HBO releases Watchmen online for free
David Farnor | On 19, Jun 2020
HBO has released Watchmen online for free this weekend.
The move comes as the USA marks Juneteenth, the 19th June date that marked the end of slavery. The date has taken on even more resonance this year, amid Black Lives Matter rallies in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd, as people stand up to campaign for an end to police brutality and system racism.
What does Watchmen have to do with it?
Damon Lindelof’s follow-up to the classic Alan Moore and David Gibbons graphic novel is a modern-day reimagining of the story about masked vigilantes. The show introduces us to a world where a vast and insidious conspiracy at play, an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws. The result embraces the nostalgia of the original graphic novel while attempting to break new ground of its own.
That begins from the off with the decision to open with the Tulsa massacre of 1921, in which a host of black businesses, perceived as a rival to Wall Street, were wiped out by a white mob. The result goes on to explore the legacy of system racism in America.
“Compulsively unusual, excitingly ambitious and challengingly pertinent television,” we wrote in our review of the series, which we ranked third in our top TV shows of 2019.
Now, HBO has made all nine episodes available to stream on its website – not only in the USA but also in the UK. (Note: In our checking and double-checking, some of the episodes occasionally display “not available in your territory” message.)
Looking to download Watchmen to watch in your own time? Read our review – plus where you can watch it online – here.