New theory explains where Ozymandias is, and what Dr. Manhattan is doing

If you watched Sunday night’s new episode of Watchmen, “She Was Killed by Space Junk,” you know that we finally have official confirmation that Jeremy Irons is playing Adrian Veidt, aka the superhero Ozymandias, from Alan Moore’s original comic. Veidt, for those who haven’t read Moore’s 1986 classic, is the mad genius who dropped a terrifying alien squid monster on Manhatten, killing millions in an attempt to avert the Cold War.

We still don’t know what exactly Veidt is up to in his isolated English mansion, but the rumor mill is turning. In his latest episode, Veidt performed a cruel experiment on his docile clone butler Mr. Phillips, apparently simulating the void of space, and being angry and disappointed when Mr. Phillips didn’t survive it. Noting that he needs “thicker skin,” Veidt rides out and finds a standing herd of buffalo — which are still plentiful in this world, apparently — and shoot one right in the eye. But before he can skin it, a masked man on a horse fires a shot at him. This man is the Game Warden, who later sends Veidt a letter warning him not to try that s**t again.

Also, he thanks Veidt for the tomatoes. The two know each other.

So what in the world is going on here? Over on the Watchmen subreddit, Redditor bugcatcher_billy tried to put things together: “I think [Adrian] is a prisoner on mars to Dr. Manhattan,” he wrote. “The game Warden is a sort of control to keep Ozy in the bounds of the ecosystem Manhattan has created on Mars.”

Then there’s this photo: the top half is the live feed of Dr. Manhattan on Mars, where he’s presumably been hanging out since the end of the comic, and the bottom is the castle where Adrian is spending his time. Notice anything similar?

So according to this theory, Ozymandias is using his clone servants to test the boundaries of Manhattan’s prison and hopefully get back to Earth. The Game Warden, in this scenario, is just another clone, in this provided by Dr. Manhattan to make sure his old pal is properly cared for…and contained.

So why would Dr. Manhattan being keeping Ozymandias a prisoner on Mars? At the end of Moore’s comic, Manhattan leaves the planet seeming pretty unconcerned with what happens to its people. Clearly, something happened in the interim to make him intervene, but we don’t know what it is yet. According to an article on Peteypedia, HBO’s interactive Watchmen website, Veidt’s last public appearance was in 2007. Not long after that, he vanished, possibly teleported to Mars by the big blue doctor. Stay tuned for more.

While you’re mulling over this, allow Regina King (Angela Abar) to show you around the set:

Peteypedia is made up of memos and articles written and collected by Agent Dale Petey (Dustin Ingram), a member of the FBI’s Anti-Vigilante Taskforce and a superhero fanboy we met last night. HBO is updating it after each new episode. One of the new entries is a memo Petey wrote about American Hero Story: The Minutemen, an in-universe TV show about the first masked vigilantes, the ones who came along the Watchmen. Petey had to subpoena the first two episodes, and he was not a fan. Although Laurie Blake, aka Silk Spectre (Jean Smart), wasn’t a part of the Minutemen, he still spares some words of sympathy for her:

"My condolences, Agent Blake. You deserve better, too. I wouldn’t advise watching; but as you do not read these memos nor know I exist, I have every reason to believe you will tune in with millions of others as every airship and bus in America is demanding that you do.Maya Angelou once said, “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” It would appear she was unfamiliar with reruns. I have suffered through two episodes of this dreck… I am not looking forward to the third. But I will watch."

Agent Blake definitely knows who Agent Petey is after “She Was Killed by Space Junk.”

Watchmen continues this Sunday. It’s getting good, people.

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h/t Esquire