16 Comic Easter Eggs From ‘Watchmen’ Episode 7 (PHOTOS)
Jon Osterman’s Past
After weeks of being kept in the dark, we’re finally introduced to the show’s version of Jon Osterman before he turns into Dr. Manhattan through a documentary clip at the beginning of the episode. Along with the images, a verbal history that was introduced in the comics is also recounted.
Site of Transformation
While we aren’t shown Dr. Manhattan’s actual transformation, in the doc, a flash to the Gila Flats base where Jon Osterman was transformed is shown. In the comics, some time is spent at that location as readers learn more about the superhuman’s past.
Manhattan in Action
In the documentary, we’re also shown Dr. Manhattan’s attacks on Vietnam. The imagery is a parallel to what’s seen in the graphic novel as he looms large over the landscape, blasting everything in his path.
Controlled by Strings
As young Angela (Faithe Herman) observes a puppet show involving Dr. Manhattan’s conquest in Vietnam, the strings attached to his puppet serve as a reminder of the control America’s government had on him. In the comics, Dr. Manhattan is used repeatedly by the government as a personalized weapon before he leaves for Mars.
Meditating Manhattan Style
While Angela (Regina King) endures a treatment after being subjected to “recollective infestation” for taking her grandfather’s Nostalgia, Lady Trieu (Hong Chau) gives her a “tutorial” on what’s happening. In that tutorial, imagery overtakes Angela’s consciousness including a meditative pose that looks an awful lot like Dr. Manhattan’s pose as he sits on Mars in the comics.
Tick Tock
Throughout the episode, an hourly countdown to the Millennium Clock’s activation is given. The device serves a similar narrative function as the doomsday clock presented in the original graphic novel.
Reading Material
When Petey (Dustin Ingram) investigates Looking Glass’s (Tim Blake Nelson) bunker, he finds the bodies of Seventh Kavalry members, and we briefly are shown that Wade also enjoys reading New Frontiersman, the paper Rorschach left with his journal at the end of the comics.
Quest for Truth
Laurie (Jean Smart) takes it upon herself to reveal Judd’s (Don Johnson) fate to his widow Jane (Frances Fisher), but while sharing the news she also seeks some answers from the woman who worked with Joe Keene (James Wolk). The tactic is one that viewers saw in the comics when the other Watchmen confronted Adrian Veidt (Jeremy Irons).
On Trial
Adrian Veidt — while sporting his Ozymandias getup — was put on trial in this episode. Apart from being held accountable for his crimes against the clones living around him, his squid attack is also brought up, holding him responsible for the atrocity committed in the comic.
Familiar Halls
As Angela walks the hallways of Lady Trieu’s estate, we couldn’t help but notice that, apart from the previously explored terrariums, there are more similarities to Adrian Veidt’s Karnak than previously noted.
Evil Plans Revealed
When Laurie is finally face to face with Joe Keene, she asks for his spiel to be over with, guessing his evil plans in the process. He disregards her thoughts though and tells her his real plan is to become the next Dr. Manhattan, gaining an insurmountable amount of power. But unlike the comics, which saw Adrian reveal his plans only after they were already executed, this plan is shared before it goes through.
Weird Science
We knew Lady Trieu was a little off, but after revealing her “daughter” is actually a clone of her mother and Angela’s discovery of an Elephant being used to host memories, the genius is proving to be a lot like Adrian Veidt — especially considering his affinity for animals and messing with genetics.
Wall Art
In the scene where young Angela finds her grandmother slumped over on the pavement, we see some interesting graffiti behind her. The image depicts Dr. Manhattan, with “murderer” scrawled over him, mirroring a similar image from within the pages of the comics.
For Humanity
As if we needed more reminding that Lady Trieu is like Ozymandias, she tells Angela repeatedly that she’s saving humanity. This is similar to the explanation Adrian gives the other Watchmen when he reveals he staged the squid attack in New York City.
Manhattan on the Brain
Though initially it seems Angela is just as crazy as Cal (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) says before she hits him in the head, when she pulls a mysterious device from his brain, the hydrogen atom tips us off that it really is Dr. Manhattan. The circle is an atomic symbol for hydrogen and in the comics, it’s etched on the blue man’s forehead.
A Nod to Mars
As Cal’s body glows blue, indicating the arrival of Dr. Manhattan, an instrumental version of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” begins to play. This is a callback to Dr. Manhattan’s time on the red planet.
[Warning: This article contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 1, Episode 7 of Watchmen, “An Almost Religious Awe.”]
The latest installment of HBO’s Watchmen took a sharp turn as we learned more about Angela (Regina King), her past and why she is the way she is. But beyond those reveals, we also learned more about the highly elusive Dr. Manhattan, whom fans have been dying to see all season.
Between that major moment and all of the other crazy scenes viewers were privy to in “An Almost Religious Awe,” there were plenty of nods to the original source material. In the gallery above, we’re taking a look at some of the biggest Easter eggs, including many Dr. Manhattan-centric tips.
Click through the gallery to see what connections were made between the original graphic novel and the wild series.
Watchmen, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO
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