this was a well made show that would have deserved a continuation. At least I would have watched it.
THE BAD REVIEWS NEVER UNDERSTOOD WATCHMEN TO BEGIN WITH
cdmitchell-137728 June 2020
I have heard 2 arguments as to why this show is bad. One of them is that this isn't a faithful adaptation to the source material and the easy response is to say IT ISN'T. This show is not an adaptation of the graphic novel, it is a continuation that has brought the themes to modern times. The second argument I hear is that it is too political and too "woke" and if you think that, you never understood Watchmen. The Watchmen graphic novel is INCREDIBLY political commentary regarding Nixon-era politics and if you didn't see that then you need to re-read it. A lot of people also complain that Rorschach is now the face of a white supremacist movement and that should make complete sense, if you read the graphic novel and thought Rorschach was someone to look up to or was the hero of the story, I'm sorry but you're an idiot. This show is incredibly well made and acted with fantastic writing that stays true to the themes of Watchmen while adding new context to apply to a modern audience. If you dont want to watch a show with themes that actually matter regarding racism, don't watch this. If you actually understood the graphic novel, this is the show for you.
Great watch, bound to anger the easily angered
nabbimba21 October 2019
First off, IGNORE the very angry trolls . Within 5 seconds of watching this, i knew it would anger them, and for obvious reasons The show doesnt is unapologetic in the way it puts forward issues . Its a great watch, well made, riveting and true to the tone of Alan Moore's work. Very recommended
Incredible Series!! (Especially if you read Watchmen))
PZP54322 September 2023
Cinematography, storyline and acting are all top notch. The series does not spoon feed you anything, which makes the series that much more enjoyable for me. The series will make more sense to those who've read the book, but it still does a decent job of filling in some of the gaps the movie doesn't cover. It takes about 3-4 episodes in where the storyline starts to makes a lot more sense, but it was intended to be this way. Anyone who enjoyed the book or movie should love this series by the time you've finished it. I find it hard to understand how anyone who enjoyed Watchmen can rate this show less than 9, but for those who rated this 5 or less, they most likely never read the book or saw the movie and if they did, there was no point for them to watch this if they didn't enjoy Watchmen to begin with. I can only imagine that those who rated this 5 or less are most likely a w.supremacist. You'll understand.
Glad I took a chance on this one
yoyopa28 November 2019
For the folks out there calling this show "Woke" you actually might be a racist. This show is not "Woke"... Charlies Angels was Woke. Dark Fate was Woke... Watchmen is just great storytelling with a diverse cast and poignant, rarely discussed historical topics.
Seriously, did anyone at any point during high school and college ever once bring up Tulsa 1921? No? Yea me neither.
This show isn't preaching at us and I really appreciate. For the first time in what feels like an eternity there is a strong female lead who is believable and doesn't need to tell us she's a strong female lead. She isn't some stupid Fing supermodel who looks cute holding a gun trying to make us believe her 105lb a$$ can beat up a grown man. THAT folks is woke horsesh**.
I haven't seen this many African American actors on one show/film this mainstream since Black Panther. I love it.
Regina King is truly fantastic and I'm so happy shes the face of something so mainstream.
I'm only a few episodes in but im hooked... all I ask is please Damon Lindelof... don't "Lost" us here.
Seriously, did anyone at any point during high school and college ever once bring up Tulsa 1921? No? Yea me neither.
This show isn't preaching at us and I really appreciate. For the first time in what feels like an eternity there is a strong female lead who is believable and doesn't need to tell us she's a strong female lead. She isn't some stupid Fing supermodel who looks cute holding a gun trying to make us believe her 105lb a$$ can beat up a grown man. THAT folks is woke horsesh**.
I haven't seen this many African American actors on one show/film this mainstream since Black Panther. I love it.
Regina King is truly fantastic and I'm so happy shes the face of something so mainstream.
I'm only a few episodes in but im hooked... all I ask is please Damon Lindelof... don't "Lost" us here.
What every true fan of Watchmen deserves
bayronard721 October 2019
So aparently everyone is trashing this show because of the race issues? Come on people, now taking that aside, this show has really started strong, respecting the characters of the original graphic novel but also introducing new ones, and if you're a big fan of Watchmen, you will love the references, can't wait for the next episode.
Boring plot and characters that chain a Political Beast
aptcatex15 July 2021
I absolutely love the worldbuilding in this series. But the fundamental ideas were done far better in the sequel comics, this is by far the worst portrayal of Rorschach's legacy compared to Doomsday Clock and Rorschach (comic by King). There's no dissection of his original beliefs, they took a minor fan theory then ran it into the ground so hard it made the 7th Kavalry generic after episode 2.
I think this show would have benefitted from adapting some of the material from the comics, such as the 2nd Rorschach or psychologist's son in Doomsday Clock who was on a similar level of complexity as the original character in terms of backstory and morality.
I think this show would have benefitted from adapting some of the material from the comics, such as the 2nd Rorschach or psychologist's son in Doomsday Clock who was on a similar level of complexity as the original character in terms of backstory and morality.
An interesting start
rudradebraj21 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I never read the comics. Only saw the zack snyder film. I am writing this after watching the pilot.
Watchmen is about a different world than ours. Here the police force wears masks to cover their identity. In the pilot the main threat was a white supremacist group in rorshach masks. If the movie i watched closely followed the comics i would say this series is going to be different. There are many easter eggs and callbacks though. The pilot revolves around the main characters finding out about the threat and gearing up to stand against it. The way that happens kept my intrigue. They didn't let the story fall flat, there was always some momentum. It had some aptly handled tense scenes. Not too flashy action scenes but they had a punch, held interest for me. Acting was as good as it can be. There wasn't any scene that called for amazing, stand out acting. The actors and actresses did the best that can be done. There were competent character interactions inbetween. Also good tease for things to come. So, all over i wasn't bored at all. Along with the satisfying character interaction and up to the mark action and tense scenes, i was enterntained. I was hooked enough to want to see what would come next. Would definitely check out the next episode. The production is really good. Aesthetic is eye cathing. I liked how it's edited, i specially liked some transitions. The music is very well produced. There's a synth track i would like to get my hands on. So, an interesting pilot.
Watchmen is about a different world than ours. Here the police force wears masks to cover their identity. In the pilot the main threat was a white supremacist group in rorshach masks. If the movie i watched closely followed the comics i would say this series is going to be different. There are many easter eggs and callbacks though. The pilot revolves around the main characters finding out about the threat and gearing up to stand against it. The way that happens kept my intrigue. They didn't let the story fall flat, there was always some momentum. It had some aptly handled tense scenes. Not too flashy action scenes but they had a punch, held interest for me. Acting was as good as it can be. There wasn't any scene that called for amazing, stand out acting. The actors and actresses did the best that can be done. There were competent character interactions inbetween. Also good tease for things to come. So, all over i wasn't bored at all. Along with the satisfying character interaction and up to the mark action and tense scenes, i was enterntained. I was hooked enough to want to see what would come next. Would definitely check out the next episode. The production is really good. Aesthetic is eye cathing. I liked how it's edited, i specially liked some transitions. The music is very well produced. There's a synth track i would like to get my hands on. So, an interesting pilot.
Good ideas, but as woke as it gets. It won't age well. Unsatisfying ending, if you still care by that time.
karlconga15 January 2020
The cast is hit or miss. I loved Jeremy Irons, Hong Chau and Jovan Adepo. I really didn't like Regina King. It's party due to how her character is written. She is supposed to be everything: Caring mother, badass vigilante, sensual lover. I found her utterly boring and quite unrelatable. That's of course a matter of personal taste.
The original score is quite good, but the selection of stock music is pretty cliche and rather uninspired.
The story has a lot of flaws and a lot of logic holes. I won't spoil anything, so I won't go into too much detail. The biggest problem to me (at least in the beginning) was the unlikely antagonist threat. It's very 2019 however, which will make the show feel dated soon. It made me cringe often.
I understand that Watchmen is about alternate history, but that still doesn't sell me the idea that some people are just evil. The show introduces the concept of "secret racists" (spelling it even out). These are people who don't act racist, even have close sincere friendships with people of different ethnicities, BUT ARE EVIL because...well...the show doesn't really make that clear. However, it leaves no doubt those evil people deserve no less than death as punishment.
By the end I had stopped caring who makes it, except for one character. That one is then being judged harshly...by today's standards, for something he did 35 years ago in a situation of extreme threat, something that's supposed to be morally highly ambiguous (even in the original comic). The woke squad has no problem with harsh judgement, however.
Neither have I: mediocre at most, where it could have easily been great.
The original score is quite good, but the selection of stock music is pretty cliche and rather uninspired.
The story has a lot of flaws and a lot of logic holes. I won't spoil anything, so I won't go into too much detail. The biggest problem to me (at least in the beginning) was the unlikely antagonist threat. It's very 2019 however, which will make the show feel dated soon. It made me cringe often.
I understand that Watchmen is about alternate history, but that still doesn't sell me the idea that some people are just evil. The show introduces the concept of "secret racists" (spelling it even out). These are people who don't act racist, even have close sincere friendships with people of different ethnicities, BUT ARE EVIL because...well...the show doesn't really make that clear. However, it leaves no doubt those evil people deserve no less than death as punishment.
By the end I had stopped caring who makes it, except for one character. That one is then being judged harshly...by today's standards, for something he did 35 years ago in a situation of extreme threat, something that's supposed to be morally highly ambiguous (even in the original comic). The woke squad has no problem with harsh judgement, however.
Neither have I: mediocre at most, where it could have easily been great.
Milquetoast political commentary and poor execution
armory-6773425 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Most of the reviews place an emphasis on politics, and rightly so, this is a VERY political show. Disappointingly political, because the social commentary is handled with all the finesse, subtlety, and skill of a toddler killing ants with a sledgehammer. If you do not care about left-wingers, and right-wingers, and all of that trash, the show just on the merits is not that good, and I feel like this five star review is being rather generous. I would ignore any 10 star or 1 star review however because both are equally inaccurate and could not have been made in good faith. There is nothing about this show that could make it reasonably deserve any better than a 7, and likewise anything under a 3 is also unjustifiable.
The real scoop: The show is a very weak depiction of Watchmen, which you may enjoy more if you subscribe to the particular political message the writers pushed in a very hamfisted way, can ignore the show's overall low quality because it caters to you in that way, and are unfamiliar with the source material the show is based on. The biggest issue with this aspect is that the message the writers picked is a very odd choice to match up with Watchmen, because it is incongruous with the source material. One of the amazing things about the ye-olde Watchmen graphic novel is it was anti-state when most comics were ultra patriotic and pro-state, and smashed the "Moral Absolutism" present in most comic books by depicting most of the characters as morally gray rather than white hats and black hats. This show embraces the exact opposite stance, and does it in the most milquetoast way possible: By assigning the villain roles exclusively to caricatures of people with whom the writers politically disagree, and assigning the hero roles exclusively to people with whom the writers agree politically.
The thing the original did so well was it sold a message to the audience that was likely different from what the audience believed, and did it in a way that could convince them that the message was correct without beating them over the head with it. It made people think about big things. This show on the other hand only has a message to stroke the egos of the target audience who already agrees with it, and rather than making any attempt to show the merits of these stances through clever writing, they just openly disparage everyone who disagrees, which is fine with their target audience but does absolutely nothing to convince anyone of their stance. Something the original did so well.
Moving on past politics, the show itself even with the obnoxious political overtures stripped out is not that great. The plot is extremely dissonant. Some of the subject matter is extremely dark, and some is just ridiculously silly, and it comes in no particular order. The silliness of some parts of the show keeps the more serious elements from feeling serious, because you never know when the supposedly deep moral moments will be interspersed with raining squid. The writing is very much like the Star Wars Prequels, in that it can range from very good to very bad in the span of about 30 seconds, and like those films the show is generally better when nobody is talking.
Visuals: The effects are I'd say somewhere between a CW superhero show and a 15+ year old A-list film. That is to say, usually not outright terrible but definitely not amazing. It's somewhat surprising that this is an HBO original show because the visual effects are a huge downgrade from other HBO shows like Game of Thrones. The cinematography is nothing to write home about, it gets the point across. In this regard the show grinds along at a constant sub-par level that is endurable, but not enjoyable.
Overall, the show is painfully sub-par for an HBO show just on the merits, and has little to no value as a social commentary because it picks the safest possible stance for its target audience, and rams it down your throat in the laziest and least subtle possible way.
The real scoop: The show is a very weak depiction of Watchmen, which you may enjoy more if you subscribe to the particular political message the writers pushed in a very hamfisted way, can ignore the show's overall low quality because it caters to you in that way, and are unfamiliar with the source material the show is based on. The biggest issue with this aspect is that the message the writers picked is a very odd choice to match up with Watchmen, because it is incongruous with the source material. One of the amazing things about the ye-olde Watchmen graphic novel is it was anti-state when most comics were ultra patriotic and pro-state, and smashed the "Moral Absolutism" present in most comic books by depicting most of the characters as morally gray rather than white hats and black hats. This show embraces the exact opposite stance, and does it in the most milquetoast way possible: By assigning the villain roles exclusively to caricatures of people with whom the writers politically disagree, and assigning the hero roles exclusively to people with whom the writers agree politically.
The thing the original did so well was it sold a message to the audience that was likely different from what the audience believed, and did it in a way that could convince them that the message was correct without beating them over the head with it. It made people think about big things. This show on the other hand only has a message to stroke the egos of the target audience who already agrees with it, and rather than making any attempt to show the merits of these stances through clever writing, they just openly disparage everyone who disagrees, which is fine with their target audience but does absolutely nothing to convince anyone of their stance. Something the original did so well.
Moving on past politics, the show itself even with the obnoxious political overtures stripped out is not that great. The plot is extremely dissonant. Some of the subject matter is extremely dark, and some is just ridiculously silly, and it comes in no particular order. The silliness of some parts of the show keeps the more serious elements from feeling serious, because you never know when the supposedly deep moral moments will be interspersed with raining squid. The writing is very much like the Star Wars Prequels, in that it can range from very good to very bad in the span of about 30 seconds, and like those films the show is generally better when nobody is talking.
Visuals: The effects are I'd say somewhere between a CW superhero show and a 15+ year old A-list film. That is to say, usually not outright terrible but definitely not amazing. It's somewhat surprising that this is an HBO original show because the visual effects are a huge downgrade from other HBO shows like Game of Thrones. The cinematography is nothing to write home about, it gets the point across. In this regard the show grinds along at a constant sub-par level that is endurable, but not enjoyable.
Overall, the show is painfully sub-par for an HBO show just on the merits, and has little to no value as a social commentary because it picks the safest possible stance for its target audience, and rams it down your throat in the laziest and least subtle possible way.
See also
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