Episode 7 is titled "An Almost Religious Awe", referring to how people feel and experience Dr. Manhattan.
Written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour and Claire Keichel, it was insightful with the reveals. With two episodes till the show ends, we can officially say "we are now in the endgame".
The episode opened with a clever documentary on Dr.Manhattan, which was to re-establish that:
1. Dr.Manhattan is a white dude,
2. He's powerful,
3. He's a source of division, making it ironic to see the people of Vietnam celebrating him, given he was the tool of their subjugation.
But the graffiti and suicide bomber that killed Angela's parents show that the discontent that still exists towards the blue god is real and not everyone has drunk the Kool-Aid.
Pity it comes at Angela's cost. She loses both her parents and grandmother to Vietnam.
But not before we are given the backstory behind why Angela Abar chose the Sister Night personae, like Laurie said, it is all rooted in childhood trauma and blaxploitation cinema that Tarantino would approve of. Talking about approval... how good was the Dr.Manhattan reveal?
The reveal was amazing and a great lesson in how to do a reveal that does not feel like a cheat... crumbs have been there from Episode 1 with Will questioning Angela about Dr. Manhattan being human to Cal's attitude towards death and God and the fact that Cal took Angela's surname and kinda disappeared during the White Night incident.
The other interesting incident is the Ardian Viedt's trial that felt right in place in a Samuel Beckett Surrealist play. Yet Watchmen pulled off the hysterics of the trial without pulling us out of the show. But like all episodes of Watchmen thus far, you get answers and then you are left with questions.
Questions such as Is Laurie done for or will Looking Glass save her as an incognito Kalvary member? Why did Angela agree to the Dr. Manhattan arrangement? Is Lady Trieu ultimately the big bad of the series and finally where has Will disappeared too?
What it felt like: An episode of The Outer Limits with less creepiness.
Rating
****
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------* crap **ja nee ***you are on your own ****good *****instant classic