OPEN THREAD: Let’s Talk About WATCHMEN’s “Martial Feats Of Comanche Horsemanship”

Note: This post contains spoilers for the second episode of HBO's Watchmen. Consider this your fair warning, and I will hear no complaints henceforth. 

Well, there sure as hell was a lot to process in last night's new episode of Watchmen. "Martial Feats Of Comanche Horsemanship" answered a big question while positing a few others, but let's start with Angela's arc this week: Regina King continues to righteously justify that surname, kicking eight kinds of ass (literally and figuratively) as Angela begins investigating Louis Gossett Jr.'s mysterious man in the wheelchair, whose name is Will. Visiting a local museum dedicated to the Black Wall Street massacre, Angela drops off a DNA sample and later discovers that Will is actually her grandfather. Not terribly shocking, all things considered; I'm more intrigued by a couple of key elements from the final moments of the episode: Namely, the giant junkyard-style magnet that lifts her SUV and carries it away with a seemingly unsurprised Will inside, as the note that was tucked in his pocket in the opening of the premiere flutters down into Angela's hands. On one side, "Watch over this boy," but on the other, we see a missive sent out to soliders of color from zee Germans. During a flashback, a young soldier (Will's father) is seen receiving this notice. Hmm. 

While keeping Will hidden in her fake bakery/badass vigilante bunker, Angela's colleagues hit up the trailer park to round up anyone and everyone who might be a member of the Seventh Kavalry – resulting in a violent confrontation. Although Angela – fighting to restrain her anger – believes the confrontation unnecessary and excessive, it doesn't take long for her to lose control all over some guy's face. Via flashbacks, we bear witness to the harrowing "White Night," and also learn how Angela and Judd's friendship began: They were the only two law enforcement officials who refused to resign following the attacks. It's also revealed that Angela adopted her fallen partner's children, and is still contending with their racist biological grandfather (played by Jim Beaver – always a welcome sight). 

This brings us to the episode's biggest revelation: While doing a little snooping at Judd's house during a memorial gathering, Angela – encouraged by Will to look for some skeletons in Judd's closet – dons a pair of Nite Owl-esque goggles and discovers a big-ass Ku Klux Klan sheet and hood hidden (not very well) in the closet. That's not something you can just explain away. Who owns a KKK muumuu? No one good! 

But here's the one thing I've been chewing over, and which our readers may enjoy discussing in this week's Open Thread: It seems fairly clear to me that Adrian Veidt is actually Doctor Manhattan, who has learned how to take the form of a human being. There's the pocket watch, which obviously holds sentimental value for "Adrian," and the play he's written, titled "The Watchmaker's Son." This week, we learn that Adrian has created a series of male and female clones to do his bidding, and that bidding includes the aforementioned play which explores how Jon Osterman became Doctor Manhattan. Adrian is somewhat emotional throughout this recreation of Jon's life and transformation, urging his lead actress to really sell the tears of Jon's former love, Janey Slater. It seems to me that Manhattan-Veidt is trying to reconnect with humanity by staging a recreation of his most traumatic experience, and yet his brutal killing of the clone playing Jon also fits with Manhattan's view of human life for what it is: ultimately meaningless. It's easy to envision a version of Manhattan who has grown bored with his power, and thus stages these plays and creates little clones and plays sociopathic God. And then there's Will's line about how Manhattan is able to disguise himself as a human, which both Angela and her husband laugh off as the ravings of a possible lunatic – but maybe he's not so crazy. 

Anyway – what did you think of this week's episode? Let us know in the comments below and have fun talking amongst yourselves.