REVIEW: ‘Watchmen’ Episode 4 – “If You Don’t Like My Story, Write Your Own”

HBO returns with Watchmen Episode 4, “If You Don’t Like My Story, Write Your Own.” Previously, as Angela Abar (Regina King) and the rest of the Tulsa police department investigate the death of their police chief, Judd Crawford (Don Johnson), Senator Keane (James Wolk) requested the assistance of FBI agent Laurie Blake (Jean Smart). However, Laurie’s connection to vigilantes goes deeper than just hunting them down for the federal government as it is revealed she is none other than the second Silk Spectre. And while Angela is unsure of what to make of Laurie, the two are now forced to work together, especially since the Seventh Kalvary’s attack on Judd’s funeral.

Now, in Watchmen Episode 4 we are introduced to Lady Trieu (Hong Chau), a reclusive trillionaire. At the start of the episode, Lady Trieu is attempting to get a couple to give her their house and land. And while most people attempting to acquisition land would offer money, Lady Trieu, in the Watchmen tradition of featuring characters that are uniquely rich and powerful individuals, is far more eccentric. She instead, using her own funds and the resources from a fertility clinic she owns in Tulsa offers the couple a child. Chau as Lady Trieu is firm but incredibly interesting to watch on screen. She exhibits a certain type of charisma that is hard to label. In the first five minutes of the episode and her first appearance on the show, I was already hooked.

Meanwhile, Sister Knight, aka Angela Abar, suits up after receiving another phone call about the ancestry of Will Reeves (Louis Gossett Jr.). It was previously revealed by the DNA sample Angela took that he is her grandfather and considering his mysterious role in Judd’s death, it is no wonder Angela continues to investigate. After arriving at the Greenwood Cultural Center, Angela investigates her own family tree using the resources the Center provides at their exhibits. In an emotional moment, Angela is able to learn more about her great-grandparents and their fate in the Black Wall Street Massacre of 1921 massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma that opened the series.

The Greenwood Cultural Center has shown up a few times in the series and in “If You Don’t Like My Story, Write Your Own,” Angela walks through she sets off various holographic exhibits including one about the KKK. The incredible camera work sets up the visual to remind us of the dark secret that was hanging in Judd Crawford’s closet. Throughout the series, the show has created clever and imaginative shots such as this one.

As Angela leaves the Cultural Center, she runs right into Laurie Blake who just finished her phone call with Doctor Manhattan from the previous episode. At the end of the last episode, a car fell out of the sky in front of Laurie which had her convinced Doctor Manhattan was listening to her after all. However, Angela reveals it is her car.

The connection between Laurie and Angela remains strained and Angela seeing Laurie manically laughing at a destroyed vehicle doesn’t help the matter. The moment with the car also offers a clever way to further connect Laurie’s past with Angela’s since the last time we saw her vehicle was when it was being lifted out of the air with Will Reeves in it. So while there is no definitive answer as to who dropped the car out of the sky, “If You Don’t Like My Story, Write Your Own” does raise questions to just how involved Doctor Manhattan is with Earth.

Angela struggles to understand everything thrown at her even admitting to her husband, Cal Abar (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), that she is not thinking rationally. After revealing to her fellow officer Wade Tillman (Tim Blake Nelson), aka Looking Glass, that Judd kept KKK robes in his closet she asks him to hold onto it so Laurie Blake won’t find it. Laurie already knows Judd had a secret compartment in his closet but prior to investigating it, Angela removed the robes. It is unclear whether this decision is still irrational but what is clear is Angela’s clear distrust of Laurie. And as Laurie pulls up more and more leads into Angela’s missing car by visiting Lady Trieu, she gets closer and closer to uncovering all the secrets Angela is keeping.

Watchmen Episode 4 is another solid episode for the series that builds on the world of the graphic novel while expanding it with new characters and lore. Through Angela, the episode takes the opportunity to expand on Laurie’s history as we learn more about her childhood and time as Silk Spectre. Plus, the addition of Lady Trieu, a character not in the original graphic novel, adds a lot to the episode and despite this being her first appearance, she is quickly becoming my favorite character of the series.

Watchmen is streaming now on HBO with new episodes dropping every Sunday at 8pm CT/9pm EST.