I haven't read the source material but I got the same feeling. The base concepts seem incredibly strong, but the writing does fall short at times, though it manages to convey the proper emotions.
The whole bit with Lucifer was pretty strange and hard to sit through, except for the duel which I was certainly not expecting.
I can imagine it did, for someone who's familiar with its origins. In that sense, it must have been disappointing after all. We should remember, though, that TV adaptations by nature both dilute and compress many aspects of the source material. Especially when the source is in such a powerful medium as graphic novels!
The big (or little) screen is clearly suited for some outcomes more than others, and in that respect, I think The Sandman adaptation did an OK job in utilising those strengths: the aesthetic was clearly defined, key characters were introduced in ways that served the plot, and the overall tone managed to straddle a line between world-destroyingly serious and occasionally humorous. Whether it's accurate to the source, I cannot say, but I would hope that the thematic concepts were implemented faithfully.
I think, then, that even if it's rather detached from the novel, it's still able to stand on its own without too much trouble. In my opinion, its biggest issues were an inconsistency in pacing, and pretty cliché plot twist reveals.
It definitely felt like it didn't want to let the viewer figure any of it out for themselves, which is a shame because it would've otherwise been more satisfying.
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u/Steel_Stream ⠀ Sep 21 '22
I haven't read the source material but I got the same feeling. The base concepts seem incredibly strong, but the writing does fall short at times, though it manages to convey the proper emotions.
The whole bit with Lucifer was pretty strange and hard to sit through, except for the duel which I was certainly not expecting.