Finished 5 and 6, this evening.

One of the reasons why I was slow to read Sandman was that I am not a horror reader. I was prone to conjuring nightmares, as a child, thanks to a vivid imagination. Not constantly, but often inspired by things I had seen and horrific images unsettled me easily. Sleeping Beauty scared the fertilizer out of me and I could not even look at the image of Maleficent, on the record we had, from the film. So, I tended not to read horror comics or novels or short stories. It was a long time before I could watch remotely scary movies, such as the Universal monster films.

The early issues of The Sandman were very much layered in horror and that didn't attract it to me, though I liked Sam Keith's work. Gaiman I had little experience with, apart from Black Orchid and it was not what I really wanted it to be. So, I am less enamored over those first two arcs, then later ones. I enjoyed the series more when Gaiman incorporated more fantasy elements. Then again, maybe I started to see beyond the terror and enjoy the mythology, more, though those first two arcs are still not favorites.

Episode 5, with John Dee and the diner, was a large reason why the first arc was distasteful to me. I find enough terror and madness in the world that I don't care much for it in my entertainment. The manipulation of the people in the diner swings from shock to insight to terror. The characters made it different enough to finish the story. The episode adapts it well, though I think it is still too much shock value, for my tastes. I do think the removal of the comic book conventions improves John Dee, making him scarier, as the visual of him in the comic is too steeped in horror comics. It is too removed from human, so he falls into the category of monster, which means he is outside. Thewliss is very inside humanity, a damaged mind and soul, with powers too great for him to handle. The human psyche ends up more terrifying, expressed through him. Well done, but not something I want to revisit, again and again.

Episode 6 does a damn near perfect job of capturing the story and Gaiman's concept of Death. Given his collaboration with Terry Pratchett I sometimes wonder if Pratchett's Death influenced his own, or just similar minds or similar influences. I find Pratchett more profound, but Gaiman's more comforting. I think that is the difference in their writing, too. Pratchett is far funnier; but, I am always amazed at how profound his work is, once it really hits me, in the story. With Gaiman, it is very showy and artistic, but very much about the language and the technique. I think Pratchett gets to the core of his themes better.

Still, this story and Death are somewhat special, to me. I had a friend and colleague, named Jason, who was a massive Neil Gaiman and Sandman fan. We shared an enthusiasm for the series (once I got past my initial impressions and actually started reading the books, since it was hard to jump on, in mid-arc). Jason adored Gaiman's writing far more than I, though Gaiman quickly became a favorite. Some years ago, now, Jason had a numbness in his arm and went to seek medical treatment, believing he had a pinched nerve. He was given a diagnosis of cancer. It was bad; his body riddled with it. He went through treatment, but it was too advanced. Jason was the sweetest, kindest, most gentle person you could meet, and he wasn't always treated well, because of it. A marriage broke up because his wife felt he wasn't assertive enough, or passionate enough, or whatever, enough. However, I ended up interviewing someone to work in Barnes & Noble's receiving department, a young woman with Bettie Page bangs. I recommended hiring her and she went to work there, with Jason. They got along fabulously and soon started dating and eventually married and had a son, Max. They were truly happy. And then, their world collapsed. Jason was close with Max and he shared his love of Gaiman and Star Wars and comics with Max and he soaked it up. Then Jason's time came. We all gathered near the carillon at a park and had a memorial service for Jason, as he was not religious. The booklet for the service featured quotes from Sandman. Max was one of the first speakers, breaking down about how he missed his dad. We all wept. But, at the same time, we smiled, as we remembered our friend and his smile, his friendship and his enthusiasm. The words from Death gave me comfort, as I read, "You got what everyone gets; you got a lifetime."

I shared those words with my brother, when my father was found to have an iliac aneurism and my brother was worried about the simple procedure to put in a stent. I reassured him about what I had read of the procedure, but also reminded him our parents were aging and closer to the end than the beginning. We would have to face a world without them, someday. I shared that quote and it gave me comfort, though I can't speak for my brother. The procedure was a minor outpatient event, until my father's lung collapsed, during the procedure. The doctor's were able to reinflate it and he came through it; but, it seemed to kickstart breathing issues. he had been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, after a chest X-ray, some years before, but it wasn't actively affecting his lungs. This changed it and breathing became more difficult. He had to start using an inhaler, then oxygen, then a ventilator. He did not wish to remain on forced ventilators and was on a form of a CPAP, but it was a struggle. Finally, my mom made the decision to take him off of it and let him go, in peace.

Those words came to me again.

In 2019, my mom's liver was causing her kidney's to fail and she died. Gaiman's words helped me again.

I like to imagine a world where a bright and lively young woman comes to collect people and shepherd them into the next phase, though I don't believe such a thing exists. However, it gives comfort, at the end and it is enough.

The episode captured that element beautifully and the clip of it is the main reason I gave this a chance, after being less enthused by the clip of the exchange with Lucifer. If they could get Death right, then the rest would fall into place, maybe slightly different, but with the essence.

As for the rest? The Hob Galding storyline was good, though I have to say I was just taking it in, until the 1989 timeline and I heard Fine Young Cannibals and started smiling. That had me back to that time frame, when I was fresh out of college, and glimpsed the first issue. FYC is one of my favorites and the 80s era of music my favorite period. I was right back there, with them, though I did have to kibbitz some of the wardrobe. Close, but no cigar. Same for some of the hair. Still, you forget how long ago it was and I suspect half the people involved weren't born or too young to have an impression.

Never thought I'd feel like the 80s was a long time past. Then again, I never contemplated hearing celebrations of pop culture items, at 50, which started when I did.

Now, more horror. I didn't like the Corinthian story, as it was so dark. But, we will see.

I still think some of the cast haven't learned to act naturally and some of it feels too artificial; but, the right characters are portrayed well and the emotional beats are there and the key themes of the story, which helps accept the artifice.

David Thewliss was great, as I knew he would be.