Coming in right at the end of the year, HBO’s “Watchmen” not only surprised us by actually being a pretty good sequel to one of the most acclaimed comic book series of all time, but it was one of the best TV series of the year, period. So, as you might expect, HBO is keen on seeing if there’s the possibility for Round 2. Unfortunately, given the nature of the story, it appears that only one man can make that decision and it’s not HBO boss Casey Bloys.
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Speaking at the TCA panel (via THR), Bloys was asked about the possibility of a second season of “Watchmen.” Given the ending of the series, and the finality of the story presented, it’s not as simple just doing “more of the same” for Season 2. So, with no pressing need to do “Watchmen 2,” the question for Bloys is whether or not Damon Lindelof has a story in mind. And if he does, HBO is ready.
“Where we left it with Damon was he’s thinking about what he wants to do and I’m taking his lead on that,” Bloys said. “If he has an idea that he’s excited about, then I’m excited; if he wants to do something else, then that’s what I want to do.”
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He added, “I think Damon did a brilliant job. It is so much from his brain — obviously, I know there was the underlying IP — but the reinvention and the world is so much from his brain that it’s hard to imagine somebody else doing it. Not to say it can’t be done, but right now I’m just giving Damon the time he needs to think about what he wants to do, creatively, next.”
It’s clear that the decision about how to proceed with “Watchmen” is much more contingent on what HBO does next with Lindelof. For the network, making sure the guy who brought folks “The Leftovers” and “Watchmen” is happy is much more of a concern than whether or not comic book fans get another season of the show.
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That being said, eventually, you have to assume that HBO will move forward with another batch of “Watchmen” episodes. The acclaim received, awards nominations, and the legion of fans are too much for any network to ignore. Let’s just hope that when HBO does go forward, it’s worth it.