The Sandman
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Someone finally adaptedSandman,and Morpheus has a pouty lil mouth to boot.
Im your recapper, Bethy, and Im a Morpheus head from way back.
But we dont have to get into that now.
This show should work for diehards but also for people who dont haveanyembarrassing tattoos about the source IP.
TheSandmancomic series, which ran from 1989 to 1996, told the tale of Morpheus, a.k.a.
Theres Death, Destiny, Dream, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and … the other one.
He quit, dont worry about him.
Burgess was trying to capture Death and missed, which is lucky for all of creation.
As it stands, though, things get pretty weird with Dream trapped for most of the 20th century.
Theyvebeen trying to makea live-actionSandmanalmost since the comic book premiered.
That version livedin potentiafrom 2007 to around 2016.
The arduous adaptation process is reflected in this shows timeline.
Its a confusing, possibly reality-breaking choice.
And its not like Netflix hasnt had success with period pieces.
Why not makeSandmanthe British equivalent toStranger Things?
The decision to update the time period feels like a missed opportunity.
Like many issues ofSandman,this episode features Dream as an ancillary character at best.
Its really Alex Burgesss story, the unfavorite son of Magus Roderick Burgess.
Roderick demands absolute obedience from his son, despite not liking the guy.
This guy treats him horribly, but he still cant help but seek Daddys approval by killing Dreams raven.
So much ofSandmanis about people metaphorically tripping over their own dicks, and this episode sets that up perfectly.
The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook) is a nightmare that went rogue right before Dream got bubbled.
He spends the 20th century being a serial killer and having a thing for eyeballs.
In the comics, there is no one overarching villain.
Sometimes its Dream himself.
(Okay, a sociopath stereotype with teeth for eyes.
Thats an improvement on the basic formula.)
We also meet Ethel Cripps, the Maguss mistress.
When Roderick insists on Ethels getting an abortion, she fucks off to America with all of Dreams stuff.
Its only when Alex is an old man (how old?
Dont ask) that Dream is able to escape.
It almost makes one wonder: Could he have gotten out sooner?
How is a drawing on the floor keeping an omnipotent being trapped?
Morpheus is free, but his kingdom has fallen into disrepair.
All the weird little guys that populated the Dreaming have disappeared.
Most either absorbed back into the land itself or went on vacation like the Corinthian.
Very tasteful hog coverage when Dream is trapped naked in a bubble for more than a century.
I dont think I could go a century without flashing my bits, but Morpheus is built different.
In many ways,Sandmanis the perfect property to adapt.
Morpheuss story is about a guy who cannot adapt and what tragedies befall him because of that obstinance.
Will this show work better than, say,Death Note?
Theres no way Unity Kinkaid is still alive, right?
Now that theyve extended Dreams prison sentence.
She was a teenager when she took her long nap.
Did everyone with sleepy sickness justneverwake up?
