5 Reasons Why Watchmen Season 1 Succeeded
2. It Respects And Builds Off The Source Material
Working with such revered source material means there are high expectations in place when it comes to how you treat that material. If it feels at all like the creators aren't hitting that line between worshipping the comic and forgetting what a 'Watchman' is, then fans will riot. Watchmen avoids all of this by showing clear reverence for its legacy without wholly relying on it to establish goodwill. Through moments of fan service mixed with a clear sense of distinct direction, the show finds a happy medium.
There's a significant strength in how it takes on the lore of this fascinating world and makes up its own bold ideas to stack atop its history. Through new and returning characters, you get a great sense of what came before, as well as the world as it is now.
When taking on iconic or well-loved material like this, many creatives lose sight of how to properly approach it. Some get egocentric and make their version the 'definitive' adaptation, while others succumb fully to the 'don't screw it up' pressure and just focus on fan service across several hours of entertainment. Watchmen respected what came before, but also wanted to tell its own story.