Sandman

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.

The Sandman - 64%

I've never read the entire comic, but I must say I loved the first six episodes. The remaining five chapters left a lot to be desired. At first, the series offers an interesting narrative, but it lacks character development; it's like watching a series without tension or clear direction. If they'd worked better on the narrative and the characters' performances (unconvincing and sometimes monotonous) starting with episode 7, it would have been more interesting. However, what happened during the casting? I wished Lucifer Morningstar had looked at least a little like David Bowie, as in the comic, but they cast a woman whose role would have been better suited Queen Grimhilde. Let's see what the second season has in store.

As someone who has read the comics - The Absolute Sandman 1-4 and Absolute Death proudly sit on my shelf - I approached this adaptation with cautious optimism.

Season 1 blew those doubts away. From the extraordinary visuals to Tom Sturridge's hauntingly precise embodiment of Dream, it struck the delicate balance of fitting television while never betraying Neil Gaiman's original vision. Episodes like The Sound of Her Wings reminded me why the material was always considered "unfilmable", and why that was wrong.

Season 2 deepened the world. Season of Mists delivered scope, The Song of Orpheus merged Greek myth with tragic inevitability, and the introduction of Destruction and Delirium proved the Endless could thrive on screen. Even side players like Johanna Constantine and the Corinthian elevated the ensemble. For much of the season, it was intelligent, faithful, and frankly cinematic television at its best.

And then came the stumble. The closing arc in Ep 11, and then a needless Ep 12, felt indulgent and oddly slight... a missed opportunity to end with the grace and gravitas the comics achieved. Having loved Season 1 and nearly all of Season 2, this final note was jarringly flat, as if the production lost sight of its own rhythm.

Still, across two seasons, The Sandman remains one of the most ambitious and visually stunning comic adaptations ever attempted. Even with its uneven close, it captured the heart of Gaiman's mythos and gave us performances (Sturridge especially) that deserve to be remembered.

That Netflix has now cancelled it only underlines the melancholy: a dream realised, but cut short.

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.

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.