The Sandman (TV Series) A Hope in Hell (2022) User Reviews

Cerebral, sensual fist fight.

[W011y4m5 · 9/10 · 5 August 2022]

In this visceral, trippy, hellish installment, "The Sandman" literally descends from a dream in to a haunting nightmare, continuing with its intended construction of meticulous world building & cleverly taking the immediate opportunity (provided by the plot & introduction of new characters) to demonstrate its uniqueness - as a concept - by creatively subverting audience's preconceived expectations, delving in to the darkness of this macabre fantasy, delivering a surrealistic showdown in an original way that helps to set this series apart from the rest.

Without divulging any details (so as to avoid giving away spoilers), it's moments like these which help to show why watching is a worthwhile investment of time for viewers; the narrative is able to unfold in an inspired manner which barely (if) any others could ever hope to do. Hence, this individualistic sense of authenticity (& genuine artistry behind the camera) acts as an incentive to continue binging.

It's also worth noting that director Jamie Childs & cinematographer Sam Heasman do an exemplary job together & realise the sequences beautifully, capturing the episode's aesthetic phenomenally - & both Tom Sturridge & Gwendoline Christie are simply magnetic here, in front of the camera.

Beautiful and terrifying

[milliemacdonald4 · 9/10 · 17 August 2022]

Having not read the comics, I had no idea what I was in for. The visuals of the location were amazing, and I loved the casting and the acting of the characters in this episode. I also was not familar with the game before this, but now I am in love. The concept behind it -- which I believe isn't unique to Sandman -- is very interesting, and the way it was done and represented here, and the implications of the way the battle went, were beautiful. One of my favourite episodes of this whole show, I think.

[9.1] All kind of reasons

[cjonesas · 9/10 · 27 October 2022]

Episode 4: Very interesting of an episode with countless deep fantasy messages, gorgeous cinematography, superb CGI and visual effects for the pleasure of eye candy lovers. Deep storyline and plots adaptation doing justice to the comics, a somewhat unrealistic and weak flow at the same time while the vibe is shinier, all the while telling the story in a mishmash way. The weakest link of the episodes so far is its convoluted, sort of slow burn storytelling, having all the bright ingredients, but falling to coherently grab viewers interest.

Marvelous atmosphere, fantasy deep scenes, storyline plots complemented with ultra marvelous fantasy charismatic acting and eye candy visual effects for our pleasure and characterization of the episode.

I loved every second of this episode

[daredevil_hlz · 10/10 · 5 August 2022]

Jenna Coleman is fantastic as Joanna Constantine as she needs to get her on spin off series now

Tom is great as the dream lord and he was born to play the sandman.

The actual Dorean and Miltonesque Lucifer!

[Ashtoreth_ · 10/10 · 7 August 2022]

The proud grace of the Angel of Light, straight out of Gustave Dore's engravings and John Milton's words, right here on screen. As an art historian, folklorist and occultist absolutely enamored with Lucifer, this is all I ever wanted to see on screen.

The battle scene is superbly written and visually stunning, with the interplay of ethereal and grand voices of Gwendoline and Tom taking on a cosmic dimension. This is something else. A highlight of this amazing show.

HOLY COW! THAT FIGHT!

[charlieedmond · 10/10 · 6 August 2022]

I was... I was expecting something totally different to what transpired. I was expecting something physical, what I got was something COSMIC!

This episode is by far the best episode, so far!

Purely because it subverted my expectations in a way that subverting expectations should be done! It never did it like all those other popular shows do it, it did it flawlessly, it did it magnificently and it simply raised the bar into HELL to subvert expectations. Now when ever a show subverts, I'll forever be comparing it to The Sandman S01E04.

Hope

[athenabvb · 10/10 · 25 August 2022]

What an EPIC battle!!!

Dream destroyed Lucifer, but only just. The performance and the visuals were out of this world. Matthew might be my favorite new character.

I'll say this again, Tom is amazing for this role. The way he can articulate so many things with so little facial expression...kudos man!

10/10.

Stunning

[seven5tx · 10/10 · 19 August 2022]

How anyone is able to say this looks cheap escapes me.

I had no idea what to expect and usually only review after all episodes but I am just bursting. This whole thing so far is exactly what I like. I was a huge fan of Lucifer and of Supernatural.

Everything about this is over the top wonderful. I have not seen Tom Sturridge before but he is beyond excellent. He is hauntingly, achingly beautiful. Ethereal. He is so captivatingly beautiful. I will be looking for him and backtracking to see what else he has done.

When I read up before watching and saw that Colin Morgan was considered and rejected I was disappointed but not now. I am a huge Colin Morgan fan and loved the Merlin series as one of my all-time favorites. Worth a watch if you never have.

Amazing episode

[jeffreydrent · 10/10 · 1 September 2022]

So unique and well written. The fight was truly amazing and the acting was out of this world. This is one of those series's you should watch multiple times if you want to get every detail of it.

The visuals are also great with a lot of weird filming locations that fit this serie perfectly. I truly enjoyed every second of it because you just cannot know for certain what will happen next. The main character the Sand man is played so well. And the items that are in this world feel as if it could be real.

Hell was a bit weird with the demons but i'm not complaining because it's different from what we always see or hell. This whole series feels like a dream and i hope the next episodes will be just as stunning as the first few episodes.

Missed Opportunity

[rick-997 · 6/10 · 27 November 2022]

I would have loved to have seen Tom Ellis revise his role as Lucifer. To me that would have put this show on another level but alas it did not happen.

I agree with other reviewers that the writing of the Lucifer character was weak. Most powerful being/entity yet loses in front of his minions and lets Dream walk away... I dont feel that would be accurate based on the the way he is written which is somewhat stiff and bland.

Perhaps I am biased from watching and loving the Lucifer series.

I do like the feeling of respect that being built in regards to kings going into other kings area and showing respect to each other as the baseline.

heavens to murgatroyd

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 9 September 2022]

Something you do not see everyday. Over the centuries of civilization the battle between good and evil, heaven and hell, has been done tens of thousands of times, but rarely with such finesse and impact. It is literally like watching UFC match where there is no touching but constant action. Possibly one of the best written and most memorable TV episodes of all time. At least I HOPE it is! In many ways SANDMAN shows more promise and creativity than many of its competitors. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

I have been enjoying the show but

[vn_larsen1 · 6/10 · 20 August 2022]

This episode was not the best. I love the cinematography, the settings and composition. Even the slow pace is appropriate for the dramatic tension. But Lucifer and this "fight" was lame as hell. Lucifer, tied for second as the most powerful entity in DC, vs Dream of the Endless, yet the whole fight was who can come up with the most powerful idea. And Lucifer started with a wolf.... Why wouldn't she just start with "I am Anti-Life"..?

I get the whole fight was trying to be cerebral and subvert expectations, but it just came off as silly and pointless.

Downvote away.

"I am a Writer. Character-distorter, plot-crusher, reality-bender"

[eunbi0530 · 1/10 · 15 August 2022]

Third time is a charm.

"Not just any angel. The most beautiful, wisest, and most powerful of all angels." To be honest, I wasn't going to mention mention that, but since it was stupidly placed here by the writers, from the three main characteristics Dream described Lucifer Morningstar, at least two were shown to be false: the image we see of Lucifer in this series will hardly be seen as "the most beautiful" and, as I will say further, Lucifer isn't the wisest either.

We can start off with the question: why did Lucifer replace Choronzon against Dream? By having Lucifer debate Morpheus, his own previous statement declaring the Lightbringer as the "wisest" is refuted when Dream easily counters all of his points. Besides, Lucifer is prideful, he would never let Lord of Dreamings leave Hell unscathed after such public humiliation.

On that same note, why did Lucifer and Dream have to feel the impact of the things they were debating? It should have been just images on the background and them telling what they are and how they would counter said things. It looked cheesy.

By the way, when Nada said "Kai'ckul, I will not give up hope", people definitely came to the conclusion that Dream only used "Hope" as his trump because of her, once again the writers diminishing Dream's importance in the story.

Matthew's role in this episode was completely uncalled for, he basically served as yet another reminder for viewers that the "I am Hope" Dream said was based on what Nada and Matthew said. He has too many lines.

Furthermore, what's the point of Mazikeen here? She merely replaced Agony and Ecstasy, because there might be a future season, so she was already introduced?

Writers, answer me this: if the Helmet can locate the Ruby, what stopped Choronzon from stealing it? Because in the original the Helmet couldn't do that. And by implementing that "feature", we were also denied from a scene where we would see J'onn J'onzz.

Another curious thing is: why wasn't Rosemary killed by John this time?"I am a Writer. Character-distorter, plot-crusher, reality-bender"

Utter genius

[john-allen76-1 · 10/10 · 10 August 2022]

Incredible. That's all you need to know.

Without doubt the greatest series since Game of Thrones and simply beautifully made, produced and acted out.

Absolute gold.

Amazing and Stunning

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 30 November 2022]

Episode 4 of The Sandman begins with Dream and Matthew the Raven showing up in Hell. With cold winds swirling around them, they decide to follow the line of the Damned. There are certain protocols that come with entering Hell though, something a demon called Squatterbloat is well acquainted with when he greets them at the gates. Despite berating Dream over his lack of a crown, the demon does agree to take him to the Morningstar. Lucifer Morningstar, to be precise. Lucifer is far more powerful than Dream, and without all his trinkets, he's more vulnerable than before. With a litany of jokes from Matthew for company, they press on. Eventually they arrive at the foot of Lucifer's castle; a towering, imposing structure that stretches on to dizzying heights. We're back on track again after last episode's blemish, with a pretty accurate adaptation of the battle between Lucifer and Dream. The descent into Hell is a really nice touch and the visuals in this have been excellent from start to finish. They really do capture the imagination of the comics and that's great to see. Gwendoline Christie does a fantastic job as Lucifer and out of all the casting choices, this is the one that makes the most sense. She's a great actress and brings Lucifer to life with malice and mischief. The whole subplot involving John is a bit meandering and seems to be added for the pure intent of breaking up the action in Hell. However, we do see some good character development for him, especially handing over the amulet to that kindly woman at the end. Lucifer greets Dream, wanting to join their two realms together. Dream though ignores this and stays true to his mission, wanting his Helm back. So the only thing for it, is to summon every single demon to the gates. It doesn't take long for Dream to realize the Helm belongs to Choronzon, a Duke of Hell. With the Helm under his arm, he bargains with the Demon. If Dream is to lose this, he'll become a servant to Choronzon in Hell for all eternity. Meanwhile in New York, John ends up getting a lift from a kindly taxi driver where we're repeated the story about Ethel's thievery. After stopping at a gas station, Rosemary (the driver) stats to have second thoughts about this. She speaks to the cashier, urging him to ring 911. The thing is, John has the amulet, and when the cashier shows off his gun, things take a turn for the worst. A spatter of blood and John leaves once more with Rosemary. John bemoans trusting her and demands she drive him to the ruby.

What an episode! but again the casting has missed!

[ha77y73ad97 · 9/10 · 5 September 2022]

The whole build up to the confrontation was eerie wonder around of hell and the difference between the Lucifer and this version (as they are derived from the same universe of comics) is a stark difference. The small details of the side story of the comic scattered around this episode throughout the hell trip.

The main event of the episode is the the war of word between the ruler and the sandman. The visualization of both the words and the wounds that they inflict on the combatants is just awesome!

Overall this is a well crafted story matched with prefect visuals but Lucifer's casting was well off the mark! Thats probably the worst casting of the series so far. Her presences throughout the episode just didnt work compared to Tom Ellis or Peter Stormare in either of the last 2 editions of the universe.

Better chapter...Lucifer Rocks!

[esalidog · 7/10 · 13 August 2022]

The chapter is much better than the previous one. Especially the music shines, and this time Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer makes the gender change with respect to the comic book character not matter, because her characterization works better than Constantine's. The thriller part of the son of Borgues continues to be the most attractive of the series.

The worst thing was entering hell, the demon that stole the helmet looked like a bit of plasticine...and the camera didn't go into the audience...my opinion is that this is due to haste or budget...the quality of the chapter falls on Gwendoline Christie, who makes Sandman Tom Sturridge less boring..

What the hell?😂😂

[alnaqbi-90544 · 7/10 · 8 August 2022]

I'm really sorry if the fans gets offended by this, but what the hell is this?😂😂😂 some kind of role playing?😂😂😂😂😂 I've never seen anything this stupid, and I'm really sorry if you like this episode. The only thing I loved about this episode is David Thewlis. He's the best actor this series has casted, and his character.... I really love it. That's why I gave it a solid 7, or I would've given it a 4 or 3.

Hope and Patton Oswalt

[qrdckah · 5/10 · 7 August 2022]

I think that Payton Oswalt as the Raven OK, but in desperate need of much less dialogue. The talking is ruining things.

And the battle between Satan and Dream was ... I knew where it going immediately.

I just think the episode is overwritten, trying too hard. Relax.

What am I?

[Calicodreamin · 7/10 · 8 August 2022]

Well this certainly had a few odd but captivating moments, an imaginary battle royale and one scary hitchhiker. Decent acting and vivid cinematography.

Not as good as the early ones

[Albicky73 · 7/10 · 7 August 2022]

First few episodes were excellent. This is where it starts to slip. Usually shows are only good after the setup, this series was only good while being setup.

Yet another boring episode

[namob-43673 · 5/10 · 5 August 2022]

The production value of this show is very low and it shows more and more as the episodes goes forward. Every hall, every room, every scene look cheap.

This show is not very good so far, but I will look it through until the end.

Yawn.

I'm still watching

[wilko3-1 · 22 August 2022]

This episode really took me out of the flow. There was a period where I was predicting, almost verbatim, every other line of the script.

But I'm still watching..

It wasn't bed

[szmhtch · 7/10 · 10 September 2022]

I liked this series and I think this episode wasn't bad. I'm ok with the story and everything else, of course it could be better, but it's ok. In fact, the thing that bothers me is Lucifer's actor. Actually I couldn't accept her as Lucifer Morningstar and I think it would be much better and more interesting if Tom Ellis had played Lucifer. Also I think if Lesley-Ann Brandt had played Mazikeen too, It would be wonderful.

I read about the difference between Lucifer's hell and this series hell in other reviews, I think it was ok. I mean It could be a lot better if they were the same, specially if Lucifer and Mazikeen were the same, but now I think the hell is ok.

Despite all of these I really admire Tom Sturridge as dream and I like his play.