The second episode of The Sandman features perfect casting, more of the surreal world and characters of The Dreaming, and sets the quest for Dream! Re:Membering D-re:ams - Last episode, we had Roderick Burgess use a ritual to trap what he thought was Death to bring back his son. Instead, it was Dream of The Endless, a number of timeless patterns that fulfill their duties in their own ways. They can take human form like Dream. He was trying to return the nightmare, The Corinthian, to the Dreaming, but was captured by Burgess. The Sandman patiently waits through the decades as his absence causes people across the world to fall into “sleepy sickness.” Burgess’ lover steals some of his fortune and Morpheus’ symbols; the Dream Helm, Dreamstone, and pouch. Burgess’ son, Alex, takes over his father’s manor house and has a new love with Paul. Ethel gives birth to a son.
Then, Paul takes away Alex in a wheelchair rubbing off some of the symbols that bound Dream’s cage. Freed, Dream sentences Alex to eternal sleep and then returns to the Dreaming only to have Lucienne, the caretaker, tell him everyone has left and his kingdom has fallen. The Sandman vows to restore his realm and all of the dreams and nightmares in it. We look to see the ruins of The Dreaming as The Sandman and Lucienne enter the hollow remains of the library. Moody lighting washes of green, grey, and bright light. Lucienne says that she kept a journal when he was missing, but the pages became blank as well as the rest of the library. She stayed believing in his return. Dream regards a triangle pieces of glass and then the window fragments and other part of the his realm start to lift up, but he collapses with all of the rubble.
He needs his tools that were stolen, but needs to find them. At a flat in Buffalo, New York, a woman (Joely Richardson), calling herself Madame Daudet, is on the phone selling rare art. She gets a call and only hears static, but then sees a man in a white suit, The Corinthian! He mentions that he was Dream’s creation that she saw in Burgess’ trap. It is Ethel Cripps! The Sandman says he must ask the Fates to find his tools. Lucienne suggests one of his siblings, Destiny or Desire, Dream explains that they don’t deal with the other Endless. He says they know he was a prisoner and that none of them helped him. I like the rapport that is going between Acheampong and Sturridge, she suggests, but he is still in charge of The Dreaming. Lucienne brings up the price he must pay the Fates. The Sandman adds that he can’t currently summon them with his power.
Then, he asks Lucienne if there is something of his creations that still remains that has his power. She says there is one thing. We move to misty homes in a forest, a dragon-like creature flies towards it. The gargoyle looks something like the latest film verison of Pete’s Dragon mixed with a Stygimoloch from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018). Happily watching his descent is a portly, bearded man in a suit, Abel (Asim Chaudhry), who calls down Gregory. Abel is excited talking to the gargoyle and hurries over to tell his frustrated brother, Cain (Sanjeev Bhaskar), about the visitors. Lord Morpheus greets them and in turn Cain invites them to his House of Mystery and Abel to his House of Secrets. These are horror anthology titles for DC with Cain as the host in House of Mystery #175 (1968) and Abel introduced in DC Special #4 (1969) and his home in House of Secrets #81 (1969).
Dream says he must take back his gift. Gregory rolls a ball, Cain is upset and refuses his request, but The Sandman says he is there to ask the gargoyle. The brothers both volunteer to be taken, but Dream says he can only use what he created, in Gregory’s case, a nightmare. It’s kind of a sad scene, the brothers’ backs are turned, and Morpheus kneels to turn Gregory into sand. Abel wishes Dream good luck and this makes Cain angry so he stabs his brother with a pitchfork, the murder cycle continues. The Corinthian asks about Dream’s tools, but he tells Ethel that he can’t use them. He wants to teach Ethel how to use the tools to kill Dream. The Corinthian also knows about her son, John. The Sandman and Lucienne are at the edge of a winding bridge or dock, she says the waters are not safe, but he pours the Gregory sand into the water. He sees a ghastly, undead reflection of himself that pulls Dream into the water!
The Sandman swims through the waters to take away creations from dreamers. He hones into a snake that is about to strike him, but is taken into his coat as he holds up a black egg in its nest. In a dark, muddy landscape, Dream names himself to summon the three aspects of the Fates. The Fate Maiden (Dinita Gohil) is concerned about Morpheus, this shifts to the Fate Crone (Souad Faress) knows he wants something. Dream asks for their/her help and offers the Fate Mother (Nina Wadia), the snake which she devours! This eerie depiction of the Fates is the best that I’ve seen. He asks about his pouch and the Fate Maiden says it was sold in London to Johanna Constantine (Jenna Coleman). The character first appeared in Sandman #13 (1990). Fate Mother is asked about his helm which she says was traded to a demon in exchange for the Amulet of Protection. Lastly, he asks Fate Crone about his ruby, which was given to a son. The three tools are the next quest for The Sandman to restore his kingdom in this epic, mystical tale!
Five Dreamstones out of Five!
#TheSandman, #TomSturridge, #VivienneAcheampong, #BoydHolbrook, #JennaColeman, #AsimChaudhry, #SanjeevBhaskar, #DinitaGohil, #SouadFaress, #NinaWadia, #JoelyRichardson
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