What Is 'Watchmen' Saying About Race in America?

Low Key

HBO's Watchmen touches on reparations, racist vigilantism, and the destruction, 100 years ago, of the African-American business Mecca known as Black Wall Street. But what is the show actually saying about race? That's one of the main questions we try to unpack in the new Low Key podcast.

Every week on Low Key, your hosts Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie and Tim Molloy talk about pop culture moments we think others may have missed, often through a racial lens. We like comic books and superheroes. Watchmen seems made for us.

And we do like Watchmen. The acting, cinematography, and music are top-notch. But like most people who watch the show, we have no idea where it's going. Does it have something new or unique to say about how the issues in the show parallel those in the real world? What we're hoping it isn't doing is using race as a plot device. Our continued watching of Watchmen amounts to our giving it the benefit of the doubt that there's an important payoff coming up.

We also talk this episode about lower-stakes mysteries, like what's become of Doctor Manhattan, and where Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt (Jeremy Irons) is being help captive. We aren't 100 percent convinced its on Earth.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes. And check out the MovieMaker Interviews podcast for that Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Dolemite Is My Name) interview that comes up at the end of this episode.

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