Sandman thoughts

Like many fannish folk of my approximate age, I've been waiting 30 years for this adaptation, with a mix of gleeful excitement and terror that Netflix would somehow mess it up. I am pleased to report that they did not, in my opinion, mess it up; certainly I have my quibbles with it, but in the main I enjoyed it a lot, had many moments of fangirl glee, and even really liked some of the changes.

Probably my most serious -- not complaint, really, but comment -- that's specific to the adaptation rather than being grounded in the original text (for an example of the latter, see the depiction of Despair) is the pacing. ( Spoilers for both comics and show. )

It's not a major issue, though, and there are so many more things I was happy with.

The casting was A++ throughout -- not a single person felt off to me, and most of them are brilliant. Much of the imagery was spot-on, with several shots that leapt directly from the page, and even when they made changes it always felt right, like they were evoking the right mood. And there were a number of more substantial changes I liked a lot: ( More spoilers )

I re-read the first two volumes for the first time in ages after finishing the season, just to remind myself of how everything happened in the comics, and I found almost nothing that gave me a twinge of nostalgia, of "oh I missed that, I wish they'd done that instead." I guess the other thing I'm not entirely on board with is the change to The Corinthian: ( spoilers of course )

If you haven't read the comic and are thinking of watching the show, or have started watching it and are unsure about it, because the main character has such a flat affect and/or if you think he comes off as a bit of a dick -- you're not wrong. That's the character; that's who he is. Even in the comics, you weren't always supposed to sympathize with him, and I think that aspect comes through even more clearly here. (If Tom Sturridge were playing Dream as exuberant, emotive, kindly, or warm, he would be doing it wrong.) But he does grow and become a bit more likable, sometimes, and when he's not likable, that's the point. So I encourage you to give it a chance. And if you're a worried fan, like I was, I hope my thoughts here can help assuage your fears. I don't guarantee that you're going to like it -- maybe your tastes or your reasons for loving it are different than mine. But it's worth at least a try.