Sean O'Neal

The unexpected detour into superhero porn hails from American Hero Story, the Ryan Murphy-esque show-within-the-show that occasionally delves into Watchmen history, albeit with some fairly liberal dramatic license. As Agent Petey informs us in <a href="https://www.hbo.com/content/dam/hbodata/series/watchmen/peteypedia/02/masked-vigilantes-in-pop-culture-memo.pdf" id="96e37b4f-dfa7-3669-ad62-14e8939aeda5"> </a> , the fictional series first season covered the life of Rorschach, which Petey laments was filtered through a sensationalistic hyper-pop narrative that plays recklessly with history. (In case its not obvious, Watchmen also uses American Hero Story to offer a wry critique of itself.) In the show, American Hero Storys second season has just premiered, this time dramatizing the early days of pioneering crimefighting team The Minutemen as told through the permanently obscured eyes of Hooded Justice.

Hes a good choice for some showrunner to spin their own narrative around, since Hooded Justice remains one of the most inscrutable figures in the entire Watchmen mythology, even to its characters. In fact, what little is known about him is relayed secondhand, largely around the margins of the comic, through excerpts from Hollis Masons fictional memoir, Under The Hood. Its here we learn how a mystery man with a wrestlers build, his face totally hidden by a mask, became an instant legend in late-30s New York, after foiling a series of robberies and attempted homicides by brutally attacking the perpetrators. The exploits of Hooded Justice quickly attracted the attention of the press, inspiring otherslike Mason, the original Nite Owlto don their own costumes and exact a similar brand of vigilante justice. And so, the golden age of regular-people-pretending-be-superheroes was born.

Eventually, someone thought to bring all these newly minted mystery menand womentogether. Assembling the team was spearheaded by a former Marine named Nelson Gardner, who put his tactical skills and vast wealth toward reinventing himself as Captain Metropolis. Those who responded to Gardners call to come out of the shadows included other early heroes Dollar Bill, Mothman, Silhouette, Masons original Nite Owl, the first Silk Spectre (Lauries mom), and a young Edward Blake/The Comedian. After Gardner finally recruited Hooded Justice to the cause, they became The Minutemen, and quickly set to work doling out all-American justice. During World War II, they foiled the nations foreign enemies; at home, they all but eradicated the threat of masked villains. And under the guidance of Silk Spectres manager (and later husband), Larry Schexnayder, The Minutemen also became a lucrative brand, lending their likenesses to various ad campaigns (like ). Meanwhile, Schexnayder worked to cover up any potential scandal that could tarnish their virtuous, modern patriot image.

As we learned from the bookand saw graphically depicted hereone of Schexnayders biggest headaches was the secret romance blossoming between Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis. The comics included a letter from Schexnayder to Silk Spectre, in which he warns that the steady alibi shes provided by pretending to be Hooded Justices girlfriend surely cant last much longer, given that H.J. and Nelly are now behaving like an old married couple in public. Schexnayder also complains about Gardner calling him up, distraught that Hooded Justice has been getting up to some rough stuff with some younger boysan overt wink to Hooded Justices rumored BDSM kinks, which The Comedian had accused him of during an earlier confrontation. Schexnayder worries this will be the Silhouette fiasco all over again, and in a subsequent clipping, we see what he means: The press had exposed Silhouette as a lesbian, prompting the Minutemen to vote her outeven though, as Silk Spectre admits, a couple of the guys from the team were gay as well.

Although this is about as explicit as the comic gets, the illicit love story has long fueled fan interest, leading to theories like James Giffords popular 1999 article, , which posited that the two had faked their deaths to be together, and could even be glimpsed (older, happier) in a panel from the very first issue. Their romance also became a central plot of the Before Watchmen prequel comics, where we learned that an original draft of Under The Hood had actually spilled everything, nearly driving Gardner to suicide, before The Comedian bullied Mason into cutting it. So while its unclear how much of The Minutemen backstory is considered canon to HBOs series, you can certainly see how a sensationalistic cable show might want to entertain the rumors.

Gratuitous as all that thrusting might have seemed, the scene is actually pretty significant to the story Watchmen is trying to tell, which is at least partially about interrogating which stories we choose to believe and those we choose to ignore. Even in the comic, Hooded Justices story remains a mystery: After refusing to remove his disguise before the House Un-American Activities Committee, he disappears, his true identity never revealed. Although ultraconservative newspaper The New Frontiersman suggests that he was really East German circus strongman Rolf Mller, whose body was discovered three months after Hooded Justice went missing, this was never proven conclusively. Hooded Justice is a canvas as blank as the one he pulls over his face, onto which can be projected various notions of hero, violent thug, or even S&amp;M-loving hornball. Given that the show has been dropping hints at <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29752396/watchmen-episode-4-ending-explained/" id="acb7f541-f146-3a7c-ae88-e1c46a8683b1"> </a> , well presumably get some more thoughts on how his story has been so thoroughly twistedand hopefully, on how accurately it captured the sex.

The Story Behind 'Watchmen''s Superhero Sex Scene

So far, Watchmen hasnt exactly been demure when it comes to sexits not TV, its HBO, after all. Weve seen Angela (Regina King) and her husband do it in a closet. Weve watched as Laurie Blake (Jean Smart) <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29668453/dr-manhattan-dildo-watchmen/" id="550336fd-acdc-340f-a635-ca885da8c04a"> </a> , shortly before engaging in a secret motel rendezvous with . Episode five even opens with a young Wade Tillman being fellated inside a carnival funhouse. ...

Let's Talk About That Superhero Sex Scene on Watchmen

In Watchmens slightly skewed version of our world, this is what happened on November 2, 1985, a 9/11-like event, <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a29462906/damon-lindelof-watchmen-hbo-series-interview/" id="d54c864b-9827-32be-a30a-d912ae3836fc"> </a> , that served as the climax of the comic. Still, most of what actually happened on 11/2 has never been seen until now. The comic punted, focusing instead on the bloody, tentacle-strewn aftermath. Zack Snyders 2009 film cut the squid altogether, with Snyder blaming the squids absence on the runtime hed need just to make it seem, well, a little less ridiculous. So now that HBO has finally given us all the hot, giant-alien-squid action weve been craving, its only natural that you might have some questions. Heres everything we know about Watchmens squid.

<h1> Yep, a squid (or something like it) landed on New York City in 1985. </h1>

Just before midnight on November 2, 1985, an enormous tentacled monster appeared suddenly in the heart of Manhattan. Most of its body materialized inside the Institute for Extraspatial Studies, a research hub for possible extra-dimensional energy sources. The creatures massive tentacles exploded upon impact, killing it instantly and, generally speaking, making a huge mess of the city. Most of those who werent crushed by crumbling buildings or falling cephalopod chunks mysteriously collapsed, blood pouring from their ears. All told, half of New York (approximately three million people) died beneath the squid that night.

<h1> The squid was the work of Adrian Veidt. </h1>

The monster was the final act of a complex plan <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29639126/who-is-adrian-veidt-ozymandias-watchmen/" id="69d7752d-f6b5-3f71-a781-930efb614e92"> Veidt </a> first began hatching in 1966, after Edward Blake/The Comedian (father to Jean Smarts <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29653891/watchmen-who-is-laurie-blake/" id="117a8ee0-8262-340f-a431-140c54b76b72"> Laurie Blake </a> ) pointed out to Veidt the inevitability of mankind destroying itself with nuclear war. Determined to avert extinctionand to deny Blake the pleasure of being rightVeidt began meticulously plotting to stage a cataclysmic event, one that could terrify the world into forgetting its petty international squabbles.

Veidt (played by <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29490262/jeremy-irons-watchmen-interview/" id="4ab0360e-2fd2-32be-ac72-87f48dc32206"> Jeremy Irons </a> in HBO's series) started by perfecting the technologies for teleportation and genetic engineering. In 1970, he purchased a remote island, where he stashed a collective of scientists and artists whom he tasked with creating a monstrous new life form that could finally scare Earth straight. Meanwhile, he cleverly stoked humanitys fears of an alien invasion by screening retro science-fiction movies at his repertory movie theater, Utopia (right across the street from the Institute for Extraspatial Studies), and by planting subliminal messages inside ads for his companys products.

When Blake stumbled upon Veidts secret island, Veidt killed him in order to cover it up, setting most of the events of Watchmen in motion. At some point, he also blew up the ship that was ferrying his monsters creators back to the mainland. According to <a href="https://www.hbo.com/content/dam/hbodata/series/watchmen/peteypedia/01/rorschachs-journal-memo.pdf" id="021ceb63-f10b-333d-a3fc-de221cc71f00"> </a> compiled by <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29684821/watchmen-agent-petey-peteypedia-easter-eggs/" id="edb8f9b9-326e-3b8b-a04e-a1f0835732af"> </a> , the creature later dissolved into a puddle of harmless water and evaporated before anyone could study it.

<h1> The squid was made from the cloned brain of a dead psychic. </h1>

In addition to being massive and gross, Veidts monster was outfitted with a powerfully augmented brain cloned from that of Robert Deschaines, a medium whod died of stroke at a young age, and whose decapitated head was stolen from a mortuary. Veidt acquired Deschaines brain and had his geneticists transform it into a psychic resonator capable of broadcasting grotesque images and sounds. Most of these images were created by Max Shea, writer of the gory <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29703600/watchmen-pirates/" id="e9608604-3ef7-3790-a79e-a9d20fbafe92"> </a> , who concocted grisly images like baby squids chewing their way out of their mothers womb. The squid unleashed this awful mental payload on impact, flooding the minds of everyone in the vicinity. As Wade witnessed in Hoboken, most of them died instantly of shock. Many others were driven insane. According to Veidt in the comics, Sensitives worldwide will have bad dreams for years to come.

The Dimensional Incursion Event, as it came to be known, was immediately successful in pulling the world back from the brink of war. As the world witnessed the devastation in New York, Russia declared it would cease all Cold War hostilities until the new external threat could be assessed and dealt with. Veidt was triumphant, and the progressive utopia he dreamed of became a realityat least, for a little while.

<h1> And yet, the squid was a lie. </h1>

Veidts fellow masked crimefighters, including Laurie, discovered the secret behind his greatest practical joke in human history, but they were too late to stop it. They came to the cold realization that they would have to go along with the ruse, or risk upending the fragile peace and dooming humanity all over again. They agreed to help Veidt cover it upall except for Rorschach, whose unflinching moral absolutism wouldnt allow it. Unable to convince him to remain silent, Doctor Manhattan vaporizes Rorschach.

<h1> Rorschach exposed the truth, which led to the Seventh Kavalry. </h1>

In the final panels of the comic, Rorschachs journalwhere he wrote down everything he knew about Veidts ployended up in the office of <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29552955/watchmen-roger-ailes/" id="a3a021c0-c36a-3d4f-aa54-99575c0c710d"> </a> . As explained by <a href="https://www.hbo.com/content/dam/hbodata/series/watchmen/peteypedia/01/rorschachs-journal-memo.pdf" id="021ceb63-f10b-333d-a3fc-de221cc71f00"> </a> , the journal was eventually published, becoming a counterculture classic among fringe radicals. On the show, many of them now form the ranks of the <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29667649/what-is-seventh-kavalry-cavalry-watchmen-hbo/" id="dbfa3bde-7c88-366c-a9bb-c1d904533276"> Seventh Kavalry </a> , a domestic terrorist group in Rorschach masks that seeks to dismantle the entire system Veidt built upon his lie.

<h1> Nevertheless, the squids persisted. </h1>

As we saw in the premiere episode, the squids (albeit much tinier) , an occurrence thats common enough to necessitate a dedicated municipal squid crew. However, we still dont know exactly how those squids and Veidts big squid might be connected. Could they be hoaxes as well, designed to make another alien invasion, in Peteys words, a threat kept top of mind by random downpours of fetal cephalopods, as well as to make the original D.I.E. seem all the more believable? If so, whos creating those squids? Is it Veidt again? Or Lady Trieu, who assumed control of Veidts genetic engineering company around the time of his disappearance? Could this be the work of the Robert Redford administration? Is this <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/this-is-the-joke-that-liberals-need" id="e1ac2ad1-a9a5-3b2e-a858-eead266320af"> the world that liberals want </a> terrified and covered in squids? Given that Watchmen is bringing this major moment from the comics front and center again, and Lindelof has promised that all your questions will be answered by the season finale, were guessing well know soon enough. In the meantime, keep watching the skies. And the squids.

Everything to Know About 'Watchmen''s Giant Squid

Watchmens fifth episode opens in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1985. For fans of <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a28171139/watchmen-comic/" id="6ed4f758-720d-3b5f-acb0-dc609ff2eca1"> the comic </a> or anyone whos been paying close attention to the showthat year should immediately ring some ominous bells. But even if youre bad with dates, no doubt you were quickly clued in that something was up once the bodies started dropping. And failing that, you surely noticed what looked like...

Everything You Need to Know About That Giant Watchmen Squid

<ul><li> The Watchmen scenes of Adrian Veidt ( <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29490262/jeremy-irons-watchmen-interview/">Jeremy Irons</a> ) have thus far existed in a bubble. </li><li> After episode four, though, his predicament is starting to come into more focus. </li><li> Where could he be though? And in whose captivity? We dive into the evidence below. </li></ul>

From the very beginning of HBOs Watchmen, theres been something slightly... off about <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29639126/who-is-adrian-veidt-ozymandias-watchmen/" id="dcbcae9b-7615-36a6-a2d2-25036362da61"> Adrian Veidt </a> . Maybe its the fact that Jeremy Irons Lord of a Country Manor is being attended by cloned servants that, in the fourth episode, we finally see him harvesting out of a fetus-filled lake, before rapidly maturing them inside some sort of egg-shaped incubator. Maybe its that Veidt seems to spend his days working furiously on a series of Wile E. Coyote-esque inventions, hunting buffalo and taunting a mysterious masked man known only as the Game Warden, while spending his nights <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29575731/jeremy-irons-watchmen-hbo-theater-play-scene-reaction/" id="8906e7ed-44a8-352d-a2ea-fa0357837f21"> staging plays </a> about his old friends. Maybe its that he seems to subsist entirely on birthday cake. Whatever the reason, its been pretty clear from the start that theres more to Veidts pastoral idyll than at first appears. And this week, we finally learned that hes being held there against his will.

After bringing his insta-butlers to his trusty catapult, Veidt guides them through launching the corpses of their predecessors into the sky, where they mysteriously vanish. He then begins to monologue, in his venerable, Jeremy Irons way. Four years since I was sent here, he growls. In the beginning, I thought it was a paradise. But its not. Its a prison. Soon, with your helpwith your lives, with your broken, mangled bodiesone way or another, I will escape this godforsaken place.

Where exactly is that godforsakenif still quite lovelyplace, anyway? If Veidts in prison, then who sent him there? And who would be able to provide him with his seemingly endless supply of servants? As Veidt bitterly tells the newborn Mr. Phillips and Ms. Crookshanks, While I may be your master, I am most definitely not your maker. I would never have burdened such pathetic creatures with the gift of life. So who did?

At the moment, there seem to be two prime suspects.

The first would be <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29743299/watchmen-lady-trieu-hong-chau/" id="f94ea0cd-df79-3b54-a78c-e407d9d7c680"> Lady Trieu </a> (Hong Chau), whose history with Adrian Veidt dates back to at least 2012 whenaccording to the compiled by Trieu Industries first acquired Veidts struggling companies, right before Veidt disappeared. In fact, it was Trieu who formally announced that the FBI had finally declared him dead. And while Lady Trieu would seem at first blush to be a benevolent executor of Veidts estate, even putting a gold statue of him in her office, she also seems to have the most vested interest in ensuring he stays well out of the way. In the fourth episode, we saw how easy it is for Lady Trieu to create human life: She certainly had no problem whipping up a baby for that farmer couple as barter for their property. We also know that among Veidts holdings was his subsidiary Bubastis, a cloning technology named after his beloved lynx. Could Lady Trieu have designed both Veidts servant-clones and a posh country estate, the same way she created a miniature Vietnam inside her vivarium? And by the way, is it at all suspicious that her statue looks almost exactly like Veidt does now?

While Trieu would seem to be the obvious candidate, theres another theory floating around that Veidts old colleague <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29738223/watchmen-doctor-manhattan-theories/" id="6f359481-a264-30da-ace1-43669abe3ba6"> Doctor Manhattan </a> may be involved. Given that we <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29739470/john-cena-dr-manhattan-watchmen-theory/" id="2841015b-ee9d-3f69-adc0-a318e76378f4"> havent actually seen or heard much from Doctor Manhattan directly </a> , of course, this ones mostly based on speculation. In the pilot episode, we saw grainy satellite news footage of the one-man Blue Man Group on Mars, just sort of dicking around with making castles in the sandenormous castles that, according to some, look an awful lot like the one Veidt is currently living in. Granted, weve never seen Doctor Manhattan make any clones, . But in the final pages of the Watchmen comic, just before he absconds to outer space, Manhattan tells Veidt hes become interested in creating human life. Perhaps he started with a pair of obsequious, vaguely British servants, one of whom seems to share his talent for fixing old watches?

Another clue that Veidt could be trapped inside Manhattans Martian prison came in episode three, when Veidt fashioned a crude suit for one of his doomed Mr. Phillipses before launching him into the ether. That Mr. Phillips came back frozen solidnot unlike one would be in the -80 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures of Mars. So theres certainly evidence to support the idea that the cold vacuum of space lies just beyond the perimeter of Veidts paradise. The show even winks at this, dissolving from a shot of clouds glimpsed through Veidts telescope to one of the full moon.

Still, given that Doctor Manhattan was typically ambivalent about Adrian Veidts awful, necessary crime in the comics (I understand, without condoning or condemning, he said), there seems to be little reason for Manhattan to have decided that Veidt needed punishing now, all these years later. But to make matters even more confusing, Lady Trieu is obviously involved with Doctor Manhattan somehow: Trieu Industries is behind those phone booths that allow people to call Doctor Manhattan up with their <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29652209/watchmen-joke-full-text/" id="30094aa0-b8f0-3925-af5c-1e98160c83e9"> best jokes </a> . Could there be some way that these theories are not mutually exclusive, and that Lady Trieu and Doctor Manhattan are both somehow involved in creating the confines of Adrian Veidts world?

Luckilyand because all of this isnt nearly complicated enoughit seems as though Veidt also appears to be on a completely different timeline. Weve seen him presented with three cakes so far, each topped with one more candle than the last. Weve also seen Veidt grow progressively more irritated by it, going from chipperly announcing his new play, like a man whos embracing his leisure time, to angrily smashing his third cake on the floor. It certainly seems like every time weve checked in on Veidt, weve witnessed the passing of another year. So if we presume that we began with the first anniversary of his disappearance in 2013, and we just witnessed his fourth, then we must be rapidly approaching the shows present 2019 timeline. Which means we likely only have a couple more cakes to go before Veidt makes his big escape, and before we start getting some <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29752396/watchmen-episode-4-ending-explained/" id="ea01b034-f565-3512-ae18-eef7513b8176"> answers </a> .

Where Could Adrian Veidt Be on 'Watchmen'?

Spoiler Alert: if you haven't seen the fourth episode of HBO's Watchmen yet, you should probably stop reading right now. Unless if you're OK with being spoiled, then read away.

An Investigation Into Adrian Veidt's Whereabouts on Watchmen

In the third episode of Watchmen, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29575731/jeremy-irons-watchmen-hbo-theater-play-scene-reaction/" id="b3ff2e61-3197-3566-ac6d-a3546dd209f7"> Jeremy Irons </a> <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29639126/who-is-adrian-veidt-ozymandias-watchmen/" id="dcbcae9b-7615-36a6-a2d2-25036362da61"> Adrian Veidt </a> rides his horse past a black flag thats been strung across a sickle, emblazoned with a familiar-looking skull and crossbones. Later, he receives a letter sent by the mysterious <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29686956/the-game-warden-watchmen-hbo-show-theory-adrian-veidt-jeremy-irons-where-is-he/" id="51b7cecb-8eab-33b1-a3ef-d8711c6e0b2c"> Game Warden </a> whod fired a warning shot at him, its wax seal imprinted with that same ominous skull. Weve seen several such references to piratesor pirate regalia, anyway. The same episode reintroduces us to Pirate Jenny, played by Jessica Camacho, who was last seen piloting that owl-shaped ship in the premiere. And in a background Easter egg, we see that <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29653891/watchmen-who-is-laurie-blake/" id="dfa0a8bd-8d0c-31bd-a87c-b7460f6c32b9"> Laurie Blake </a> (Jean Smart) and her sidekick <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29684821/watchmen-agent-petey-peteypedia-easter-eggs/" id="e0676abc-0b5b-356d-ab89-4024737c1413"> Agent Petey </a> (Dustin Ingram) have checked themselves into the Black Freighter Inn &amp; Suites, an unusual motel name thats only slightly less enticing than Econo Lodge. These <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g29537038/hbo-watchmen-easter-eggs/" id="e290d549-b70d-38e0-a3f4-acb5f567e8e7"> references are subtle </a> , but like everything else about the show, theyre clearly deliberate. If youre coming in cold to the Watchmen universe, youd be well within your rights for asking what the hell is up with all the pirates.

As with so many other things about the HBO series, this is a deliberate callback to the <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a28171139/watchmen-comic/" id="56b866ec-2cbe-355d-a263-0b560b5ca50f"> comics </a> specifically, a comic within the comics. The Black Freighter Inn takes its name from Tales of the Black Freighter, a comic in the dark vein of Tales from the Crypt thats very popular in the Watchmen world. In an insert appended to Watchmen No. 5, a mock introduction to a book called the Treasure Island Treasury of Comics, we learn how pirate comics dominated the 20th century, with Tales from the Crypt publisher EC Comics ruling the marketplace with titles like Piracy and Buccaneers. That is, until National Comics (the proto-DC Comics) introduced Tales of the Black Freighter in 1960. An anthology series, Black Freighter is comprised of twisty, self-contained tales told by men who have gathered in a tavernutterly unprincipled and worthless creatures capable of almost any act of treachery who begin recounting their stories while a mysterious sea captain sits nearby, listening silently. Seemingly impressed by their scurrilous deeds, the captain invites them aboard his own ship, the titular Black Freighter, which is soon revealed to be a doomed, Flying Dutchman-style vessel that traps their souls at sea for all eternity.

Throughout Watchmen, one of the fringe characters, a teenager named Bernie, is seen reading Tales of the Black Freighter while he hangs out behind a newsstand (much to the annoyance of its owner). The specific story Bernie is so engrossed in, Marooned, is a particularly horrific one: Its the bloody account of a young sailor whose ship is destroyed by the Black Freighter, killing his shipmates and leaving him for dead. Convinced that the Freighter is now heading toward his hometown, the desperate mariner builds a makeshift raft by lashing together the bloated bodies of his fallen crew, then sails their rotting corpses across treacherous, shark-filled waters, feasting on raw seagulls as he descends into near-madness. By the time he finally returns home, hes whipped himself into a vengeful lunacy, believing the town to be already controlled by the Black Freighter hes come to regard as evil incarnate. In his frenzy, he kills an innocent couple he believes to be conspiring with the pirates, then mistakenly butchers his own wife. Stunned by his reprehensible acts, he realizes to his horror that the Black Freighter wasnt coming for his village after all. It was coming for him.

, Watchmen co-creator Alan Moore has said that Tales of the Black Freighter grew out of a conversation he had with his partner Dave Gibbons as they were trying to flesh out their fictional world. Superheroes already walked the streets, they realized, so folks probably wouldnt be reading about them in comics. At Gibbons suggestion, they decided everyone might be into pirates instead. Moore, a fan of playwright Bertolt Brecht, took the name from the Brecht and Kurt Weill musical The Threepenny Opera and its tune Pirate Jenny, sung by a maid who imagines pirates coming ashore to slaughter the townspeople whod oppressed her. Pirate Jenny has since become a standard, covered by the likes of Nick Cave and Nina Simone, whose version was included in the soundtrack for Zack Snyders Watchmen movie in 2009. And of course, it gave Camachos TV character her name.

While it began as a mere background detail, Black Freighter grew to become an important counter-narrative in the Watchmen comic, offering meta-textual commentary throughout on the characters actions and feelings, as well as elucidating the general ambience of paranoia and apocalyptic dread. Eventually, it also overlapped with the main story, as its revealed that Black Freighter writer Max Shea was among those conscripted by Veidt/Ozymandias to design the alien <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29534978/watchmen-squid-rain/" id="6fa7007c-24ae-3500-a5dd-d3bebd98db45"> squid </a> he drops on Manhattan, the apocalyptic event he fakes to stave off a real one. Ultimately, in Bernies estimation, Tales of the Black Freighter doesnt make any sense. But placed within the context of the larger Watchmen story, its a poignant allegory for Veidts corruption, his own fear of a looming, manifest evil similarly driving him to murder the very people he meant to protect.

So, what does this have to do with the TV show? Thus far, all the pirate stuff has been little more than a recurring motif, a wink to fans who have read the book (and who love throwing around words like meta-textual). Still, by the end of the original book, the comic drew an overt parallel between Veidt and the demented mariner: Veidt, before setting off his murderous squid-bomb, mused aloud that hed been Troubled by dreams lately, of swimming towards a hideous before abruptly cutting himself off. It seems that Veidt realizes, if only subconsciously, the utter awfulness of the act hes committing and the punishment he deserves. As the sailor lamented in Black Freighters final panels, while guiltily surrendering to the dreadful ship: I was a horror: amongst horrors I must dwell.

Could the pirate flag on Veidts property be a clue that he, too, has been condemned, forced to sail heedlessly on inside a similarly ghostly prison, surrounded by the phantom undead that are his servant clones? If so, does this mean that whoever created that prison has read Tales of the Black Freighter, maybe recognized the parallels to Veidts story, and thought it would be a cleverly symbolic way to taunt him? Or do they, like the comics-reading kids in Watchmen, just think pirates are kind of cool? Well surely know more in the coming weeks and Bernies protests aside, were guessing it will end up being more significant than at first it might appear.

Why Pirates Are So Important to 'Watchmen'

For a Superhero Series, Watchmen Is Pretty Obsessed With Pirates

After two weeks of scattering like so many tiny squids, the third episode of HBOs Watchmen, She Was Killed By Space Junk, offers the shows most overt references yet to the graphic novel its based on. We caught up at last with Laurie Jupiter, aka Silk Spectre, aka (played by Jean Smart), a key Watchmen original whos since dedicated herself to rounding up the next generation of wannabe superheroes as part of the Anti-Vigilante Task Force. We also got confirmationnot that we needed it, exactlythat Jeremy Irons eccentric country squire is the missing Adrian Veidt, who even slipped into his old Ozymandias armor for good measure. And while we didnt actually see either of Lauries ex-lovers, Nite Owl and Dr. Manhattan, the episode made clear that shes still carrying a lot of baggage there, at least some of which is packed with an . It may not be the 1980s anymore, as Lauries FBI boss reminds us. But this week, we got our most revealing glimpses yet of how the events of that decade continue to loom like a pissed-off Martian exile over the world of the show.

Amid all those big reunions, it would be easy to overlook the episodes other major character introduction. Agent Dale Petey, played by Dustin Ingram, makes his debut relatively quietly, reluctantly drafted by Laurie to accompany her to Tulsa on her investigation into the murder of Don Johnsons . But Petey soon surprises her. More than just some low-level IT drone whos handy with a slide projector, Petey also boasts a Ph.D. in history. And he seems to have a deep understanding of her history, specifically. He wrote his graduate thesis on the epochal Police Strike of 1977, he says, that epochal moment that led to the outlawing of costumed crime fighters in the first place. Hes also well versed in everything that happened afterward, which formed the narrative of the

So far, Agent Peteys role on screen has been relatively minor, but off screen, hes already been an important part of the show. Even before the premiere, has been publishing a collection of PDFs under the banner , comprising various memos, newspaper clippings, and other documents culled from the series universe. These kinds of ancillary rabbit holes have become fairly common in todays pop cultureparticularly in the wake of Lost, co-created by Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof, which spread its myriad mysteries across to keep fans actively engaged between episodes. <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/08/03/prometheus-screenwriter-damon-lindelof-tweets-all/?mod=WSJBlog" id="c3b10c43-20be-3700-a741-a1245d0c9dd6"> </a> , devising a viral campaign for his scripted Alien prequel that would fill in some of the blanks in the mythology, and he seems to have adopted a similar approach here. But Peteypedia also has roots in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons original comics, which appended various documentsletters, interviews, and most notably, excerpts from Hollis Masons autobiography, Under The Hoodto flesh out much of the backstory. Weve similarly learned a lot from Peteypedia already.

petey watchmen peteypedia laurie blake hbo

Thanks to Agent Peteys files, we know that, in the wake of Ozymandias dropping an enormous alien squid on Manhattan, the world went into a technophobic panic, shunning all electronic devices and even radio broadcasts for fear they would open the door to another transdimensional invasion. (The suspected carcinogenic effects of Dr. Manhattan-created electronics was another factor.) , its only now that computersand the newfangled invention known as El-Mailare being cautiously allowed back into the workplace. This would also explain why no one on Watchmen uses the Internet or cell phones.

Documents pertaining to , filed against the State of Oklahoma on behalf of the survivors of the Tulsa massacre of 1921 (and co-authored by O.J. attorney Johnnie Cochran), also add some context to the shows oft-referenced which were doled out by President Robert Redford to those whose ancestors suffered racial injustice. Likewise, a gallery sheet for a retrospective screening of gives us some more insightnot only into the faux-film about real-life U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves that was seen in the series premiere, but also the overarching themes of race, morality, and mythology that Watchmen means to explore. (According to some theories, they might even provide a hint as to .) In a memo drafted by Petey himself, we also hear his thoughts on the way show-within-a-show American Hero Story exploits some of those same themes, with against the TV series sensationalistic hyper-pop narrative that plays recklessly with history, proceeds from an overtly left-wing point of view, and risks alienating the fringe constituencies who regard costumed adventurers with problematic reverence.

The Peteypedia documents are enlightening, and often just plain amusing. We learn that Elvis faked his death and once staged a surprise show back in the late 90s; that Dr. Oz has been placed in charge of Americas collective colon as the Surgeon General; that . (Okay, that last one isnt so surprising.) But more importantly, they also fill in some significant gaps. A newspaper clipping headlined fills us in on a lot of whats transpired since the book, including the role that Veidt played in financing the blue wave of progressive politics that led to Redfords presidency and the deeply polarized world of the show. We also find out how Veidts personal fortunes and philanthropic endeavors stumbled amid the mass rejection of technology, how he sold off his companies to Trieu Industries (which is also referenced in the third episode), and, finally, how he disappeared in 2012, eventually spurring the government to abandon its search.

tells us more about what happened directly after the comic ended. Rorschachs journal, whose last page detailed how Veidt had faked his Dimensional Incursion Event, did indeed end up in the pages of The New Frontiersman, galvanizing the misfit reactionaries of the to wage their terroristic war against the liberal establishment. Petey also fills us in on the fate of Dan Dreiberg, aka Nite Owl, who was arrested alongside Laurie in 1995 for resuming their old ways. (Petey adds that Laurie eventually adopted the name The Comedienne after her late father, The Comedian/Edward Blake). As alluded to in this weeks episode, Dreiberg remains in custody, while Laurie was apparently conscripted into the FBI, forced to help clean up some of the mess shed created by inspiring a new generation of <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29668400/watchmen-the-dark-knight-spoof-batman/" id="98d4e277-c0d4-3c7d-a2d6-28065743e755"> vigilante copycats. </a>

In short, Agent Petey seems to be a veritable fount of useful knowledgeand forceful opinionin the Watchmen world. Hes a character whos as steeped as anyone weve met so far in its fictional history, and hes equally fervent about the threats would-be heroes still pose to society. From what weve seen, in both his memos and the show, Petey seems content to remain a helpful bureaucrat in this mission so far: In recommending that the FBI continue investigating Veidts disappearance, even if its just a ruse to avoid riling the Seventh Kavalry members who want him brought to justice, Petey volunteers to take on the responsibility of continuing to write lengthy memos no one will ever read to demonstrate said diligence. Peteys own donning of a mask in this episode is played off as a jokefirst as a rookie mistake, then as a kind of erotic cosplay. He seems more than content to continue watching the Watchmen.

But in making Agent Petey such a central character off-screen, long before hes even introduced, the show seems to be telegraphing that hes more important than he first appears, beyond just being a reliable source of exposition dumps. Could Peteys anti-vigilante passion eventually turn into something more aggressive? Could the flash of cold resentment he shows to Laurie (Please dont treat me like Im some kind of fan, Petey snaps, his jaw visibly clenching) foreshadow some even more sinister campaign toward her and her ilk? Or is this a case of Petey doth protest too much, and could his stolen night of motel sex with Laurie lead to Petey donning the mask for realremaking himself in the mold of the people hes dedicated so much of his life to studying and, lets face it, probably envying at least a little? Were only three episodes in, so obviously, time will tell. But in the meantime, it might be a good idea to keep an eye on Petey, along with a bookmark.

Agent Petey Is Much More Than A Watchmen Sidekick

Watchmen's Agent Petey Is So Much More Than Just a Side Character

Loneliness Is Fatal. Gaming Can Keep Men Alive.

The heightened tenor of this anxiety may be new, but the problems notand neither is the solution. According to a landmark UCLA study conducted in 1982, womens friendships tend to be based around emotional sharing and talking, while men connect through activities and doing things together. If you want to keep your friends (and you dont want to die), the experts agree, you have to make actual plans and keep them. Grabbing beers, shooting hoops, tipping cows; whatever loose framework is necessary to force another man to hang out with you, just long enough that some genuine bonding accidentally slips through the margins.

Of course, like making friends or tipping cows, this is a lot easier said than done, especially as we get older. In our school years and in those shiftless early 20s before we start really pulling our lives together, friends are just there, splayed across the futon and waiting to be herded toward your next hangout with little more than a grunt of assent. But once careers and marriages and kids start getting in the way, grabbing drinks requires a complex process of coordinating schedules and risk assessment, measuring the estimated quality of fun against any potential negative effect it might have on the rest of our overbooked days, which sucks the joy right out of it. Its little wonder so many of us choose to put away the actuarial tables and just stay home. But what if you could get the shared experiences and idle chitchat that are so necessary to nurturing these connections, without having to worry about hangovers, or babysitters, or even putting on pants? This is the idyll offered by multiplayer and co-op video games, which more and more people have been turning to of late. Some 25 percent of all adults either played or watched an online game in 2018, according to a Washington Post-University of Massachusetts Lowell poll, and somewhat surprisingly, half the respondents reported that friendship was one of their main reasons for logging in, whether it was finding new relationships or checking in with real-life friends they dont see as often as theyd like. Its a growing phenomenon that questions the stereotype of the gamer as isolated, even socially maladjusted. And its an increasingly common means for men to make the all-important act of doing something with their buddies, even when time, commitments, and geography get in the way.

Matthew, 35, is a quintessential example of this. He was forced to leave his college friends behind when he decamped for law school, and since gaming was already a part of their routine, it seemed like a natural way to keep in touchfirst through co-op titles like Resident Evil 5 and then, as their displaced group swelled, rounds of Dungeons &amp; Dragons. These days, its just one friend in particular he keeps up with through gaming, but its also more regular than ever before, with the two making time nearly every weekend to spend a couple hours playing together. Matthew estimates at least 25 percent of those sessions are spent just checking intalking about their jobs, about Matthews new dog, about his friends break-up with a long-term girlfriend. They still see manage to each other maybe once or twice a year, he says, and often theyll chat through more traditional messaging platforms. But its really the gaming thats kept them close, their idle banter during the loading screens allowing them to stay abreast of each other on a near-constant basis.

I think wed still be friends, but I dont know if Id be thinking about it in the same way, Matthew tells me. Because this way, were always talking. There are some friends I was very close with but dont see very often, and when I do see them, I feel like the entire time we have to catch up on everything thats happened in their lives. And I dont feel that way with him.

Even at the relatively young age of 27, Lucas had also lost track of some of his friends, many of them hed known since elementary school. Gaming likewise gave him the pretext he needed to reach out to those guys hed once spent nearly every afternoon with, huddled around a Nintendo 64, but hadnt heard from since. He looked up their old usernames on his Playstation, and through games like Rocket Leagues and Fortnite, he managed to rekindle many of those old friendships via biweekly sessions, learning about the surprising turns their lives had taken. He tells me that gaming reduced some of the inherent awkwardness of having those kinds of conversations over the phone.

Im a pretty open guy, and I think some of my friends arent, Lucas says. So after losing touch, it took a while for some of them to open up. But now I think we can be pretty honest with each other. Having the game to play sort of breaks the ice.

Brian, 53, has a similar story. His trio of friends met in the same astrophysics department back in the 90s, spending their downtime massacring aliens in the first-person shooter Marathon over the schools local-area network. After graduation, as everyone dispersed to different states, they kept it up by playing Halo through Xbox Live, meeting every single Monday night for nearly a decade and a half now. Although one of those friends has more or less fallen off (Hes waiting for the new Halo, Brian explains), Brian and Greg still spend a few hours online together every week, using voice chat to gossip about old friends and colleagues, commiserate about their jobs, and even fill each other in on major life events.

Its how I found out he was getting married again, Brian says. He told me he wouldnt be able to play for the next few weeks because he was going on his honeymoon. I knew he was dating someone, but I didnt know it had gotten to that point. And I guess I told him the same thing. I didnt send out invitations or anything. I just said, Oh, Im getting married next week.

GRANTED, FROM AN outsiders perspective, maybe this doesnt sound like much of a friendship. If you can just sort of casually announce something as life-altering as your own wedding while youre waiting for a screen to load, are you really connecting? But of course, this is a question thats not specific to video games. In a way, its the defining existential crisis of our age, where we spend more time interacting with each others various social media profiles than we do the far less curated people behind them. Games are just the latest, most literal manifestation of this kind of virtual friendship.

A few years ago, as the debate grew louder about this illusion of intimacy created by our online connections, there was a lot of renewed talk about Dunbars numberthe theory from evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar that humans are capable of maintaining, at most, 150 stable relationships at a time, no matter what your Facebook friend count says. As he made the trend-piece rounds, Dunbar reiterated that Facebook, et al. were still no substitute for face-to-face interactions, or the physiological and neurological responses we get from doing real-world together, sharing a laugh or a fleeting touch on the shoulder. In 2014, he told <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/social-media-affect-math-dunbar-number-friendships" id="190d76ab-ba5a-3e82-a3ae-f44173b79d30"> The New Yorker </a> that the data is still pending on whether the younger generation, which has been raised on these sorts of virtual interactions, can ultimately form the same kinds of relationships. Still, Dunbar and many of his fellow researchers have cast doubt on their ability to create truly lasting bondsor worse, to help people develop the necessary social skills to find them.

Dr. Geoffrey Greif shares Dunbars faith in face-to-face relationships, although hes hesitant to say virtual connections are somehow less genuine. For his 2008 book Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships, Greif interviewed more than 400 men, and they all had different ideas about what constitutes a friend. When I ask him to weigh in on whether video game friendships are real, he reaffirms that its up to the friends to decide. However, he adds, although playing games together would provide more emotional and intellectual stimulation than just passively watching TV, and clearly any communication is better than none at all, he points out that it doesnt provide the same benefits you would get from being in the same room with them.

If Im only interacting with people on video games, Im not going to be open to these other ways that friendships can be emotionally and physically healthy to me, Greif tells me, giving me the example of a friend noticing that youve put on weight and suggesting you see a doctor about it. Its the kind of helpful (albeit kinda shitty) little thing friends do for each other naturally, and its just not possible when youre only avatars on a screen.

Dr. Greif says his first response to anyone who says they spend all of their time talking online would be to advise them to cut it down to 90 percent, and use that remaining 10 percent to seek out more ways to engage with the world face to face. Still, If somebody is lonely and they find a way of communicating with people around video games, and that helps them, then I think thats a good thing, he says.

While none of the guys I spoke to characterized themselves as lonely, per se, some of them admitted to turning to games as a means of coping with social anxiety. When Belvin, 23, was barely out of college, his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The ensuing year of losing him in slow motion was devastating, he tells me, and Belvin spent much of it as a recluse, unable to muster the enthusiasm to go out and meet new people, or even engage with the things he once enjoyed doing. He spent about four nights a week playing Fortnitewith friends who had splintered off at graduation, which he says kept him from falling into full-bore loneliness and despair.

Video games sustained me through a very dark time, he says. Having the ability to play video games with my friendswhich led to both conversation and a shared activity, with a relatively low investment for mewas very helpful in just keeping my spirits up.

Belvin says he didnt really discuss his dads illness during gameplay, mostly sticking to the sort of typical male surface-level conversations about music and TV shows that define mens friendships, both online and off. But he also doubts he would have talked about it face to face: I just have a natural tendency to not want to bring people down, he says. Mostly it was just the fact that he could find someone every evening to talk to, about anything and nothing, without having to pull himself together enough to leave his apartment. It was a valuable lifeline when he needed it most.

For Scott, 38, the connections hes made through gaming have long since transcended superficial chatter to provide a similar kind of emotional support. Scott has played the baseball simulator Out Of The Park (like fantasy baseball but nerdier, he explains) with the same group of guys for approximately 15 years, all of whom he met through the games messaging board. He now considers many of them to be his best friends, and they stay in near-constant contact through the private forum where everyone congregates to talk intimately about their lives; some dont even bother playing the game anymore.

Over the years, theyve attended each others weddings and helped each other through divorces, provided career counseling and parenting advice, and generally been there for each other in a way that would probably put your own company softball team to shame. For example, when one members wife died suddenly of cancer, the rest of the group rallied to raise funds to offset medical costs, then <a href="https://blog.sbnation.com/2013/8/14/4621926/bless-you-boys-providing-relief-for-one-familys-tragedy" id="73fef4de-f2d0-3203-a10f-551c89d02365"> worked out a way to get him to attend batting practice for his beloved Detroit Tigers </a> . And if you ask Scott, these are the kinds of connections that could only happen because of the remove that gaming allows, which has allowed these men to share their true selves with each other in a way that they probably wouldnt be able to otherwise.

I think you know each other on a more personal level, actually, and the distance kind of helps with that, Scott says. I have really strong friendships in real life, but I dont think theres that depth of personal connection. My real-life friendships, you know, you talk about things, but you definitely dont tell all. Its always easier when you can type out your thoughts. You have time to gather your words and figure out what you want to say. Its intimidating to be face to face with somebody, trying to figure out how to tell them whats going on in your life or how you really feel. Here, its like youre talking to other people, but its also like youre talking to yourself at the same time.

And despite the fact that these conversations might be taking place in a purely imaginary setting, and lack the natural give-and-take youd get from having them in person, that doesnt make these virtual communications any less real, they argue.

So much of our experience in this century has showed us that all kinds of interactions can have meaning to us, even if theyre purely text-based, or auditory, Belvin says. People listen to podcasts and feel like the podcasters are their friends, and to what extent is that real? Whats real these days?

IT'S A FAIR question, and one that only promises to grow more complex as technology evolves and, with it, our ability to connect with people in ever more artificial realms, and ignore all the flesh-bags shuffling through this one. But even in our crude present, its worth noting that most of the men I spoke to took pains to delineate between the friendships they maintain through gaming and those they have out here in the so-called meat space. Several requested that I also not use their full names or even their real ones, wary of the stigma of being identified as a gamer. The distance and relative anonymity of games might actually allow men to be more intimate with each other and express themselves more freely, and it could also be an avenue for unexpected emotional connection, even personal growth. Yet it still carries a connotation of awkwardness and artificiality, so its not surprising that so many were reluctant to advertise that it was such a key part of their social lives.

Ned (not his real name) is one of those who keeps his gaming friends and his real world friends separate. Although raised on Atari and Nintendo, he was a bit of a late adopter to games as a social outlet. I would log into Grand Theft Auto IV online for just a minute, and as soon as I saw another person I would log off, he tells me. But in his mid-30s, Ned became a stay-at-home dad, stuck at home in a new city and hungry for any kind of human contact, preferably one he could make from his basement. He found his way to the co-op gaming hub Co-Optimus, where he discovered he could play games like Borderlands and Destiny with other guys who were looking for a little fun and conversation about anything but their kids.

Ned is 45 now. His children are more self-sufficient, and his law career has picked back up, but he tells me he still plays with that same group nearly every single night. He also spends every day trading messages with them via the group chat app, Band. One of them even came to visit for a few days and, despite Neds initial reservations, it was totally fine. The rapport theyd developed while exploring the moons of Saturn translated smoothly to fairly hanging out in Minnesota, it turns out, and Ned said he believes it would probably be the same if he ever dropped in on the rest of his teammates. Still, when I ask whether he feels like his online friendships have ever intruded on his real world ones, he seems to draw a line between them.

I have definitely had opportunities to hang out with people herelets go see a movie, lets grab a drinkand Im like, Eh, I dont know, we were gonna raid tonight, Ned tells me with a laugh. Sadly yes, that has happened. Maybe its a little bit of a problem? I should probably go out and see my real friends more.

Hes certainly not alone: Most of the guys I talk to say they spend far more time with their gaming friends than those they see in the real world. Some tell me its also diminished their eagernessor willingnessto go out and make new friends, seeing as they already have these relationships to fall back on, with the literal push of a button. As Dr. Greif tells me, this is a common problem as we age, as men especially have the tendency to believe they can only be friends with guys theyve already known their entire life, and who dont require us putting in the work to get them up to speed on all our references, or to understand when were joking. Besides, who just walks up to a dude and starts talking? Wont he just assume were hitting on him, or working out a way to wheedle money? Weve been conditioned to find overly friendly strangers suspiciousthat theyre probably just Mormons or con men peddling magazine subscriptions. Overcoming those kinds of social hurdles can prove to be a much bigger challengeand a lot less funthan just staying home and shredding hordes of zombies with guys you already know, even if theyre only voices in your ear.

Nevertheless, just as text chats have given way to Twitch video streams, and esports bars have sprung up around the growing leagues of professional Overwatch players, our notion of video games as the sole province of lonely shut-ins has evolved. So it stands to reason we should adjust our attitudes about the relationships you can have within games as well, whether theyre just an excuse to keep in touch with old pals, or even a means to meet some brand new ones. When I suggest to him that some people might find his mostly online friendships to not be real, Brian openly scoffs.

That sounds silly to me, he says. People bond over all sorts of stuff. If we bonded over fishing, is that not real? All youre doing is drowning worms and drinking. Is that not a real friendship? In other words, your virtual friendship can be as real as you make it. And suffice it to say, it sure beats the alternative.

MEN ARE LONELY, or <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/uk/mental-strength/a759609/the-truth-about-male-loneliness/" id="4bb389f4-a60a-35f5-a304-c85c8d6fb864"> so weve heard </a> . Not from our friendsthat would require actually sharing our feelings, which were not great atbut from an endless cascade of <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/" id="ceaf99c3-f994-36c2-afd0-62726a00...

Loneliness Is Fatal. Video Games Can Keep Men Alive.

Serial is a podcast that was spun off from the popular public radio program This American Life. It's co-created and hosted by Sarah Koenig, a former reporter for The New York Times and Baltimore Sun. Combining investigative journalism with long-form storytelling-plus a soupcon of old-fashioned radio drama, and one hell of a catchy theme song-it quickly became the podcast everyone with a Macbook and a mic aspires to emulate upon its debut in 2014. The Peabody Award-winning first season racked up a world record for downloads, and it soon had everyone, even people who had never heard of a "podcast" before, playing amateur sleuth on the case of Adnan Syed.

The subject of Serial's first season was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, 18-year-old Hae Min Lee, in 1999, when they were both in high school. After Lee's body was found strangled and partially buried in Baltimore's Leakin Park, police received an anonymous phone call implicating Syed. The subsequent investigation and criminal trials hinged largely on some dubious interpretation of cell phone records, as well as the ever-shifting testimony of a possible witness/accessory of even more dubious reliability. Meanwhile, Syed himself was never permitted to testify in court. All of these factors-combined with the portrait that his acquaintances paint of a popular kid, star athlete, and all-around nice guy who would never hurt anyone-raised plenty of skepticism about whether he really could have carried out such a brutal crime, even before the show. Nevertheless, Syed was handed a life sentence in 2000. He appears throughout Serial in a series of taped phone interviews from prison, in which he continues to maintain his innocence.

<h1> Who else was involved in Adnan Syed's trial? </h1>

Part of Serial's rabbit-hole appeal is its large cast of colorful supporting characters, each of them factoring into the story in ways that are slowly revealed across its eight episodes,-and requiring one of those classic red string boards to keep straight. Besides Syed and Lee, the main players to be familiar with include: Jay, Syed's occasional pot-smoking pal, who provided the only direct evidence against Syed when he told police he'd helped him to bury Lee's body; Jay's close friend Jennifer, who similarly told police (eventually) that Jay had confessed to her, after her number mysteriously turned up in Syed's call logs; and Don, Lee's older boyfriend, who worked with her at Lenscrafters, and whose own alibi that day is slightly questionable. Theres also Cristina Gutierrez, the late defense attorney whose botched representation of Syed formed the basis of several appeals he later made to his conviction. It also left plenty of room for Serial and its legion of earbud detectives to try to get to the bottom of what really happened.

<h1> So what did really happen in Serial? </h1>

As thousands of still-raging Reddit threads will confirm, we still don't know for sure. Serial begins with the presumption of Syed's innocence raised by attorney Rabia Chaudry, a childhood friend of Syed who brought the case to Koenig. Over its run, the show casts plenty of doubt on the official version of events, uncovering myriad contradictions in just about everyone's testimonies, particularly Jays, and it reveals just how much of the prosecution relied on those fuzzy, possibly falsified memories, as well as some potentially misinterpreted cellphone data. It also uncovers some inexplicably unexplored angles-including a potential alibi for Syed who was never even interviewed-and explores how Syed being Muslim may have also contributed to juror bias. Still, it doesn't completely absolve him, either. Also, seemingly everyone in this tangled web has some kind of suspicious side story, even the guy who happened to discover Lee's body (a convicted public streaker who claims he was just looking for a place to pee). By the end of the season, Koenig herself says she's no closer to understanding what actually happened, and nearly five years after it wrapped, neither are we.

<h1> What effect did Serial have on Adnan Syed's case? </h1>

By the time Serial's first season ended in 2014, Syed already had an appeal waiting before a higher court. In 2016, it finally reached a Baltimore judge who vacated Syed's conviction, then ordered a new trial for Syed based on reexamining that flimsy cellphone evidence and his attorneys failure to interview a classmate, Asia McClain, who told Koenig that she saw Syed in the library at the time of the murder. Whether Syed will actually get that new trial is currently tied up in the Court of Appeals, which has pledged to deliver its final decision no later than August 31, 2019. It's safe to say that the overwhelming popular interest in Serial has made reopening the investigation-and seeking some kind of closure to this utter mess-a genuine cause clbre that shows no sign of abating, no matter what the board actually decides.

<h1> What other impact has Serial had? </h1>

In addition to HBOs The Case Against Adnan Syed, which reexamines both the original story and its post-Serial aftermath, the show has spawned an Investigation Discovery special, as well as two books on Syed from Rabia Chaudry and Asia McClain. Chaudry also hosts her own podcast on the subject, Undisclosed. It's also fueled an ongoing debate over the case that continues to sprawl across the internet-including one regarding the role Serial and Koenig may have played in obfuscating or even exploiting it. And while subsequent seasons of Serial have so far failed to take off in quite the same way, that first season instantly made the show a paragon of the podcasting form, inspiring myriad copycats and parodies. Its also greatly contributed to an overall craze for true-crime stories, across all formats. Like the mystery of what happened to Hae Min Lee, this, too, is far from over.

On March 10, HBO will premiere The Case Against Adnan Syed, a four-part documentary series delving into the 1999 murder of Baltimore high-school student Hae Min Lee, and the confusion and controversy that surrounds it some 20 years later. You've probably already heard this story: The man accused of killing Lee, her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed, was the subject of the mega-hit podcast Serial, which captivated the world with its dramatic investigation into those still-murky particulars, and had your...

The True Story Behind HBO's 'The Case Against Adnan Syed'

8 Times Alex Trebek Mercilessly Owned 'Jeopardy!' Contestants

Fans have spent years clamoring for Cleganebowl, the climactic showdown between beyond-estranged brothers Sandor The Hound (Rory McCann) and Gregor The Mountain Clegane (Hafthr Bjrnsson). It seems pretty likely the final season will make good on this, unless the creators would rather be pestered about it for the rest of their public lives. There have been other hints, beginning with The Hound telling his undead brother in the season seven finale, You know who's coming for you. You've always known. And in addition to that classic bit of pre-fight trash talk, Bjrnsson was asked in an Instagram Q&amp;A about his favorite scene in the show, and replied, It happens in season 8... so I can't speak about it." Granted, thats pretty vague (maybe Bjrnsson just really loved seeing Jon and Arya reunited), but it certainly suggests the big payoff is coming. Whats more, Bjrnsson followed up with a photo of himself in his Mountain makeup, looking even more bruised than usual.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk72j6nni9-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="a17565bc-79de-35a5-a806-9594cbe73289"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk72j6nni9-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="630debab-ed49-3390-ae95-30cb4c8d3e63"> Caption this! - @thorspowergym use code summer20 for 20% off of everything at hafthorbjornsson.com </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thorbjornsson/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="a989992c-c077-3ebb-a043-539ca74c731c"> Hafr Jlus Bjrnsson </a> (@thorbjornsson) on Jul 7, 2018 at 8:18am PDT

<h1> The whole show will be revealed as Samwell Tarlys story </h1>

Sensitive and sensible, Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) probably should have been gutted ages ago. Yet hes become one of Game Of Thrones unlikeliest-and most unkillable-heroes. As Bradley himself has , If he's still around at this stage, you do suspect that there is gonna be a point to keeping him around. And while the series definitely needs someone to pore over musty tomes and well, actually... Jon, many believe Sam has a much grander purpose: writing the story of Game Of Thrones.

The shows been hinting in that direction since last season, when Sam tells one of the maesters of the Citadel that his in-progress history book, A Chronicle of the Wars Following the Death of King Robert I, could use a more poetic title. Theres also the fact that sports a gyroscope very similar to the one seen in Game of Thrones' opening credits, suggesting its the origin of the show weve been watching. And finally, Martin himself has said that, of all his characters, <a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/the-conversation/sdut-george-rr-martin-comic-con-2014jul28-story.html" id="75a8cbe1-ed24-3e38-af08-1719ce7a1db9"> Sam is the one closest to himself. </a> All of this definitely points to the show ending with Sam finally sitting down to put all this to paper-perhaps while a hundred nerds gather around him, clamoring that he hurry up.

For decades now, A Song Of Ice And Fire readers have been predicting that Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) will be driven to add Queenslayer to his rsum and kill Cersei (Lena Headey). Its to the point where some now regard it as too obvious, theres no denying that anyone besides Jaime killing his sister-lover would never be as narratively satisfying. Last seasons finale saw Jaime refusing to have any part of Cerseis latest treachery and riding off, presumably toward Winterfell.

Since then, some sharp fans have noticed that, in the recent round of production photos, Jaime appears to have traded his gilded Lannister armor for , suggesting season eight will definitely see him joining Jon and Daenerys forces. With his allegiances shifted, it seems likely that Jaime will fulfill the dark prophecy that Cersei will be killed by her valonqar (High Valyrian for little brother), as well as the inevitably tragic arc of the shows most messed-up love story.

On the subject of prophecies, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) has long been living under the threat of three betrayals: one for blood, one for gold, and another for love. Its widely believed shes already seen the first two-a healer killed her unborn child for revenge; Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) spied on her for gold-so theres just one more to go.

Many believe it will be Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), whose relationship with Daenerys was complicated even before he watched her having sex with her nephew, Jon Snow (Kit Harrington). There have been a few, mostly inferred hints that Tyrion is in love-or at least, lust-with Daenerys, prompting him to act out of jealousy. Though its also possible hell be moved by love for his family: In his tense reunion with Cersei last season, Tyrions mood seemed to shift the second he learned she was pregnant, and their off-screen deal sparked speculation that theyd struck some sort of secret dtente. Plus, Tyrion definitely didnt seem to enjoy watching Jaime and the Lannister army getting roasted by Danys dragons. Some kind of rift is coming.

<h1> Daenerys is pregnant with Jons baby </h1>

Surprise pregnancies are a staple of final TV seasons, and theres been a lot of mounting foreshadowing suggesting that Daenerys will have one after rocking the boat with Jon, despite long believing shes barren. Jorahs insistence that Jon keep his sword, Tyrion and Daenerys oddly specific discussion about securing an heir, Daenerys taking pains to tell Jon that her dragons are the only children I will ever have-theyve definitely laid it on a little thick in setting up the shocking reveal that she was wrong. Ditto the potentially heartbreaking ramifications that pregnancy could have. (More on that later.)

<h1> Cersei is pregnant with Euron Greyjoys baby </h1>

Speaking of incest (with Game Of Thrones, when are we not?), we learned last season that Cersei is pregnant again. She let Jaime believe hes the father, but theres a growing suspicion, first proposed by PopSugar, that this was just a ruse, and that Cersei actually laid with Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek)-either out of strategic alliance, or because she could no longer resist his sweaty come-ons.

The father of Cerseis baby would seem to be a relatively unimportant detail, except for the fact that sleeping with Euron as a power move might signify Cerseis final break with whatevers left of her humanity. And as weve seen on countless Maury episodes, it would definitely piss off Jaime-maybe even enough to drive him to murder. Lets call this one mostly plausible.

<h1> Tyrion will be revealed as yet another Targaryen </h1>

Another longstanding theory says that Tyrion is actually the son of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, whom the whole court knew had the hots for his mother, Joanna. Its already been established that Tyrions late father, Tywin (Charles Dance), suspected that Tyrion wasnt really his son. Tyrions mother also died in childbirth, which seems to be standard exit procedure for Targaryen babies. Meanwhile, fans have also seized on the fact that dragons seem awfully comfortable around Tyrion.

Theyve even (maybe, sort of) joked that his bloodline was all but confirmed in . If Tyrion doesnt end up being the one to betray Daenerys, him suddenly having a whole new family to care about would one way to clear up these muddy allegiances-even if it means cluttering the final season with two secret Targaryen reveals, not to mention complicating it with yet more incestuous longing.

Back to prophecies: We've spent seven seasons now hearing advance buzz for The Prince That Was Promised from Melisandre (Carice Van Houten). This savior would, presumably, be the reincarnation of the equally oft-mentioned Azor Ahai, who once saved humanity from the Others and was predicted would one day return to do it all over again. At first, the ancient sorceress was pretty sure this was Stannis Baratheon, but more recently her attention has shifted to other candidates-beginning with Jon Snow. The shows definitely been hinting that this is Jons destiny by confirming his princely, Targaryen lineage and giving him his own supernatural resurrection. In fact, if hes not Azor Ahai, its probably because...

The late Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) once said as much to Sam upon the news of Daenerys fiery rebirth as the Mother of Dragons, lamenting that translations in those ever-iffy ancient scrolls had led to everyone mistakenly expecting a man. Daenerys claim to the prophecy is as strong as Jons, so theyre pretty much equal frontrunners for the big reveal of who will wield the magical sword, Lightbringer, against the forces of darkness. Of course, no matter who gets the call, its bound to complicate their relationship. Especially if the next theory pans out.

<h1> Jon will have to kill Daenerys to save the world </h1>

Lightbringer was no ordinary sword. In the books, its said that Azor Ahai forged it by plunging it into the heart of the woman he loved, so that her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel. Many fans believe that Jon will be forced to make a similar sacrifice-whether its killing Daenerys to make his own Lightbringer, or offering up their unborn child to the Night King, or according to , even turning her into a White Walker. As the theory goes, they would then achieve peace between the living and dead and go on to rule together-a king descended from fire, his icy corpse of a queen, and all the sitcom hijnks that implies-to give this story the that George R.R. Martin said we should expect.

Ever since we witnessed Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) journey into the past to completely ruin Hodors life, a popular theory has taken hold that Bran has been wreaking similar havoc throughout the past. Maybe he is, in fact, every Brandon Stark in those tales Old Nan used to tell him-including Bran The Builder, who created Winterfell and The Wall. As with Hodor, some believe he may have even accidentally driven Aerys Targaryen crazy with his whispered warnings about the White Walkers. But all of those theories pale next to the persistent speculation that Bran is actually the Night King, having at some point traveled back in time, merged with the man who became the first White Walker, then became trapped. Its all a bit heady, involving things like , and its been backed up by shakier things like their similar gait and fashion sense. That early season eight teaser-where the Stark siblings, sans Bran, -has only reignited the theory. (For his part, Wright has called the whole thing .)

<h1> Littlefinger faked his death </h1>

The death last season of Aiden Gillans Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger, was one of the more surprising in the shows history-not least because the master manipulator was usually several moves ahead of everything. So its no surprise many fans believe Littlefinger even outfoxed his own death. lays out the theory, based largely around a mysterious scene where Littlefinger is seen talking to an unknown young woman, who appears to whisper, Your times up before he hands her a coin.

This was one of the iron coins of Braavos, the video speculates, the same that Arya was given by the faceless assassin Jaqen Hghar (Tom Wlaschiha). The theory concludes that Baelish (whose great-grandfather was from Braavos, after all) must have paid that young woman to take on his face. His every appearance thereafter-including when Arya (Maisie Williams) slit his throat-was actually her in disguise.

This is somewhat backed up by an interview Gillen gave to the , where he explained that he never saw Littlefinger as someone who shows vulnerability, which would seem to contradict the way Littlefinger was last seen crying and begging for his life. (In that same interview, Gillen even drops the line, Your time is up.) You can certainly see the appeal of this one, even if it would mean undoing a powerful moment-and a rare win for the Starks. And even if it doesnt pan out this way, chances are we havent seen the last of Littlefinger in some form. You think Arya will let such a valuable face go to waste?

The death of Ned Stark (Sean Bean) has hung over the entire show, so its no surprise theres a theory that it will attempt to come full circle by bringing Ned back-be it as a White Walker, resurrected by the Night King to face off against his children, or even by revealing he never really died in the first place. Again, this theory all relies on the fact that theres a bunch of guys who can wear other peoples faces hanging around, with fans concocting some especially elaborate wishful thinking about Ned meeting Jaqen in the Red Keep, who helped him switch faces so that Ned could escape.

Supposedly, Ned has spent the past few years in hiding, waiting until he could make the most dramatic of returns. As with a lot of these theories, the how is a little more thought out than the why-although this one does hold up better than the one where Ned magically escaped execution by suddenly warging his spirit into a passing flock of birds.

<h1> Just about everybody who died will return </h1>

As long as were bringing corpses back for curtain calls, why not really go for it? Based on little more than a general belief that it would be cool, there have been a few theories floated that just about everyone whos ever died on the show could return for the final battle. Again, maybe theyll be reborn as White Walkers (which seems cruel, even for this show). But some believe that they could be brought back by Rhllor, the Lord of Light, at the behest of Melisandre and whatever true believers shes probably bringing back from Volantis.

Rhllor can supposedly resurrect anyone who died in flames (or had their bodies cremated), meaning the doors open for everyone from Khal Drogo to Margaery Tyrell to Shireen to come shambling over the horizon. Still, Jason Momoa doesnt see Khal Drogo returning, at least. he said last December. Nine years now, let him go. Probably good advice for everyone.

<h1> Varys will be revealed as a merman </h1>

One of the most venerable fringe theories around Game Of Thrones is that Varys, that oily eunuch spy, is so slippery because hes literally a fish-or technically merling, squisher, or Deep One, as the books call them. These sea creatures exist mostly around the margins, mentioned only in passing in Martins novels and, as yet, never discussed on the show. Still, some fans have suggested Varys might actually be one, thanks largely to an exchange he had with Tyrion back in season two: When Tyrion threatens to throw him into the sea, Varys huffs, You might be disappointed in the results. The storms come and go, the big fish eat the little fish, and I keep on paddling. Sure, maybe hes just employing a vivid metaphor there. But implausible as it is, its certainly a lot more fun to believe that season eight will see Varys at last casting off those suspiciously long robes and swimming off into the sunset.

<h1> Jon and Cersei will get married </h1>

Bored with theorizing over how Jon and Daenerys romance will play out, some have moved on to speculating that Jon will sidestep that whole messy, incestuous business and wed Cersei Lannister. Most of this theory seems to rest on the idea that both characters would find the alliance advantageous, combining their forces in order to bring peace to Westeros-Jon gaining a much larger army to take on the Others, and Cersei gaining the appearance of stability and maybe even some goodwill from a people who have grown to fear and despise her. Pairing them off would definitely be a calm, diplomatic solution to the problem, and you know how much Game Of Thrones loves those!

<h1> And the Iron Throne goes to... Gendry </h1>

As long as were talking anticlimaxes, the fact that the show has kept the bastard son of Robert Baratheon hanging around this long suggests it still has a larger fate in mind. Joe Dempsie, the actor who plays Gendry, has implied as much, hinting to that Gendry will play a substantial role in the climax. But what, exactly?

Some have seized on Martins recently published Fire &amp; Blood, which relates , a blacksmiths son with a porn stars name whose tale could maybe, potentially point toward Gendry being the one to bring down the Night King by wielding his own giant warhammer. Gendry might also be the one who forges the dragonglass weapons to fight the White Walkers. . But theres also a popular theory that says his claim to the Baratheon monarchy will be legitimized, and the show will then end with Gendry ruling the Seven Kingdoms. After so many years of debate over which major character will ultimately win the Game Of Thrones, it would certainly be a surprise to see it go to some guy who spent four seasons . Not a good surprise, mind you.

Actually, Arya will take the Iron Throne

This one involves taking more leaps than most, but after Maisie Williams posted a goodbye photo of her bloody sneakers on Instagram with the hashtag #lastwomanstanding, some began wondering whether this was a hint that Arya Stark will inherit whatevers left of Westeros. (Adding fuel to the fire, Lena Headey then commented, YAAAAAS QUEEN.)

Theres also the fact that Williams told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/oct/17/game-of-thrones-maisie-williams-interview-marvel" id="6c7562c0-a0ab-320d-a5f9-0952909b7773"> The Guardian </a> that, in her final scene, shes alone-Aryas always bloody alone-suggesting that maybe the entire series could wrap with a shot of her sitting on the Iron Throne, game over. For what its worth, <a href="https://www.oddsshark.com/entertainment/game-thrones-prop-odds-bet-who-will-be-ruling-westeros" id="3757541d-69bd-3a8c-a9d1-c13649423caf"> Vegas bookies tracking the odds </a> currently place Arya at ninth-most-likely, lagging well behind Bran, Jon, Daenerys, Jon and Daenerys as-yet-unconfirmed child, Sansa, Tyrion, and Gendry. We literally wouldnt bet on it.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk7fHbnA7Cy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="618d3d51-1661-3f1a-aa14-26dec90250d7"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk7fHbnA7Cy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="b65d4599-c04f-384b-a83c-d79bb56a8f28"> goodbye belfast. goodbye arya. goodbye game of thrones. what a joy ive had. heres to the adventures to come #lastwomanstanding #barely #immasleepforthenextfouryears #justkiddingidontsleep </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maisie_williams/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="6c9ee107-42d4-3cc6-aad4-8154f4f5008a"> Maisie Williams </a> (@maisie_williams) on Jul 7, 2018 at 4:53am PDT

<h1> Or wait, The Night King will take the Iron Throne </h1>

Aryas chances are even worse than The Night Kings, although some cynics still believe he could render eight seasons of twists and machinations completely moot by just killing everyone, plunging the Seven Kingdoms into a new age of permanent, nigh-Midwestern wintry darkness. True, ending Game Of Thrones with one last, surprise death of a beloved character-all of them!-would be a thematically appropriate way for the show to go out. Well give you that. But as tempting as it might be, our own ancient prophecy foretells that this would seriously damage its rewatch value.

<h1> Everything will end happily ever after </h1>

Of course, if Game Of Thrones really wanted to surprise us, it could just end with everyone setting aside their ancient grudges, handily defeating the White Walkers together, pairing off into romances uncomplicated by incest, then dedicating themselves to developing a new, functioning system of government thats based in cooperation and mutual respect. But then, thats not why we watch this show, is it?

The eighth and final season of HBOs Game Of Thrones arrives on April 14, and with it the end of one of the most epic contests the world has ever seen: the race to see who can concoct the most outlandish theory for what will happen on Game Of Thrones. Ever since the show lapped George R.R. Martins novels, its been open season for wild conjecture, and these impending final six episodes have only stoked the anticipation to see some of them, any of them actually pan out. Here are 15 of the most p...

15 Theories About the Final Season of Game of Thrones

Whats the new Game of Thrones spinoff called? The series is currently untitled, although its commonly referred to as The Long Night, based on Martins own suggestion. My vote would be The Long Night, which says it all, but Id be surprised if thats where we end up," Martin wrote on <a href="http://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2018/06/11/hbo-greenlights-goldman-pilot/" id="bbf0b9b7-dfcb-3871-ae39-6771a5dcc041"> his website </a> . "More likely HBO will want to work the phrase 'game of thrones' in there somewhere." And while The Long Night sort of sounds like an early-'90s erotic thriller starring Billy Baldwin, it does have a certain ring to it, not to mention a rich place in Westeros history: It's what legends called the deadly winter that lasted for an entire generation, a time of all-consuming darkness when the White Walkers first tried to destroy mankind.

When will we be able to watch it? HBO <a href="https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/04/game-of-thrones-prequel-date/" id="b15a01ef-ef8b-32c8-af65-d43134a0a7dd"> recently announced </a> that filming of the pilot is slated to begin in early summer. <a href="https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/game-of-thrones-spinoff-to-begin-filming-in-northern-ireland-this-autumn-37683218.html" id="c17b8e29-3447-3213-aff3-3ede03750f43"> The Belfast Telegraph </a> previously reported that the production plans to shoot around the Canary Islands first, before returning to Game Of Thrones' longtime studio home in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, theres already a staff of writers who are poised to start mapping out a full season, should they get the official go-ahead from the network. But the earliest you'd actually see anything is 2020, as HBO has said nothing new will air until at least a year after Game Of Thrones is over.

So does it have all my favorite Game Of Thrones characters embarking on even more adventures together? Haha, no! Not even the ones whose names you still havent learned after eight long seasons. No, this is set thousands of years before the events of both the novels and show-somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 years prior to anything we've seen. The specific timeline depends on how you interpret Martin's maddeningly vague comments about whether you can trust the accuracy of "the oral histories of the First Man" within this completely fictional universe he invented, as well as the fuzzy math of the maesters tasked with recording them. Nevertheless, we know that "none of the characters or actors from Game Of Thrones will appear in the new show," Martin insists, as theyre still millennia away from being born. That includes dragons, he says, as even they had not yet been discovered. So it's all completely new-which is to say, incredibly old.

[mediaosvideo align='center' embedId='a64c46ca-06d9-4d92-b4e3-2d38729a4f74' mediaId='b84f037b-ae20-4b55-84ed-be2bc585a187' size='large'][/mediaosvideo]

What's it about, then? According to the <a href="https://www.hbo.com/hbo-news/game-of-thrones-prequel-what-to-know" id="ad38832a-50b6-33af-a3e6-e17a4871ece2"> official synopsis </a> , "The series chronicles the worlds descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. From the horrifying secrets of Westeross history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend, only one thing is for sure: Its not the story we think we know."

Will it have anything we've heard of? We've definitely heard both the name and the legend of Brandon The Builder before (hes the guy who built The Wall and founded House Stark), while House Lannister founder Lann the Clever has been mentioned in passing several times. Both could theoretically be a part of the show's timeline, at least. Some of those creepy Children of the Forest weve seen briefly would presumably also factor in, given the setting. But again, none of this is confirmed yet. And with all the preemptive talk of this being the true story behind all those untrustworthy legends, right now we can't rely on any of it.

Are the Game Of Thrones showrunners involved? They are not. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have both said they're done with the franchise as soon as season eight wraps. Instead, they're happily retiring from the burden of overseeing a massive, intricately interconnected fantasy saga with legions of demanding fans, opting to relax by wrangling <a href="https://www.starwars.com/news/game-of-thrones-creators-david-benioff-and-d-b-weiss-to-write-and-produce-a-new-series-of-star-wars-films" id="69d1c861-d8d6-3009-ac92-640945c66c39"> a new series of Star Wars movies. </a>

But George R.R. Martin is working on it? He's listed as an executive producer, and he says he's spent plenty of time with the writers offering his input and guidance-a role that will surely continue as the show progresses, seeing as it offers him another welcome distraction from finishing those damn books. Nevertheless, Martin has taken pains to say that this project really belongs to the showrunner, and it sounds like they've been given free rein (more or less) to create their own stories and worlds within his larger universe.

Who's the showrunner? Jane Goldman, a genre powerhouse whose screenplay credits include Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, both Kingsman movies, an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Stardust, and Disney's upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid. Hailed as a "tremendous talent" and "major writer" by Martin, Goldman obviously also has ample experience in the worlds of both fantasy and action spectacle. Plus, her spec script-one of five potential prequels that were commissioned from five different writers (more on that in a bit)-was the only pitch that HBO decided was worth ordering a pilot for, which certainly speaks to its potential.

Who's directing the pilot? S.J. Clarkson will take the helm of the first episode, furthering a relationship with HBO that includes work on Vinyl and Succession. Her credits also include Jessica Jones, Orange Is The New Black, Dexter, and Heroes, and she was recently tapped to direct the next Star Trek movie-the first female director in that franchise's history.

Who's starring? Naomi Watts, coming off Showtime's Twin Peaks: The Return, continues her recent foray into prestige TV by taking the lead, playing a character who's been described as "a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret." There's been plenty of theorizing about this mysterious Real Housewife of Westeros, of course, with some speculation that Watts could play everyone from a cunning, Cersei-like ruler, to a Melisandre-like sorceress whos in league with the White Walkers, to maybe even the fabled Last Hero who eventually saves the kingdom from eternal winter. But then again, maybe we shouldnt assume the whole story will revolve around Watts. Remember what happened with Sean Bean?

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpo24mKHCxk/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="092e399f-58c4-3249-a02f-ebcdf71c516b"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpo24mKHCxk/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="74233be0-bc03-37b6-a9bd-c65770966343"> Westeros, here I come... #gameon #darksecrets </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/naomiwatts/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="ccf94fcf-7c44-3b66-a56e-62def333d349"> Naomi Watts </a> (@naomiwatts) on Nov 1, 2018 at 5:52am PDT

Anyone else? The rest of the confirmed cast may not have quite the name recognition, though it's worth remembering that we'd never heard of most of the Game Of Thrones cast either, once upon a time. Other up-and-comers who have been placed in as-yet-mysterious roles include Josh Whitehouse (Poldark), Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: Episode IX), Denise Gough (Juliet, Naked), Sheila Atim (Harlots), Ivanno Jeremiah (Humans), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles Of Narnia), and Alex Sharp (How To Talk To Girls At Parties), as well as Jamie Campbell Bower and Toby Regbo, who play Young Grindelwald and Young Dumbledore, respectively, in the Fantastic Beasts movies. It sure is a lot of fresh-faced, fantasy-experienced, mostly British talent.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpm98UYh4V_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="c39d8dcd-dd99-379b-a09b-e4d7da28dd79"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpm98UYh4V_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="373e5ac2-8d91-304c-a5d9-8f8358de74a3"> So Ive been holding on to some very big news and its been killing me - but here you go #gameofthrones </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joshuawhitehouse/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="44878eeb-13a7-3b76-a3a7-2c520fd3110b"> Josh Whitehouse </a> (@joshuawhitehouse) on Oct 31, 2018 at 12:15pm PDT

What do we know about those other Game of Thrones prequels? There are at least three other potential prequels that are in some stage of development, Martin says. But at the moment, HBO is only interested in pursuing this one, understandably pacing itself on further milking its most valuable property. So it's entirely possible none or all of them could come to fruition someday, alongside that long-rumored adaptation of Martin's Dunk &amp; Egg novellas-although on that last one, at least, Martin insists "that day is still a long way off," arriving well after he's finished writing the "seven or eight or 10 more" of those he has planned. Given the pacing of his Song Of Ice And Fire books, this could be long after we have all passed into legend ourselves. In the meantime, this project seems to be the franchises future, at least on television.

But I can definitely see more Game Of Thrones again soon, right? Yes. Again, the series returns April 14 for its six final episodes. That much we know for sure.

What We Know About the Game of Thrones Spinoff

On April 14, Game Of Thrones returns to HBO for its eighth and final season, promising to wrap up the sprawling fantasy with just another six hours or so of television. But of course, the story doesnt end there. For one thing, author George R.R. Martin has promised to deliver at least two more novels in his A Song Of Ice And Fire series that started it all. For another, HBO has already begun working on ways to keep itself in swords, sandals, and sexual situations for years to come. Under cloa...

Everything We Know About the Game of Thrones Spinoff

<h1> Whats the meaning of the title-Avengers: Endgame? </h1>

Like we said, Avengers: Endgame marks the final chapter of a story that began way back in 2008 with Iron Man, when a callow world scoffed at the idea of Robert Downey Jr. playing a superhero. Marvel president Kevin Feige says Endgame will provide <a href="https://torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/avengers-infinity-war-marvel-studios-kevin-feige-on-the-future-of-the-mcu-the-best-stories-have-a-definitive-ending" id="d85d47bc-0ce3-3922-a20d-448e3e07923f"> a definitive ending </a> to all the myriad threads that have spooled out since, something that was echoed in Captain America star Chris Evans promise that its <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/chris-evans-interview-marvel-star-politics-break-ups-saying/" id="715d04d1-a9fc-3789-a079-e43a27eb1be3"> going to wrap everything up </a> . Its not like they didnt warn us: Downeys Tony Stark warned his fellow Avengers back in Age Of Ultron that an endgame was approaching, while Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) told Tony in Infinity War, Were in the endgame now. And given what happened next, he wasnt just being melodramatic.

Capitalism. But also, directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo, who shot the film back-to-back with Infinity War as another double date with Marvels go-to screenwriting team Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. This might be the endgame for the Russos as well: After devoting six years to the cause, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/russo-bros-done-with-superheroes-unless-they-get-to-make-secret-wars_us_5c000a5be4b027f1097b80ef" id="27ec7b1f-4fdc-3de9-a059-007aa971ee6f"> theyre looking to take a break from superheroes </a> for a while.

Theres no official synopsis yet, but you can probably draw your own conclusions based on where Infinity War left off. Thanos (Josh Brolin) had succeeded in collecting all six Infinity Stones, an act of cosmic hoarding that, ironically, allowed him to Marie Kondo the universe, tidily disposing with half of all living creatures by snapping his fingers and turning them to dust. The death count in what is now referred to as The Decimation (which is, pedantically speaking, grammatically incorrect) included a sizeable chunk of Earths mightiest heroes and their assorted sidekicks. Endgame will surely find the survivors searching for a way to undo the damage.

<h1> Just for the sake of argument, didnt Thanos plan to sacrifice some for the greater good of all make at least a little moral sense? </h1>

<h1> Fair enough. Is there a trailer? </h1>

Sure, well just pretend like you werent part of the horde thats pushed the first Endgame trailer to more than 84 million views. Here it is again:

As you can see, our heroes have been whittled down to a skeleton crew of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Nebula (Karen Gillan), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). Worse, losing half the universe seems to have left them a little down. Elsewhere, Tony Stark is stranded in space, barely mustering the energy to record some incredibly dour pillow talk for Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), while Thanos has hung up his armor on a farm somewhere, just relaxing and enjoying the fruits of his murders.

It would be more efficient to list everyone who didnt, but here goes. We saw Doctor Strange, Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Vision (Paul Bettany), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Heimdall (Idris Elba), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) all bite the literal dust in Infinity War. Meanwhile, the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) all met a similar fate at the end of Ant-Man And The Wasp.

Well, we havent seen supporting characters like Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), or Wong (Benedict Wong) since then, although that doesnt necessarily mean they vanished. We also got a glimpse of Shuri (Letitia Wright) among the Missing that Bruce Banner is grimacing at. But then again, Ant-Man/Scott Lang is in that lineup, too, and the trailer confirms hes still around.

<h1> Surely all those other characters arent really dead. </h1>

Heres where we remind you that movies require a certain suspension of disbelief-beginning with ignoring <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/fullcredits" id="4713f30e-dfed-3865-ace8-b8068269fbaa"> the sprawling cast list on IMDb </a> , or the fact that many of those ostensibly dead characters (including Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy) already have sequels in the works. Some, like Spider-Man, even have <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a25905575/jake-gyllenhaal-mysterio-spider-man-far-from-home-trailer/" id="92ec125a-2247-359d-abad-66e0c6b8f828"> their own new trailers </a> . Also, yes, many more of the dusted and otherwise unaccounted-for have been spotted in set photos, or their actors have confirmed in interviews that theyll be appearing in Endgame in some form. Still, without the life-or-death stakes, Endgame wouldnt be any fun, so try to play along.

<h1> Anyone else definitely coming back? </h1>

Again, it would almost be faster to tell you who isnt appearing for this grand finale curtain call. While on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Johansson mentioned a scene she estimated could contain as many as 32 Marvel characters at once.

Sebastian Stan also discussed it with The Independent, saying, I can't really talk about that scene, but I knew it took them three months in planning this scene to have everyone there. You look around and you just saw everyone from Samuel L. Jackson to Michael Douglas to Michelle Pfeiffer. Everybody was there." The roster includes some tertiary characters we havent seen in a while, like <a href="https://twitter.com/IMDb/status/921470890910523392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E921470890910523392&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.slashfilm.com%2Favengers-4-cast-ty-simpkins%2F" id="41b183a4-72a5-302a-aeaa-17df789f233d"> Tonys whiz-kid sidekick from Iron Man 3 </a> (Ty Simpkins). And <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/51279-avengers-4-may-confirm-erik-selvig-theory-is-a-real-spoiler" id="33e43882-13ab-3a8e-aebb-0e31d1c600f4"> a recently released official tie-in novel </a> confirms Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgrd) and his compatriot Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) survive, with some fans suggesting that Selvig could be instrumental in setting things right. As for whether they might be joined by their old colleague, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman)-aka Thors ex-the Russos are remaining characteristically tightlipped.

Elsewhere, Frank Grillo has suggested <a href="https://marvelstudiosnews.com/2018/10/25/frank-grillo-says-crossbones-appears-in-a-flashback-in-avengers-4/" id="7321fc10-d0c8-301b-ab7f-2e991b84810c"> his long-dead mercenary Crossbones will return </a> -albeit just for a flashback-while executive producer Michael Grillo (no relation) let it drop that <a href="https://screenrant.com/avengers-4-ancient-one-return-tilda-swinton/" id="a0ce14eb-a689-3b36-a387-aea69ada40fb"> Tilda Swintons The Ancient One will also return </a> in some form. And although Tessa Thompsons Valkyrie is still just a heavily rumored maybe, Thompson has made it clear her ass-kicking Asgardian definitely survived the snap:

No, shes in one piece and THRIVING <a href="https://t.co/AUuyAMoCbf" id="ba4f0dfc-9e1a-3966-a498-a74ce10611d6"> https://t.co/AUuyAMoCbf </a> - Tessa Thompson (@TessaThompson_x) <a href="https://twitter.com/TessaThompson_x/status/1045943643574546433?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="adae1107-43bd-3028-a30a-a1080af18960"> September 29, 2018 </a>

Yep. Although Marvels patriarch died last November, the Russos <a href="https://screenrant.com/stan-lee-cameos-mcu-captain-marvel-ant-man/" id="adc6b30b-dfee-3776-aac8-d7d92ec88052"> confirmed hed already shot his cameo in Endgame </a> , allowing the MCUs longstanding tradition to continue, however bittersweetly.

What, all of thats not enough for you? All right. They also found room for <a href="https://deadline.com/2017/09/westworld-hiroyuki-sanada-recur-season-2-hbo-series-1202170410/" id="f3da855b-16ef-3063-a6e5-ac06843be7ee"> The Wolverine actor Hiroyuki Sanada </a> and <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/avengers-4-who-is-katherine-langfords-character-1155954" id="da8a97d9-2350-3f43-a069-d1f453fb8cb3"> 13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford </a> in as-yet-unspecified roles. Theres been heavy speculation that Langford plays someone important-possibly the older version of Scott Langs daughter Cassie, or maybe even Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, seeing as Paltrow let slip that <a href="https://comicbook.com/marvel/2018/05/09/avengers-4-spoilers-infinity-war-time-jump-pepper-potts-pregnant/" id="504add99-cc8c-3531-a372-a0297027e4af"> the two are now married, and they have a child. </a>

But obviously, the biggest addition would have to be Captain Marvel, whom Nick Fury was seen frantically paging at the end of Infinity War. Her first big-screen adventure, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a25394148/brie-larson-captain-marvel-training/" id="e45251e6-8a69-3970-a1d0-7654816548c8"> with Brie Larson in the title role </a> , debuts March 8, just a month before Endgame, and its a safe bet the two will be heavily connected. Plus, given that Captain Marvel has been touted as <a href="https://ew.com/movies/2018/09/05/brie-larson-captain-marvel-interview/" id="a123ee3c-efd5-3ebe-a9d5-c2cfae17a595"> the most formidable character in the MCU </a> by none other than Kevin Feige, shes certain to prove instrumental in how Endgame plays out.

<h1> Youre right, thats a lot. How long is this thing, anyway? </h1>

The Russos have said that Endgame currently sits at <a href="https://screenrant.com/avengers-endgame-runtime-three-hours/" id="b0f1d9de-d9da-37a0-a536-fb7a08389b03"> around three hours </a> , easily making it the longest Marvel movie ever. But lets be real, it could have been Marvels Berlin Alexanderplatz and it would still probably give somebody short shrift.

<h1> Lets get to speculating: How are they going to bring everyone back from the dead? </h1>

The prevailing theory is that Endgame will see the Avengers travelling into the Quantum Realm, an alternate dimension where the rules of time and space dont apply. The concept of parallel dimensions was first introduced to the MCU in Doctor Strange, and it was central to both 2015s Ant-Man and especially last years Ant-Man And The Wasp, which heavily lampshaded the idea of a time vortex. Ant-Man's arrival at Avengers HQ in the Endgame trailer-driving the van that contains his portable quantum tunnel-definitely reinforces that theory, as did Michael Douglas assertion that <a href="https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a868802/avengers-4-ant-man-quantum-realm-michael-douglas/" id="dbb0f3a5-5f55-3da1-a476-925a1598610f"> the Quantum Realm would be the key, </a> " ultimately playing an important part in all the next chapters, I think, of the Marvel films.

Time travel would also explain the set photos that have caught various Avengers actors sporting costumes and hairdos from previous films, mingling with long-dead characters, and even standing in <a href="https://screenrant.com/avengers-4-time-travel-battle-new-york/" id="710f22f1-751f-3fd8-ae6f-76209bcd8b9f"> a perfect recreation of the Battle of New York </a> from 2012s The Avengers. Given all of this, many believe Endgame might find the Avengers scrutinizing the past for clues they might have missed, or to warn their younger selves, or even to take another stab at collecting all the Infinity Stones before Thanos does. Or hey, maybe time travel is just another classic misdirection, and <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1052086/Avengers-4-ending-Russo-Brothers-Soul-Stone-power-Thanos-Gamora-Vormir" id="bf906859-c784-3188-a025-d73568546fdc"> the real key will be the Soul Stone </a> that contains the Soul World-a pocket dimension where the dusted might be just sort of hanging out, listening to Otis Redding.

<h1> Is Thanos still the main villain? What could he possibly want at this point? </h1>

Granted, Thanos seems to have it all-a nice piece of land, time to himself, absolute control over all reality-which suggests he has little reason to come out of retirement. But hes definitely in Endgame, leading to theories he could try to stop the Avengers potential time-travelling quest, or <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1010080/Avengers-4-Thanos-team-up-heroes-Infinity-Stones-Galactus" id="0824f056-7477-3bfe-ad8d-889cbb684566"> the even wilder theory he might decide to join them. </a> Or perhaps Thanos will be outshined by a new villain, one whos somehow even bigger and badder: Leaked images from the next line of tie-in toys have promised new foes and an even greater threat for the Avengers to face. Who knows? Maybe all of this has been leading to a sobering message about climate change.

After more than a decade of buildup-and one brutal, yearlong cliffhanger-Avengers: Endgame will be released at last on April 26. Marvels latest apocalyptic opus promises a resolution not only to last years Avengers: Infinity War, but to an entire era of blockbuster filmmaking. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe will surely spiral on until our own, much duller universe collapses (or audiences get tired of comic books), theres little question Endgame will be a cataclysmic event in its history ...