Watchmen: 7 Ups And 0 Downs From 'It's Summer And We're Running Out Of Ice'

1. You Can Already Feel The Tension Beginning To Build

One of the most important visual motifs of Watchmen is the Doomsday Clock, a symbolic instrument fashioned by scientists to illustrate how close humanity is to a man made catastrophe. Time is central to the story, but in the HBO show, time takes on a different kind of menace - the tick tock of a pocket-watch.

The pilot sets the stage for a burgeoning conflict, and the presence of Adrian Veidt implies that grander dangers await the series as it edges forward. The tension is made ever more palpable, however, by the decision to include the sound of a pocket-watch during the last few minutes of the episode.

Even while Crawford relaxes with friends and family, the sound of the watch loudens and quickens. The Seventh Cavalry's earlier declaration ended with a menacing chant of "tick-tock, tick-tock", and with the first episode ending in such a devastating fashion, it's clear things are about to get a lot worse before they get better.