page_title: Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship
section_title: Production
hierarchical_section_title: Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship / Production
context_page_description: "Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship" is the second episode of the first season of Watchmen, which first aired on HBO on October 27, 2019.
context_section_description: Nicole Kassell directed this episode. She had also directed the show's pilot, which had been filmed and produced as a pickup evaluation for HBO prior to the season being given the greenlight. Because this episode and rest of the season used a different crew from the pilot, Kassell felt it was important that she direct it as well to help provide the necessary continuity of production between the two episodes.
  The episode's title is a play on the title of Comanche Feats of Horsemanship, a painting by George Catlin, which is shown hanging in Judd's mansion during the episode. Like many of Catlin's works, the painting is seen in the 21st century as intrusive of the native American culture and to be carrying a colonialist tone with it. This has led some to consider the painting's inclusion to be a hint towards the revelation of the KKK outfit in Judd's closet.
  The episode includes a full-frontal nude shot of one of the Phillips clones playing Doctor Manhattan, who was frequently shown nude in the limited series comic as well as with the film adaption. A body double was used for this shot instead of actor Tom Mison who plays Phillips. Showrunner Damon Lindelof said that he had expected to show a fully nude Doctor Manhattan at some point during the series. He said that the showing of Doctor Manhattan's blue penis was an iconic part of the limited series and film, and said that when his friends and associates heard he got the showrunner role, they had all asked him "Are we going to see a blue penis?" However, Lindelof considered to himself "Was there a way to do this with some degree of absurdity and comedy, while at the same time acknowledging the source material?", and came onto the idea of using the fictional play, The Watchmaker's Son, as an appropriate vehicle for this shot. The play itself was designed to be like a high-school play similar to the one in Rushmore, but using directing elements similar to a Wes Anderson film. According to Mison, he and Sara Vickers who plays Ms. Crookshanks purposely acted poorly for their on-stage roles in the play to keep up the element of poor quality.
caption: The episode's title is a play on the title of Comanche Feats of Horsemanship by George Catlin.
exif: {}