Wednesday, August 24, 2022

My Review of The Sandman's 1x10: "Lost Hearts"

 


Written by Jay Franklin
Directed by Louise Hooper

Desire: "Oh, poor Dream. I really got under your skin this time, didn't I? Next time I'll draw blood."

Well, this was a finale that resolved one threat a little too quickly in some respects, another in a nice case of self sacrifice while at the same time neatly setting up two further threats in the hopes that Netflix may actually grant a second season. We can only hope, right?

First of all, the Corinthian. He's been a strong antagonist for most of the season with this episode being the only second on screen encounter he's had with his creator. In this episode he tried his hardest to push Rose further into getting rid of Morpheus while also inspiring the Collectors to really see themselves.

Unfortunately for the Corinthian, Rose wasn't as easy to get on board as he had hoped and Morpheus seemed to dispatch of him a little too quickly while giving the Collectors a harsh wake up call on their true nature. On the other hand, while the Corinthian's death was a tiny bit anticlimactic, this episode also hinted at a very likely reimagining of the character next time around.

Slightly more satisfying however was the resolution to the Vortex storyline. Having Unity take in the Vortex in order to spare Rose from death seemed like a very obvious thing to do but it actually worked well from a dramatic perspective. Perhaps we'll see Unity Kinkaid again. I do think we'll likely see Rose and especially Lyta, given that the latter gave birth and Morpheus will likely make good on his promise.

As for the threats set up, it was Desire who got Unity back in the day in order to take out the Dreaming. For a character who has had about five minutes worth of screen time in the four episodes they've appeared in, I have to give Mason Alexander Park props for really bringing Desire to life here. The rivalry between Desire and Dream can only intensify more.

As for Lucifer, this episode decided to check in on them and yes, they're still smarting from Morpheus's defeat of them. It's why Lucifer was keen on making God livid by listening to the Lords Of Hell's plans to expand the place. Looks like Morpheus will have two major problems if this show does manage to get a second season.

- Both Destiny and Delirium were mentioned in this episode. Surely both of those characters must be a shoe in for a second season.
- Rose went on to write a fantasy book while her and Jed moved in with Lyta, the baby, Hal and Carl. Zelda and Chantel bought Hal's B&B.
- Morpheus showed willingness to change by giving Lucienne more responsibility and even letting Gault become a Dream while Fiddler's Green resumed their natural form. 
- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off.

Lost Hearts served as a strong finale to an impressive first season. Easily one of the best Netflix shows we've had this year and I'm hoping it'll be back considering that there are plenty of others stories that can and should be translated on to the show.

Rating: 8 out of 10

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