My review of The Sandman Netflix series season 1:
(Contains some spoilers)
I have finally finished watching all of the first season of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. This was the TV adaptation of the story that has fascinated me for the last five years. I gave myself a few days to sit on it and stew on what I thought of the show.
I loved most of it. I will give it an 8 out of 10. There were a few things I disliked but I mostly loved it. I loved Patton Oswalt as Matthew. I loved how Cain and Abel were portrayed. Any scene in The Dreaming was a delight. The special effects are excellent, as is the music.
Thought I loved the show I will acknowledge some flaws. Episode six is probably the best episode of the series and most people loved it for Death's story, The Sound of her Wings. But I loved it for the second half, which adapted the story Men of Good Fortune (chapter 10 of The Sandman audio drama, issue 13 in the comic book version). I love Men of Good Fortune so much that I wish it had gotten its own episode instead of just half of one. The character of the immortal Hob Gadling was done extremely well here. I love that he is the opposite of the popular trope of the brooding immortal. Instead he loves life. No matter how bad things get he never wants to die. There's too many new things to experience and enjoy and ways things can get better. I adore his optimism and endurance and I think Morpheus needs that in a friend. The ending of the episode is also very sweet.
Episodes 7 through 10 tell the story of The Doll's House and I'm afraid I did not like this portion of the show as much as the first half. I do actually like the new character of Gault used to replace the now absent Brute and Glob. Gault is a much more interesting character and helps to teach Morpheus about the way entities can change. She reminds me a lot of Ruin from The Dreaming: Waking Hours. I hope we see more of her later but even if we don't get more content with her, her story got a satisfying and endearing ending.
The Seral Killer convention was as dark and as brutal as the original version, if not more so. I was disappointed that Morpheus did not get to rescue Rose Walker from Funland but instead she was "rescued" by The Corinthian who wanted to use her power instead.
My complaints are relatively small. I happened to love the original version of Imperfect hosts where Morpheus convalesced in The House of Mystery, nursed back to health by the spooky, horror loving, Cain and Abel. Instead he comes to them to ask to take their Gargoyle (who was always more like a dog) and re-absorb the entity he had created in order to regain some power. This scene is gut wrenching, especially since Gregory does NOT die in the source material. He's an adorable recurring character along with Goldie the baby gargoyle.
I also didn't like that the show kind of thumbed its nose at the idea of Cain being apologetic or giving Goldie's egg to Abel, almost like it was a dig at the original story. I liked that moment of sweetness. Now it is Morpheus who gives them the egg that contains baby Goldie.
I do suspect that Morpheus giving them Goldie to make up for the loss of Gregory is meant to foreshadow the ultimate end of the series but Gregory and Goldie were always meant to co-exist with each other and their interactions were adorable. I hope I am right in that I thought I saw an unfinished re-created Gregory to the right of Morpheus at the end of episode 10. I also kind of hope that the series, itself, has a different ending from the original books. As blasphemous as this may sound I would prefer an ending that focusses on duality and change instead of "Change or die."
I was also a little disappointed that it was Lucienne who apparently made Matthew into a raven instead of Morpheus. I know Morpheus was still grieving Jessamy but it gave them more of a connection if Morpheus was who recruited the dying man to be his familiar. It was sort of funny that Matthew mentions not having thumbs anymore but I always had the impression that Matthew (in the books) preferred being a raven to a man so having him lament no longer having thumbs felt a little off to me.
Some of the changes were for the better. I am glad that John Dee spared Rosemary instead of killing her. I am glad Morpheus's "battle" with "The Oldest Game" was against Lucifer instead of the demon Choronzon. I am glad none of The Corinthian's victims were left alive for long, drawing out their mutilation and suffering. I am not a fan of torture or gore in horror. I like atmosphere more than anything. And The Sandman is both Gothic horror and fantasy and full of atmosphere.
In general I loved the show. I think I would have more of a grudge if Morpheus had not set things right with Gault in episode 10. What nearly became of her really bothered me even though she is a new character. And part of me still hopes that Alexander Burgess gets free of his curse much sooner than he did in the original version. The poor man had been through enough.
In general I was very happy with how the show turned out. I sincerely hope The Sandman gets a second season.
(Contains some spoilers)
I have finally finished watching all of the first season of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. This was the TV adaptation of the story that has fascinated me for the last five years. I gave myself a few days to sit on it and stew on what I thought of the show.
I loved most of it. I will give it an 8 out of 10. There were a few things I disliked but I mostly loved it. I loved Patton Oswalt as Matthew. I loved how Cain and Abel were portrayed. Any scene in The Dreaming was a delight. The special effects are excellent, as is the music.
Thought I loved the show I will acknowledge some flaws. Episode six is probably the best episode of the series and most people loved it for Death's story, The Sound of her Wings. But I loved it for the second half, which adapted the story Men of Good Fortune (chapter 10 of The Sandman audio drama, issue 13 in the comic book version). I love Men of Good Fortune so much that I wish it had gotten its own episode instead of just half of one. The character of the immortal Hob Gadling was done extremely well here. I love that he is the opposite of the popular trope of the brooding immortal. Instead he loves life. No matter how bad things get he never wants to die. There's too many new things to experience and enjoy and ways things can get better. I adore his optimism and endurance and I think Morpheus needs that in a friend. The ending of the episode is also very sweet.
Episodes 7 through 10 tell the story of The Doll's House and I'm afraid I did not like this portion of the show as much as the first half. I do actually like the new character of Gault used to replace the now absent Brute and Glob. Gault is a much more interesting character and helps to teach Morpheus about the way entities can change. She reminds me a lot of Ruin from The Dreaming: Waking Hours. I hope we see more of her later but even if we don't get more content with her, her story got a satisfying and endearing ending.
The Seral Killer convention was as dark and as brutal as the original version, if not more so. I was disappointed that Morpheus did not get to rescue Rose Walker from Funland but instead she was "rescued" by The Corinthian who wanted to use her power instead.
My complaints are relatively small. I happened to love the original version of Imperfect hosts where Morpheus convalesced in The House of Mystery, nursed back to health by the spooky, horror loving, Cain and Abel. Instead he comes to them to ask to take their Gargoyle (who was always more like a dog) and re-absorb the entity he had created in order to regain some power. This scene is gut wrenching, especially since Gregory does NOT die in the source material. He's an adorable recurring character along with Goldie the baby gargoyle.
I also didn't like that the show kind of thumbed its nose at the idea of Cain being apologetic or giving Goldie's egg to Abel, almost like it was a dig at the original story. I liked that moment of sweetness. Now it is Morpheus who gives them the egg that contains baby Goldie.
I do suspect that Morpheus giving them Goldie to make up for the loss of Gregory is meant to foreshadow the ultimate end of the series but Gregory and Goldie were always meant to co-exist with each other and their interactions were adorable. I hope I am right in that I thought I saw an unfinished re-created Gregory to the right of Morpheus at the end of episode 10. I also kind of hope that the series, itself, has a different ending from the original books. As blasphemous as this may sound I would prefer an ending that focusses on duality and change instead of "Change or die."
I was also a little disappointed that it was Lucienne who apparently made Matthew into a raven instead of Morpheus. I know Morpheus was still grieving Jessamy but it gave them more of a connection if Morpheus was who recruited the dying man to be his familiar. It was sort of funny that Matthew mentions not having thumbs anymore but I always had the impression that Matthew (in the books) preferred being a raven to a man so having him lament no longer having thumbs felt a little off to me.
Some of the changes were for the better. I am glad that John Dee spared Rosemary instead of killing her. I am glad Morpheus's "battle" with "The Oldest Game" was against Lucifer instead of the demon Choronzon. I am glad none of The Corinthian's victims were left alive for long, drawing out their mutilation and suffering. I am not a fan of torture or gore in horror. I like atmosphere more than anything. And The Sandman is both Gothic horror and fantasy and full of atmosphere.
In general I loved the show. I think I would have more of a grudge if Morpheus had not set things right with Gault in episode 10. What nearly became of her really bothered me even though she is a new character. And part of me still hopes that Alexander Burgess gets free of his curse much sooner than he did in the original version. The poor man had been through enough.
In general I was very happy with how the show turned out. I sincerely hope The Sandman gets a second season.