Sleep Of The Just – As the first episode of The Sandman begins, Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) talks about his purpose and leaving his kingdom to pursue a rogue Nightmare. Lucienne (Vivienne Acheampong) wants to make sure that he is going to return. Although he is powerful in his world, she warns him that Dreams rarely survive in the waking world. As for Nightmares, they tend to thrive there. Dr. John Hathaway (Bill Paterson) is told to wake up because they’re at Fawney Rig. John gets out of the car. As he approaches the house, the car drives away behind him. It is 1916 in Wych Cross, England. Alex (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) opens the door and asks if he is there to see the Magus. Dr. Hathaway says he is with the Royal Museum and wants to see Mr. Roderick Burgess (Charles Dance). Alex says father likes to be called Magus because it means sorcerer.

As Hathaway goes inside, he hears a group of people chanting before he is told the Magus will receive him in the guest study. Mr. Sykes and Alex take him to the room while Alex asks if he has come to join The Order of Ancient Mysteries. Mr. Burgess enters before asking Hathaway if he has reconsidered. John says he received a telegram from his son Edmund learning his destroyer was sunk last week off Jutland. Mr. Burgess sympathizes with you because he lost his son Randall at Gallipoli recently. John thought Randall was his only son before he is asked if he brought the Magdalene Grimoire. Mr. Burgess is confident that he can capture the Angel of Death using the book. In fact, he thinks they can use the spells in the book to compel Death to return their sons. Later, Burgess and the Order prepare to use the book to achieve what no one before them has even attempted.

He intends to summon and imprison Death. In Berlin, Germany, Dream approaches Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook) to say his creations stay in the Dreaming and do not walk amongst the living, killing mortals for pleasure. Corinthian believes that is why they were made. He says they’re unstoppable in the waking world. Dream turns his knife into dust before turning his attention to Corinthian. After finishing with this spell, he disappears. Burgess drops a feather as part of the ritual. Once it hits the ground, it begins floating before it explodes. After Morpheus arrives, Burgess makes Alex grab his pouch and jewel. A bird arrives, attacks them, and flees. When they look at Morpheus again, he is naked besides the mask. Burgess removes the mask. He intends to let their guest recover before disclosing their demands. Morpheus admits he was powerless after being trapped by a spell cast by an amateur.

He had no concern about the damage down to either realm. The following morning, there were some sleepers who couldn’t wake up. In London, England, a couple finds out that their daughter is not waking up so they call the doctor. The sleepy sickness ended up impacting nearly one million men, women, and children. Corinthian visits Roderick Burgess who doesn’t know him. He claims he is there to help with the being trapped in the cellar since he is going to need all the help he can get. Corinthian tells him keeping one of the endless close has benefits and the Reaper has family. He mentions Desire, Destiny, and Despair. Dream is the one Burgess has. Burgess learns that the items they took from Dream can lend him an aspect of his power such as extending his lifespan or allowing him to manipulate others. They must make sure he never escapes and the binding circle will not be enough to keep him contained.

Corinthian recommends building a sphere of glass in the circle to contain Dream’s physical manifestation. He suggests using Forced March tablets to avoid falling asleep in Dream’s presence. Otherwise, he will wander into their dreams. Burgess asks why he is helping him. Corinthian says Dream made him what he is today. If Dream gets free, he could take it all back. Corinthian says someone is watching them before throwing a rock into a tree causing a bird to fly away. He says her name is Jessamy and she belongs to him. Once he leaves, Burgess goes inside to tell Dream what he wants. He offers to release him if he can bring his son back to him. Since he doesn’t think that is possible, Burgess wonders what else he can give him.

Burgess holds up the jewel and says he’ll enjoy the gifts he has already given him until he is ready to speak. Morpheus says he pleaded for gifts that are not mankind’s to receive or his to give day after day. Ten years later, his ruby, sand, and helm brought youth and prosperity to Burgess and his followers. The suffering continued for the rest of the world. Alex has to go outside to tell the guests that there is no more room for them inside. When they ask who he is, young Ethel Cripps (Niamh Walsh) tells everyone that he is the Magus’s son and can do magic too. Once they leave, she bets he can do magic. He says he can’t do much of anything, but she doesn’t believe that. She reminds him that he can get her in to see the Magus. Back inside, Alex learns the other guards are late so he offers to watch Morpheus until they arrive.

He goes in, turns the lights on, and says hello. Alex tells him who he is before asking if he is okay in there. Alex knows he is not. He promises his father isn’t a bad man, but he just wants Randall to come back. Alex believes his father would let him out if he’d just speak to him or give him anything. Alex confesses he’d let him out if he could. His father interrupts after hearing that. He takes Alex out of the room, throws him on the floor, and asks if he knows what would happen if he let him out. Burgess says he’d slaughter all of them. He nearly hits his son with his cane until a bird pecks on the window. Ethel comes in to check on them. Roderick explains it is Jessamy, the bird he has been trying to shoot for ten years. Roderick wants his son to shoot the bird to prove he isn’t against him. Jessamy ends up flying into the house, stealing a match, and lighting the match.

Then, it starts a fire. Once the guards find out, Jessamy uses the distraction to sneak into the room containing Morpheus. It begins banging on the glass until Alex shoots and kills it. Roderick calls him an idiot because he could’ve shattered the glass. Morpheus stares at Alex as he cleans up the mess like his father told him to. He talks about the brutality of his captors and the fact that the world will be at war again. A young man comes over to Alex to talk to him about books. Alex goes inside and sneaks past his father before finding Ethel crying because she is going to have a baby and he wants her to get rid of it. She leaves in a taxi later that night. Marcus tells Roderick that she has taken everything. Roderick wants her found now. He is going to find out how badly Dreamer wants out of his cage. He goes over to Dreamer’s cage to tell him that the woman has robbed them. Roderick offers to let him out so he can go after her if he gives him wealth, youth, and immortality.

Alex tries to calm his father when he begins hitting the glass with his cane. Roderick turns his attention to his son and begins hitting him while saying it’d be different if Randall were alive. Alex says he would hate his dad as much as he does if he was alive. Roderick is pushed causing him to hit his head on the glass before collapsing. Rod tells Dream he is never getting out of there. He passes away. Dream stands up in the cage and reaches his hand toward Alex who does the same. Alex only stops when he is asked what his father would say. He says he needs to think. His friend sits with him outside and holds his hand. Ethel gives birth to a son nine months later. Ethel’s mom used to tell her that if she was good a man would come while she was asleep and sprinkle sand in her eyes. It would make all her dreams come true, but the sandman is not coming. Ethel believes she and Johnny will have to make their dreams come true from now.

She says nothing is going to stand in their way before we see Dream’s items behind her. Alex asks Rogers how Dream is doing today. He begins his friend Paul with him so he can see Dream. Alex wants to make sure he won’t harm them if they free him. When he doesn’t speak, Alex tells Paul that he told him. Paul believes he needs to keep trying to show him he can trust him. Alex means it. He just wants to be positive that Dream won’t harm him or Paul. Dream wonders if he should’ve believed him this time and should’ve forgiven him for murdering his raven. He admits he perhaps should’ve, but he did not. An older Alex tells him that he just wanted to be free of him.

He sits down in his wheelchair and asks Paul to take him upstairs. He admits he won’t be coming down here again. When the wheel cross over the circle, it removes some of it. Paul notices it but says nothing. Later, the guards talk about Dream and whether he is a Dracula. The man falls asleep and dreams he is on a beach. Fred soon finds himself in a desert with Dream approaching him. When he begins shooting him, he actually shoots the glass. The guards hold guns on Dream and tell him to stay where he is after he climbs out of the cage. He blows sand on them causing them to go to sleep before disappearing himself. A young Alex follows a cat upstairs where he finds Dream sitting in a chair. Dream asks if he knows what it was like or the damage he has done to his world. Alex says he didn’t know. Dream says his punishment shall be a gift then.

He gives him the gift of eternal sleep. Corinthian tells someone that he is out of his cage so he is going to have to run. He isn’t going to stop until he reshapes this world to look just like him. The person’s eyeballs are missing. Lucienne finds Dream and tells him he is home. When he sees a building in front of him, he asks what happened here and who did this. She tells him that he is the dreaming so the world began to decay and crumble with him gone for so long. Many of the workers here left. Dream is adamant that he will bring them all back and will make this realm again.

 

The Sandman Review

The Sandman was obviously a successful comic book series that has had a lasting impact. The core of the story should be successful in this regard. Combine that with the competent cast and this should have no problem living up to the hype. Niamh Walsh, Charles Dance, Boyd Holbrook, Jenna Coleman, and so many others should help maintain a high level of acting throughout.

If I am being totally honest though, I was bored to death during the first episode. There was no real setup so we never really were properly introduced to the characters who all seem shallow and wooden. It got to the point where I didn’t care what happened to anyone and just wanted Dream to break free so the story could move on. Some scenes look great while others didn’t. There is something about the video quality that makes this look like a low-budget project even when it isn’t. It is a bit too dark at times.

The only character that had any real personality was Ethel while everyone else just seem to be going through the motions. The biggest problem is really the pacing though. There were some annoyances here and there will likely be more, but the worst sign is how boring the first episode turned out to be. It is almost like they took all the fun out of it. The first episode scores a 5 out of 10. Recaps of The Sandman can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support us here.