The Sandman

Season 1 of the show was superb - the world building was incredible; it was complex and grand, it felt rich and full of themes, and so cleverly put together. Despite the many different aspects of the world, the core plot felt focused and all the different characters introduced had relevance that somehow fed back into it. It left me excited to see how season 2 would expand on all of it.

Except then it, kind of didn't. Season 2 wanders around aimlessly for most of it. What new elements it does introduce feel superficial and trivial, and are disposed of as quickly as they are introduced. All the energy from the characters seems to have been sucked out, like they're shells of their former selves. You find yourself wondering what the point of most of what you're watching is, and I'm afraid it never gets clearer.

Season 2 also goes very heavy with LGBT themes and diversity. Season 1 had representation in an almost seamless way that never took the spotlight from the story. Season 2's (numerous) gay relationships and trans character feel shoe-horned in and contrived, attention is purposefully directed to them yet they don't organically fit into the story and so their inclusion feels clunky, forced and jarring in a way that season 1 didn't.

Overall season 2 doesn't do enough to expand on the world built in season 1. Morpheus plods along fairly pathetically and apologetically for most of the season, and the whole season feels grounded in a way that betrays the ethereal, celestial, beings and concepts that inhabit it.

8/10 for season 1, 4/10 for season 2.

Having never read the books I wasn't really sure what to expect from The Sandman. Then after reading through the reviews and seeing how mixed they were I was even more confused about whether I should give it a try. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it. I just read that it got renewed for a second season so that's good news. It looks like most of the negative reviews are from people that are mad that it's not exactly like the source material and I've never got that. As long as it's entertaining...who cares. Movies and shows have to be adapted for tv and are just based off the source material. Less than 5% of the people who watch these movies and tv shows have actually read the book or comic it's based on.

This show was so exciting. I've never fallen asleep during a show before. This one?? I watched it, passed out. Rewound it, passed out again. I think it's cursed-or it's a secret sleep aid and I think the plot is just a lullaby.

Great visuals, epic concept.......and the perfect cure for insomnia. :)

Netflix's The Sandman is a great adaptation of the original comic-books (please don't call them graphic novels, they're comics).

Sadly this adaptation also fails to deliver the most important and strikingly emotional stories from the comics. The fate of the two angels in Hell, The Inn at the end of the world, Barbie's story, and many more.

I understand they've skimmed down the story to the bare minimum and essential to tell the fate Dream. However with it, they have disregarded precisely what the comics are all about, the stories of Morpheus and his Realm.

Hopefully, somebody else will have another go in 30 years.

That been said, the cast is spectacular, the photography is beautiful, and the whole atmosphere captures perfectly the tone and feel of the original comics.

I see some reviews complain about it being slow or too elaborate, ehem, The Sandman is proper mythology and a very deep family drama, not another one of Snyder's mental puke. It actually requires you to THINK.

The best thing about the show is that many episodes feel like movies. So much happens with them that time seems to linger. Even with Sandman walking and talking slowly... deliberately, the show packs in a lot in 40-45 minutes.

I was sad to see that there will not be more to enjoy but what was here was very nice. The special effects and scenery were exquisite.