Netflix has a habit of ending good things prematurely or randomly, for legitimate or absurd reasons. The House of Cards closing made sense because Kevin Spacey had gone crazy, but that only ruined the overall product. Mindhunter was never able to complete its story because it apparently wasn't getting enough views. The Umbrella Academy needed a lot of time and space to wrap things up properly, but the reduced episode count led to one of the worst seasons on television. And then there's the most baffling example of all, Arcane, which had everything going for it and yet was forced to close the curtain far too early.
So, the final season looked great, but narratively it's a mess. So when I heard that the critically acclaimed and hugely popular The Sandman, whose original comic ran for over 75 issues, was being condensed into just two seasons, I was concerned. I understood that Neil Gaiman's recent controversies must have heavily influenced this decision. Still, I was worried. I braced myself for the shock as I sat down to watch Season 2, Volume 1, and, to be honest, it didn't take long for me to realize the creators had probably performed a miracle.
Creators: Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, Allan Heinberg
Stars: Tom Sturridge, Vivienne Acheampong, Patton Oswalt
This review of The Sandman Season 2, Volume 1, is based on the six episodes Netflix has provided to the press.
Jamie Childs' The Sandman Season 2, Volume 1, adapted from the graphic novel series of the same name, returns to the Dreaming to show Dream rebuilding his kingdom after the events of the previous season. It is then that Fate calls a family meeting following a recent visit from the Three Fates, who warned him of a war between the Endless that will lead to their demise. So, Fate wants his siblings—Dream, Death, Despair, Desire, and Delirium—to converse.
Whether intentional or not, this gathering exacerbates an already complicated situation by highlighting many of Dream's flaws. For starters, he's the reason Destruction is in self-imposed exile. And it's because of Dream that his ex, Queen Nada, has been rotting in Hell for 10,000 years. Since Destruction has told everyone not to seek him out, Dream focuses on rescuing Nada from Lucifer's clutches. Lucifer obviously sees this breach of protocol as an assault. However, rather than confronting him, he puts him in a bind that will potentially force him from the position he's held for so long.
The Sandman Season 2, Volume 1, is elegantly divided into three sections: Dream rescuing Nada, Dream searching for Destruction, and Dream reuniting with his son, Orpheus. And this entire journey can be considered his apology journey. It's obvious he's done a lot of bad things in the past. But when it came to rebuilding his kingdom and soul-searching, I guess he prioritized the former a bit more than the latter. I mean, during his conversation with his siblings, you can hear his narcissism kicking in at the thought that all this self-talk and soul-searching is beneath him.
He's almost offended when he's forced to acknowledge his true nature. However, his decision not to ignore the gravity of his misdeeds and act on them—even though it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things because the damage caused is essentially irreparable—sends an important message to a species whose belief that they'll never face the consequences of their actions grows exponentially. Plus, these six episodes are wonderfully structured. The shift from one narrative thread to another is smooth as butter. And while I love every episode, I think my favorite is the one where Dream has to make a decision about the key to Hell. It delivers such a concentrated dose of drama and emotion that I couldn't help but love it.
Without giving away too many spoilers, the exploration of every character, both major and minor, in The Sandman Season 2 Volume 1 is exquisite. From someone as pivotal as Delirium to a mere tour guide like Wanda, she's given time to permeate the screen and leave a profound imprint on the mind. Being the final season, there's always been a need for both the showrunners and the audience to rush things in order to cover as much of the plot as possible in these 12 episodes. But I guess Heinberg and his team quickly realized that was extremely impossible.
Therefore, instead of quickly recapping every memorable issue of the graphic novel series, they opted to slow things down and let everything play out slowly, thus allowing the audience to spend more time with these characters and also appreciate the sights and sounds. Childs has removed that distorted aspect ratio the show had in Season 1, which is great, and has put more effort into replicating the aesthetic of the graphic novel. The colors, the use of light and shadow, the costumes (especially those from the Greek era), the shot selection… it's incredibly sentimental, relaxing, and melancholic all at the same time. Plus, I love the tone of this series. I've grown tired of all these ironic and pretentious adaptations of mythological beings. So, yes, this return to the sincerity of Excalibur and The Lord of the Rings moves me.
The performances in The Sandman, Season 2, Volume 1, are excellent across the board. It's a shame we don't get to see more of Tom Sturridge's portrayal of Dream after this. I mean, he delves into the depths of the character to uncover his flaws, vulnerabilities, quirks, and more. Esme Creed-Miles is an instant favorite of mine, and her scenes with Sturridge made me wish I had a brother or sister. Vivienne Acheampong, Patton Oswalt, Mark Hammill, Mason Alexander Park, Nina Wadia, Souad Faress, Dinita Gohil, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Adrian Lester, and Donna Preston are fantastic as always.
Umulisa Gahiga doesn't have much screen time as Nada, yet she still manages to pull it off brilliantly. Freddie Fox, Douglas Booth, Ann Skelly, Clive Russell, Will Coban, Laurence O'Fuarain, Lyla Quinn, and everyone else who appears in those episodes where Dream has to make a decision about the key to Hell are simply brilliant. I adore Gwendoline Christie, and as expected, she's splendid in her final appearance as Lucifer. It's always great to see Jack Gleeson, another GoT alum, on screen. Ruairi O'Connor made me hate Orpheus, which is actually a compliment. Indya Moore and Amber Rose Revah are absolutely stunning in their limited appearances as Wanda and Ishtar, respectively. If I kept listing all the great actors in the series, I'd be here all day. So, believe me when I say that the acting department is, as the young people say, among the best!
Yes, the first volume of the second season of The Sandman was great. I can't believe I'm saying this. Yes, there are more episodes and a special about to premiere. But if the first six episodes are this good, the next six have to be horribly bad for the show to sink. And by "horribly bad," I mean literally unwatchable. I hate to be optimistic, but I don't see how that can happen. Yes, the first two volumes of Arcane were great, and then they sank in the final volume. So it's entirely possible that the creators of The Sandman have screwed up at this point.
However, I hope that's not the case and that all the artists involved in creating this series, except for Neil Gaiman, receive the recognition and applause they deserve. Look, I don't want to dwell too much on Gaiman because it'll anger me. Anyway, I'm saddened that this man's actions ruined such a great project. I don't know why people act this way. It's frustrating, as a fantasy fan, to see your heroes turn into the villains we were taught to despise. Anyway, if this is a recommendation, please go watch The Sandman, Season 2, Volume 1.
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