The Sandman (Netflix)

That was interesting and intriguing. I haven't read the books, but going by their reputation I expected that. What pleasantly surprised me is that it was satisfying. It actually told a complete story within the hour, which is quite unusual for serialized fare. Usually they expect us to live and die by the cliffhanger. But if this was going to remain the only episode I ever watched, I'm grateful I got a whole story out of it to properly sample things. That's something I very much miss about genre television. 4 stars.

I have to say I love this take on Cain and Abel. They are both cosmically tragic and weirdly lovable. Abel's wishes for a nice family sort of broke my heart. The Gargoyle was cute. Cain claims Gargoyle names should begin with a "g". Like say, Goliath. That actually checks out.

The dream world vistas seemed so familiar to me and I was wracking my brain trying to figure out where I've seen them before. I know! MirrorMask! Duh! The other big Gaiman project I have actually seen. Granted, the budget here is much higher, and the world so much richer, but that's what it reminds me of all right. 4 stars.

The good thing about Joanna Constantine is because Jenna Coleman is a woman, she doesn't have to deliver a performance anything like Matt Ryan's, which we'd invariably compared a male actor negatively with. This take feels new and different enough Ryan isn't on my mind much.

Ethel's plan to sacrifice her life and immortality to protect her son would be a good one... If he weren't actually a sociopath. He gets it from his father, no doubt.

I like Constantine calling Morpheus on his crap after he doesn't want to help ease Rachel's suffering. Talking back to deities and giving them the business is Constantine's entire selling point.

Female Lucifer Morningstar coming up. Buckle up. 4 stars.

Riveting stuff.

I was rooting for Rosalie to survive her ordeal with the bowel leech that is John, and I was delighted he showed her a surprising bit of kindness at the end. I live for tension exhales to go the right way in genre. They don't usually. Neil Gaiman is a special creator. (Although he wasn't as kind to us in the next episode).

Gwendoline Christie's Lucifer Morningstar is entirely different than Tom Ellis. For one thing, she strikes me as far smarter. It wouldn't shock me if she orchestrated that fight herself. Also her threat to keep Dream in Hell means she is a liar, also entirely outside of the Tom Ellis version. TV's Lucifer is not evil and merely punishes it. Sandman's version is much darker.

I found the role-playing-type battle between them creative, poetic, and literate. It was smart television, and as a scene of violence, that is unusual. And as dishonorable as Lucifer ultimately is, even she cannot bear to destroy hope. I haven't read the books, but if this adaptation is a tenth of them, I get why they are beloved. There's just too many of them for me to get to right now. The premise is super interesting. 5 stars.

I hated that. Full stop. It was dark, violent, depressing, and upsetting. I did not want to sit through that. It sucked. The show is usually more measured and this was like a horror episode. I found it entirely distasteful. I hated it with a passion. 0.

Most of my reviews for the series haven't been TOO lengthy but I think I have some extra things to say about this one.

One of the coolest things about the show, (and I guess the franchise), is that it's not merely an ongoing serialized story. It's also an anthology that tells a different story of the week every episode / issue. I like that about it. Sometimes (like the last episode) that can make it suck. Here the premise and execution is amazing instead.

Death has gotten some criticism for being portrayed by a black woman here. She's supposed be be white (and a Goth). I think the change that ultimately hurts the character isn't done for diversity reasons, but rather of practical necessity. But the fact that Death is a woman and not a little girl takes away a big part of the concept's appeal. That DC Showcase animated short a few years back knocked my socks off because that idea was so funky, off-beat, and beautiful at the same. But it is inadvisable to cast children as ageless immortal characters if you plan the show to last longer than a season. They'll age out of the role fast and then the producers are screwed. Maybe making the character a white and Goth adult would make her seem a bit more familiar to fans, but the actual appeal of the character would still not be present.

That being said, Death is still pretty cool. Her stuff was by turns moving and dreadful. I was near bawling at the scene with the baby. What an awful job. And what an amazing person to have the bedside manner for it she does for the past few million years.

I love the anthology this week. I love the dude that loves life, and when Morpheus expects him to tell him how tired he is of living, he says he still can't get enough, and can't wait to see what comes next. And finally centuries later, when the guy has been at a low-point and living in poverty, loneliness, and infamy for the past 80 years, and Morpheus offers to end his suffering, it's just perfect he's like, "Are you crazy? I have so much to live for!" This one guy refuses to abide the moral Aesop's Fables insist he must learn.

It gets better. During their second-to-last meeting the guy accurately says that Morpheus probably understands by this point he's never gonna give up the Immortality gift. He suggests Morpheus sticks around instead because he's lonely and they are friends. And Morpheus gets all huffy and "How dare you?" because Morpheus is a very annoying person with an overinflated sense of self-worth. And the guy tells Morpheus if he sees him again in 100 years, it's because they're friends.

And the guy is disappointed Morpheus apparently ghosted him in 1989. He's lucky he didn't take back the Immortality gift, but he clearly decides Dream doesn't actually consider him a friend after all. But flashbacks remind the viewer Morpheus was actually imprisoned during their planned meeting, and the end of the episode is Morpheus catching up with the guy years later out of season because, yes, they're friends. And I love every inch of the parable because the person learning the lesson is Morpheus rather than the Immortal schlub. That's pure genius and I love it.

That right there is a story created by and told by a person who loves telling stories. Full stop. Those are the best kinds. Always. 5 stars.

I love that at this point in the series, it's no longer actually about Sandman. I think that's the selling point of the anthology format.

I very much enjoyed Rose Walker's story. I love her wacky neighbors in the boarding house, and I loved the fact that the social worker treated her like a real person when she frustratedly points out that the end point of actually making contact with her brother could wind up with him being her dependent at age 21. I like that a lot. Gilbert is awesome too.

Who is the pumpkinheaded dude voiced by Mark Hamill? I have no idea who he is or why he showed up, but it's a fun character.

I am very unsure about the gathering of "collectors". On paper, a society of serial killers is a fun and dark high-concept. In practice, it's probably super cringe and Edgelord. We'll have to see if I'm right, but I remain skeptical about this specific thing, especially seeing as it's being played for laughs. I have serious doubts about this.

The rest of the episode was great though. 4 stars.

Rose Walker's stuff was great, especially her scenes with Hal (although Hal's dream was alarming).

I have to say Morpheus' d-bag behavior at the end is indefensible. There is a reason I find the character annoying and don't like him.

The stuff was Jed was pretty tense too.

It was solid but Dream is a buttmunch. 3 1/2 stars.

Oh, my God, that last shot! The absolute worst thing about the Corinthian telling Rose he was safe with her is realizing he's probably telling the truth. Have we been rooting for the wrong people all season? Is Rose Walker's only actual hope of survival and a future with her long-lost brother a loose consortium of serial killers? Both Morpheus' despicable actions to Lyta and Gilbert's shocking reveal as Fiddler Green, say yes.

And yes, that was a great and unexpected reversal for Gilbert. Well played.

I can't have been the only person getting serious vibes from The Witches from that convention, could I?

Holy crap! The convention of serial killers are the good guys? What the hell?! 4 1/2 stars.

I was very glad the last few seconds of the last episode were a mislead. I would very much have hated having to root for the Corinthian and the Collectors after all.

I see why they didn't use Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar now. Lucifer's role here is entirely different, and it wouldn't fit Ellis' Luci canon at ALL. Makes sense now.

I am not pleased with Dream's action during this episode, but the one just punishment he handed down was making the serial killers feel the proper level of guilt and pain they should have over the fact that they all sucked. I wish that was a real-world sentence a court could hand down. It's something convicted sociopaths all seem to desperately need and never get.

It was solid and reasonably satisfying, with some good loose ends for a potential season 2. I liked it. 4 stars.

Dream Of A Thousand Cats:

An animated episode? Nice.

Both the set-up and the premise lead me to question the reality of the Mistress' story and claims. Everything about it screams Tall Tale (or is it tail?).

The drowning of her kittens was truly sickening. Maybe the reason she believes the dream she had is real is because she needs it to make sense of that specific horror.

I'm trying to understand Morpheus' role in all this, and if his involvement makes her dream more or less likely to be true. But even if it is, as the older cat chuckles to the younger about the likelihood of her mission becoming a reality, "Who can ever get 1000 cats to agree to do anything at the same time?" 4 1/2 stars.

Calliope:

I found the premise awful, and the most horrific thing about it is that it could be confused for a fairytale premise in another franchise. How different is Calliope's imprisonment from Belle's from Beauty And The Beast? The fact that the story takes the idea seriously and attaches reality and consequences to how horrible it is admirable.

I think my favorite thing about the segment is that Maddoc has billed himself as and describes himself as a feminist. I don't know if that is in the written work, but I suspect it isn't. I think the show is using that idea to take a direct shot at Joss Whedon, who claimed similar enlightenment, and while perhaps not treating women THAT horribly, he had no self-awareness of how badly that specific flaw of his comes across after describing himself as such.

I thought Frye (played by Derek Jacobi) was pretty vile. His convincing Maddoc that this is what the Muses were made for is infuriating, because it's self-evident it is not. It it were, since there are only 9 Muses, there should only be 9 writers on Earth at any given time. The fact that this obvious fact never occurs to Maddoc and he rationalizes it away instead erases whatever sympathy I could have found for him at the end.

Morpheus telling Calliope his suffering in captivity was nothing compared to hers gives the audience the proper context for her torment, and about what has actually been going on that we didn't see.

That was a very dark fable about good and evil that takes a clear moral stand, and the right moral stand about it. I thought it was great. 5 stars.

Episode Overall: 5 stars.

Sheesh. Morpheus is a fucking asshole. I mean I would think the better option than to go to Hell and start a war between Lucifer and the Endless to free Nada would have been not to have fucking sent her to Hell in the first place. Or maybe not pursued her in the first place when he definitely knew it would lead to the death of her people. And it takes him 10,000 years to learn this was a mistake? And Desire and Death have to point it out for him to even be aware of it?

What. An. Asshole.

I totally forgot Mark Hamill was Merv Pumpkinhead. I love that guy.

I always have found this show a little dry to be honest. Maybe it's the British accents. 3 1/2 stars.

I never read the comic, but if I'm not mistaken, the demon guy at the end threatening Nada is going to backfire big time. Morpheus saying he understood the situation at the end was not done in a tone of acquiescence. It was fury, and the demon guy didn't seem to be aware that he just did MUCH more damage to his cause (and himself) than good.

On the TV show Lucifer we're told that Lucifer left Hell but we never saw it happening. It's interesting how it went down in The Sandman.

The story is a mixture of old-school mythology and modern weirdness and I like that about it. 3 1/2 stars.

I'll give it this compliment: This show doesn't feel like television. I can count the number of TV shows I feel the same way about on one hand. I don't exactly LIKE this show. But I will concede no part of it feels as small as a TV show.

Why don't I like it? Dream is a fucking asshole. He THINKS he PERHAPS ought to apologize?! He's actually furious she struck him! What a total jag! Was this his deal in Season1? Because I don't recall him repeatedly doing shit like this. Maybe I either misremembered or we simply didn't spend enough time around him before. But he sucks.

But at least it isn't television. 3 stars.

I felt SO bad for Wanda. It's clear her death hit Desire badly too. I also felt sorry for Delirium.

Desire's fury at Dream was absolutely righteous. What kills me is Dream has always believed Desire was both morally worse, and irresponsible. That's probably why they are so angry to begin with.

Delirium says Dream never apologizes. His awkwardness with it in the last episode showed that IS a new thing for him. Another reason why he sucks.

That was literally the most beautiful exotic dance I am ever seen. And sexual desire had nothing to do with that beauty, which is why is was so amazing and unusual. I loved it and the visual effects used to bring it to life.

Dream is a bastard. 3 1/2 stars.

I have things to say.

I'm probably gonna talk in the second half of the review about the first 15 minutes, which I loved, and talk about the Greek stuff first, which was totally annoying. But the stuff I loved troubled me too. And we'll discuss that in a bit.

The Greek stuff sucked ass because in my opinion Greek Myths suck ass. Orpheus' "tragic" story always never sat right with me. And one of the reasons Greek tragedies do NOT resonate with me, is they always suggest the bad thing that happens was inevitable, and you or I and every other person on Earth would have made the same mistakes in their place. They are trying to state a deeper truth about humanity's intractability and how deep down we are all equally weak.

The Orpheus thing is proof positive to me that is bullshit. I could definitely have traveled that passageway without looking back and I bet that's true for a ton of people. The parable is done to suggest Orpheus lost faith. And for me, in that scenario faith would have nothing to do with it. It would either work or it wouldn't. If it didn't, I'd try something else. But I would use logic and follow those rules even if I thought they were bullshit at several points. Turning back your head is a choice. Not an inevitability. And the thing I can't abide about Greek myths is it suggesting not only is humanity's weakness an inevitability, but I think that idea suggests we aren't actually entirely responsible for our own mistakes. That might be a good message for people founding a religion. As far as the real world goes, I think it's bullshit.

And even if I were to concede that Orpheus' folly was destiny and couldn't be changed, the fact that this version had to become immortal to travel to the underworld, means even if succeeded he would have been fucked. I think a lot less of Death for not pointing out to him that even if he brought her back, the fact that she would eventually die a natural death and he never would means they would EVENTUALLY be ripped apart for all eternity anyways. When if he had done nothing, they'd eventually be reunited when HE died. Immortality is the absolute last thing a person would want when dealing with bringing back a loved one from the Afterlife. In fact, if you actually know the Afterlife exists, it's entirely counterproductive.

Weird Morpheus names his kid a weird name that rhymes with his own weird name. Fucking comic books.

Enough about the stupid shit. I talked longer about it than I intended.

I wanna talk about Wanda. I wanna talk about how I don't forgive Dream's sins, but him fixing Wanda's gravestone makes me forgive a lot. But what Wanda's family did to her body and grave is a fucking obscenity. And the ugly reality of MANY trans people who died and are sent back to their judgmental monsters of families.

I had actually heard about Wanda's death before this. How Neil Gaiman got hate mail for the character and yet those same people eventually were upset about what her family did to her body. And I thought that was amazing. And you have to keep in mind, this was decades before trans people were accepted in society at ALL. I'm I know what age we are living in, but empathy and understanding about that thing DOES exist for many of us. Back then, her existing in the comic at all was the actual controversy. And Gaiman subverted that, showing great empathy for a segment of society of which little to none has been shown before that.

I want to hand Gaiman this compliment about his empathy to reiterate why people are SO fucking upset at the things he was accused of doing.

If Gaiman was an unfeeling sociopath, him treating women the way he did might not be forgivable, but nobody would be surprised, and I doubt few of his fans would even be as upset, or at least not at this level. The fact that this plot turn was handled so sensitively and empathetically is why we're mad. If I thought that empathy didn't exist and he was a pure monster I wouldn't be as furious as I am. It's the fact that he KNEW what he was doing was wrong and did it anyways which is why he can't be forgiven and why I never will. Am I gonna avoid all of his work in the future? Probably not. He's done a few Doctor Whos and I will probably rewatch those episodes at some point. And since I already have Netflix I decided to finish watching this series. But for people who loved the guy and threw all of their libraries of his away after this? Yeah. Joss Whedon creeped me out for the same reason. They both knew what they were doing was wrong, and did it anyways.

And I think the reason people are right to wash their hands of them both is that neither can even admit what they did was wrong. Their political sensitivities regarding both the world and groups of people who haven't always been treated fairly don't actually mean shit if they are so clueless they don't understand the "Treat people with kindness and empathy" thing extends to THEM too. And it does. 2 1/2 stars.

I kind of love Barnabas the dog. He's the harshest art critic ever.

Once the Greek Myth shit is out of the way, I like Orpheus a lot. He's kind and funny and Johanna Constantine digs him too.

Delirium pretty great too. I love her talking about chicken and telephone ice cream and leaving an ice cream cone on Constantine's grave.

I enjoyed this one. 4 stars.

I just realized Puck is Jack Gleesan. See, I thought he had retired from acting. He must have been a fan of the comic.

Dream's parents are total bastards. You think Morpheus is a bad father? Holy shit!

I feel like Nuala is always being mistreated. Her entire role seems to be that of property and nobody ever takes her wishes into account. It's gross. I know that's the point but it still pissed me off.

Interesting episode. 4 stars.

Daniel's death was horrific. I hope that isn't what it looked like.

I love that Puck has a conscience and actually loves Daniel.

That guy with teeth for eyes at the end is creepy. Was he from Season 1? I forget who he is.

The stupidest thing about Nuala's glamour is the production design fucked it up. Ann Skelly looks equally lovely with or without it.

That shit with Daniel really left a bad taste in my mouth. I hope this show isn't as horrible as that. 3 1/2 stars.

Poor Gilbert.

I vaguely remember the Corinthian from Season 1. I kind of dig the new kind version.

I figured Daniel wasn't dead or else Constantine and the Corinthian still wouldn't be on the investigation.

Every single fairy but Nuala is absolutely useless.

I thought it was good. 4 stars.

Yeah. That kind of fit. I was upset Merv Pumpkinhead got killed but I'm guessing that must have happened in the comic too. I think it was a narrative mistake, but it's not exactly one you can walk back in a faithful adaptation. But it still sucks.

And I'm not calling the Furies the Kindly Ones. That's ridiculous and I don't get why everyone indulges them about that.

I thought it was a good(ish) "ending" although there are still a couple of episodes to go. 4 stars.

That felt like the right ending.

I think Lyta's ending was too kind for that character though.

I thought Death's scene with Hob was cool. I love that he still loves life.

Appearance from the Dead Boy Detectives.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised Merv Pumpkinhead and Abel were brought back. They died in the Dreaming. I would think that the new Dream should have been able to bring them back to life.

I haven't read the comic. Don't know how faithful it was. But it felt right. Now I am going to watch the Special Episode Epilogue. 2 stars.

That was a perfect episode. It moved me and spoke to me personally as someone who has had similar problems to Sextan. I've been there and for the same reasons. I'm still not entirely out of the woods but this episode definitely helped that perspective and I needed it.

And once I saw the credits and saw this episode I personally responded to and was filled with empathy for the kinds of struggles I have been through and suffered, I see it's cowritten by Neil Gaiman.

THIS! THIS! This is why we're mad! If Gaiman didn't routinely do this, we'd dismiss and utterly reject everything about him. We're mad because we know the crap he did was a conscious choice on his part. So much of the episode delving into free will proves it.

I love Death. A lot of people were upset she's a woman of color instead of a Goth girl but outside of that other casting potentially biting the producers if the kid actress went through a growth spurt, having an actress of color have that same bright and sunny personality has its own dramatic appeals. It's a bit jarring to see everyone treat a Black Woman so kindly, and her being completely oblivious to the privilege her supernatural nature is giving her that nobody else on Earth who looks like her enjoys. It raises questions about whether the viewer should actually be angry at her for being so clueless and naive to the suffering Sextan himself is aware of. And you wouldn't get that with a little white girl. Your expectations would be that everyone treats her kindly for THAT, so the controversy isn't remotely apparent.

I'm wondering how much of those complaints are down to racism. Quite a few, I'd suspect. But I think the woman who plays her is fantastic in the role, and I wouldn't want anybody else for this specific show. Maybe a little girl for a one and done movie. For a show that lasts a couple of years at least? This was the right call.

The scene of the woman describing to Sexton the horrors that little girl went through is riveting. And then he notices the gloves, and you understand WHY her advice is so great and insightful. I got chills for that brilliance and sensitivity, and it's another reason I will never forgive Neil Gaiman. The more amazing he is at writing, the angrier I get at his real-world behavior.

The first season had a lot of standalone episodes, and Dream was a background part of many of them. I think the second and final season focused entirely on him and his arc because the producers knew they weren't getting another one, and wanted to tell and fully finish the main narrative while they still could. But Season 1 had episodes like this all the time, and felt very eclectic for that reason. It's no wonder this was the best episode of the season.

That mattered to me. That HELPED me. And it's why Neil Gaiman can never be forgiven. 5 stars.