The Sandman: the most complete guide to the main series of 2022

The plot of the series “Sandman”

The Sandman is a dark fantasy thriller series. The plot of the show is based on the series of graphic novels of the same name by the famous British writer Neil Gaiman. The 10-volume series has topped the New York Times bestseller list multiple times and has become one of the most popular comics of all time. Few other graphic novels have received as much recognition and so many literary awards.

In fact, they have been trying to film this comic for 32 years, almost from the moment it was published, but until today, all attempts ended in failure at the production stage. Neil Gaiman’s exactingness was the main obstacle to The Sandman’s way to the screens. The author resolutely refused films every time he began to doubt their quality:

“I spent many years fighting bad adaptations. Always tried to stay away from working on them. And if they turned out to be just terrible, he told the producers: “No.” And they were immediately canceled! That was my superpower.”

However, the new version was able to win the heart of an adamant writer. He even agreed to help the team in filming. In total, the series consists of 10 episodes, all of which, traditionally for Netflix, were released simultaneously.

The story of The Sandman revolves around the god of dreams, Morpheus, also known as the Prince of Stories or simply Dream. In the universe of Neil Gaiman, the ancient gods are very real, powerful and rule over various aspects of the mortal world. There are seven such immortal great gods, including Morpheus himself. There are constant disputes, intrigues and wars for power between the eternal rulers. It is on their relationship that the plot of the comic is largely built.

The first season of the series, which was to be expected, was based on the first volume of the Preludes and Nocturnes series. In the story, in 1916, a group of occultists use magic to trap Morpheus. They manage to keep the god in captivity for 105 years. Breaking free, he discovers that over the past years his kingdom has fallen into complete desolation, an era of chaos has come in it, and mortal people have stopped dreaming. Now Morpheus will not only have to restore order in the universe, but also find out if there is a place left for him in the new world.

According to Neil Gaiman, one of the team’s goals was to create a show in which each new episode would reveal the show in a completely new way:

“Imagine watching the first episode and thinking you understand what this series is going to be like. But the second one will make you completely reconsider your opinion, and so on until the end of the season. The fifth episode is dark and kind of traumatic, and immediately following it, the sixth is the most enjoyable of all.”

Actors of the series “Sandman”

The creators of the show managed to put together the perfect cast. Almost all reviewers noted how well the lead actor Tom Sturridge looks in the image of Morpheus. One critic writes:

“It is clear why the authors of the show chose Sturridge among thousands of other candidates. There’s an otherworldly aspect to the actor’s acting, from the superficial resemblance to the comic book character to the deep, commanding voice.”

At the same time, the author of the review does not exaggerate at all when he says that Tom was selected from a thousand candidates, because the casting process lasted as long as 8 months. The young British actor may be known to many from his recent biopic Irma Vep and his starring role in the rebellious musical film Rock Wave. According to him, while working on the series, Gaiman’s comic book has become one of his favorite works in his life:

“Long casting and filming gave me the opportunity to constantly re-read all three thousand pages of the comic. And I truly loved him. For me, this is one of the most important works of the last thirty years.”

Also in the series you can see Gwendolyn Christie, the star of “Game of Thrones” and the last trilogy of “Star Wars”, she embodied on the screen the prince of hell Lucifer. Boyd Holbrook, who is familiar to many thanks to his villainous role in Logan, played the Corinthian, the child of Morpheus and the embodiment of a nightmare that sends bad dreams to people. And the legendary Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, voiced Morpheus’ assistant, Mervyn, in the film.

What are the critics saying about the show?

The profile press from the series was simply delighted. All reviews say that the creators managed to perfectly convey the spirit of the original comic, its dark, viscous atmosphere and surreal plot nuances:

“The show was amazingly faithful to the original source, accurately, subtly and in detail building Gaiman’s dark world on the screen canvas. The Sandman is like a deep, addictive dream.”

Also, almost all reviewers agreed that the dramaturgy of the series is excellent. The viewer never knows when the plot twist will occur, however, it always happens when it needs to. Each new episode contrasts with the previous one, creating the necessary tension and relaxation throughout all 10 episodes:

“Gaiman’s film adaptation has an emotional depth and storytelling almost unheard of in fantasy. The series should appeal to both fans of the original source and newcomers.”

Finally, as already mentioned, the choice of actors for all significant roles did not raise questions from anyone. Each of them fit perfectly into their image.

Will The Sandman have a sequel?

Immediately after the release of the series, fans began to dream of continuing the dark fantasy or even expanding its universe. Neil Gaiman supported some of their ideas on his social media. For example, the writer also thinks it would be great to do a spin-off for the heroine Joanna Constantine, an adventurer and treasure hunter.

As for the story of Morpheus himself, the show was originally designed for one season without continuation. But Gaiman has already stated that if the team comes up with some fresh and unusual ideas about how to make a second season, then he will only contribute to its emergence. Showrunner David Goyer also says a script for a sequel won’t be a problem if Netflix gives it the green light.

What other adaptations of Neil Gaiman can you watch?

The Sandman was by no means the first film adaptation of the works of the English writer. His books and comics are very much loved by film studios as source material, thanks to their excellent writing and very rich atmosphere.

The first most popular adaptation of his books, of course, is the American Gods series. The world of this show is similar to the universe of The Sandman: in it, the old gods are also real, only because people stopped worshiping them, they lost most of their powers and are now forced to live a simple life among people for eternity. The series ended in 2021 at season 3 with a total of 26 episodes.

You can also pay attention to the comedy British mini-series Good Omens. It consists of only 6 episodes and tells the story of the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley, who together create a strange alliance in order to resist the plans of Heaven and Hell to arrange an apocalypse on Earth. The main reason to watch it is, of course, the magnificent acting duet of Michael Sheen (Midnight in Paris) and David Tennant (Doctor Who).