Sandman

It's fair to say I've always been somewhat of a fan of the distinctively whimsical, quintessential eccentricity imbued within famous author Neil Gaiman's writing (ever since - in 2011 - first being introduced to it as a child in BBC1's 6th season of "Doctor Who", with his critically acclaimed episode "The Doctor's Wife") & therefore, as a long-time admirer of his impressive portfolio of work, growing up alongside his growing number of flourishing projects, I'd previously made consistent efforts to acquaint myself with his prior TV adaptations "Good Omens" & "American Gods" but admittedly, had never yet had the pleasure of reading the much beloved "Sandman" graphic novels (of which this series is based upon, widely considered to be his best) before. Hence, I personally went in to this season with no preconceived expectations & thus, I must concede - after viewing the first 3 installments - that this Netflix series has completely blown me away & ironically surpassed even my wildest dreams.

Of course, I can only comment as a casual viewer (& am unable to ascertain the faithfulness to the source material, present within these episodes), but within the first 3 hours, we as an audience are introduced to a rich, layered, enchanting world of pure imagination that is creatively borne, masterfully realised & the sheer scope & scale captured from beginning to end is honestly mesmerising. Indeed, it's no surprise to witness peculiar & cerebral fantastical wonders on screen - in a fantasy constructed from the inspired mind of such a quirky, ingenious scribe - yet nonetheless, I still found myself utterly confounded by the sheer regality & majesty of this grandiose, unconventional & wholly epic tale.

It's a credit to all of the cast & crew members involved, who've respectfully & lovingly brought such a breathtaking universe to life & I'm hopeful the quality established here in the preliminary chapters will continue throughout... Because from what I've seen, I'm seriously floored. It is utterly remarkable, beautifully dark & haunted & unlike anything I've had the opportunity to previously binge on the streaming service, in its history.

There's a palpable sense of history & mythology to it which immediately draws you in & I cannot wait to see more. What a major achievement!

In an age dominated by 15-second reels, endless TikToks, and the constant noise of social media, The Sandman did something extraordinary-it made me forget the world around me and pulled me into its own. Watching this series felt like being transported back to a time when stories were allowed to breathe, when imagination ruled over algorithms, and when TV shows were experienced, not just consumed.

The Sandman is a rare gem of the 21st century that somehow channels the soul of the 20th. It reminds me of an era when shows were artfully crafted and not built around trends or virality. The pacing, the visuals, the storytelling-everything feels deliberate and rich with meaning. It's thoughtful, haunting, beautiful, and deeply emotional. It's not just entertainment; it's an experience.

What makes it even more special is how uncommon shows like this have become. In today's content-saturated landscape, patience and depth are undervalued. But The Sandman dares to go slow, to build a world, and to ask its viewers to pay attention. And it rewards that attention at every turn.

This might just be one of the most underrated shows of the 21st century. It deserves far more recognition than it's gotten. If you're someone who misses the golden age of storytelling, this show is your time machine.

Highly recommended for anyone who still believes in the magic of long-form, meaningful storytelling.

When "The Sandman" first came out on Netflix, I fell instantly and absolutely in love with everything in the series... the plot was good and strong (even innovative!), the characters were well constructed and the world was built with substance, with a lot of layers. It was indeed a breath of fresh air when it comes to fantasy series or movies that have been coming out this past few years.

The script itself, having a lot of philosophy in it, was also something that attracted me because you could tell the lines were not forced at all. Overall, the series were a 10 out of 10.

But then, season 2 came out this year.

I was excited to see again another story happen in this fantastic world that was built but then... it was just a big, huge, disappointement. The plot is going side ways with no plausible justification on why "x" thing happens in the context of the story and the characters are full with lines that dont add anything relevant and seem unnatural for a certain character to say or act that way.

To make matters worse, how does it make sense to start throwing new characters every episode just to fill holes, when they add almost nothing to the general narrative?

The ending of season 2, was the cherry on top of a badly baked cake. I mean, it just splashes on our faces that they wanted to end the series as soon as possible but didnt even bother to build something that had quality and felt like it was thought over like the first season. It really made me angry to see such good characters (and amazing actors!!!), plot and story just thrown away to the trash literally to end something fast.

It's very sad because then people wonder why we dont have any good series or films with a fresh point of view being made and coming out like we had in the 90s/2000s, for example. Write better and dont waste great potential like in "The Sandman" 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.

The good: I haven't finished the comics yet but I appreciate that the show attempts to stay close to the source material. There have been a staggering number of adaptations where writers insert their own ambitions into the project and it ends up looking nothing like the original work.

I also appreciate the casting for Morpheus. The actor embodies the character beautifully and is a joy to watch.

The production quality of the show is great and I like the pacing and flow of the story.

The bad: The forced diversity is awful. It's neither subtle nor organic and as a person of colour, it seems like western media thinks diversity is just black and white. Strong, black women lecturing a god and showing the error of his ways is about as ham-fisted as it gets.

Overall, I do enjoy most of this show and I would recommend it. It's just a shame that politics would mar what could have been a great show. Alas, it's just alright.