Tim Blake Nelson’s character on Watchmen confirms the series change of direction
By Rachel Roth
The reveal of Tim Blake Nelson’s character in Watchmen offers up a lot of speculation for what the upcoming series will be like.
It’s been very hush, hush up until now. The cast for Watchmen was announced a while ago, a long list that included Regina King, Don Johnson, Jeremy Irons, and Tim Blake Nelson. But, so far, only three roles have been confirmed: Irons as an older Ozymandias, actress Jean Smart as the mysterious Agent Blake, and Nelson as a new costumed hero we’ve never heard of.
Blake is playing a new character who goes by the name Looking Glass, someone who hasn’t appeared in the “Watchmen,” “Before Watchmen,” or “Doomsday Clock” comics before. He’s written specially for the series and according to the casting call information, sounds like an exciting addition. The character description reads as follows: “A good looking cop, the native Oklahoman isn’t simple as his rural accent makes him appear to be. A top interrogator and behavioral scientist, he may also be a bit of a sociopath.”
More from HBO
- Hacks season 3 gets exciting release update: Here’s what we know
- Blue Beetle gets disappointing Max release update
- Friends snags No.1 spot on U.S. streaming services – and we’re not surprised
- Will there be a Steven Universe revival? Rebecca Sugar says “if there’s a huge amount of public demand”
- Industry season 3 is not coming until 2024: Here’s what we know about the release
Let me just point out now the similarities between this new Looking Glass and everyone’s favorite sociopathic detective, Rorschach. I’m not saying they’re the same person, because they’re not, but without a Rorschach resurrection they’ll need a new ultra-violent anti-hero running around to replace him.
Nelson shares a resemblance to an unmasked Rorschach when he was played by Jackie Earl Haley in the film, and the character description isn’t too far off from Rorschach’s. Both have small statures and narrow features. Rorschach was the detective of the team, and Nelson’s character is an actual cop and a behavioral scientist, indicating that he will be as good at predicting human behavior as Rorschach was. Then let’s not forget how both are considered sociopaths.
There isn’t much about this new character, not even Nelson knows that much.
"“It’s a really interesting, intriguing character,” Nelson told the Empire Film Podcast. “I don’t really completely understand him, and that’s intentional. Damon Lindelof metes out facts about your character as you go along… So I’m learning as I go along who this guy is, and trying to… It’s almost like fresco painting. The clay is always wet.”"
New heroes, new world
This reveal of Nelson’s new character clears away some of the fog covering the Watchman series. Showrunner Damon Lindelof and HBO are doing their best to keep everyone in the dark. When asked about the plot, Lindelof answered with as much ambiguity as possible, stating that it’s not a direct sequel nor is it an adaptation.
More from HBO
- Hacks season 3 gets exciting release update: Here’s what we know
- Blue Beetle gets disappointing Max release update
- Friends snags No.1 spot on U.S. streaming services – and we’re not surprised
- Will there be a Steven Universe revival? Rebecca Sugar says “if there’s a huge amount of public demand”
- Industry season 3 is not coming until 2024: Here’s what we know about the release
It’ll take place within the Watchman universe where everything that took place in the comics is canon. In a five-page open letter to fans, Lindelof explained his intentions not to adapt the “sacred ground” but to remix it.
"“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 it will be with Watchmen. The Comedian died. Dan and Laurie fell in love. Ozymandias saved the world and Dr. Manhattan left it just after blowing Rorschach to pieces in the bitter cold of Antarctica.”"
Despite this lengthy explanation, it was still very vague. It’s supposed to be a distanced sequel yet nothing suggested a change was taking place. Set photos hinted at the Minutemen, a possible Comedian death scene identical to that of the film, and the confirmed appearance of Adrian Veidt a.k.a. Ozymandias; nothing we haven’t already seen. However, we now have a new character who’s new and already very different from the original heroes.
Nelson’s character has a job and a normal life yet also has a hero code name, meaning he’s living a double life. Notice that the original Watchmen character didn’t have jobs, because their vigilante missions were their jobs. It was like a career for them, but not for Looking Glass. He’s doing his vigilante work in secret, which suggests that the Keene Act, the order which outlawed costume heroes in “Watchmen”, is still in place and Nelson’s character is pulling a Daredevil act (lawfully stopping bad guys by day but beating them up at night).
Looking Glass, and whatever new heroes who appear with him, will probably be fighting crime in dark alleys away from the public eye, unlike the Watchmen and Minutemen who were celebrities. This will add an extra layer of drama to the story. These vigilantes are considered dangerous criminals under the Keene Act, giving the HBO series an opportunity to dive into the crime thriller genre as well as superhero drama.
Other comic films/ series consider vigilantism against the law as well, but in the “Watchmen” universe it was taken seriously, very seriously. There were actual cops arresting the heroes and putting them in super-max prisons, no comedy involved like in Guardians of the Galaxy and no cops secretly aiding the hero like for Batman and Daredevil. Nelson mentioned that Watchmen will be partially influenced by current politics and social tension in America, does this include police brutality?
With the announcement of his character, Nelson also took the moment to describe the setting of the series, describing it as a new world created by the original team. Familiar faces will appear but won’t be the central focus.
He stated that Lindelof is treating the “Watchmen” comic as a history book, and is imagining the world that might have come after their story ended. Who would have followed their footsteps? What kind of politics took place as a result? Do people still hate the costume heroes? Did Rorschach’s journal get published and if it had, what happened?
Looking Glass will most likely be a hero, but there is also a likely chance that he’s a villain. I’m just assuming his moral status is good because of the way every interview treated the character, as if he was one of the good guys. Whether he’s good or bad though has yet to be officially determined, so keep an open mind on this Looking Glass guy.
The series stars Jeremy Irons, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Howard, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Lily Rose Smith, and Adelynn Spoon.
Watchmen is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2019.