I'm a little surprised that you said Alex being gay was different. I thought it was pretty clear he was in the comic, even though they don't really announce it. Paul does call him darling and love. He's referred to as his "long time personal assistant." Anyway I'm really excited about this show, I've only watched 2 episodes so far but it's so good. Different in some ways, but as you said, ways that make sense to tell the story in a different format. I loved the pinpoints of light for his eyes in that one scene. And I love how they didn't make the guard's dream look completely realistic. Because it's a dream, it's not the normal, waking world. There's just so much that is so cool.
Man, i read the first book like a month ago, i did not catch up that back then and i tought it was nice seeing that here, but im feel like and idiot for not catching it on the books.
@@trickster721 Yes, and it helps to keep in mind this is just the first issue, of an unproven, unknown comic, published by one of the Big Two, by a writer from the UK, in 1986. Putting an openly gay character in your first issue was, at the time, a sure way to start a big controversy and maybe not ever make it to issue 5, let alone 70. Like most back then (and especially from British writers), you put in the clues, and the nods and winks, and let those in the know connect the dots themselves.
I like how they gave the Corinthian more of a role in the other stories. It builds him up so much more. It is a small moment. But the one thing I missed was that in the comics, Dream didn't know Burgess's plan to summon Death, it was only after he was free and he asked "why?" And Alex said "we didn't even want you, father wanted Death to return my brother". It stood out because it really shocked Dream, and he replies "be grateful you were spared the horror of a world without Death".
34:07 To add a little here: Obviously the Corinthian is a bad guy for murdering people, but the problem is not what he is; he's functioning exactly as intended. The problem is that he's prancing about in the waking world. That was most certainly not intended.
A lot of research goes into the works of Neil Gaiman. Like, in a later issue, _Four Septembers and a January_ , revolves around Emperor Norton (quite a character from real US history) and Mark Twain - who actually wrote about Norton.
They insinuated, that Alex Burgess, the son of Rodrick, was gay in the comic. It show him later in the first issues of the Sandman with his partner so that wasnt changed. Im loving what Im seeing so far, though. Unfortunately, trolls and nitpickers are going to destroy this show since people are already review bombing on a lot of aggreate user sites or giving horrible reviews even though they most likely havent even seen the show yet. I'm definitely here for this though and its amazing so far.
Thats why I dont like listening to critics or other reactions usually but you guys are great so youre one of the few reactors I do watch when it comes to content reactions and reviews.
It's getting a good amount of critical praise. No one should really be using those easily manipulated aggregate sites to decide a show's fate, but alas, I'm afraid they could too...
Wow, what? the show is a really good adaptiation, the few things they changed, they changed to make the flow better, but I didn#t see anything that I hated
@@Brenooomaniezo I mean, gay coding flies over so many people's heads, it's not even funny. Like, the entire subreddit of Sappho and her friend is a thing. Literal lesbian couple at the altar in dresses. "Two friends getting married on the same day." 🙄Or the "they lived in one house for 40 years, slept in the same bed, and had a dog named Sappho, good friends." Or the "he never married. His scarf collection went to his best friend and roommate of 28 years, Chauncey." People overlook what they don't want to see, sadly.
Also in the comic, the binding circle is broken on accident. Paul doesn't believe in magic, and just doesn't pay attention. Notably, I love the change, it adds even more tragedy to Paul.
Paul not believing in magic is one thing. But a being that does not age, is not given food or water, and still survives in a glass cage is going to raise an eyebrow, non?
@@AnnekeOosterink the comics never really explain why Paul doesn't react to that, because Alex outright says that Paul doesn't believe in magic. I want to say Paul also says it in Kindly Ones, but I'd have to double check.
I recommend checking out the Audiobook as well. James McAvoy plays Dream and the voices are extremely similar. Such an incredible and captivating voice. Perfect for Morpheus
The writer of the comic is heavily involved in this series, so he keeps it as close to his original work as possible given the limitations of character use (e.g. you can’t use John Constantine because that name belongs to Bad Rabbit etc).
I'd have still liked to see Matt Ryan play John Constantine and the actor from the Lucifer TV show to guest star, too. Of course, I'd have liked to see Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, get evicted from the House of Mystery by Cain. A DC comics series had her presenting stories from the House of Mystery, and later Constantine runs the JLD from the House.
@@leonielson7138 it seems they kept the other DC characters out intentionally: E.g. Dream encounters Mister Fantastic and Martian Manhunter in the comic, but they clearly don't want to have them in this series - even though Martian Manhunter is in the DCEU (Justice League Snyder cut).
In Sandman Overture, it actually shows that Dream was going after Corinthian, and was then summoned elsewhere. Those events are what caused his exhaustion and allowed Burgess to succeed in his spell. It's a great comic, came out a few years back. But Alex and Paul are 100% gay, and its very obvious both in the first issue and when they show up later in Arc 9. Poor Jessamy, we don't actually know what happened to her in the comics.
@@kagurra In the comics, Jessamy only appears once to my recollection and is named in that instance, leaving the assumption they are the raven prior to Matthew (she shows up in the 1790s). Her fate is never specified though as all ravens are former mortals it's basically assumed as the Dreaming fell to pieces she passed on to the afterlife which most ravens do unless they stay in the Dreaming in another form (ala Lucien who was the first raven). It's a bit hazy in the comics as each raven also belongs to the Raven Woman, who is named Eve (yup) and lives in her cave it not helping Dream. As Eve is shown in book 1 with a raven but Matthew doesn't appear until book 2 (episode 7-10 of season 1), it can also be assumed she was ready to move on after Dream returned.
No - Overture has a big, cosmic reason why Dream was away from home and weakened. (It involves stars which have gone mad.) In the comics, the Corinthian is just one of the dreams that sneaks off to the mortal world while Dream is imprisoned.
@@PhilMasters ...yes...re read Overture chapter 1. Corinthian had already escaped. He was literally speaking to the Corinthian about how the Corinthian had violated the rules when he was summoned to those cosmic events, exactly as I said in my original post. You can read this yourself instead of trying to correct me, Overture chapter 1 pg 12-18 (in issue of course, collected edition counts pre chapter pages).
@@jamesfoster9613 Ah, my apologies. It's a while since I read Overture, and I forgot the brief scene with the Corinthian at the start; I thought that you were saying that it was the encounter with the Corinthian that exhausted him, when it was of course dealing with the stars. (Dealing with the Corinthian is of course quite trivial for Dream.) Agreed about Alex and Paul, by the way, though the treatment of their relationship gets a little clearer in later years, as DC/Vertigo permit. I recall Sandman Midnight Theatre (the Sandman/Sandman crossover) being a little bit less subtle.
Alex and Paul were very much gay in the comics, it's just more subtle and implied in the first issue because it was the 80s, but by the end of the comics they definitely talk more openly about it. So the show just took things that were implied before and made them more visible to the audience right from the start. They give Paul a more active part here as well and I think that makes it more tragic for him, because in the end of the episode when he destroys the protective circle, he thinks he is just correcting a wrong here and setting Dream free but he doesn't know that that would entail Dream coming after Alex and punishing him anyway. So it's more tragic and complex this way. Great stuff!
Sooooo gay. I thought that was so super obvious I'm surprised by how many people didn't catch it! And I don't mean that to be condescending, it's just funny how when many people read/watch the exact same thing, so many things get translated differently. Lord knows I miss my share of things that make anywhere from small to enormous differences in how I enjoy (or don't) a story! I thought it was an interesting change to make the circle destruction deliberate. There wasn't enough time to show it, but it certainly brings up some interesting sideline thoughts about what ever happened to Paul after that - where he went, how he lived (IF he lived!), how he felt about Burgess' fate being the result of his actions, etc.
@@bettrhalf8006 As I recall (people will correct me if I'm wrong), Paul looked after Alex after he fell under Dream's curse, and was there when Alex finally awoke. I think that there may have been some suggestion that he inherited the house - Alex had no other obvious heirs, after all. After that, well, he'd have been very old himself.
I think they gave Sandman the same treatment as Good Omens: It is the same story, they are just adding some more connective tissue to make it flow a bit better. For Sandman, the episodic nature of the comics wouldn't have made for a coherent story and with Good Omens, you coould sometimes really notice that two different writers had worked on it and that some thing weren't really set up on time.
I`ve never read the comic, but i found myself so drawn in after binge watching this show that im going to start reading the comic. I think its now in my top 5 best shows. 9/10
@@jmack8767 I'll jump in and say that I like how Roderick Burgess had a dead son Randall, who he preferred to Alec, who he didn't care about. Mind you, he didn't care much about Alec in the comic either, but the "it should have been you" dead older brother angle adds to that relationship, and to Alec's issues.
@@jmack8767 I agree that they should have done the "Gift of Awakening" instead, it would have only taken 20-30 seconds to get across, they already got the CGI budget, and it would have been hella worth it for the creep factor. But my list of woulda-coulda-shoulda's is surprisingly short for this show overall.
The "sleepy sickness" thing is historically real. There was another movie about it called "Awakenings" with Robin Williams and Robert DeNero, about a drug trial waking those children up much later when they were in their sixties. Ethel's son being John shouldn't be confusing, that's right out of the comic. I'll say this, his "gift of eternal sleep" was a hell of a lot nicer than "the gift of eternal waking" that Sandman gave to Alec in the comic.
@@schizer see I never picked up on that, but my copy of Preludes & Nocturnes is a bit fuzzy on some of the artwork I think? I just always kind of assumed that John's father was someone after Sykes, but in retrospect it makes a ton of sense and I'm kicking myself for missing it.
i so glad you laughed at "Randall was my greatest joy." i was on a video call with a friend to watch together long-distance, and said *"ha! GET FUCKED, ALEX"* at that part, and my friend was like 🤨 lol
4:00 they used an anamorphic lens to film this, I believe. It's makes everything around the edges all warped. It's a damn cool effect Also, I feel like if it wasn't for Robert Pattinson filming the Batman, he could've been a choice cast for Dream. Don't get me wrong, I love who they have but I feel Robert Pattinson would have nailed this role as well
My wife and I got to see the pre-release critics preview (which has an interview between George RR Martin and Neil Gaiman at the beginning) and LOVED it. We had a hard time waiting for the rest to drop! Not quite finished (three kids and busy lives) but we are getting there. Still loving it.
also, it is not at all correct that Sandman was no longer in the DC universe after getting the Vertigo label. most vertigo titles, Sandman included, were always in the mainstream DC universe, and sandman prominently features mainstream DC characters for its entire run. hell, one of the major players leading up to the climax is Fury (AKA Lyta Hall), the daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. and the father of her baby, Daniel, who of course is hugely important, was Dr. Fate. in a later issue it's revealed that Rao created Krypton as a tribute to Despair...in one of the final issues, members of the Justice League are in the crowd at the [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS], etc. Sandman has always been firmly planted in the center of the mainstream DC universe.
@@MelianLimGachaVideos doesn't look like it, since they removed Brute and Glob (classic DC supervillains) and made no reference to Hector being either The Sandman or Dr. Fate, or Lyta being Diana's daughter...no reference to John Dee being a supervillain either
Great reaction but I agree with the lady. Monster of the week is episodic. It has nothing to do with location. A good example of Monster of the Week is the first two seasons of Supernatural.
I'm so happy with how they handled this show. They really did an amazing job with it from start to finish, and even the changes don't bother me at all. Fundamentally, things like taking the DC Comics elements out was a great idea. They would have been jarring in this. The "re-castings" like Lucienne instead of Lucien, along with her expanded role... they work. I have hope that there'll be a season 2, but even if this is all we really get... I can be happy with this. It is brilliantly executed, and there is going to be so much pressure to either renew this on Netflix or to take it to another studio with better... vision. I mean, I get that this was expensive above and beyond any expectations, but it was still just _brilliantly_ done, and if this ignites renewed interest in Sandman, I really can't hope for much more.
Okay, for me "relatability" means that I can understand this character as a real person and see where they're coming from. When the author writes how exciting the dragon ride was, I can equate it to the joy of riding a roller coaster or something like that. A non-relatable character, to me, is a character that makes no sense or feels like a plot device instead of a person. Which is why I like relatable characters. Because they feel real, and I'm more able to get lost in their POV, even if the way they think is different from how I think.
Quick nerd trivia: Dr. Hathaway is played by Bill Paterson, who was also Dr. Bracewell in the Doctor Who episode “Victory of the Daleks.” He’s also in Good Omens, Fleabag, Outlander, and a favorite little movie of mine called “Comfort and Joy.”
I will say I missed the moment when Dream met Martian Manhunter. Like I completely understand why it's not there, completely and totally. Just a personal thing.
Marvel has the Sorcerer Supreme, DC has he Lords of Order and Chaos. Dr. Fate, Dove, and Amethyst, are examples of Lords of Order. Clarion, Hawk, and The Child, are examples of Lords of Chaos. Hawk and Dove are an interesting study - Hawk is supposed to be a Lord of Chaos, but he believes in military discipline, while Dove is supposed to be a Lord of Order, but espouses chaotic peacenik ideals.
It’s really very faithful to the comic. Alex Burgess was gay in the comic too. The changes they did make I agree are good, like introducing the Corinthian early. I think the only choice in this episode that I’m not sure about is Alex killing Jessamy. That gives Dream an additional reason to be vindictive towards him, whereas in the comic he punishes Alex solely because he didn’t let him out. But then in the show you don’t even see the full punishment Dream gives him, which is far more harsh. So Dream has been softened a little by that. On the monster of the week question, I think Sandman is somewhere in the middle. Eg this season is the first two volumes of the comic, which is essentially two complete stories. But lots of stuff happens in these two stories that are also important parts of the overall story of the whole comic run.
I listened to the comic on Audible. Yes, Alex was gay. The reason the Burgess' kept Dream was to force him to grant them immortality. Alex continued to restrain Dream even after his father died, making the same threats of imprisoning him forever. CORRECTION: The comic might be different from the radio play.
the moster of week trope was never location based. it comes from the outer limits series. each story was self contain unrelated and set in diffent locations.
"Are you Alright in there?" Idk I if ever saw a more fitting glare almost screaming the answer internally back.. just... If a look could kill the kid would burst into flames 🤣🤣🤣
Glad you're both enjoying this so much, and that we get to share it with you. I'm on Episode 8 now, and loving most of it. I only ever read 1 issue of the comic, but I'll have to go back and check it out again.
Sorry Nerdy, Clarus is so right about what "monster of the week" is. Ie think supernatural. But even your example of Doctor Who, is definitely monster of the week. It is episodic in nature vs serial (each episode is its own story vs seasonal arcs with plot building off each episode) with a different villain each week (maybe that's were this won't fit the definition as well though, given your comment about the episodes not necessarily being about a villain. So may just fit the episodic definition). Classic definition you probably never meet the same villain again, but I don't think that necessary for the term anymore Edit: yeah this show is not episodic though...
I would say most episodes of Doctor Who are also monster of the week. Since it is not about the location, but about the threat, if the threat is dealt with in the same episode it was introduced then it was a monster of the week. I would say X Files was the first show that broke away from it, sure it has still many monster of the week episodes, but it also started to introduce threats (and threads) that kept coming back and underlines a longer storyline with reoccurring threats. Buffy also did that, it had many monster of the week episodes, but it also had from the first season also these vampires that stuck around for a whole season to become the over-arcing narrative.
i think this show is taking its points more from the book(s) that were released more so than the comics, because it follows the boos very well except for a few things but they dont take away if anything they add to it, not sure if yall have read the books...
The comic has "monster of the week" elements, which morph as the series went on. Won't say more because they are being transplanted into the show, so you will see what is going to happen. I think it's reasonable to describe the comic as having focal points in each story arc, which are handily separated in the trades. Sometimes, that focal point is a monster/antagonist which has to be dealt with by Dream, or someone having to do with the Dreaming, or through dreams. The complicated/fun part is that there is a lot of connective tissue between the various arcs, such that the inciting incident for some arcs are side details from previous arcs. The 75 issue run, plus the annuals, are collected in 10 trades the last time I looked. That is at least 10 storylines, plus the story that is being told by the entire run, plus secondary stories which don't always resolve in the trade they are first introduced. I look forward to seeing them get adapted. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your reactions to Sandman, and maybe eventually to the comic.
Going forward watch the end credits, they’re all made by Dave McKean the guy who made the covers. This was one of the best adaptations I’ve seen, Im sort of stunned by how good a job they did with it. My only gripe is that they changed it from Eternal Waking to Eternal Sleep. I want a spinoff of Charles Dance chasing Jessamy around for a decade.
I beg to differ that Sandman isn’t particularly about Sandman. Sure there is some focus on other characters, but if you pay close attention, they all tie back to the Sandman and his arc.
Oh 100%, and it's why the comic is so brilliant, but it's a lot harder to pull off in a TV show that wants to be accessible to new viewers as well. It's why I think it took so long to finally get this made.
I bought The Sandman poster and framed it before I knew it was a comic...weird Yet once I knew it was a comic I started reading the comic. The character portraying The Sandman did alright. I didn't think he was scary in any fashion. The atmosphere was good like Penny Dreadful. I am watching the show and staying on track with you, one episodea week or was it a day. My mind might change as episodes are watched.
I didn't read the comic. I didn't really understand episode 1, but I'm going to give it at least 1 more episode. I'm hoping things become more clear as it goes on. Episode 1 felt like a lot of setup, which is important.
Watching! Subscribed. Uninitiated potential fan here. Really interesting first ep. and I enjoyed your reaction. You get me eager for the future. Like, hell yeah, I wanna see this Pumpkinhead.
The man is describing a morale gray character to all of the characters depicted here Anywau try reacting to Arcane it is an original netflix show one of the greats show last year
I actually think the issue was film vs book. The repeated awakenings can be shown in a few panels in the comic but would have required several minutes of dream after dream to make impactful in the show. I think it was a smart editorial choice.
@@jmack8767 it didn’t seem like it was a great sleep for Alex, he was tossing and turning a bunch so I’d assume He was stuck sleeping having nightmares the whole time, may not be exactly like the eternal waking but it seemed to be something similar
I stopped at the end of episode 4 to watch your reaction. Worth it! Can't wait to see you watching the next episode 🤭 Anywaaaaays, off to watch episode 5
I don't think it's right that the comic suddenly was completely separated from the DC universe. But aside from the appearance of the JLA in one of the earliest issues, the references were few and far between. I doubt that Neil Gaiman cares much for superheroes, but occasionally he finds a use for some of them as characters, rather than as superheroes. I really wonder if the show will adapt Facade, which deals with a rather obscure superhero, Element Girl. But most importantly, Lyta Hall, or Fury, is a vital part of the story right until the end. The JLA did make a single panel appearance again at the end, in The Wake, when the series was well and truly set in the Vertigo line. However, contrary to this, the storyline A Game of You talks about superheroes as a thing of comic books and boys' fantasies, which seems a little strange to say if they exist in reality.
Thought came to me, if Death visits everyone to take them, didn't she saw Morpheus in that Glass cage, when this old dude died? Why she didn't let him free? I haven't read comics so my question arose only based on TV so maybe it is answered later in comics
she wouldve. shes present at every birth and every death. maybe rescuing him couldve resulted in her capture. Death is aware there are many people trying to capture her.
You should look into getting some "open back" headphones so you can hear her without needing to take one headphone off.. it looks super uncomfortable for you.
I wanna let you know that my dad walked by when you started talking about Batman doing oral so thanks for that awkward encounter. Loved this reaction though.
They had me hooked from the trailer and art but dang really had Me hooked on this first episode lol. Had to watch it all. Had a break to recharge tablet did outside stuff came back in and yayyyyyyy recharge watch more lol. He's way more pale than her but she looks like elf to me from lord of the rings lol. He did like michaelmyers he's not saying a word for decades while imprisoned lol.
I'm a little surprised that you said Alex being gay was different. I thought it was pretty clear he was in the comic, even though they don't really announce it. Paul does call him darling and love. He's referred to as his "long time personal assistant." Anyway I'm really excited about this show, I've only watched 2 episodes so far but it's so good. Different in some ways, but as you said, ways that make sense to tell the story in a different format. I loved the pinpoints of light for his eyes in that one scene. And I love how they didn't make the guard's dream look completely realistic. Because it's a dream, it's not the normal, waking world. There's just so much that is so cool.
It was damn near explicit that Paul and Alex were boyfriends
Man, i read the first book like a month ago, i did not catch up that back then and i tought it was nice seeing that here, but im feel like and idiot for not catching it on the books.
I think it was originally a little more subtle in the material that's covered here, it didn't really get underlined until much later in the comics.
@@trickster721 Yes, and it helps to keep in mind this is just the first issue, of an unproven, unknown comic, published by one of the Big Two, by a writer from the UK, in 1986. Putting an openly gay character in your first issue was, at the time, a sure way to start a big controversy and maybe not ever make it to issue 5, let alone 70. Like most back then (and especially from British writers), you put in the clues, and the nods and winks, and let those in the know connect the dots themselves.
Yeah and they even joke with "they were roommates" but that's exactly how it is in the comics "his personal assistant"
I like how they gave the Corinthian more of a role in the other stories. It builds him up so much more.
It is a small moment. But the one thing I missed was that in the comics, Dream didn't know Burgess's plan to summon Death, it was only after he was free and he asked "why?" And Alex said "we didn't even want you, father wanted Death to return my brother". It stood out because it really shocked Dream, and he replies "be grateful you were spared the horror of a world without Death".
34:07 To add a little here: Obviously the Corinthian is a bad guy for murdering people, but the problem is not what he is; he's functioning exactly as intended. The problem is that he's prancing about in the waking world. That was most certainly not intended.
Yeah he is supposed to do what he does, but just in dreams not the waking world.
He's not functioning as intended, even not counting the waking world (although it would be a spoilr for the future to say how).
0:53 “I remember it was in a diner” triggered my fight or flight reflex
The sleeping sickness was a real thing that happened between 1915 and 1926 called Encephalitis lethargica
A lot of research goes into the works of Neil Gaiman. Like, in a later issue, _Four Septembers and a January_ , revolves around Emperor Norton (quite a character from real US history) and Mark Twain - who actually wrote about Norton.
@@TorIverWilhelmsen Four Septembers and a January was so much fun
They insinuated, that Alex Burgess, the son of Rodrick, was gay in the comic. It show him later in the first issues of the Sandman with his partner so that wasnt changed. Im loving what Im seeing so far, though.
Unfortunately, trolls and nitpickers are going to destroy this show since people are already review bombing on a lot of aggreate user sites or giving horrible reviews even though they most likely havent even seen the show yet.
I'm definitely here for this though and its amazing so far.
Thats why I dont like listening to critics or other reactions usually but you guys are great so youre one of the few reactors I do watch when it comes to content reactions and reviews.
It's getting a good amount of critical praise. No one should really be using those easily manipulated aggregate sites to decide a show's fate, but alas, I'm afraid they could too...
Wow, what? the show is a really good adaptiation, the few things they changed, they changed to make the flow better, but I didn#t see anything that I hated
Insinuated? I read the comics this week before watching the show and for me it was 100% clear that he was gay haha
@@Brenooomaniezo I mean, gay coding flies over so many people's heads, it's not even funny. Like, the entire subreddit of Sappho and her friend is a thing. Literal lesbian couple at the altar in dresses. "Two friends getting married on the same day." 🙄Or the "they lived in one house for 40 years, slept in the same bed, and had a dog named Sappho, good friends." Or the "he never married. His scarf collection went to his best friend and roommate of 28 years, Chauncey."
People overlook what they don't want to see, sadly.
Also in the comic, the binding circle is broken on accident. Paul doesn't believe in magic, and just doesn't pay attention. Notably, I love the change, it adds even more tragedy to Paul.
Paul not believing in magic is one thing. But a being that does not age, is not given food or water, and still survives in a glass cage is going to raise an eyebrow, non?
@@AnnekeOosterink the comics never really explain why Paul doesn't react to that, because Alex outright says that Paul doesn't believe in magic. I want to say Paul also says it in Kindly Ones, but I'd have to double check.
I don't think I've seen this actor before but his voice is amazing.
It’s a voice that I can definitely hear as white text on a speech bubble made of shadows.
@@0okamino Literally, amazing cast work
I recommend checking out the Audiobook as well. James McAvoy plays Dream and the voices are extremely similar. Such an incredible and captivating voice. Perfect for Morpheus
I mean I wouldn't mind hearing him in my dreams
No one will ever read this, but (19:23) he didn't turn the glass to sand. He took the sand from the guard's dream.
Hey Quill! I read this!
Oh cool so thats why he bent down to grab the sand? How did you know if you dont mind me asking?
The writer of the comic is heavily involved in this series, so he keeps it as close to his original work as possible given the limitations of character use (e.g. you can’t use John Constantine because that name belongs to Bad Rabbit etc).
I'd have still liked to see Matt Ryan play John Constantine and the actor from the Lucifer TV show to guest star, too. Of course, I'd have liked to see Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, get evicted from the House of Mystery by Cain.
A DC comics series had her presenting stories from the House of Mystery, and later Constantine runs the JLD from the House.
@@leonielson7138 it seems they kept the other DC characters out intentionally: E.g. Dream encounters Mister Fantastic and Martian Manhunter in the comic, but they clearly don't want to have them in this series - even though Martian Manhunter is in the DCEU (Justice League Snyder cut).
@@TorIverWilhelmsen *Mister Miracle
In Sandman Overture, it actually shows that Dream was going after Corinthian, and was then summoned elsewhere. Those events are what caused his exhaustion and allowed Burgess to succeed in his spell. It's a great comic, came out a few years back.
But Alex and Paul are 100% gay, and its very obvious both in the first issue and when they show up later in Arc 9. Poor Jessamy, we don't actually know what happened to her in the comics.
i don't read the comic but in the comic jessamy just disappear or something else happen to her?
@@kagurra In the comics, Jessamy only appears once to my recollection and is named in that instance, leaving the assumption they are the raven prior to Matthew (she shows up in the 1790s).
Her fate is never specified though as all ravens are former mortals it's basically assumed as the Dreaming fell to pieces she passed on to the afterlife which most ravens do unless they stay in the Dreaming in another form (ala Lucien who was the first raven).
It's a bit hazy in the comics as each raven also belongs to the Raven Woman, who is named Eve (yup) and lives in her cave it not helping Dream. As Eve is shown in book 1 with a raven but Matthew doesn't appear until book 2 (episode 7-10 of season 1), it can also be assumed she was ready to move on after Dream returned.
No - Overture has a big, cosmic reason why Dream was away from home and weakened. (It involves stars which have gone mad.) In the comics, the Corinthian is just one of the dreams that sneaks off to the mortal world while Dream is imprisoned.
@@PhilMasters ...yes...re read Overture chapter 1. Corinthian had already escaped.
He was literally speaking to the Corinthian about how the Corinthian had violated the rules when he was summoned to those cosmic events, exactly as I said in my original post.
You can read this yourself instead of trying to correct me, Overture chapter 1 pg 12-18 (in issue of course, collected edition counts pre chapter pages).
@@jamesfoster9613 Ah, my apologies. It's a while since I read Overture, and I forgot the brief scene with the Corinthian at the start; I thought that you were saying that it was the encounter with the Corinthian that exhausted him, when it was of course dealing with the stars. (Dealing with the Corinthian is of course quite trivial for Dream.)
Agreed about Alex and Paul, by the way, though the treatment of their relationship gets a little clearer in later years, as DC/Vertigo permit. I recall Sandman Midnight Theatre (the Sandman/Sandman crossover) being a little bit less subtle.
My favorite shot was when he escaped and confronted Alex. And you just see him in shadow with his glowing eyes. Soooo good.
Alex and Paul were very much gay in the comics, it's just more subtle and implied in the first issue because it was the 80s, but by the end of the comics they definitely talk more openly about it. So the show just took things that were implied before and made them more visible to the audience right from the start. They give Paul a more active part here as well and I think that makes it more tragic for him, because in the end of the episode when he destroys the protective circle, he thinks he is just correcting a wrong here and setting Dream free but he doesn't know that that would entail Dream coming after Alex and punishing him anyway. So it's more tragic and complex this way. Great stuff!
Sooooo gay. I thought that was so super obvious I'm surprised by how many people didn't catch it! And I don't mean that to be condescending, it's just funny how when many people read/watch the exact same thing, so many things get translated differently. Lord knows I miss my share of things that make anywhere from small to enormous differences in how I enjoy (or don't) a story! I thought it was an interesting change to make the circle destruction deliberate. There wasn't enough time to show it, but it certainly brings up some interesting sideline thoughts about what ever happened to Paul after that - where he went, how he lived (IF he lived!), how he felt about Burgess' fate being the result of his actions, etc.
@@bettrhalf8006 As I recall (people will correct me if I'm wrong), Paul looked after Alex after he fell under Dream's curse, and was there when Alex finally awoke. I think that there may have been some suggestion that he inherited the house - Alex had no other obvious heirs, after all. After that, well, he'd have been very old himself.
I think they gave Sandman the same treatment as Good Omens: It is the same story, they are just adding some more connective tissue to make it flow a bit better. For Sandman, the episodic nature of the comics wouldn't have made for a coherent story and with Good Omens, you coould sometimes really notice that two different writers had worked on it and that some thing weren't really set up on time.
I wish people would switch on subtitles when watching fantasy shows so that they can catch onto names and such.
A really cool detail, the art in the end credits is done by the same guy who did the covers for the comic, he came out of retirement to do it.
I love how you can see when he realizes stuff from the comics is being shown. The 😮😄 is perfect
I`ve never read the comic, but i found myself so drawn in after binge watching this show that im going to start reading the comic. I think its now in my top 5 best shows. 9/10
Its worth it but I like some of the changes they made in the show better.
@@jmack8767
I'll jump in and say that I like how Roderick Burgess had a dead son Randall, who he preferred to Alec, who he didn't care about. Mind you, he didn't care much about Alec in the comic either, but the "it should have been you" dead older brother angle adds to that relationship, and to Alec's issues.
same! best show i’ve seen in a long time!
@@jmack8767
I agree that they should have done the "Gift of Awakening" instead, it would have only taken 20-30 seconds to get across, they already got the CGI budget, and it would have been hella worth it for the creep factor.
But my list of woulda-coulda-shoulda's is surprisingly short for this show overall.
Same here!! I’m listening to the audiobooks
The "sleepy sickness" thing is historically real. There was another movie about it called "Awakenings" with Robin Williams and Robert DeNero, about a drug trial waking those children up much later when they were in their sixties.
Ethel's son being John shouldn't be confusing, that's right out of the comic.
I'll say this, his "gift of eternal sleep" was a hell of a lot nicer than "the gift of eternal waking" that Sandman gave to Alec in the comic.
Yes, i liked the change of the eternal sleep, this feels like a more compasive Morpheus
@@Neyenn I was actually disappointed with that change. I was hoping to see the horrors that eternal waking could bring
in the comic though John wasn't Roderick's son but that's a great subtle change
@@jamesfoster9613 it was subtly implied that he was in the comics actually
@@schizer see I never picked up on that, but my copy of Preludes & Nocturnes is a bit fuzzy on some of the artwork I think? I just always kind of assumed that John's father was someone after Sykes, but in retrospect it makes a ton of sense and I'm kicking myself for missing it.
0:50 lmao the way he looked at the camera when she mentioned the diner
24hrs was sooooooooooo strong in this show. Was shocked how far they were allowed to take it
i so glad you laughed at "Randall was my greatest joy."
i was on a video call with a friend to watch together long-distance, and said *"ha! GET FUCKED, ALEX"* at that part, and my friend was like 🤨 lol
4:00 they used an anamorphic lens to film this, I believe. It's makes everything around the edges all warped. It's a damn cool effect
Also, I feel like if it wasn't for Robert Pattinson filming the Batman, he could've been a choice cast for Dream. Don't get me wrong, I love who they have but I feel Robert Pattinson would have nailed this role as well
oooo thanks for the info! Also I would absolutely buy RPats as dream. He'd have crushed it
Robert Pattison and Eddie Redmayne are friends of Tom Sturridge, they were struggling young actors on the british scene at the same time.
My wife and I got to see the pre-release critics preview (which has an interview between George RR Martin and Neil Gaiman at the beginning) and LOVED it.
We had a hard time waiting for the rest to drop!
Not quite finished (three kids and busy lives) but we are getting there.
Still loving it.
It’s made very clear in the comic that Alex and Paul are lovers
I know the guy who saying the line ‘we are the fire brigade!’ I worked with him and when I found out he was in this I was so proud.
also, it is not at all correct that Sandman was no longer in the DC universe after getting the Vertigo label. most vertigo titles, Sandman included, were always in the mainstream DC universe, and sandman prominently features mainstream DC characters for its entire run. hell, one of the major players leading up to the climax is Fury (AKA Lyta Hall), the daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. and the father of her baby, Daniel, who of course is hugely important, was Dr. Fate. in a later issue it's revealed that Rao created Krypton as a tribute to Despair...in one of the final issues, members of the Justice League are in the crowd at the [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS], etc. Sandman has always been firmly planted in the center of the mainstream DC universe.
I wonder if they’re going to add DC superheroes in Season 2 and moving forward.
@@MelianLimGachaVideos doesn't look like it, since they removed Brute and Glob (classic DC supervillains) and made no reference to Hector being either The Sandman or Dr. Fate, or Lyta being Diana's daughter...no reference to John Dee being a supervillain either
The first issue also directly tied Morpheus’ imprisonment to the universe pushing Wesley Dodd to become the Golden Age Sandman.
End credits art was by (original Sandman artist) Dave McKean! A true inside job. I wish Netflix’s autoplay feature wouldn’t cut ‘em off so quickly.
I think monster of the week is more of a general term now for a stand-alone story. I consider most of Law and Order to be "monster of the week."
RIP Jessamy, too pure for this world.
She was such a smart girl! Tried her best to save him.
rest in peace :(
33:37 I think Sandman is more Jungian than "good guy/bad guy"....it's more about integrating your shadow self rather than defeating it.
Great reaction but I agree with the lady. Monster of the week is episodic. It has nothing to do with location. A good example of Monster of the Week is the first two seasons of Supernatural.
I haven't read the comics, but I can definitely see some of this imagery in the Doctor Who episodes Neil Gaiman wrote.
Alex and Paul are not roomates. They’re pillow friends !
I'm so happy with how they handled this show. They really did an amazing job with it from start to finish, and even the changes don't bother me at all. Fundamentally, things like taking the DC Comics elements out was a great idea. They would have been jarring in this. The "re-castings" like Lucienne instead of Lucien, along with her expanded role... they work. I have hope that there'll be a season 2, but even if this is all we really get... I can be happy with this. It is brilliantly executed, and there is going to be so much pressure to either renew this on Netflix or to take it to another studio with better... vision. I mean, I get that this was expensive above and beyond any expectations, but it was still just _brilliantly_ done, and if this ignites renewed interest in Sandman, I really can't hope for much more.
Okay, for me "relatability" means that I can understand this character as a real person and see where they're coming from. When the author writes how exciting the dragon ride was, I can equate it to the joy of riding a roller coaster or something like that. A non-relatable character, to me, is a character that makes no sense or feels like a plot device instead of a person. Which is why I like relatable characters. Because they feel real, and I'm more able to get lost in their POV, even if the way they think is different from how I think.
That _Sandman_ narration -- sounds like the intro to a Disney ride ... 😀
Quick nerd trivia: Dr. Hathaway is played by Bill Paterson, who was also Dr. Bracewell in the Doctor Who episode “Victory of the Daleks.” He’s also in Good Omens, Fleabag, Outlander, and a favorite little movie of mine called “Comfort and Joy.”
I will say I missed the moment when Dream met Martian Manhunter.
Like I completely understand why it's not there, completely and totally.
Just a personal thing.
Marvel has the Sorcerer Supreme, DC has he Lords of Order and Chaos.
Dr. Fate, Dove, and Amethyst, are examples of Lords of Order.
Clarion, Hawk, and The Child, are examples of Lords of Chaos.
Hawk and Dove are an interesting study - Hawk is supposed to be a Lord of Chaos, but he believes in military discipline, while Dove is supposed to be a Lord of Order, but espouses chaotic peacenik ideals.
0:40 Hold on... That friend wouldn't be the same person who made that Diner short with the really cool animated part, would he/she?
It’s really very faithful to the comic. Alex Burgess was gay in the comic too. The changes they did make I agree are good, like introducing the Corinthian early.
I think the only choice in this episode that I’m not sure about is Alex killing Jessamy. That gives Dream an additional reason to be vindictive towards him, whereas in the comic he punishes Alex solely because he didn’t let him out. But then in the show you don’t even see the full punishment Dream gives him, which is far more harsh. So Dream has been softened a little by that.
On the monster of the week question, I think Sandman is somewhere in the middle. Eg this season is the first two volumes of the comic, which is essentially two complete stories. But lots of stuff happens in these two stories that are also important parts of the overall story of the whole comic run.
Dream sat in that chair with the pin pricks for eyes after he escapes feels like a Salem's Lot thing (specifically the 1979 film).
It's such a strong visual from the comics and I'm glad they recreated that panel, complete the "star for eyes".
This guy is too "Oh hey did I mention I've read the comic?!"
The reference of Tel'aran'rhiod made me smile, I had thought the same
I love how you have the same reaction as me especially to a girl who didn’t wake up. I guess you remembered what happens to her after that...
I believe the term for that is Episodic rather than monster of the week which is a more specific trope
I listened to the comic on Audible.
Yes, Alex was gay.
The reason the Burgess' kept Dream was to force him to grant them immortality.
Alex continued to restrain Dream even after his father died, making the same threats of imprisoning him forever.
CORRECTION: The comic might be different from the radio play.
the moster of week trope was never location based. it comes from the outer limits series. each story was self contain unrelated and set in diffent locations.
"Are you Alright in there?"
Idk I if ever saw a more fitting glare almost screaming the answer internally back.. just...
If a look could kill the kid would burst into flames 🤣🤣🤣
13:52 And that's the point he went from irritated to pissed.
"In a diner"
....that rang a bell, yes.
Thanks for covering these. My top 2 loves are WoT and Sandman.
Excellent choices! We're gonna be putting up one episode a day until they are all up!
Glad you're both enjoying this so much, and that we get to share it with you. I'm on Episode 8 now, and loving most of it. I only ever read 1 issue of the comic, but I'll have to go back and check it out again.
Sandmand, Swampthing, Preacher and Watchmen are all up there for me.
Wonder how Claroos will feel about Death.
I’ve not read the comics, but I am really loving this series so far. Your reactions are very addicting…I can’t stop watching you 2!!
Did you notice Martin Tenbones on the ship in the intro scene?
Sorry Nerdy, Clarus is so right about what "monster of the week" is. Ie think supernatural. But even your example of Doctor Who, is definitely monster of the week. It is episodic in nature vs serial (each episode is its own story vs seasonal arcs with plot building off each episode) with a different villain each week (maybe that's were this won't fit the definition as well though, given your comment about the episodes not necessarily being about a villain. So may just fit the episodic definition).
Classic definition you probably never meet the same villain again, but I don't think that necessary for the term anymore
Edit: yeah this show is not episodic though...
I would say most episodes of Doctor Who are also monster of the week. Since it is not about the location, but about the threat, if the threat is dealt with in the same episode it was introduced then it was a monster of the week. I would say X Files was the first show that broke away from it, sure it has still many monster of the week episodes, but it also started to introduce threats (and threads) that kept coming back and underlines a longer storyline with reoccurring threats. Buffy also did that, it had many monster of the week episodes, but it also had from the first season also these vampires that stuck around for a whole season to become the over-arcing narrative.
"i dont think thats how gay sex work"
I SCREAMED NERDY
i think this show is taking its points more from the book(s) that were released more so than the comics, because it follows the boos very well except for a few things but they dont take away if anything they add to it, not sure if yall have read the books...
The comic has "monster of the week" elements, which morph as the series went on. Won't say more because they are being transplanted into the show, so you will see what is going to happen.
I think it's reasonable to describe the comic as having focal points in each story arc, which are handily separated in the trades. Sometimes, that focal point is a monster/antagonist which has to be dealt with by Dream, or someone having to do with the Dreaming, or through dreams. The complicated/fun part is that there is a lot of connective tissue between the various arcs, such that the inciting incident for some arcs are side details from previous arcs. The 75 issue run, plus the annuals, are collected in 10 trades the last time I looked. That is at least 10 storylines, plus the story that is being told by the entire run, plus secondary stories which don't always resolve in the trade they are first introduced. I look forward to seeing them get adapted.
Looking forward to seeing the rest of your reactions to Sandman, and maybe eventually to the comic.
Going forward watch the end credits, they’re all made by Dave McKean the guy who made the covers.
This was one of the best adaptations I’ve seen, Im sort of stunned by how good a job they did with it. My only gripe is that they changed it from Eternal Waking to Eternal Sleep.
I want a spinoff of Charles Dance chasing Jessamy around for a decade.
I very much agree with the pretty elf girl's idea of monster of the week (hi, I'm new here and don't know your names)
Your expressions for most of this: N-😃🤨😅 C-😳😄😳
Dreams voice makes me totally melt 🫠🥴
i just read sandman so it felt weird that you didnt catch that paul and alex were a thing
5:48 You two are so funny. I laugh the whole way through these reactions.
omfggggggggg that truly is the island from Moana in the background wtfffff 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💜💜💜💜3:14
This just keeps getting better, so if you haven't just binged it yet, you have WAY more self control than I do!
I beg to differ that Sandman isn’t particularly about Sandman. Sure there is some focus on other characters, but if you pay close attention, they all tie back to the Sandman and his arc.
Oh 100%, and it's why the comic is so brilliant, but it's a lot harder to pull off in a TV show that wants to be accessible to new viewers as well. It's why I think it took so long to finally get this made.
lol Everyone looks very British. I think I'm smitten with Claroos.
I bought The Sandman poster and framed it before I knew it was a comic...weird
Yet once I knew it was a comic I started reading the comic. The character portraying The Sandman did alright. I didn't think he was scary in any fashion. The atmosphere was good like Penny Dreadful.
I am watching the show and staying on track with you, one episodea week or was it a day. My mind might change as episodes are watched.
That’s quite a testament to how striking the art is. “I don’t really know what this is, but I know I want it.”
Dream isn’t supposed to be scary you child.
I just found you guys now and you are amazing, awesome chemistry for reactions. Subbed! Btw she is gorgeous. :)
I didn't read the comic. I didn't really understand episode 1, but I'm going to give it at least 1 more episode. I'm hoping things become more clear as it goes on. Episode 1 felt like a lot of setup, which is important.
Great first episode!! This show looks amazing!
Watching! Subscribed. Uninitiated potential fan here. Really interesting first ep. and I enjoyed your reaction. You get me eager for the future. Like, hell yeah, I wanna see this Pumpkinhead.
The man is describing a morale gray character to all of the characters depicted here
Anywau try reacting to Arcane it is an original netflix show one of the greats show last year
My nit pick from the episode in comparison with the comic, I wish they could have shown the horrors of being sentenced to Eternal Waking.
They really should have done that. Great way to play with any new viewer’s mind. Maybe they’ll revisit it later if they get the chance.
@@0okamino It also shaved off some horror elements of the story. A means to show how terrifying Morpheus can be.
I actually think the issue was film vs book. The repeated awakenings can be shown in a few panels in the comic but would have required several minutes of dream after dream to make impactful in the show. I think it was a smart editorial choice.
Neil said they actually filmed something and it just didn’t work as well as it did in the comic so they went with eternal sleep
@@jmack8767 it didn’t seem like it was a great sleep for Alex, he was tossing and turning a bunch so I’d assume
He was stuck sleeping having nightmares the whole time, may not be exactly like the eternal waking but it seemed to be something similar
I finnished it today, it was awesome😁
I stopped at the end of episode 4 to watch your reaction. Worth it! Can't wait to see you watching the next episode 🤭
Anywaaaaays, off to watch episode 5
I don't think it's right that the comic suddenly was completely separated from the DC universe. But aside from the appearance of the JLA in one of the earliest issues, the references were few and far between. I doubt that Neil Gaiman cares much for superheroes, but occasionally he finds a use for some of them as characters, rather than as superheroes. I really wonder if the show will adapt Facade, which deals with a rather obscure superhero, Element Girl. But most importantly, Lyta Hall, or Fury, is a vital part of the story right until the end.
The JLA did make a single panel appearance again at the end, in The Wake, when the series was well and truly set in the Vertigo line.
However, contrary to this, the storyline A Game of You talks about superheroes as a thing of comic books and boys' fantasies, which seems a little strange to say if they exist in reality.
27:15 if you think that, then you need to watch Sense8 it's pilot is amazing and so is the rest of the show!
Jessemy is a hooded crow, not a magpie.
Great comic. Gorgeous redhead lady!
Thought came to me, if Death visits everyone to take them, didn't she saw Morpheus in that Glass cage, when this old dude died? Why she didn't let him free?
I haven't read comics so my question arose only based on TV so maybe it is answered later in comics
she wouldve. shes present at every birth and every death. maybe rescuing him couldve resulted in her capture. Death is aware there are many people trying to capture her.
You should look into getting some "open back" headphones so you can hear her without needing to take one headphone off.. it looks super uncomfortable for you.
I wanna let you know that my dad walked by when you started talking about Batman doing oral so thanks for that awkward encounter. Loved this reaction though.
Umbrella academy also had an amazing pilot
Id love to see her read the comics
Oh my god they were room mates.
Unity Kinkaid sleeps....
Nerdy my boy, where did you find a literal elf to do reactions with you
I keep on wanting to pick team Edward. Still they did a great job.
Alex was gay in the comics.
The dc stuff isn't in it. That is why they had to recast Constantine.
Some things are going to have to be toned down...
[Jessamyn enters the chat]
They had me hooked from the trailer and art but dang really had Me hooked on this first episode lol. Had to watch it all. Had a break to recharge tablet did outside stuff came back in and yayyyyyyy recharge watch more lol. He's way more pale than her but she looks like elf to me from lord of the rings lol. He did like michaelmyers he's not saying a word for decades while imprisoned lol.
Do you want me to tell you who the lady with the baby is? Because they did say her name
the eternal sleep for Alex was disappointing... the adaptation was good, that scene was just a dark part I was excited to see