by Jack Grimme, Contributing Writer
If you are an avid reader, you have almost certainly heard the name Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is a wildly successful author with incredibly influential works that span several genres. He is responsible for American Gods, Lucifer, Good Omens,and several more. The aforementioned works have all been adapted as critically acclaimed television programs. So the news that Gaiman’s beloved comic book series, The Sandman,was finally being brought to the screen, after years in developmental purgatory, piqued my interest. So much so that I decided to order volume one of the series and take my first step into this magical world. I was immediately struck by Gaiman’s ability to confidently craft an imaginative world built on some of mankind’s most infamous myths and lore. For me, there was no question. This story deserved to be shown to a larger audience. It was also clear that the task would not be easy.
Successfully adapting a comic book is a challenge even under the simplest of circumstances. The Sandman offered some unique challenges that added nuance to the production. The first of which being that The Sandman exists within the DC comic book universe. Fan favorite characters such as John Constantine and Martian Manhunter play important roles in the specific volumes the show drew inspiration from. The main antagonist, John Dee, originated as villain of the Justice League. He was even portrayed by Jeremy Davies in the CW superhero universe. Typically, this wouldn’t be an issue. The bulk of the characters in the series are based on different fairy tales and folklore. Potential complications occurred when Gaiman and Netflix decided to distance their adaptation form the DC universe. This manifested in several interesting ways throughout the series that I am excited to touch on a little later.
Another potential hurdle was the distinct dialogue and writing style that Gaiman employs in the original text. The words are often dramatic and even poetic. It works very well for the medium, but I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t play as well in live action. The delivery could easily end up feeling corny or clunky depending on the actor. My final reservation had to do with the world itself. The original comics are incredibly deep and distinct. Gaiman expertly weaves together tales from various belief systems and cultures to create the setting. The show could potentially have relied on forced exposition to fill the audience in. They also could’ve played it too loose and left the new audience in the dust.
So did Gaiman and his expansive crew of staff writers fall into any of these traps? Was this story a good fit for Netflix’s binge focused model? Does the show live up to the immense hype set by the source material?
The Sandman tells the story of the titular Lord of the Dreams. The lead role, played by Tom Sturridge, is known by many names. The Sandman, Morpheus, Kai’ckul, and a handful of others. Personally, I tend to refer to him simply as Dream. In this world, Dream is one of the Endless. They are immortal, godlike figures with the ability to walk among mankind. Each of the Endless is responsible for their respective realm. Dream is the creator and ruler of The Dreaming, the place we all go when we fall asleep. One day in the early 20th century, a corrupt mage decides to summon and trap Death, one of the Endless. Unfortunately, Dream ends up falling victim to the man’s trap. Dream ends up spending the next century in the sorcerer’s dungeon. The series follows the repercussions of this event. Dream must repair the damage done to his world by his absence. He also grapples with his strained relationship to the mortal world after witnessing the worst humanity has to offer.
If I had to describe this show with one word, it would be faithful. This comic series was met with critical acclaim upon release and has continued to age like fine wine since. The team behind the scenes clearly knew they were working with gold. Minus a few alterations, they adapted the bulk of this series verbatim. And I know this for a fact, because I read the book like three days before the show released. The minor changes they did make, paired with an exceptional cast, completely quelled my fears with the dialogue. Speaking of the acting talent, Sturridge was perfectly cast in his role. His contemplative, edgy mystique feels like a carbon copy of the original character.
This series has two primary villains, John Dee (David Thewlis) and The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook). I was thoroughly impressed by Holbrook’s turn as The Corinthian. He nails the charismatic narcissism that makes the rogue nightmare so deadly. Thewlis’ efforts as John Dee genuinely blew me away. John Dee was one of my favorite parts of the book. In the comics, he is sadistic and vile in the worst way possible. Thewlis, miraculously, was able to bring those sick traits to life, while still maintaining a sense of sympathy for the character. He is meek yet intimidating. Twisted yet misunderstood. It was absolutely masterful and definitely a highlight throughout the series, which is even more impressive because the rest of the cast gives great performances. Vivienne Acheampong added a lot of life to the Dream King’s main confidant, Lucienne, that didn’t resonate with me nearly as much during my read through. Patton Oswalt, Stephen Fry, and Mark Hamill all appear to brighten the screen. And I could see Kirby Howell-Baptiste earning an Emmy for her work in episode six as Dream’s sister, Death.
Earlier, I mentioned this property’s weird relationship with the DC brand. In the original story, Martian Manhunter and John Constantine helped Dream during his quest to reclaim his power. I was very nervous that their omission in the series would be distracting or disappointing. Surprisingly, the lack of the tie-in characters ended up feeling freeing. The Martian Manhunter story is fully absent in the show, and it shows how unnecessary it was in the first place. Gaiman and crew decided to replace John Constantine with Johanna Constantine (Jenna Coleman), and it works fairly well. The character is played the same way, and Coleman is a welcome addition to the cast. And, strangely, John Dee was just kept the same. The only difference is that he isn’t referred to as Doctor Destiny, his alter ego, and resides in an unnamed hospital as opposed to the infamous Arkham Asylum. I mentioned earlier that this world is extremely dense and complex. I believe that removing the series from the DC canon streamlines the story and avoids unnecessary cameos.
The final big positive for this show was the world building. There are two major missteps that I see many films and television shows make when trying to establish an ambitious world. Sometimes individuals bog their story down with the overuse of narration or ham-fisted exposition. On the other end of the spectrum, many creators move too fast and leave their audience scratching their heads. Dedicated, creative people can spend years in their head building up a fantastical setting. It ends up becoming hard to distance yourself from the material enough to understand what the audience needs to know. Gaiman and his team clearly have an exhaustive understanding of the mechanisms at work in this world. I was in awe at their ability to tell the story in such a cohesive way. They know when to show and they know when to tell. They seamlessly introduce uniformed characters in a way that facilitates exposition. I will admit that I went into this show with more knowledge than the average viewer, so to really understand the efficacy of their attempts, I would have to speak with someone with no prior experience to the source material. However, I personally felt like major reveals and conclusions occur naturally for the audience and the characters.
As for some other positives, I can’t think of a moment from the comics that seemed to be missing from this season. Obviously, they left things out. This adapted like 10 issues of a 75-issue series. However, I felt like they adapted the best parts of the story they were trying to tell and saved plenty of content for future seasons. I also loved the thematic work being done in the show and the comics. The show explores the conflation of dreams as a physical manifestation of sleep and dreams as a symbol for hope and aspiration. They grapple with the idea of being able to enter a place, the Dreaming, where anything is possible. I was particularly impressed by The Sandman’s ability to explore mature themes and content while still maintaining a sense of optimism. The theming is assured and refreshing, which always makes for an impactful journey.
Unfortunately, as with all art, there are some negatives that are worth discussing. My primary problem with this show is its pacing. I will start by saying I was never bored. It was exciting and engaging up until the end. However, there are several moments that felt a little rushed. There are essentially two separate arcs within this season. In my head I separate them by their villain — the first being John Dee and the second being The Corinthian. I understand why they didn’t dedicate an entire season to these arcs. However, I wish we had more time with each storyline than we did. I think John Dee’s plot is particularly rushed, but I may be biased by my love of Thewlis. I fear that they were forced to fit everything into 10 episodes. Although, I had the same issue with several beats in the comics, so maybe it was intentional. And I am definitely not saying that the pacing is bad as a whole. I was impressed by their ability to make each episode feel like a complete story. Many shows that are designed to be binged end up feeling like 10-hour movies with unexpected black screens to distinguish the episodes. Each episode of The Sandman tells a complete story; I just wish they spent a little more time on certain moments and characters.
The rest of my complaints are minor and only appeared once or twice throughout the whole series. There are a couple of scenes where the CGI backdrops look too fake, and it took me out of the show a bit. But there are far more scenes where the visuals are astonishing. The various dream sequences are brilliant and breathtaking. Some of the bit parts or extras feel a little stiff, but that is unavoidable with a show of this size. And there are a handful of moments where the comedic relief didn’t land. Patton Oswalt is great, and I love his character. I just felt like they shoehorned his jokes into a handful of scenes. It is also clear that a lot of this season was meant to create threads for future seasons. So while some things feel a little unresolved, I can’t really call that a negative. Especially because The Sandman comic series is revered for its tendency to take the smallest detail and make it crucial 30 issues later. It’s a genuinely inspired way to reward careful readers and prove the creative team’s dedication to the product.
I hope the show delivers on that strength of its source material moving forward. Ultimately, I would have to say one of my main issues is that I have to cross my fingers and pray Netflix doesn’t fail Gaiman like they failed David Fincher and all the Mindhunter fans.
Score: 8/10
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