HBO’s hit series Watchmen–a spiritual sequel to the critically-acclaimed DC comic of the same name–is coming to a TV near you, even if you don’t subscribe to the network. However, you will only be able to watch it this weekend.
From June 19-21, HBO will offer all nine episodes of the series on HBO.com and free on demand through your cable provider. You will not need an HBO subscription to access these episodes. This is part of the network’s initiative to highlight “Black experiences, voices, and storytellers” to coincide with Juneteenth–the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
On June 19, HBO and HBO Latino will run a marathon of Watchmen as well, beginning at 1 PM ET/PT, with the final episode airing at 8:45 ET/PT.
Executive producted by Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers) and starring Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk, The Leftovers), Watchmen takes place in the modern-day universe set up by the comic book. Here, masked vigilantes are considered criminals, and the police hide their identities. The series also revolves around the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, where white residents of the city attacked and murdered black residents of the wealthy Greenwood District–which was called Black Wall Street.
The show primarily follows King’s character, Angela Abar AKA Sister Night, as she uncovers secrets from the world that connect to Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre, Ozymandias, and even some of the members of the original vigilante group The Minutemen.
Watchmen was GameSpot’s #1 TV show of 2019, as the series told its own stories set within a defined and very protected comic book universe, all while adding so much more to the world. Sadly, there probably won’t be a second season, as Lindelof has stepped away from the show. He gave HBO his blessing to move forward, but that is unlikely to happen as “it would be hard to imagine doing it without Damon involved in some way,” explained HBO’s programming chief, Casey Bloys.
