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Watchmen: Damon Lindelof sounds off on possible second season, identity of Lube Man
Last night, Damon Lindelof's take on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen wrapped up its first season after nine episodes on HBO. While many were understandably dubious about a "remixed" adaptation of one of the most beloved graphic novels of all time, Lindelof and his crew were actually able to pull off the impossible: They added something new and relevant to a 30-year-old comic book story that already had plenty on its mind.
Now that we've all seen just how great the show is, the question everyone has is this: Will there be a second season? After all, Episode 9 did leave several pieces on the table, mainly the arrest of Adrien Veidt (Jeremy Irons) and Angela Abar (Regina King) possibly inheriting the godlike powers of Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about the finale ("See How They Fly"), Lindelof — who planned for Season 1 to tell a self-contained and satisfying narrative — talked about the possibility of a follow-up batch of episodes.
"It's so interesting that you present the question that way, because, am I interested in a second season? The answer to that question is yes, in the same way that I'm interested in anything that calls itself Watchmen," he said. "I do find it interesting, where the story could go next. More importantly, I think we always think about how Season 2 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 ... I think Watchmen, not unlike Fargo or True Detective, can accommodate a much larger space of storytelling. That's interesting to me."
The creator went on to say that if Season 2 does happen, it could end up coming from a writer that isn't him.
"I have to be able to answer the question: 'What's the idea for the second season?' I don't think I'm interested in, nor do I think the audience is interested in, 'Let's just do more of the same.' Because then it wouldn't be Watchmen," he added. "It requires a new idea. Maybe that idea is going to come from someone else. I would welcome that, one hundred percent."
Lindelof echoed those comments over at Deadline, saying:
"I definitely don’t dispute any opinion that’s sort of like there should be more. I just don’t feel compelled to continue the story without a reason to do so. That reason should be a creative reason, idea-driven, and I don’t have any ideas for subsequent seasons of Watchmen currently."
And sure, we are very curious about how the world will react to the truth of Ozymandias' alien hoax and the negative repercussions it has for Robert Redford's presidency. Then there's Angela, who may or may not be the new iteration of her late husband, Doctor Manhattan. But the biggest thing we all want resolved at this time is the damn identity of the character known as "Lube Man." Just who the hell was the guy Angela chased down and lost in Episode 4?
"I’m so excited that you did ask. I would say Lube Man is one of those things that delighted us to no end in the writers’ room, even though it was going to be just five minutes in the show," Lindelof told Entertainment Weekly. "We talked a lot about who he was and where he came from and why he was dressed the way that he was dressed. But we were like: 'This is just going to be a scene in Episode 4 that’s in the midst of other insane things happening.' We did not expect him to resonate in the way that he has, and we’re thrilled that he did. I will just direct the readers to the final Peteypedia entry. For those not familiar with Peteypedia, it is our ancillary materials ... The Peteypedia will have its finale moments after the finale airs. I will not give you a definitive answer to your question, but I will say all the clues are there to reach the obvious conclusion."
According to Variety, last night's finale episode drew in 1.6 million viewers, the most amount of the entire season. That beats out the Season 1 premiere, which nabbed 1.5 million viewers when it first aired in late October.
