Very tricky episode to pull off and im not quite sure they did. Dr Manhattan looks stupid with eyebrows and pupils. Then there’s the whole race change. That was handled “ok”, I guess.
Yeah... But it worked in that he was having trouble making sense of everything. To go from being this one guy for ten years then instanly living your entire (incredible) life at once. Would be absolutely insane and overwhelming..
As for the eyebrows... He did go back and forth when he was glowing he was almost OG dr manhattan with white eyes but still had the new face, then he would deliberately dim and his eyebrows and pupils would appear ... I thought of it like his mind having trouble letting go of the new identity and making peace with everything else.
Bottom line is this: they ( as i expected ) did a piss-poor job of explaining why he ended up back on earth... When he more likely never would have never returned... Let alone settled on europa for his new world when he more likely would have completely left our solar system or even galaxy ... Its like watching a human decide to go be with apes. Motherfucker is lightyears evolved beyond humans. This is all based on him acknowledging his newfound respect for humanity in the book... which is great but not enough to retain. And then a ridiculous chance premise of falling in love with Angela. But you accept the circumstances and they handled pretty well, i just couldnt get over them hiding is fucking face. Like... Zero good reason for that. It was annoying as fuck. I was watching his stupid hands. Dr manhattan wasnt very expressive with his hands outside using them to direct his energy let alone do stupid fucking magic tricks.
Wait, am i way off on my perception of dr manhattan? Maybe. But i thought by the end of the book, he completely lost touch and there was one saving grace. He had every reason to leave. Not return a mere 25 years later to go hang out at a fucking bar.
But like i said, you take that and go okay... Fine, he goes to bar, only then it isnt far fetched to think he'd talk to angela and spark something for fun and shes a very attractive individual (shes funny, smart, very critical, cery witty, a total smartass, and yet COMPLETELY vulnerable and lonely, i mean who wouldnt fall for her) and immediately makes him feel incredible guilt for all the pain shes experienced. So yeah, the dude even being a practical god would easily fall for her.