The opening of the first shows a young black boy being rescued during the Tulsa Massacre. Unsettling on its own, but even worse to know that it's based on real, historical events that the state of Oklahoma nearly successfully suppressed for decades.
Looking Glass in "the Pod" interrogates a Seventh Kavalry suspect using repetitive questions and images flashing in the screens around them. Looking Glass’ mask is reflective and the images are shown being reflected in his mask.
Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship
While brief, it is rather disturbing seeing Sister Night beating the snot out of a hick protester when he tried to attack her and Red Scare when they ordered the shutdown and arrest of their town after Judd's murder. Not helped by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross disjointed soundtrack mixed in with Sister Night's hard punches and the man's cries of pain.
Veidt’s play of the origin of Dr Manhattan where he has his male servant burnt alive in the scene of Jon Osterman's accident.
If You Don't Like My Story, Write Your Own
The way the Philips & Crookshanks clones are aged is horrific. More horrific still is Veidt's indifference as the infants scream, clearly in agony inside the "microwave".
Little Fear of Lightning
For those disappointed that Snyder's movie avoided Veidt's plot involving a giant squid, the opener for this episode shows the aftermath of the squid drop in all of its terrifying glory. And because this is a live-action show and not a comic book, the carnage is even more horrific. The squid alien looks unbelievably real and you can hear it breathing, fires have broken out, boats have been sunk, and there's thousands upon thousands of people dead in the streets with blood oozing out of every facial orifice.
This Extraordinary Being
We get to experience Will's near-lynching at the hands of his fellow officers from a terrifyingly intimate first-person perspective.
An Almost Religious Awe
Angela finds that the IV line full of cerebrospinal fluid (which is pretty nightmare-fuely all on its own) is actually tethering her to an elephant.
The Seventh Kavalry's ultimate goal is revealed to be killing Doctor Manhattan and turning Joe Keene into the same kind of godlike being for the sake of "restoring balance" to the United States. And all appearances suggest that they are very close to executing the last few steps of that plan.
A God Walks into Abar
With Dr. Manhattan simultaneously having conversations with Angela in 2019 and Will in 2009, Angela discovers that she inadvertently gave Will the idea that Judd was part of Cyclops, thus setting into motion Judd's death caused by Will.
Manhattan explains that due to his simultaneous perception of every moment in time, he is essentially constantly reliving the moment in 1959 when the intrinsic field subtractor ripped him apart.
See How They Fly
Asshole Victim that he was, it's disturbing to see Joe Keene reduced to a slurry of gelatinous blood and gore after going through the intrinsic field subtractor.
