‘The Watch’ Recap: ‘Nowhere in the Multiverse’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘The Watch’.
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Over the course of the past few weeks, the BBC America series, The Watch, has managed to establish itself as one of the most philosophical fantasy shows out there. Simply because week in and week out, this series keeps finding new ways to ponder upon the nature of the human condition and what makes it so special and so wonderful. Which has made for some fascinating episodes. The kind that have pondered upon everything from the power of trauma and loss, to what it means to love and embrace exactly who you are. And while it has been lovely to see a show where goblins walk the earth; take the time to ponder upon such powerful notions… the fact that the season finale draws near, does leave one to wonder if such explorations are sustainable with so much on the line.
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After all, both Carcer Dun and the officers of the Watch are inching closer to finding the final artifact. Meaning that a grand showdown awaits, the kind where plot and resolution could take precedence above all else. But as it turns out, this show isn’t good with abandoning its exploration of the human condition and what makes us tick and it figured out a way to slip such matters into season one’s penultimate episode. For ‘Nowhere in the Multiverse’ featured a subtle and fascinating examination of the importance of the choices that we make in life and how they can lead us down incredible and sorrowful paths, depending on the decisions we make. And it accomplished this particular feat, by having Carcer and Wonce, execute their plan to put Lady Ramkin in harm’s way by swapping good Vimes for an evil Vimes and well, it didn’t take long for both men to realize how the choices they’ve made have impacted their lives in an incredible manner.

Take evil Sam Vimes for instance. For while he was eager to celebrate his newfound freedom and follow Carcer’s instructions to a tee to continue to enjoy said freedom, he was quite shocked by seeing what kind of life his counterpart was leading. For the Vimes he was filling in for was truly blessed by comparison, and that took him off guard and helped him to understand that he’d made a lot of rough choices in his corner of the multiverse. The kind that led him to twenty years of imprisonment and left him feeling hollow. And he also came to realize that maybe, if he did something good for a change, that a path to a genuinely better life and future would become apparent to him, and that’s why he opted to ignore Carcer’s demands that he put Lady Ramkin down, in a subtle effort to change his sorted life at last. 

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As for the Vimes we know, well after dealing with a bout of confusion in regard to his new surroundings in prison, he quickly made efforts to try and get back home post haste, with mixed results of course. Because being locked up in an airtight prison where the woman he loves is in charge, made escape pretty darn impossible. But what his time in the clink did make possible, was to provide a Vimes with time to reflect upon his journey and reaffirm the fact that he’s made the right call decision wise time and time again. And while at times it hasn’t quite seemed that way, choosing the right path has in fact, given him more than expected since he has friends/coworkers that respect him and care about him and his choices have also given him a chance at love and happiness, and all of those epiphanies gave Vimes a sense of peace we’ve never seen him enjoy before, the instant he finally returned home. 
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Yet while it was cool to experience a subtle exploration on the choices we make, this particular episode had some other treats in store for us. Such as a touch of comedy involving Death when Cheery, Carrot and Angua found themselves face to face with the end, when they were locked up behind bars by the alternate Vimes. And really, who knew that Death loved making music in such an epic manner? Plus, this episode did a fine job of moving the plot along as well, since we came to learn that the third artifact wasn’t a person in a slightest, but Captain Vimes’ badge. For it still had the remnant of royal blood in the spot where Carcer shot true all those years ago and sadly, he and Wonce now have it in their possession, which sets the stage for an epic season finale, one where the Watch will have to go above and beyond to save Ankh-Morpork. 

But while we wait to see how on earth that is going to happen, and how their actions will inspire the people of this good and troubled city, we can take a moment to reflect on one delightful tale. One that did a phenomenal job of making us laugh, whilst giving us plenty to chew upon. For it is rare to see a fantasy story take the time to remind us to make the best choices we can in whatever situation we’re facing, and to course correct and make the right call if we goof at first. Which really is an inspiring and hopeful message to inject into a fantasy tale and truly, it should be interesting to see what kinds of messages and commentary the season one finale of this series is going to send our way. Because clearly, this show wants to teach us something powerful with every story it tells and an epic showdown between Captain Sam Vimes of the Watch and the enigmatic Carcer Dun will be a wonderful way to keep that trend going. Until next time.

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