Omg. You nailed it. The Sandman show is too pretty. Too clean. Too safe. Also EVERYONE is always WHISPERING and holding back on being theatrical. It's like watching people at a banquette refuse to touch anything on their plate.

It also needed to be WEIRDER. I expected Legion levels of weirdness: If a TV adaptation of a fking X-men character got to be one of the most avant-garde shows ever and lasted 3 seasons, how this iconically strange comic became a mild-fantasy series that's... competently made but (at least audiovisually) feels so flat and safe.

Thank you for bringing this into words! I felt vaguely off about the show for a while now but I couldnt explain what it was except for some vague atmosphere and a lack of bad goth fashion, but this. Hits the nail on its head

I love how you described small talk as a low key source of dread. It can reaffirm loneliness, anxiety, and insecurity and if that's not a source of horror, idunno what is!

This EXACTLY put my feelings into words. The Sandman has been one of my favourite works of art since... forever, but I couldn't get into the show despite how excited I was. There were a few brilliant moments - 24/7, the Sound of Her Wings - but overall something felt... off. I wasn't sure how to explain it - too clean, too charming, too whimsical? You explained it so, so well. The Sandman I fell in love with was a grotesque, dark, shocking work that made the moments of beauty stand out so much more. Every panel was filled with immense imaginative horrors and beings. This show is... pretty and sanitized. Dream's palace, Hell, all of it feel like sanitized 3D landscapes and sci-fi sets and not swirling whirlpools of imagination

I just watched your Midsommar breakdown AGAIN yesterday. I’d place it in the top 25 videos I’ve ever seen on this platform regardless of topic. It’s a masterpiece. I’m not a religious scholar, but if it means anything I DO have a graduate degree in psychology and you taught me a lot. Regardless, I adore your work.

I read the first four or five books and they've haunted me for 20 years. As I've watched the show I've thought: it's beautiful, but why is it pulling so many punches?

While it would have been nice to have the show lean into the horror more, I can understand why they didn't, because after the first two books, The Sandman stops being a horror comic and goes to being a fantasy/philosophy comic. I suspect Gaiman wanted to keep the tone more consistent throughout the series (assuming Netflix doesn't cancel it), unlike the comics, where he was still finding his way in the early issues.

I watched two episodes and it felt, well, okay? But forgettable to an extreme. And you phrased masterfully what I felt was missing from it. Some contrast, I guess. For example there is a sequence in which Dream is looking for gifts for the three Destinies. And he tells its dangerous, it begins as something dangerous (him being dragged under water), Lucian agrees it's dangerous, the phrase "dreams and nightmares no longer recognise their master" is said, but, that is it. We don't see him struggling in any way, nor do we notice anything that justifies that sentence. The sequence is barely two minutes long and though beautiful, it feels hollow. There are no stories hidden there, no ideas. This sequence made me feel sad for the show that could've existed

I was just telling my boyfriend this. I thought it was just my love of horror/dark/strange that made me feel this way, but I felt like the show really could have been dark and good, but instead felt.. frequently cheesy throughout most episodes. I just wanted something more, and felt Dream was hit or miss (from a directors job, not as an actor)

Great video Nathan! I really enjoyed the show, but I've been thinking a lot about it in the past couple weeks and I do agree with what you say about a lot of visceral and terrifying elements being sanitized in this adaptation. Literally what made my dad stop reading the first volume was that "it's very dark!" Visually there's something kind of missing, especially in the back half of the season? I really would have liked more psychedelia in the show, to really bring out the whacky and mercurial nature of the Dreaming. That sequence where Dream picks things out of dreamers' dreams is great, and I wanted more of that sense of just how much access he has to literally all of humanity. Some changes worked for me - I liked that John Dee was a little more human, with his own set morality by which he acts accordingly. But conversely I definitely didn't think the show committed enough to the idea of the Corinthian, because he's supposed to be a literal nightmare - I didn't feel as scared of him as I was when reading the comics. This has the effect of making his demise a bit anticlimactic. I also feel like if this season wanted a character arc for Dream, it should have been him dealing with the trauma of being imprisoned for such a long time, and perhaps feeling insufficient and powerless and trying to compensate as a result. But it's completely possible that these changes were made so that it would be more palatable to a wider audience, and perhaps this will change with input from fans!

I was afraid they were going to humanize him as soon as I saw he had regular eyes. It's not Sandman without the horror elements, those are the things that stay with you and give it it's impact.

I really enjoyed the first season of The Sandman, or rather, I really enjoyed the first six episodes of the first season of The Sandman. "24/7" and the following episode are incredible. The remaining four episodes are decent, but not fantastic.

You nailed it with that observation about the shows use of space and “beauty.” I get why it’s not like this, but I’d kill for it to feel more claustrophobic in its scale and storytelling.

"Horror tells the Truth" - What a great little peach pit thesis there at the end of the video! Well done. They even undercut their attempts for dream to gain a stronger arc by changing his "fate" he provided Alex Burgess - not a never-ending nightmare, but a nice long nap. He was NEVER mercurial and cruel in this adaptation. A Dream Jesus. What kind of arc could that ever really have? Been thinking a lot about NOPE recently - do you have any interest in covering that?

Hey Nathan, thank you for another good one! "A lot of weirdos but no freaks" encapsulates my opinion of the series: by the time of the Cereal Convention, we firmly are in AHS territory. I wonder what you have in store for us beggars!

Very interesting points! I loved the show but having some knowledge of the comics ( I am familiar with the illustrations and the story, but for now I've only read Dream Hunters) I will totally agree that it misses the grotesque and the horror a lot. To me it was quite a fairy-tale fantasy, and again, I loved it, but I think it's a pity that the horror aspect was, for now, left out. Maybe it will get loose in the later seasons, now that it has succesfully captured the audience. And apparently, the Dream of a Thousand Cats has been made into an animated episode - given how sad and strange story it is, we might get to see some more bizzarness.

So here’s a funny story: When I was little I was a huge scaredy cat. My cousin gave me his old Goosebumps books when he outgrew them and I couldn’t look at most of the covers without being too scared to sleep. I don’t remember how old I was when I finally started to brave them but it was probably about 10. Around the same time I was really into reading comics at the local library - stuff like Archie - there was a designated kids comics section. Then one day, someone accidentally put a Sandman comic in the kids section, and I borrowed it. I honestly forgot this happened until I was watching the show with my mum and she was asking about the comics and I was like “…and also I read one when I was little and I was terrified of it, because of like, intense gore and violence… also there were lesbians? I think?” Then I read the plot summary for 24/7 and felt sick. Turns out tiny, scared of everything, baby me accidentally read flippin 24/7. I couldn’t tell you what happened in it, I remember some of the art, mostly I remember being unbelievably scared. And it transferred onto the episode, honestly the whole show probably, because I was stressed, by everything, the whole time. Like I made the comment “I don’t know why I can do horror but this is too stressful for me” after an episode.

Yes! Yes, yes, yes. Just on the title alone, yes. Any time I’ve been sharing my feedback on the show this is what I’ve been saying. The grossness of John Dee as opposed to being human, the punishment of endless waking as opposed to endless sleep, the house covered in human flesh that Constantine touches instead of just a normal apartment… so many terrifying moments (in visual and ideas) just from the first few issues that stuck with me over the years were not translated at all into the show. Still, I’m happy for a pretty good adaptation

Spot-on, as a long-term fan of the Sandman I still wasn’t expecting a direct adaption , I understood that this was for TV and would have been surprised if some of the horror elements where portrayed. But I did expect the tone and mood to come across - even the graphics originally created by Dave Mckean as you mentioned had a dark and mysterious undertone. Dave has created the created but it seems to be a very different Dave , one that at first I didn’t recognise. When I mentioned this on a Sandman forum I was attacked and trolled from all sides . Even called racist and homophobic- strange as I was talking about the mood and tone not the casting which I actually think is awesome and even mentioned on my initial comment. It’s the lack of horror , and by that I mean that a dream can become a nightmare at any moment, this creates a constant undertone of dread always creeping in from edges. I do know as a reader that as the comic progressed it became less horror and more mythological fantasy . But the first 2/3 volumes that the TV show is based on was definitely in the realm of fantasy horror.

I was eagerly awaiting the release of Sandman (without having read the comics) and found myself not as hooked as I expected. You may have pointed out exactly why. "24/7" and "The Beating of Her Wings" were by far my favourite episodes, along with John hitchhiking and the tension that was so so anxiety inducing. I love horror, so "24/7" shouldn't be that much of a surprise. I enjoyed the next episode greatly because, while it has some slightly uneasy elements (what if you were made immortal just for the sake of some deity's entertainment?), it is such a self-contained story. Though the first plot of Dream finding his tools again was the most interesting, it was resolved with such a pace and ease that I kind of felt burnt-out? If that makes sense? I might give the comics a go instead.

You definitely found your calling, man. You articulate everything so well. I wonder if you would be willing to talk about one of my favorite horror subjects: the power of fear, no matter whether it is rightfully placed or not. Fear can destroy relationships developed for years in a matter of seconds. I first realized the power of fear when I saw a Twilight zone episode when I was young. "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" shows so perfectly what fear can do to a human, or a group of humans. Obviously there are more recent films that do a good job of this, like The Thing. How quickly everyone stopped trusting their best friends as soon as a threat was shown always fascinated me. Even if you dont make a video about it, I would implore you to watch that episode of twilight zone. The ending is humorous, but it still shows what fear does to us so well

Man, I really like your channel. I watch a lot of horror-related channels and your videos have a unique ambiance. I like you narration because it is present in a more somber style. I love the channel Dead Meat, but the host there is always extremely energetic in the videos. I like his style too, but your narration tone when meshed with the content of what you are talking about is a much better synthesis. There's a minimalism that I like. I think it does a good job at achieving what you talking about in the beginning by examining the horrors of life through the horror genre.

Tbh i was real nervous about the show for a long time but then it came out and i binged it and i liked it :) I thought the changes were interesting, it made sense for a netflix show. My biggest critique is that i wish they dared to make more wacky looking monsters and demons. I was so dissappointed when i saw choronzon 😭 It is def a more 'clean' version of the original, however i think a lot of desicions might have been to avoid falling into stereotypes etc. So for instance; the og corinthian could easily be read as a 'gay scare', but by just letting him sleep w some random dude he doesnt murder he becomes a 'gay & scare' (seperate). Idk if im good at explaining this, but i appreciated those changes. Speaking of change; i thought Change really was dreams whole theme in the comic and that the main take away was even the most stubborn incel emo can change for the better. Yes, it ended with him pissing in the wind but it was more like old mistakes haunting him, and that he had to pay the price for being a dumb bi- Sorry! Rambling. Its just that i read that as the Biggest Catharsis of them all. Face the music, boy!! U know how the tarot card for death means change etc. Anyway, for me it makes sense for the show to put such annoying emphasis on Change since they r speedrunning this shit. Idk, i forgive it. The show is a different experience for sure. Altho the best thing it did was reignite my love for the comic again so i can write superlong posts about it that noone will ever read ❤️ :) ok gn byye

Omg I feel so SEEN! I'm the biggest fan of the comics and the show just falls flat for me. Thank you for putting into words what I couldn't!

My friends and I tried to watch this and we talked about how Morpheus’s story is a metaphor for SA survivors. Because of this I stayed, but this was the episode that made me quit. It felt too safe for the themes it was exploring whether it be john’s or morpheus’s story. THANK YOU for putting all my thoughts into words. Amazing video as always.

OK so Dream went from a dark nihilist overlord to a moody goth who is basically a good guy. True, Netflix The Sandman is definitely a homogenized version of the graphic story; but, I don’t think that’s such a bad thing. Neil Gaiman’s original work is still there, still available with all its Clive Barker-esc visceral horror. In my humble opinion, the re-introduction of the characters as more accessible to a broader audience is just fine.

You've hit the nail on the head, especially about the lack of ugliness. When I saw Despair I was like, I get why they don't want to have an actress naked on screen the whole time, but that is a lady in a cozy sweater. That's not Despair, that's "Mild Case of the Blahs."

It was too clean for me. Listening to the audiobook version and re reading the comics, I was really struck home how there is constant tension, sadness and horror in the original. Very little of that was in the show. Alas. I was trying to explain to a friend who was saying they didn't want to read the comics because it was yet another hero's journey, that no. It isn't. Dream is forced to change, because the stories and dreams change and he cannot. And that is so beautiful.

Man the algorithm did unspeakable things to this video- excellent job as always, thank you for always providing a different angle on whatever subject you take on!

I’ve only watched the show, and read the Brief Lives and Kindly Ones comic. I really like the show, and this video was really interesting as it’s from someone who really likes the comics. The show is super interesting thematically to me, especially as how it presents hope as a driving force, honesty and its failings, and lies. John Burgess is bitter and hurt and has a skewed view of honesty as a result of his mother’s neglect. But all lies being taken away results in death and destruction. To me, this speaks to Delirium’s line in Brief Lives: “Everyone can know everything Destiny knows, but we pretend not to.” The internal conflicts and simmering grudges and repressions of the characters in 24/7 play into this, but once all ‘lies’ (dreams and aspirations) are taken away, they die. I see this as how when people’s lives fall apart there’s nothing left? All you get is ‘I am small in an uncaring universe, nothing matters, I will amount to nothing, death is the only option.’ This is the ultimate collapse of the characters as they all die horribly. For context, I’ve felt some of this during lockdown and for a long time after, including struggling with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I felt like my life had collapsed and that I didn’t deserve to be alive. So much of this analysis is affected by this stuff. The power of hope in the series is also significant to this - the people in 24/7 lose hope and lose their dreams and aspirations, such as Bette wanting to be a writer. (I also want to be a writer and using my experiences to inform my writing and help people feeling like I did/still do helped a lot to bring a bit of value to how bad I felt.) Having Dream just have realised the power of hope to both help and damn in ‘A Hope In Hell’ gives the whole episode a sense of poetic irony and horror as the events unfold, outside of the episode itself. This is a super overlong rant, I really like this show and I like the comics I’ve read. I’ll be sure to read more of the comics in the future. :)

YES. Okay, so that perfectly explains what's off about the series for me. On a surface level I can love and appreciate the care Gaiman and others took to transfer the comic to the screen, but its faithfulness definitely remains only on the surface. It's definitely too sanitized and nice. Morpheus acts as an antagonist about as much as he does a protagonist in a lot of the early comics. He's very much a threat to the mortals who cross his path. But in the show his flaws just seem limited to him being stubborn and cold, whereas in the comics he can be as detached, vengeful, arrogant and cruel as any god. The first arc should definitely be more Lovecraftian than it is. The comic issues focusing on Dee's escape from Arkham and his use of the ruby are 100% perfect, tense horror, but the tv show gives us only a defanged, limp version of the events. Gaiman is trying to make a Sandman for a wider audience to get into, but it's just not a story that can pull its punches if it is to remain effective.

Just had to say all your content is just superb sir..really interesting and insightful..you put some hard work into these videos and it shows..so major credit to you..

3:11 bro. You’re very good at this and I appreciate you.

Good to see you, sir, hope you're well. I totally agree, it needed more horror.

Considering Gaiman was one of the writers of the show it's kind of insulting to say that the show "doesn't understand it's a horror comic". I'd argue the exact opposite. The show is fully aware of that fact and has actively chosen to tell the story through a less horrific lense. In a media landscape where all the high-budget "mature" dramas are obsessed with being "dark" and "nihilistic" they chose to rework this story to be a little more hopeful. To show how a narrative can be changed by its creator to help inspire us as viewers to change our own narratives, and thus ourselves, to be more hopeful and empathetic. The problem I've always had with this storyline in the comic is that I finish it with a sense of emptiness. I ask myself, "what's the fucking point of this story?" And besides showing how dangerous the gem is and how shitty people can be I I've never found one. But the show, on the other hand, took that same storyline and gave it a more inspiring thesis. It takes the often praised edgelord mantra about how everyone is a liar and everything is bullshit and turned it on it's head. It showed John Dee how those "lies" can be our attempt at being the better person that we all strive for. Sometimes it causes use to deceive ourselves and we should definitely address that in a healthier way. And sometimes we do others a disservice by keeping up appearances, but that doesn't make them solely detrimental. Even turning John from a super villain to a broken man lashing out at the world is a welcome change. Given the ability to help someone he thinks is a good person he does. It reinforces his delusion that he's trying to help these people in the diner. He's trying to make a better world. Which is an excuse that a lot of [people] use to commit atrocities. So this telling of the story chose to call that out for the bullshit argument it has always been. It's a different telling of the story. Since it's written by a guy who is obsessed with mythology and how we change those stories to fit the needs of our time it seems obvious to me that Gaiman actively chose to rework this mythology for today. The comic came out in a climate of unending excess. When the mainstream narrative was that the Western World was amazing and perfect and things were only going to get better from here. So it critiqued that delusion. But this time it's in a climate of crushing hopelessness. When a large chunk of Western World (and millions of others) is suffering under the reality beneath the aforemention delusion. So it's been changed to a story about how people are people. How we're fragile, silly things that are just flailing about doing the best we can. We do good things. We do bad things. We hurt each other in ways big and small. And if given the power to help one another like John can it's amoral not to let alone use that power to abuse or oppress. The promotion for this show has said repeatedly that they've updated this story to the modern world. They weren't just talking about aesthetics. They meant the entire story, including the lessons we can learn from it. So as a matter of personal taste or preference, sure enjoy the comic more. But don't be mistaken that these changes were a "failing". They were deliberate, and for this fan they were a great improvement. They took a story that I hated in the comic and made it one of my favorite episodes of the season. Sidenote: You're right that a lot of the shots are pretty static and bland, but I think that's a matter of budget. They cut corners on the reverse shot conversations so they could put that money in making 24/7 look amazing, for example. I will also agree that they are laying it on a little thick with the Dream needs to change for the exact reason you state. The whole point of the ending is that Morpheus has to die in order for Dream truly change.

You are sooooo talented!

Really enjoy your content. Particularly your deep dive videos. Would have loved to hear more, felt like it was over before it began. Maybe fitting for the series.

The most uncomfortable thing about Dream's character is the extremely early emphasis about "defiance" and a natural order or structure to his kingdom that I found kind of weird. They're dreams, so why is he so big on these rules and structures? It's dreams, more influenced by the constant chaos of humanity. Maybe this is more explored in the comics. Unfortunately I haven't read them. Looks like I should lol.

You covered a lot of good points about the content and narrative in the show, but I'm going to leave a comment echoing your confusion about those credits graphics. They had a powerful "medium-budget BBC series" energy, and I do not mean that as a compliment.

nothing kills a horror vibe like a raven cracking wise w the voice of Patton Oswalt

lovely video !

Gaiman's book The Ocean at the End of the Lane is one of my favorite books of all time. I haven't read his other works. Most of the episodes give me this "adult fairytale" vibe sans Brothers Grimm violence... surreal but cozy, raw but gentle. I have the same feelings when reading Ocean. This episode was my least favorite by far. It was so creepy and painful, yet the pacing was very lifelike and I related a lot to the chatacters. I like horror and this show does not fit comfortably in that genre. Having no knowledge of the comics might be to my benefit. Thank you for the video!

I completely agree with your point, I did feel like the horror elements were lacking in the show. I was especially disheartened when we didn't get that horrifying conglomeration of writhing dreams clinging onto the wall at Rachel's apartment as Constantine tries to find the sand. But, I also understand that this is a different show, and I'm kind of thankful that they made it more accessible and fantasy based, as it will reach a larger demographic and bring more people in the fandom. It is nice to have a bit of variety, because whatever happens, I still have the comics and the audiodrama's, (where everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING, is adapted, so those are much more horror-centric). I like the fact that I can enjoy my slightly more charismatic, humanized Dream, and then the aloof, surly, socially-awkward Dream from the audiodramas. As far as I'm concerned, the show's character depiction did okay, but it does mean they're going to have to take a few steps back if they ever adapt Seasons of Mist.

I feel like this this is an incredibly insightful and articulate statement of "Hollywood/TV did what it usually does" AKA "they took a unique book and turned it into a generic show." I remember having a hard time getting through this issue of the Sandman specifically. As clichéd as it may sound now, Sandman felt like an obviously adult (and artistic) comic firmly outside of the superhero-action-for-teens world and that felt pretty ground-breaking at the time - certainly to me, having just grown up on '90s Spidey and Batman comics. Now it just sounds like they're pandering to that world with the show.

Thanks!!

This is why I love Acolytes of Horror

"Everyone is constantly talking about how dream needs to change..." I could hear the eye twitch in your voice here haha But yes, I agree.

Yeah, you really captured how I felt about the show. It's very sanitized for general consumption. I do have a request though, I was wondering if you had a take on the movie The Sadness 2021. It delves into the depravity in which I thought should be present in this Sandman episode, which was definitely lacking.

I enjoyed the show but you are 100% correct that it really reigns in the severe ugliness and cruelty present in the comics. I had honestly forgotten bc it’s been so long since I read them.

I agree with ya on this, felt the same when i saw it first. You probably know Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat ; that story also has an element of fear / horror to it. In the end the black cat reveals the truth by it's very existence, nature and death. Cheers !

I actually thought the show was laughably bad at first, starting with that huge exposition dump at the beginning. I thought the dialogue was too on-the-nose and trite. I still think Dream was hugely ineffective as a protagonist and hardly did much of anything of consequence. Things just sort of...happened to him. Surely, I would have gone into the show with a more open mindset if I were familiar with, or a fan of, the source material. I did keep watching though. I was largely unimpressed until halfway through 24/7 when I finally saw where the episode was going. I thought the ending fell flat as the patrons all started randomly killing themselves, much as you did, but I enjoyed the journey. The following episode with the "every hundred year" conceit kept me watching to the end of the season. I don't think it's a great show by any stretch, but I can see that it has potential. Hopefully season two, should it ever come out, lives up a little more to the horror and grotesquery of the source material.

I stopped watching this half way through to watch the first episode. A beautiful show!

Good video.

I adore your channel. Let me just see the show first before I finish watching this video. See you!

Oh me? Not bad, not bad. All the better for these last 14 odd minutes _; )_

The first rule of television: don’t be ugly. No matter what you do, don’t be ugly.

I still want to see the show; but your video review is good. Stimulating even.

Horror rocks and you rock.

Yeeeessss! That's what it is. The show has tim burton fairytale feel to it. Almost cute. The book is grim, cold, and silver linings are almost accidental.

Cool video

I haven't read the books, but the hype and story premise still made me check out the adaptation. For a show about stories, it really isn't very good at telling one. I gave up halfway through the season because the show kept jumping between exposition dumps and vague references to outside events and characters. It felt like watching a recap of a show where I skipped a season, always getting too much info or not enough. I appreciated the concepts it introduced, but never felt emotionally invested. Characters were just going through the motions with no tangible stakes.

"There's plenty of weirdos but no freaks." Absolutely perfect description of not just this show but other media that try too hard to be superficially 'edgy'.

i really enjoyed the show, but i think your observations are spot on. i was really disappointed that that rachel and the diner weren’t as brutal as they were in the comics. it seems like removing the nastier parts of the comic undercuts the contrast to the other dimensions of the human experience explored in the story. truly a missed opportunity.

I didn’t read the comics and I enjoyed the series so much, the diner episode was terrifying, I could always go for more horror but I liked it still.

I've been enjoying the Sandman so far, but I think a lot of that's come from the fact that the actors are all really great and I like seeing their takes on the characters (Gwendoline Christie's Lucifer was a highlight). But I keep noticing areas where it feels like there's not enough impact. Take the episode where Dream's looking for the sand. We see some of Johanna's experience in Newcastle in her nightmare, but it's nowhere near as harrowing as the event in the Hellblazer comics. Then there's the bit with Rachel. I understand not having her be a drug addict anymore, but I was disappointed that we didn't get the bit where dreams and nightmares were taking over her whole house. I suspect a lot of the changes either had to do with Netflix drawing a line in places (Rachel not being a drug addict, Despair wearing clothes, etc.) or having to dance around DC comics connections (the John/Johanna change, Hal and Lyta's origins, John Dee's actions and goals). I hope that if the show gets approved for a second season the creators will take more risks with the visuals and lean into the darker and more psychedelic imagery from the source material.

3:00 as a too old to still be single woman, boy do I feel this bit. The feeling I may have lost my last chance at love because I wasn't witty enough in an elevator.

As a Terry Pratchett fan, I need to express how disappointed with each new attempt made to adapt his work into a show or movie. I've been burnt too often. Wayyyyy to often. As Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman were best of friends, this leads to a "disappointment by association" and a double punch of ticket holder sadness. Let me explain. I loved the first season of Neil's of 'American Gods', until somewhere in season two things began to go sideways. I began to feel frustrated and sadly did not return to season three. Then there's the book that both Terry and Neil wrote together, (they were the best of friends), 'Good Omens' - a spectacular book! Honestly, it was something special...and funny...and heart breaking...and timeless. Later, when Neil devoted himself to bringing 'Good Omens' to life onscreen via a limited television series, I was hopeful, but also cautious. As with all of Terry's stories that end up as a movie or show, something, be it small or large, was lost. We won't get into the seemingly unnecessary adaptation of Terry's 'The Night Watch', now named 'The Watch'. I could rant at how beautifully complex gender fluid characters and realistic portrayals of everyday men and women were discarded instead for "easy on the eyes" substitutions. But I won't. It's exhausting. Now to be fair, Neil's adaptation of 'Coraline' was brilliant. And, to this positive news, I understand that the upcoming animation adaptation of Terry's 'The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents' (renamed 'The Amazing Maurice') looks like something very cool. I'm actually excited to see this! In "Just My Opinion" land, these complex books are probably best adapted as animation. For now. Until we can really level up in competency to make live action versions of these beloved books and graphic novels. I'll end my blathering here, and will also say thank you for your thoughtful video.

People good at small talk are great at faking it and i think even those people wonder if they're doing enough, funny enough, smooth enough.

If we talk about Neil Gaiman, what about analysis of American Gods?

It's a major Netflix show that has to appeal to as many people as possible, they wouldn't just make it a full on horror. My problem is that it's almost good but I see the threads, like I don't get sucked into the story, I observe and go: oh I see, this is what they're trying to do there. I like the main actors, I think that what persuaded me to watch the whole thing.

I watched the show and loved it without knowing the original content but now that I’ve gotten to learn about it idk I’m kind of bummed??? It’s still good but so more potential and wish they had taken more from the horror aspect rather than make it seem more like a fairy tale

I can't speak for anyone else, but when I make small talk with someone I don't have or want to have much of a connection with, it's just about acknowledgement, not trying to have a relationship with someone. "Hi, how are you" is like saying "I see you and I know you." I had a coworker some time ago that was friendly enough in the office but who would ignore me when we saw one another on public transit (which we did on a frequent basis) and it really, really bugged me (I didn't want them to sit next to me and chatter the whole ride to work, I never wanted their attention or affection or anything like that. There's just something odious about pretending to not see someone you know in public instead of just saying "good morning" and moving on with one's life). I see you. I know you (obviously not that well, not trying to be creepy). I do hope you are well. I don't wish for your disappearance or pray on your downfall.

I can’t remember if I finished the comic yet. I think I did.

Did you ever see nightmare alley? That shaggy dog story about The Geek reminds me of 24 hours

Exactly. Saccharine, sanitised Sandman.

Easily the best episodes of a hit-and-miss show. It's almost as if it exists outside the rest of the show. The tone is completely different and, contrary to all other episodes, the characters are given time to develop so we can actually care about them.

I think I'm glad the show was more tame from what I've seen of the comics. I'm not as much of a horror fan as the other comments I see down here. It's never been my thing. I went into the show blind and enjoyed most of it for doing interesting things I haven't seen before. I was honestly invested in the small town diner. And the implications of everything and everyone's stories then they all died lol. I agree with a lot of the other things you've said. Certain elements (more than a few honestly) of the show felt off... but I'm used to corny TV thanks to the CW so a lot of it is just lost on me.

found the show enjoyable, with the odd moment of brilliance, but then I'm not very familiar with the source material yet (borrowed the ebooks while I was bingeing the series). The show only nails that tense claustrophobia in 24/7 and the episode before where John is hitchhiking with Rosemary. Loved both episodes.

You should do a video on Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981). It should be called "The art of 'Do it yourself' style horror"

I've been watching this with my GF who is also a huge fan of the comics. It's so hard to not enjoy them that much. At least the Doll's House part is a bit less pendulous.

Oh shi... I gotta go binge and watch the show first rl quick

Good video, I appreciate and empathize with your take, but disagree with much of it. I think you overlooked how much the changes that appear to sanitize, also recontextualize events to make them fit the new themes and messaging. The show isn't supposed to be a horror story, and the horror version of the story has already been told and told well. Love your stuff, though, always glad when you show up in my feed 👍

Leaving a comment for the algorithm bc KZfaq hasn’t recommended anything from you to me recently, even though I go back to your st maud video all the time smh

Thank you for this. I loved the old Sandman comics and netflix would have ruined it for me and you saved me from having to experience that disappointment of a beloved and creative thing being made so banal and... mid.

I haven't read the comics but I agree

Check out the fan film Sandman: 24 Hour Diner if you want to see it done like the comic.

I feel the thing with the corinthian in the comic is part of the set-up to make Sandman distinguish itself from mere "superhero" comics. John Constantine, Dee, the Corinthian and the whole "cereal" convention is just a long statement by Gaiman to separate Sandman from worldly affairs. End of the world? who cares. Bunch of serial killers? meh. Sandman isn't about mundane things like that. Corinthian and Dee feel like a regular comic book bad guys that sandman pities more than fights. Dream is so much more than that. For as many things the writers got right, i think their need for a "season villain" betrayed them there.

Judy is lying too. She knows why her girlfriend is gone - she ain't "gone" after a "stupid fight", she was hit by Judy and is avoiding her.

gotta admit that i agree. i'm not being a hater - i love gaiman and the comics ( i mean, obviously, cos look at my icon), but the show just felt anaemic? sanitized? everything / everyone looks too nice and neat and put together; the world doesn't feel lived in. and, personally, i really missed the 80s / 90s of it all - the fashion, the general grubbiness. i think the time period in which the comics were written is an integral part of the story, and the show somehow feels lesser cos of the time shift to the 2020s. i'm still impressed at what the show accomplished, and, tbh, i wasn't expecting all that much, but it just didn't do it for me. (i was also really bothered by the actors that were clearly attempting accents that weren't their own. that's a me thing, though. i wish i didn't notice, but i can't not.)

24 hours was So Much in the comic

I had a lot of trouble with the original cafe comic (not objecting to its choices, just not having a strong enough stomach at times). I found the episode much more digestible but can appreciate the impact overall of the horror being toned down in the show.

I *liked* the show -- but not as much as the comic, even if there are some changes that I think are improvements and generally like the performances. It seems to happen a lot with film and even more with TV; everything's more literal, less ambiguous/uncanny/disconcerting/dreamlike/abstract. There are definitely comics that translate well to moving visual media, but some that really take advantage of the original medium to bring out confusion, alienation, psychology, horror, etc. just feel like they're missing something critical when filmed. (I'll still watch a second season, but it gets by for me on a combination of liking the performances and projecting my experiences with the comic onto the show.)

PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT THE CRUCIBLE

I did not finish the show. Now I know why.

Sigh. I was afraid of this. I know I will watch the show at some point, but I was worried it wouldn't live up to the comic. I'm glad to know that going in, I guess. Then again, The Sandman comics are pretty dear to me, so I don't think it ever stood a chance. They told fantastic tales, but they was always filled with the grit and grime of a low budget 80's movie. You saw the beauty through the horror, and it was better for it. Every trailer I have seen looks like it was totally on a green screen. At least 24/7 looks like it kept enough of it to feel satisfying.

while I enjoyed the show cause the sandman comics are something cherished to me, I defenitely felt like it neutered the story in some way. i couldnt put my finger on it but I remember saying to my partner that a lot of the gruesome stuff was changed. This is defenitely the sentiments ive felt while watching

woe to me for assuming you meant the end of the sandman show, I have regret

I liked the 24/7 episode best.

Can we do a video on Get out...nope and us?