NYCC 2019: Watchmen episode 1 breakdown

Who watches the Watchmen? At New York Comic Con, the answer is everyone! Or at least everyone who was lucky enough to get into the advance screening for Watchmen episode 1. SYFY WIRE's Caitlin Busch, Jackie Jennings, and Jordan Carlos were all there to immerse themselves into the world of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' comic book story. Now, our panel of Watchmen experts is ready to share their thoughts about the first episode!

The good news is that all three of our panelists really enjoyed the pilot episode. Damon Lindelof and company had previously hinted that the series would tackle white supremacy groups and the Black Wall Street massacre of 1921. That actual historical incident has major ramifications for the series, some of which are explored in the first episode.

One of the more surprising aspects of the show was Lindelof’s assertion that Watchmen may not go beyond a single season. According to Lindelof, the nine-episode season is meant to be a standalone story that is complete unto itself. That inspired a debate among our panelists. Should the Watchmen series be allowed to continue for several seasons and tell more stories? Or is it better to have a laser focus on a single story and get out before the show runs out of material?

Ironically, Lindelof's previous shows are examples of both models. Lost ran for six seasons, and arguably ran out of steam by the conclusion. Conversely, The Leftovers had an abbreviated three-season run on HBO that blew us away.

For more reactions to Watchmen's first episode, check out the full video!