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The only truly superpowered character in theWatchmenworld, Doctor Manhattan is also the hardest for mere mortals to comprehend.
But even for them, time doesnt really work that way.
The modernist authors tried to convey this feeling.
Life is not a series of gig lamps symmetrically arranged, Virginia Woolf wrote.
Life is a luminous halo, a semitransparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end.
In the latter two, editing works miracles, collapsing time and distance in the blink of an eye.
Or who will, eventually.
Its all a bit puzzling.
Lets see if we can sort outsomeof what goes down inA God Walks Into Abar.
When are we?
Fittingly, this episode takes place at several different points in theWatchmentimeline.
Over a few eventful weeks, Doctor Manhattan and Angela will begin their love affair.
Does this episode explain the big Doctor Manhattan reveal satisfactorily?
It works in part because Cal has been present throughout the series but hardly a central figure.
It serves the story, even if it doesnt conform to any solid scientific principles.
High emotion makes leaps of logic easy to accept.
Why does Doctor Manhattan create life on Europa?
For starters, it has a lovely view of Jupiter.
The reasons extend a bit beyond this, however.
ATTEMPT NO LANDINGS THERE.
He associates the manor with peace so he modeled a whole world after it.
These are the parents he never had.
But it works too well.
And, yes, we getmore eggsfor the running tally this episode.)
Doctor Manhattan seems to feel incomplete without a lover by his side.
He stayed with Janey Slater after his transformation until leaving her for Laurie.
He may grow weary of humanitys self-destructive tendencies, but he craves imperfection.
So, how does Adrian Veidt fit into Doctor Manhattans paradise?
Pretty well … at first.
But, like Doctor Manhattan, he grows weary of it.
Unlike, Doctor Manhattan, he cant just walk away.
Lots and lots of cake, some of them containing horseshoes.
Again, the Veidt elements ofWatchmenremain the most puzzling.
Will it make the connection?
(And, asothers have suggested, she might have a deeper connection with him as well.
But theres another aspect to this question.
The servants live only to kindly their master, and Veidt has taken Doctor Manhattans place.
But he also supplies him with the horseshoe he seems to crave.
Its worth remembering that in an earlier episode Veidt rejected a horseshoe as being given to him prematurely.
Is this madness or genius?
Maybe next week will make matters clearer.
(Also of note: Hes readingFogdancing, the fictional novel thats appeared several times already.)
Why does Doctor Manhattan like the name Calvin?
Right, lets get back to Earth and to our central couple.
How does Angela come to pass off Doctor Manhattan as Calvin?
(It also notes Calvin was polite and composed and took great interest in my Dr. Manhattan bobblehead.)
Thats a really puzzling moment.
He does give them a nice wave before sending them off to be with Will at the Dreamland theater.
So is Doctor Manhattan really dead?
Well, Doctor Manhattan apparentlycansay, and he believes hes dead.
Doctor Manhattan has also died twice before: once in 1959 and again in 1985.
Still, for now, lets assume his story has ended in tragedy, to use his word.
Could he have prevented it?
It certainly looks like he could have just kept disintegrating heads as he fought on the front yard.
But, accepting the logic of the series, he couldnt save himself because he didnt save himself.
Which came first: the chicken or the egg?
Thats apparently the wrong question, at least from Doctor Manhattans point of view.
No wonder Angela asked him to forget himself for a while.
(And he said yes because he always already said yes.)
Are the song choices significant this episode?
Doris Days Tunnel of Love gives Angela a new favorite song and provides the episode with its central metaphor.
My life depends on whether you love me or not, Day sings.
Cause if you do / then Ill give you / everything Ive got.
SometimesWatchmenmakes sublime connections between its songs and its themes.
Sometimes it just goes for the joke.
