The Sandman 01E02: Imperfect Hosts

"I am anti-life. The Beast of Judgement. The dark at the end of everything."

-The Sandman 1x04

The Sandman - 1x02

THE SANDMAN — 1.01 “Sleep of the Just”

TOM STURRIDGE as Dream of the Endless The Sandman 1.01: “Sleep of the Just”

Tom Sturridge as Dream of The Endless in The Sandman 1x02

For whumptober2022 No. 26 Rope Burns

kinda confused over the people calling dream “cold” and “emotionless” because hELLO did we even watch the same show? he literally cries over jessamy’s murder, even chooses to stay captive far longer than he has to, all because he couldn’t forgive her murderer. he grins from ear to ear when he finally sees lucienne’s lovely face again, whispers her name like a prayer, clasps her hand tightly and takes a moment to let go because he’s clearly missed her as much as she’s missed him. he holds grudges like nobody’s business (see: nada). he hesitates to get close to matthew because he doesn’t want another bird to die on his behalf again. he’s just as heartbroken as cain and abel when he has to reabsorb gregory, and is definitely amused when he meets jed walker. and don’t even get me started on his arc with calliope and orpheus. because even in the short amount of time we see them interact, dream is nothing BUT feeling. he seethes with quiet anger over the woman he once loved being used and discarded like a common plaything, he practically begs her to let him help, and at the end, when all is said and done, it’s revealed that he’s still in the process of grieving their only son, so much so that he can’t even talk about it just yet, even after thousands upon thousands of years, and in this essay i will

The Sandman | a series of Morpheus moping (1.01) 

On the topic of Jessamy

And why I’m full of feels.

So I was rewatching ep 1 for cage references, and I was once again moved by this scene - where Dream looks up at Alex after Jessamy is shot.

The grief.

The rage.

This is where he committed to doling out justice. This is where he committed to vengeance.

He’s been in a deprivation chamber for ten years. Where a human prisoner can at least escape a prison for 8 hours a day, Dream can’t even have that. He’s been alone, in a cell too small for him to lie down completely or walk a few paces, without food, water, air, painfully aware of the passing of time. He’s so far from home, forced into immobility when he’s never been still a day in his life, probably.

He thinks he’s been abandoned by everyone - his people, his family. Everyone.

Then, Jessamy appears. 

He’s not alone. He’s not forgotten.

Brave, reckless Jessamy, who’s desperate to see him out of his cage, tries to help him. Hope swells in Dream’s heart.

Then Alex shoots her. 

Jessamy pays for her loyalty with her life, and Dream is alone once again.

He cries.

He cries for his subject, for someone that perhaps he considered a friend. Who knows Jessamy had been with him.

The only show of emotion that his captors get to see from him, and it’s grief. 

Is it any wonder he’s so closed up when he leaves?

Anyway, I’m not ok. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

When I look at this again, I see his body being twisted, and torn and pulled apart in every which way. That had to be so painful…

@aceofwhump 👀

Oooh!! Oh my god yes @lizajane2 I noticed that while I was making one of my gifsets!! It's so good. You can see him writhing inside the cloud. That definitely had to be a painful experience. Especially since when he drops out hes still twitching and can't move and is super weak for a long time. You know what, @callmecookie I think you're right. I might need to do a gifset of just this bit.