After the events of Watchmen Episode 8 a lot of things are up in the air, including Doctor Manhattan and right now the internet is rife with speculation on what will be happening in the finale for the show.
Throughout this, we’ll be going over some of the best fan theories, pointing out the things that you might have missed and discussing what we think will happen in Episode 9.
Though a lot of these are just theories there is evidence to back them up so there could be Heavy Spoilers here if we’re right. If you want to go into the final episode as blank as possible then I highly suggest that you turn off now but with that out the way, if you’re still here, thank you for clicking this, now let’s get into our breakdown of what happens next to Doctor Manhattan.
Watchmen Season 1 Recap
Ok so the first series of Watchmen has been an absolutely crazy ride so far. Throughout the eight episodes that have aired we have a crazy amount of jaw-dropping revelations that have really turned the entire Watchmen universe on its head.
Through ex-crimefighter Will Reeves we discovered that in Tulsa there exists a White Supremacist group who are slowly hatching a plan to take over the world. Lead by Senator Joe Keene, they have devised a method in which they will be able to create their own version of Doctor Manhattan and use the superman’s abilities to bring forth a new world order.
The plan culminated in episode 8 in which we saw Kavalry members arrive at Angela Abar’s house after it was revealed that her husband Cal was secretly Doctor Manhattan and that he had been masquerading as a regular man, unbeknownst to everyone other than Angela.
The final few shots of the penultimate episode showed the Doc being zapped by a Tachyonic canon and sent to who knows where.
If the episode left you scratching your head then don’t worry because we may have some answers as to exactly what was going on.
Apples, Eggs and Beans – The Food Of Cinema
Before we get into the theories though we just kinda need to set up some establishing information that adds a lot of weight to what will be happening down the line.
Ok so food often plays a massive role in tv shows and movies, Watchmen is no different and with a lot of seemingly unimportant items comes hidden depth and subtext.
For example in the original Watchmen Graphic Novel, Rorschach ate a can of beans and thus when we see Looking Glass in his own home, he too chooses to feast on the same thing, thus showing the repetition and almost incel mentality of the two.
In episode 8 we see a young Jon Osterman aka Doctor Manhattan pick up an apple from the table in the castle which he then drops upon seeing Mr. Philips and Ms. Crookshanks having sex. This holds importance later as the two confront John about it and pass him a bible, pointing out the picture of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve lost their innocence over an Apple and thus when Jon drops it in the episode it mirrors this loss of innocence and provides him with a new perception of the world.
Similar to the aforementioned items, Eggs are prevalent throughout the Watchmen tv series, popping up during several scenes and even providing a metaphor for Episode 8 in which the characters discuss what came first the chicken or the egg when trying to get their head around how Doctor Manhattan’s view of time works.
Eggs in culture represent birth, springtime and because of this they carry extra meaning with them. Whether it’s the easter egg representing the rebirth of Christ or even just your typical chicken on the farm, eggs have a symbolism that comes with them which means they carry new opportunities and possibilities.
It’s also said that potentially an egg, if embodied with Doctor Manhattan’s powers could pass on his abilities and our first theory ties deeply into this.
Will Has Doctor Manhattan’s Powers
Ok so cast your mind back to Episode 2 of Watchmen.
In that we see Will pulling out boiling eggs from a pot. At the time this was a standout moment for many and now knowing what we do, it’s possible that this could be highlighting exactly what’s happened.
We do know that Will and Doctor Manhattan agreed to form an alliance at one point and therefore there is a lot of potential that the two are working together in more ways than one. Will is over 100 years old yet is still a spritely old fellow especially for his age, he also seems to have a vast knowledge of future events and comes eerily close to predicting several things before they happen.
Could it be that the two formed an alliance that goes beyond just mere friendship?
Well the major theory at the moment is that floating about the internet is that Will actually already possesses or carries the egg that allows him to take on the powers of Doctor Manhattan and he either has or will consume it when the right moment comes.
This explains why Doctor Manhattan transports his and Angela’s children directly to the character as he will be able to protect them.
Will Vs Joe?
Let’s face it if Joe Keene does become a Doc level being then it will take something special to stop them from coming into harms way and this explains why the Doc felt that this was the best place for them.
Will also seems like the kind of person who deserves the powers of a God as over his 100-year life he has demonstrated a need to do the right thing and even in his old age he puts duty before death.
Could this be why Jon was making Waffles in the Kitchen?
He did say ‘watch the eggs’ which Angela then smashed so it looks like there was some importance with them.
Could Jon have finished up the Waffles whilst Angela was outside fighting the Kavalry and then went to Will with the means to pass on his powers?
I can definitely see this being the case next week and who better to have on your side.
Angela Inherits The Powers
Failing that the powers could easily pass over to Angela through the pool that was a big plot point of the latest episode.
In Episode 8 Angela and Jon fight it out on the water with the former saying that it’s important that Angela sees him there as it’s important for later.
It is possible that he could have passed on his abilities into the water and if Angela drank the pool then she could then possess them.
There’s also a theory that Jon could have created backup in the water as in the episode we do see him creating the clones in Water and it is possible that if Angela returns there she will be able to fish them out and potentially use them to get Jon back.
This theory I’m kinda unsure of as she doesn’t really have the means to grow them but as we saw with Ozy on Europa, he was able to fish out Clones so there is potential that they could be here.
Where Jon Is
Now after the finale of the episode you may be wondering where Jon actually is. Well he did mention before being shot by the Tachyonic canon that it was going to transport him. We know that the Kavalry are capable of Teleportation so it is possible that this moved him directly to the holding cell that we saw them building.
Going off of the preview of the next episode we do see Jon trapped and also Joe Keene readying himself to strip the Docs powers.
However, he likely hasn’t counted on Looking Glass being out and about. In episode 7, Petey stumbled across his bunker and bunch of dead Kavalry members with one missing a mask.
It seems likely that LG is now wearing this and has infiltrated the Kavalry’s headquarters and is about to stop the experiment from happening. From the thumbnail of the Episode 9 promo trailer and clips from next weeks entry it looks like he and Laurie is being guarded by a Kavalry member. I definitely think this will be Looking Glass and he could end up freeing her. We know the latter has been pining after Manhattan and would definitely be up for saving him even if it means teaming up with ol’ Mirror Guy.
Keene Will Get The Powers?
Personally, though I do think that Keene will actually gain the powers but in doing so realise that all of the goals that he wished to achieve are now meaningless to him.
I mean, imagine having the powers of Doctor Manhattan, running for President kinda seems like a step-down and we know that Jon himself doesn’t really wish to rule the world due to his enlightenment so I can see Keene being in a similar position.
However, even with his abilities he is still a danger and I think the Millenium Clock is actually a device that will destroy both Keene and Manhattan.
The Children Of Ozymandias
It could however also be a way to activate sleeper cells in the country that all possess the genes of Ozymandias.
The character in the post-credits scene of episode 8 mentions that he has 8 Million children on Earth and these could provide Trieu with an army in which to fight The Kavalry.
We know that The Millenium Clock tells time but could it also show the future to these people directly, letting them know what may happen if they don’t act?
Well we don’t know for definite and that does seem like a bit of a stretch however it looks like the plans are slowly starting to come together and honestly, I cannot wait to see what happens.
I really hope we don’t end on a cliffhanger but yeah if we do, at least it gives us hope for a season two.
Your Thoughts
Whether you’re Doctor Manhattan and know all the answers or just a regular person like me I’d love to hear your thoughts on these theories and if you agree with this article. Comment below and let me know
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