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favorite-characters · 2 years

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𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕞𝕒𝕟

Boyd Holbrook as ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʀɪɴᴛʜɪᴀɴ (S01.E10 • dir. Louise Hooper • 2022)

#the sandman icons #the sandman edit #the sandman s.01 ep.10 #the sandman #the sandman netflix #the corinthian icons #the corinthian #boyd holbrook icons #boyd holbrook #louise hooper #netflix #warner bros #the sandman season 01

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tv-moments · 1 year

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The Sandman

Season 1, “Lost Hearts”

Director: Louise Hooper

DoP: Sam Heasman

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takerfoxx · 2 years

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The Sandman, Bonus Episode, "Dream of a Thousand Cats/Calliope," First Impressions!

Well, this was a nice surprise!

Well, okay, not really that much of a surprise for me, as it dropped before I started the show, but even still!

See, one of the problems facing any adaptation of The Sandman is that there are a number of standalone stories, ones that range from being deeply connected to the plot to having no connection at all, but were just cool ideas that Neil Gaiman had. And honestly, I wasn't sure if we were going to get any of them. Like, this is still an expensive show, so why spend the money on an experimental tangent?

Well, apparently Gaiman and the rest of the crew went, "How about I do anyway?" And now here we have an episode comprising two of the short stories from Dream Country, Sandman's third volume and first short story collection.

Calliop actually does make a lot of sense to include, as it is tied to the plot in that introduces the fact that Morpheus was once married and had a son, while also further exploring how his imprisonment changed him. But Dream of a Thousand Cats is a real surprise, as it has nothing to do with the plot at all! Dream is barely in it at all! Like, it's cool, it's creative, it stands out in the mind and makes you think, but it's not what one would call essential to the story.

But they did it anyway, and for that I am thankful. And it's animated as well, which is really cool, and it also continues the original Sandman's comic of constantly switching up the art style. Granted, the Garfield-styled thought-speak was a little jarring. I know it's how they "talked" in the comics, but on screen it's a bit odd. But it wasn't that big of a problem, and it was still cool to see.

That being said, I honestly don't have a lot to say about it, as it's basically a totally faithful adaptation of the story. If you've read Dream of a Thousand Cats, then it gives you exactly that. Though it was neat to see the voice cast comprised of not only many of Gaiman's frequent collaborators, but also the man himself, voicing the dead crow. How appropriate.

But Calliope! Oh, I have a lot to say about this one! And for once, it's actually about the story itself instead of how it stands as an adaptation. Again, it's very faithful. There's been a few things changed. For one, Ric is much more hesitant before forcing himself on Calliope, and we don't actually see the deed itself (thank God), though the chilling shot of the blood mark on his cheek when he finally start writing is still very disturbing and makes it clear exactly what happened.

But other than a few tweaks here and there, it's still a very faithful adaptation of the story. So why am I going to discuss this story on a thematic level when I didn't do the same for the others?

Because this story does click with me in a way that the others don't, and seeing it realized on screen really spoke to me.

See, this is Stephen King-esque case of Writers Writing about Writers Writing. Richard Madoc is a writer struggling through massive writer's block. He had one success, and now everyone expects him to follow it up, from his fans to his agent to the publishers to himself. And he doesn't have any ideas! He can't get the story going! It's driving him mad! And so, out of desperation, he does a terrible thing.

Maybe it's because I'm only just coming off of a really bad case of writer's block myself, but it really did hit me. That part where he's staring at a blank screen while also doomscrolling what other people are saying about him, while wincing at every message asking when the next book is? I've been there. I'm not a published author, but I've still been there, over and over again. Only this week I've had several people reach out wondering when I'm going to update a story I wasn't even working on.

However, there is a huge "but" in here.

And that is, desperate or not, Richard still abuses Calliope. He still imprisons her for his own selfish desires. He still takes advantage of her. He still dehumanizes her. He still violates her. And he never gives her back her freedom. In many ways, he's the dark reflection of William Shakespeare, who also sought supernatural forces to get over his own shortcomings as a writer. But Will simply made a pact with those forces, like Calliope said Richard should. Richard forced the matter.

Calliope is shown to be a real person, not just some abstract idea. She tells this plainly to Richard, makes it clear that she isn't just some resource to be used, that her gifts are gifts, not something to be taken by force. She's had a life. She's been in love. She's been in pain. And that was taken from her. And despite all the years he had her locked up, Richard never bothered to find out the smallest thing about her. He didn't even know that she had a child.

In his success, with the desperation no longer hanging over him, we see what kind of man he really is. He is arrogant, self-absorbed, and self-righteous. He's angry with the woman whom he's violating when she doesn't share his celebration. And let me just say, despite all the criticism this show has taken from being too "woke," it does not pull its punches in calling out performative progressivism. Richard calls himself a feminist, despite actively dehumanizing a woman. He insists on diverse casts and crew, despite, again, violating a real person for his own needs. We've seen several artists who were once upheld as paragons of progressivism come falling down when their hypocrisies were laid bare (*cough*WHEDON*cough*). And while I know that scene was written and filmed before her own fall from grace, that namedrop of Rowling ended up being incredibly appropriate, even if it was by accident.

Everyone here turns in a masterful performance. Arthur Darvill really does capture that quiet desperation and that insufferable hypocrisy that someone like Richard Madoc would embody with eerie perfection. The exhausted resentment and resignation coming from Calliope is plainly evident in Louise Hooper's performance. And Tom Sturridge as Dream continues to be absolutely perfect, where here we get to see his quiet, righteous wrath, and it is terrifying.

Calliope's final note about never forgiving what Richard did to her but still needing to forgive what the man did to her was interesting. Forgiveness is sometimes sloppily handled in fiction, often demanded when it's not warranted. So I like that she made it clear that she will never forgive what Richard did to her, and nor should she, but she also decides to let go of her anger toward him so she can move on. People might debate if that's really the right message here, but I'm glad that they made the distinction.

And we also see how Dream has changed, becoming more compassionate and empathetic thanks to his ordeal. This will definitely be tested come Season of Mists, as his worst moment comes back to haunt him. But until then, I am loving this.

Hey, I know we're not getting Elemental Girl's story, but how about Midsummer Night's Dream? That one's kind of important!

#the sandman #neil gaiman #dream of the endless #calliope #richard madoc #louise hooper #arthur darvill #tom sturridge #dream of a thousand cats/calliope #netflix #review

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elennemigo · 1 month

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