The Sandman: All episodes reviewed and explained

Episode Four: “A Hope in Hell”

With his pouch of sand reacquired, Dream sets off on his quest to retrieve his next precious artifact: his helm, which was traded away years ago to a demon from Hell.

I must say, the depiction of Hell is glorious. The scale is incredible. They really nailed the design of it. And the score by David Buckley is dark and ominous, suiting the atmosphere perfectly.

Nada

Upon arriving at the gate of Hell, Dream and Matthew meet Squatterbloat — the Guardian of the Gates of Hell — who gives Dream an escort to Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie). I like how we learn more about Lucifer before actually meeting them. It gives us a sense of dread. We learn that Lucifer was originally the angel Samael, the most powerful and beautiful in God’s host.

At one point, when Dream and Matthew are making their way past the cells of souls condemned to Hell for eternity, Dream meets a familiar face. Her name is Nada (Deborah Oyelade). Her story stretches back many years and is not actually covered at all in season 1. She begs Dream — or as she calls him, Kai-ckul — for forgiveness and to set her free. Nada is a former love interest of Dream, but that’s a story that I imagine will be covered in season 2.

The show keeps to the lore of the comics in that Dream appears in different forms depending on those who see him. For Nada, Dream is an African man (played by Ernest Kingsley). In her story in the comics, “Tales in the Sand,” Nada is the queen of the city where man began; it’s a story inspired by African myth. This is the first time we see Dream portrayed by someone other than Tom Sturridge.

It was nice to see the introduction of Nada. I like that they’re already planting some seeds for season 2.

Dream vs. Lucifer

Dream meets Lucifer in their palace. The two have a good dynamic; Lucifer seems pretty un-phased by his presence, while Dream is fearful. Lucifer’s assistant, Mazikeen of the Lillem, is there as well.

Dream tells Lucifer that a demon in Hell has come into possession of his helm, so they decide to bring forth every demon in the realm to investigate. That’s literally thousands of angry demons, all summoned to Lucifer’s palace. It’s quite the spectacle.

I like how Lucifer is passive-aggressive towards Dream, who is having none of it. He went to Hell for his helm, and that’s all he cares about. There’s a cool scene where he uses his pouch of sand to summon the demon he requires to him. The demon is Choronzon, a cheeky Duke of Hell. Unsurprisingly, Choronzon is unwilling to give up the helmet, so it comes down to a battle.

Of course, Dream represents himself. However, Choronzon chooses Lucifer to represent him. I found it quite strange that Lucifer is willing to stand in Choronzon’s place. I mean, the Lord of Hell has no reason to fight. I suppose, from a marketing perspective, “Dream vs. Lucifer” sounds more badass than “Dream vs. Choronzon,” which is what happens in the comics.

How would you expect the King of Dreams to battle the mighty Lucifer Morningstar? Throwing punches? Swords and shields? Nothing doing. Instead, it’s a battle of wits, as each talks themselves into becoming more powerful than the other.

Lucifer turns into a dire wolf (perhaps a little nod to her Gwendoline Christie’s Game of Thrones connections) and attacks Dream, who turns into a hunter and kills the wolf. The two go back and forth until they become bigger and bigger. Eventually, Lucifer becomes anti-life, almost killing Dream where he stands. What’s more powerful than anti-life? That would be hope, which Dream uses to ultimately end the battle.

It all gets a little cheesy when Dream is pretty much dead and Matthew talks him back to life. But it’s executed beautifully, so I’ll let them off. Some parts of the series get very dark, a bit of light is welcome. While Choronzon refuses to give Dream the helm, I was surprised to see that Lucifer was actually magnanimous in defeat, if still passive-aggressive at times.

John Dee

The other story in this episode follows John Dee. He’s now broken out of the hospital — leaving a trail of chaos in his wake — using the Amulet of Protection. He’s in grief after losing his mother, driven crazy by the lies he’s been told and bewildered by the outside world. He’s not in a good place.

While out in the world, confused and alone, Dee meets a nice lady named Rosemary, who offers to help him get back on his feet. She makes a big mistake by inviting him into her car. Nevertheless, Dee appears harmless enough; like a man who’s fallen on hard times.

This part of the episode plays out like a horror movie. Dee is so unhinged that you never know what he’s going to do, and it constantly keeps you guessing. Once again, David Buckley’s grim, menacing score works wonders.

While she’s driving with him in the car, Dee gives Rosemary a little of his life story. At first he sounds innocent enough, but as the conversation goes on, she begins to realize that he could be dangerous. He asks her personal questions, making things uncomfortable for her. He then tells her about the ruby and how it made him murder others. It gets very intense to watch.

Eventually, Rosemary pulls into a gas station for help. But John, without actually saying anything, knows exactly what she’s up to. It’s really tense. Dee won’t let her out of his sight. And when she does ask the cashier for help, Dee doesn’t hesitate to kill him. Rosemary essentially becomes a hostage in her own car.

This part of the episode really emphasizes the horror element of Gaiman’s storytelling. When you compare the tone of this to what’s going on in Hell, it feels like an altogether different show.

Next up, Dream must get his ruby back from Dee. Prepare yourselves for this one!