(Credits: Netflix)

Netflix’s decision to end The Sandman with only two seasons sparked intense debates and discussions. But as the fan frustration grew loud, the streamer had to sort its priorities. So, when the curtain was lifted on the first part of the final instalment, the show started with Season of Mists, a storyline deemed unanimously the most favourite by fans. However, in adapting this arc, Netflix took a few liberties in portraying Nada, Dream’s first love.

Nada is the Queen of the First People, who fell for Dream a 1000 years before the events of The Sandman’s first season. Deborah Oyelade portrayed Nada in the first season of the adaptation, while Umulisa Gahiga took over the mantle in the second season. However, Nada from The Sandman on Netflix is visibly distinct from the character viewers have seen previously in the graphic novels.

In the bold reimagining, Nada reigns over a people frozen in time, inhabiting an Afro-steampunk metropolis shrouded in snow—a world far removed from the sun-kissed savannah of the comics. In a conversation with Variety, The Sandman co-creator and executive producer, David Goyer, said, “First of all, I’m just glad that we were able to do a version of Nada and the First People”.

Having been involved in a feature version previously, Goyer opened up about Hollywood’s plan of adapting the novels for a long time. “But so much was left on the table, and it’s such a, and I mean this in the most loving way, the story is such a shaggy beast,” he continued. He has consistently maintained that the second season was written and filmed long before the allegations against Neil Gaiman came out.

According to Goyer, The Sandman’s consolidation and compression were delicate and intricate, leading to adaptive shifts in Nada and the First People. Although Dream is the protagonist for most storylines, some arcs highlight other individual issues and stories. “This is a show that’s very hard to nutshell in a sentence or two,” he shared. The Sandman has already ventured into uncharted territory with a storytelling that relies on unconventionality, with flashbacks and parallel dimensions.

It’s safe to say the streamer took a leap of faith, and if we believe Goyer, it was a green light from the gods. “We had to make some choices—it’s a different medium—in how we’re going to depict these characters,” he explained. Despite the deviation in Nada’s aesthetics, her story arc serves as the highlight in the first part of the last season.

All in all, The Sandman universe is rich in artistic interpretations. So, everyone involved in the Netflix project had their own visions and drew inspiration from various sources. They brought individual panels to life, infusing the show with a visual homage to the comics. Sometimes, they stayed true to the original art while, at other times, they took creative liberties to craft something new and breathtaking.

Goyer believes that with the show, it always boils down to the “intent” of those involved. But whether the intent is the same can very well be up for debate. “I don’t think the way that they [the First People] were depicted in the book is necessarily like a visual standout. And we wanted to make it a visual standout, and we wanted it to defy expectations,” he highlighted. He doesn’t exactly recall whose idea it was in the first place; perhaps it was the visual effects supervisor, but it really hit well with them.