[Spoilers after paragraph 4, proceed at risk!] Alright, so I’m actually going to try to write a proper review (more likemy attempt to untangle my jumbled thoughts) this time since this is the first (50+ min. per ep) series I’ve properly binged since such a long time ago. The last one was probably Sandman. Before I say anything else, I would like to state that I have not read the comics, so everything I say here is based entirely on my first viewing of the show. (I will be reading them shortly after) I thought that they’ve successfully recreated the vibe and atmosphere of the Sandman and I was very easily sucked back into the Sandman universe for the first half of the season. Death’s appearance was especially delightful, I love her so much, and it was lovely to see her beautiful, friendly face again. This show’s premise is really perfect for a tv series, each episode a case to be solved by our witty little detectives. The characters were cool, and I found myself enjoying the cast’s performances (though it would’ve been so fun if they kept Ty and Bash) But I felt the magic wear off for the second half of the series, although it might be due to the fact that my binge was paused temporarily because I had to go to work (and then school), I still thought something was bothering me. It might be that I didn’t find the writing to be too brilliant, but then again I am also judging as a cinephile, which isn’t fair because movies generally do not leave too much loose ends and give closure to everything they’ve set up. A series does not need to do that since they are expected to be renewed. So in the end, there were a lot of story elements that I wish had gotten more closure (David the demon, Monty and Edwin, Crystal’s little friend in the beginning etc.) Also, I love Niko, but the way she was written is so stereotypically the “quirky Asian manga-loving girl”, it makes me sad that there’s not more to her. (S2???) I think another big thing that bothered me is the unrequited relationship. I don’t necessarily ship them, but Edwin’s feelings for Charles sours the relationship dynamic for me, since I am a very strong believer of platonic relationships (to me, it throws off the balance of the relationship). While I am certain Charles loves Edwin far more than he does Crystal, I also just found his relationship with Crystal to be unnecessary (maybe to establish he’s bi? idk) Romantic feelings aren’t the only way to form a strong bond. But at the same time, I also really loved Edwin’s storyline about him coming to terms with his sexuality being born in times when the queer gay term has probably not even been coined yet. I genuinely ADORE Niko and Edwin’s beautiful friendship, but I also wished there were more platonic relationships between people that could potentially be attracted to each other, like Charles and Crystal for example. I don’t know, maybe it’s just that I don’t like romantic subplots, or maybe it could simply be because I wish to see queer people happy. On that note, I’d like to mention that the series was way less queer than I expected, considering it being set in the universe of Sandman. I really expected more, but then again, when does gay people ever get nice things in the Sandman universe. I am also just slightly, slightly disappointed we didn’t get a MCR needle drop. I mean, they used Welcome to the Black Parade in the trailer (which is the PERFECT song by the way, it fits the whole album’s concept), and I think that an actual MCR song in the show would’ve been so awesome. Overall, I enjoyed the show. It was great fun. And in the end, I’m also a bit worried that this show wouldn’t get renewed because I’m not seeing too much hype for it online despite the popularity of the Sandman series. Here’s hoping Netflix doesn’t cancel another show with immense potential!