Although “24 Hours” is a solid adaptation of a terrifying storyline, it’s with the sixth episode’s “The Sound of Her Wings” that the show takes on a life of its own. It takes three separate standalone issues and not only faithfully adapts them all, but ties them together in a unique, exciting way. By the time I got to the penultimate episode, “The Collectors,” all the problems I had with the first episode either disappeared completely or had lessened to the point where it was barely noticeable.
In a way, the first few episodes of “The Sandman” feel a lot like so many other rough debut seasons of shows that later became beloved. Let’s not forget that the first season of “Parks and Recreation” was easily its weakest, just as “The Office” didn’t really become “The Office” until season 2. Most “Sense8” fans will happily tell you to push through the first episode before deciding if you like the show, and they’re right to do so.
Sometimes a show needs a few episodes to work out the kinks, and that definitely seems to be the case here. It’s just a lot more stressful this time around because unlike most shows, we know how good the source material gets as the series goes along. We know how much great TV we’ll be missing out on if the series’ rocky start prevents it from ever reaching beloved volumes like “Season of Mists,” or “Brief Lives.”
First impressions are important, but they’re not everything. If the first episode of “The Sandman” didn’t quite work for you, please at least try one episode more.