All The Sneaky Easter Eggs We’ve Found In HBO’s ‘Watchmen’
There's a lot of references to catch!
When the first episode of Watchmen ended, I had to re-watch it immediately.
Spoilers for all things Watchmen ahead.
The 9-part series created by Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers), based on the comic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, is a stunning adaptation that’s not a slave to the source material.
You can go into Watchmen cold but it’s a series that’s deeply embedded with lore from the comics; it’s one of the most niche nerdy things I’ve ever seen.
If you’re keen to make the TV series your entry point into this world all you need to know is that the comic is set in an alternate version of America where costumed vigilantes exist.People think it’s a good idea until they’re eventually outlawed by the government. If this sounds a little like The Incredibles, you are correct; the comic is huge influence on the Pixar film.
Former vigilantes come out of hiding when their former colleagues begin to show up dead. The core group is Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, Daniel Dreiberg/Nite Owl II, Edward Blake/The Comedian, Laurie Juspeczyk/Silk Spectre II, Walter Joseph Kovacs/Rorschach I and Dr. Jon Osterman/Doctor Manhattan. Most of the group are humans with advance technology and fighting skills, except for Dr. Manhattan who has god-like abilities.
Faithfulness has always plagued adaptations of Watchmen because of the comic’s politically charged deconstruction of superheroes. The comic is a masterpiece on the page and defies any need for a film or TV version.
After decades of being stuck in development hell, a film version was released in 2009 directed by Zach Snyder (300). Opinions on the film vary, but it’s a take on the comic that tries to be as diplomatic as possible with the slight changes to the story while trying to remain as faithful as possible. Snyder may have figured out how to make what many said was ‘unfilmable’, but a lot of the comic’s satirical bite is absent.
Watchmen paranoia is real. So much so that Lindelof wrote an open letter to fans while the TV series was in pre-production: “Those original twelve issues are our Old Testament. When the New Testament came along, it did not erase what came before it. Creation. The Garden of Eden. Abraham and Isaac. The Flood. It all happened. And so it will be with Watchmen … To be clear. Watchmen is canon.
He went on to clarify what his version would be: “This story will be set in the world its creators painstakingly built … But in the tradition of the work that inspired it, this new story must be original.”
That #Watchmen Easter egg, eggs in the bowl shot ?? ??
— That Kid Chris (@That_Kid_Chris) October 21, 2019
Lindelof’s Watchmen has been described as a remix and it’s an accurate summary, yet it’s also pseudo sequel, too. The world building in Watchmen is one its biggest strengths and the series is drenched with references to the comic that’s not cheap fan service. Lindelof has made sure Watchmen has its own history woven into the show’s society, but it doesn’t go out of its way to explain everything. Each episode you are immersed in this world and slowly get an understanding of how this society functions and its political history.
Watchmen is going to be one of those shows that’s worth revisiting because its packed with details.
Here’s all the references to the comic we could find on our first pass of episode one.
Hooded Justice
In the opening scene, set during the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921, a boy watches a black and white film about Bass Reeves, the first black marshal west of the Mississippi River. Reeves appears on screen in a black hood and it resembles Hooded Justice, a member of the Minutemen from the comic.
We also know Hooded Justice will feature in a TV series within the show about vigilante history.
Adrian Veidt Lives!
A newspaper headline says: ‘Veidt officially declared dead.’
The major twist is that we know Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias is alive because he’s played by Jeremy Irons hanging out in a strange manor with lots of fancy cakes. For some reason Veidt has faked his own death. Why? We don’t know yet, but it seems like the truth about the fake giant squid attack is still a secret but something significant has forced Veidt into hiding.
Rorschach’s mask
The main antagonists are the white supremacists group The Seventh Kavalry.
Each member wears a Rorschach mask. Rorschach is one of the main vigilantes from the comics who investigates the major conspiracy in the comics. Rorschach believes in only right and wrong (there are no grey areas) and has extreme right-wing beliefs. Throughout the comic he keeps a journal with his ideas as well as the truth about the conspiracy. Rorschach is killed by Dr Manhattan to keep the conspiracy a secret, but the journal gets mailed to a newspaper.
The Seventh Kavalry quote lines from Rorschach’s journal in the opening episode, which means they must be using the journal as a manifesto and Rorschach’s mask as a symbol of their movement. Also, Veidt talks about The Seventh Kavalry several times in the comic and it comes from a real branch of the Ku Klux Klan.
Squids!
A giant squid destroys New York City at the end of the comic and kills millions of people.
It’s all part of superhero Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias’ plan to trigger a fake disaster, unite people against a common enemy and create world peace. In the TV series we hear sirens, and people stop what they’re doing while it rains tiny squids.
If the events of the comic are canon this means that the New York attack happened, and people still believe Earth is under threat from a multidimensional squid. These squid showers could be real but there’s a good chance they’re faked by someone (Dr Manhattan, maybe?) to maintain the lie and maintain peace.
Life on Mars
A news report on a TV gives us an update on the superhuman Dr. Manhattan, who we learn has been living on Mars since the end of the comic. Another detail is that there’s a 24/7 live stream of Mars so people can keep tabs on the big blue guy.
“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes”
At the end of the big police meeting Chief Crawford (Don Johnson) recites a motto in a Latin that translates to: Who will guard the guards themselves? The looser translation is: Who will watch the Watchmen? The line that’s the inspiration for the comic.
Electric cars
Electric cars are the norm in Watchmen. Even members of The Seventh Kavalry get around in battery powered vehicles. The existence of these cars hints at society benefitting from the technological advances developed by Veidt and Dr. Manhattan.
Victory in Vietnam
During a visit to a local school we find out Angela/Sister Night (the amazing Regina King) grew up in Vietnam.
This is because in the comics Dr. Manhattan used his god-like abilities to help America win the Vietnam War. Therefore, in the TV series Vietnam is the 51st American state, as pointed out by the teacher in this scene. We also find out that Robert Redford is the President. These are all nice alternate history touches.
Nostalgia
In the scene where Veidt is typing in the nude there’s a round glass bottle on the desk. The bottle resembles a perfume from the comics called Nostalgia that’s made by Veidt’s company. Also, The Watchmaker’s Son is the name of the play Veidt is writing. Who is he talking about?
It’s a hint at the origin story of Dr. Manhattan, whose real name is Jon Osterman who was the son of a watchmaker.
American Hero Story
Yep, true crime is popular in Watchmen, too. But instead of American Crime Story: The People Verses O.J. Simpson, we see commercials for a major event series coming to TV called American Hero Story. Featured on the posters is Hooded Justice so it’s establishing the existence of the Minutemen from the comics as canon.
Blood under the door
One of the most unforgettable panels in the comic is when Rorschach, before escaping from prison, goes into a bathroom where he murders a gangster.
We only see blood gushing out from under the bathroom door. An echo of that panel is in the scene where Sister Night assaults a Seventh Kavalry suspect and we see a puddle of blood spill out from under the door.
The Cake
If you needed more proof that Irons is Veidt/ Ozymandias (Lindelof has been cagey about confirming his identity) check out the cake.
The colours are the same as his superhero costume from the comic. Also, what are they celebrating? Considering Veidt saved the world with his giant squid stunt it’s possible this little celebration is a little self-indulgent reminder of his success. Throw in the fact he’s living as a recluse and it becomes an even bigger ego trip.
Angela’s password
Yes, even the passwords are references. The code to Angela’s secret hideout is 1-9-8-5, the year the comic is set.
Mount Rushmore
During the Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson) interrogation scene images of Americana flash up on the screen in the truth pod the police use. One of the images that appears is Mount Rushmore with President Richard Nixon featured prominently. Nixon is President in the comic and based on this timeline, it appears he got away with Watergate.
Dollar Bill
In the Seventh Kavalry compound there’s a poster on the wall featuring Dollar Bill, a member of the Minutemen. This poster is also extremely racist, which is on brand for the Seventh Kavalry.
The Owlship
During the raid on the Seventh Kavalry compound it’s revealed the Tulsa Police are in possession of an OwlShip! Holy shit! The flying vehicle looks to be inspired by Nite Owl’s go-to ride in the comics. Again, it seems like the technology used by Nite Owl in the comics has been co-opted by police departments in America. I can confirm we’ll see more of Nite Owl’s gadgets appear throughout the series.
The Pale Horse
We see Veidt riding to his manor on a white horse. Yeah, white horses are cool, but this has several meanings.
In the comics, during the squid attack there’s a panel with a sign promoting a performance by a band called Pale Horse. In the Bible (yes, we’re going there) during the apocalypse in the book of Revelations there is this passage: “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.” The horse is providing major foreshadowing for Veidt’s role in this series.
Blood Badge
The most iconic image from the comic is the Comedian’s smiley face badge with a splat of blood.
We do see one smiley face when Angela is cracking eggs during her baking presentation at the school. But Lindelof saves his biggest nod for the final scene. Chief Crawford is found dead. The moment evokes The Comedian’s death in the comic. We see the Chief’s police badge on the ground and a drop of blood hits it in the same way as the smiley face from the comic.
Did you spot anything else? Let us know.
Watchmen is currently streaming on Foxtel Now.
Cameron Williams is a writer and film critic based in Melbourne who occasionally blabs about movies on ABC radio. He has a slight Twitter addiction: @MrCamW.