Nicolas Caputo

This show had SOO MUCH potential, but it really falls flat on it's face as it doesn't capitalize on it's great premise and world setting. This show is shot beautifully, and the cast is superb. I also loved the music, the gore and the special effects; unfortunately this is another case of skin-deep beauty with zero substance. This is the story of Nathan, but I have no idea what exactly the writers were trying to convey. Is this a "hesitant hero" arc, a "redeem the sins of the father" story", a fall from grace "like father like son" tale? I have no idea and the show never cares to sort that out. Nathan gets pushed around by the plot, and doesn't really make any meaningful choices of his own (aside from kissing a guy, which feels so forced), so we don't get to see any character growth. The magical powers are not consistent at all, and the rules the show establishes early on are completely ignored as the show progresses. "Spoilers ahead!" Characters are written in very unsatisfying ways, we never get to find out what the deal is with Mercury, Nathan's dad is just a plot device that ultimately doesn't go anywhere either, Annalise has no problem killing her dad yet leaves Jessica alive, etc. etc. The only reason I was able to make it through the entire show was to see if all the interesting things that the show set in motion early on would go anywhere, but ultimately nothing of substance happens. The children don't really learn a lesson or become heroes or villains, the Bloods and Fairborns that learned a valuable lesson are all dead, the world is neither better or worse based on everything that happened, and the setting doesn't advance in any meaningful way after this story. I am starting to believe that these Netflix shows are being written by an algorithm, because this is pure trash.

The premise, actors, director, and visuals were all a big draw for me. Even though I love Neil Gaiman, I never read the Sandman Comics, so this is my first taste of the character and universe. First, the story feels all over the place. Every other episode feels like a new adventure that has no connection to what happened prior, and Morpheus' previous choices have no bearing on them. Because these stories plant very compelling and thought provoking ideas, the way the series just solves them quickly and moves on feels very unsatisfying. Robbing the audience of these conflicts, struggles, the consequences of making tough choices, and those outcomes takes all the momentum away from the show. Because of this Morpheus is more of a plot device than a compelling character. I am left wondering what Sandman is about? At times I thought it was about showing that humanity, flaws and all, is something that gods should aim at; but again Morpheus never shows us that in a meaningful way, so who knows. As a piece of media it is entertaining at times, and it is tantalizing enough to keep you watching until the end; but unfortunately it jumps around too much and it ultimately goes nowhere meaningful.

Excellent music and graphics. I played it on the Switch and thought it was a good hand-held game. My issue comes from the expectation that it was going to be more accessible like Shovel Knight since these two games share the same publisher. This game is hard, it throws a ton at you all at once, and the check points and health pick ups are sparse. When I pre-ordered it I was expecting a Shovel Knight-like experience, this was not it at all. This is a hard platformer in the same realm as Valfaris, Blasphemous, etc. Fun if you don't mind dying A LOT!