With a 96% critic score and a 46% audience score, the public opinion on HBOs Watchmen is noticeably divided. Critics applaud Watchmenfor the artistic and creative avenues Damon Lindelof travels down. They like how it confronts racism, corruption, and gun control things that are all top of mind in 2019.

So why does the audience think Watchmenis 50% worse than the average critic?

Ever since press releases came out forWatchmen, a chunk of Alan Moore loyalists have canned responses to why the HBO sequel is a disgrace. They say things like:

Theres a reason Alan Moore didnt put his name on this project. The movie was horrible. So why bother with another lame attempt? The comic was very specific to when it came out in 1986what makes you think it can be adapted today?

These people think the comic book is perfect as it is. They dont want any prequels, sequels, adaptations, continuations, or remixes. Theyre somewhat right. Why didnt Lindelof just make his own show, with everything but the baby squids, Rorschach masks, and Robert Redford?

Watchmenis a complicated comic. Morally messy, symbolic, and political, its the kind of literature that leaves a lasting impression on readers whether they love it or hate it.

Watchmen series creator Lindelof is a loyalist to the comic book, and hes directing the show from that perspective. He tries to fill in the gaps for people who havent read the comic. There are newspaper headlines like Adrian Veidt Confirmed Dead. Theres tributes to Richard Nixon in classrooms and trailer parks. Theres ads for a TV show about Americas first vigilantes like Hooded Justice and Silk Spectre. Its established early on that Vietnam is a state.

But these clues come in quick flashes on the screen. Without reading Watchmen before watching Watchmen, the average viewer is walking into a surprise party where everyone in the room is naked. The show (like the comic) is too surreal or too subtle for their taste.

The most significant group of people who dont like Watchmen cant properly debate about political or social issues. These people have extreme political beliefs on opposite sides of the spectrum, yet theyre one-and-the-same.

Both kinds of people in this one group agree that political correctness goes beyond being respectful to marginalized people. But to one side, it means shaming people who have controversial or (as they deem it) unacceptable opinions on social media. To the other side, political correctness is a symptom of an overly-sensitive generation of people, and an unconstitutional constraint on their speech.

These people cant debate about politics. They cant listen and respond to those with different beliefs. Instead, they lose their temper and hijack the conversation.

They cant sympathize with the masked police in Watchmen who have to request permission to use firearms during a life-threatening situation. Or they roll their eyes at how the show has another female protagonist especially a black one.

Watchmen Asks: Is the World Black and White?

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"Watchmen": Some Aren't Ready for THIS "Watchmen" [OPINION] - Bleeding Cool News