It's difficult these days to discuss a television show when all of the episodes drop at once and everyone watches at his own pace, but the Paper Girls discussion (short as it was) went all right, so let's try one for Sandman... let's say an episode a day, clearly labeled. SPOILERs allowed, but please don't get ahead of the discussion.
EPISODE ONE:
I wasn't even planning to watch this one until one of Tracy's friends (who knows we read comics) texted her today and asked, "Have you guys read Sandman?" We recommended Paper Girls to her and she liked it, but she discovered Sandman on her own. She's already watched all the episodes. (I think there are ten.) We just watched the first.
So far, so good... very much like the first issue. What few changes they made were acceptable, and probably improved the story for a TV audience. My expectations for a Sandman TV show are high, but my expectations that they'd be able to pull it off were low. I show some photos of the guy playing Dream but he didn't look convincing to me. He played the part very well, but I would have preferred his skin to be alabaster white. Very well-done overall.
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My expectations for a Sandman TV show are high, but my expectations that they'd be able to pull it off were low.
Last night and today, I watched all ten episodes. I won't get ahead of the discussion, but I will say that my high expectations were definitely met.
I've seen seven of the episodes (I think). Very impressed with the visuals and the storytelling generally. I really like the casting: having a nerdy black woman play Lucien the librarian (instead of a nerdy white man) completely worked for me. Apologies if that doesn't happen until a later episode.
That was in the first episode (besides, I saw an ad in a comic book and pretty much figured out who was who).
EPISODE TWO:
First impression: man, that was short! It clocked in at only 35 minutes. I like to make shows I like last, but if all the epsiodes are this short, I can see how/why some of you guys binged them.
Not much to say about this episode. With so much to cover (75 issues, presumably) I expected more bang for my buck. So far the plot is following "Preludes and Nocturnes" pretty closely. I think Abel looked very much like his comic book counterpart, but they could have done a better job with Cain (at least given him brown hair). Tying the Corinthian in with Ethyl Cripps was a good move. Doin so helps to focus the story, which they're going to need to do if the episodes are going to be so short. At this pace, I expect season one will cover "Preludes and Nocturnes," leaving "The Doll's House" for season two.
Tracy is remembering very little of the story, not nearly as much as she recalls from Swamp Thing or Books of Magic. We may have to do a Sandman re-read after we finish Swamp Thing.
According to Wikipedia, the episodes have a "Running time 37–54 minutes." Neither Wiki nor IMDB give specifics by episode.
Not to give anything away, but season one covers The Doll's House, too.
I'm glad season one will cover "The Doll's House," but they'd better get a move on and get the preliminary stuff (i.e., "Preludes and Nocturnes") out of the way. "The Doll's House" was the one that crossed over to make a hit in the mainstream, so it's good they're starting strong. I already spotted someone in season one I pegged as Rose, so I'm glad I don't have to wait until season two for that to play out.
The 35 minutes I cited was not including credits.
I didn't time them, but I only felt one was shorter than the others.
EPISODE 3:
The adaptation of "Preludes & Nocturnes" proceeds apace. I am aboard with the changes/condensations. (How could I not be with Neil Gaiman as ecexutive producer?) I like that the search for Sandman's artifacts are moving forward simultaneously, not one at a time as they did in the comics. that helps to speed things along.
THE CORINTHIAN: I don't know who this actor is, but he reminds be of a young Eric Roberts. (Come to think of it, he'd make a fair "Master.") Excellent casting!
CONSTANTINE: I'm less concerned about the missing Y chromosome than the missing cigarettes. I didn't think I was going to like Jenna Coleman in the role, but it turns out I do. At first I thought the story of the search for the pouch of sand was going to play out quite differently, then it segued into it. This show reminds me of The Walking Dead in the sense that, in between the time the stories first appeared in print and the time they first appeared on screen, some tweaking and tightening was done. Well done!
DOCTOR DESTINY: Good job of revealing just enough about his past to move the story forward without bogging it down with all that JLA nonsense those new to the character couldn't care less about (yet it's there for those who do).
MATTHEW: Patton Oswalt is killing it! (and again, no more backstory than is necessary to move the plot).
I hven't seen any of it yet, but I have to admit that the idea of "Clara as Constantine" seems very improbable to me.
She's Lady Johanna Constantine... and it is pronounced with a long "I" (-TINE) rather than a long "E" (-TEEN).
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