It's FINALLY HERE?!? | The Sandman Episode 1 Reaction & Review | Netflix 

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.

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.

0:53 “I remember it was in a diner” triggered my fight or flight reflex

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".

The sleeping sickness was a real thing that happened between 1915 and 1926 called Encephalitis lethargica

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.

I don't think I've seen this actor before but his voice is amazing.

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.

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.

My favorite shot was when he escaped and confronted Alex. And you just see him in shadow with his glowing eyes. Soooo good.

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.

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 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.

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!

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`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

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

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.

24hrs was sooooooooooo strong in this show. Was shocked how far they were allowed to take it

I love how you can see when he realizes stuff from the comics is being shown. The 😮😄 is perfect

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.

0:50 lmao the way he looked at the camera when she mentioned the diner

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.

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.

It’s made very clear in the comic that Alex and Paul are lovers

Alex and Paul are not roomates. They’re pillow friends !

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.

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.

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.

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

I haven't read the comics, but I can definitely see some of this imagery in the Doctor Who episodes Neil Gaiman wrote.

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.

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.

That _Sandman_ narration -- sounds like the intro to a Disney ride ... 😀

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."

Alex and Paul were definitely gay together in the comics, they didn’t just make them gay for the show

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.

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?

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.

The reference of Tel'aran'rhiod made me smile, I had thought the same

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.”

RIP Jessamy, too pure for this world.

This guy is too "Oh hey did I mention I've read the comic?!"

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!!

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).

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 just found you guys now and you are amazing, awesome chemistry for reactions. Subbed! Btw she is gorgeous. :)

I believe the term for that is Episodic rather than monster of the week which is a more specific trope

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.

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...

Watched to episode seven, it’s super true to the comics, they have streamlined it and made a few adjustments for the sake of making it a filmable coherent storyline. But if you love the comics your gonna love this

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.

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...

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.

Great first episode!! This show looks amazing!

"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 🤣🤣🤣

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

Did you notice Martin Tenbones on the ship in the intro scene?

I finnished it today, it was awesome😁

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.

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.

omfggggggggg that truly is the island from Moana in the background wtfffff 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💜💜💜💜3:14

"i dont think thats how gay sex work" I SCREAMED NERDY

Thanks for covering these. My top 2 loves are WoT and Sandman.

Sandmand, Swampthing, Preacher and Watchmen are all up there for me. Wonder how Claroos will feel about Death.

"In a diner" ....that rang a bell, yes.

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)

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.

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...

13:52 And that's the point he went from irritated to pissed.

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.

i very much would consider Buffy and Dr Who to be "monster of the week"...as well as Supernatural to a certain extent and Star Trek:TNG, Voyager and DS9 to certain extents. There are bigger season long arcs, but you don't need to know them to enjoy each episode individually...they just add a little more to each episode, vs shows like Stranger Things, Dark or The OA where if you jump in at episode 3 or 4 you won't able to follow much of what's going on due to missing what came before. does that make sense? basically i agree with Clarus's definition of "monster of the week" ...Clarus wins again!!!

Dreams voice makes me totally melt 🫠🥴

This just keeps getting better, so if you haven't just binged it yet, you have WAY more self control than I do!

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

lol Everyone looks very British. I think I'm smitten with Claroos.

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.

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 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.

Your expressions for most of this: N-😃🤨😅 C-😳😄😳

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Great comic. Gorgeous redhead lady!

Nerdy my boy, where did you find a literal elf to do reactions with you

Umbrella academy also had an amazing pilot

Do you want me to tell you who the lady with the baby is? Because they did say her name

Oh my god they were room mates.

Unity Kinkaid sleeps....

Id love to see her read the comics

I keep on wanting to pick team Edward. Still they did a great job.

5 & 6

I have a question 🤔 did the "roommate" mean to scratch the symbol and release him or did he just not no think it was important?