The Sandman season 1 episode 1 recap: Sleep of the Just

This article contains SPOILERS for The Sandman season 1 episode 1.

While trying to save the Waking World, Dream is trapped by Sir Roderick Burgess and held as his prisoner for over a century in The Sandman season 1 pilot.

Learn everything here from the trailer released during San Diego Comic-Con!

After many delays and being in production hell for years, The Sandman season 1 pilot episode begins with the titular character explaining who he is. He is the King of Dreams who rules over the land of the Dreaming since he, Dream, creates the Dreams and Nightmares mortals experience when not in the Waking World.

This exposition flows beautifully alongside a man in 1916 who is being driven to a place called Fawney Rig, located in Wych Cross, England. The man introduces himself as Dr. John Hathaway of the Royal Museum who has arrived to see Sir Roderick Burgess.

A young boy, Alex, answers the door and informs the doctor that his father prefers to be called Magus.

The Sandman season 1 episode 1: Sir Roderick traps Dream (by accident)

Hathaway walks through the strange building before arriving at the study where he finds Magus bossing his son around. The two men bond over grieving their sons who lost their lives in The Great War before Magus asks if Hathaway brought the book.

The doc only agrees to give it to him since Burgess promises he can capture the Angel of Death. That night, Magus puts on a ceremony using this ancient text.

Burgess is accompanied by disciples who all respond in culty unison, “Here in the darkness.”

As this goes on, Dream is tracking down a nightmare that escaped the Dreaming world called Corinthian. This nightmare just killed a man in the Waking World and as Dream is bringing him back, he hears “Here in the darkness” repeating in his head before he disappears.

Magus is performing his ritual to call on Death with more and more supernatural things. Eventually, Dream is summoned through this ceremony and Magus takes Dream’s sand pouch, robe, ruby, and helm, leaving him powerless on the floor.

Dream explains how his imprisonment here led to “the sleepy sickness” the next morning where over a million men, women, and children never woke up from their dreams. Corinthian arrives at Fawney Rig where he explains to Burgess how it is smart to keep one of The Endless beings close by, especially the powerful Dream.

Corinthian goes on to give Burgess clues and tricks on how to keep Dream trapped so they both can enjoy the benefits of this powerful being. When Burgess asks if he will see this smooth-talking man again, Corinthian explains he better hope not.

Down in the basement, Burgess asks Dream to return his son to him, but Dream remains silent and barely even moves his body to respond to the questions.

The Sandman season 1 episode 1: Ten years later

It is now 1926 and Dream’s stolen vestments have created youth and prosperity for Burgess and his followers. Alex is working at his father’s party and must inform the overflow crowd that nobody else is allowed to enter.

Alex is assisted by a beautiful young woman, named Ethel, to clear out the folks. All she wants is to see the Magus.

The next morning, Alex is cleaning up the party when he relieves the guards so he can have alone time with Dream. The young boy explains how his father would let him out if he gave him back his dead son.

Roderick sneaks up on Alex and punishes him for doing all this.

Roderick Burgess wants his son to prove himself so he orders Alex to kill the bird that Corinthian called Jessamy a decade ago. Jessamy flies through Fawney Rig and is about to break Dream out of his glass cell when Alex kills the bird right in front of Dream’s face.

Since it was near the glass, however, Sir Roderick is still disappointed in his son for almost freeing their prisoner. Alex walks in on his father storming away from Ethel.

Ethel explains how she is pregnant with Roderick’s baby, but he wants her to abort it. In response to this, she takes Magus’ wealth along with Dream’s vestments.

Trying to manipulate his silent prisoner, Magus offers Dream freedom and the chance to get back his stolen items from Ethel if The Endless grants Roderick immortality, wealth, and influence. When Roderick begins lashing out in anger, Alex attempts to stop his father but ends up defending himself from the Magus’ attacks.

Alex pushes his father into Dream’s glass cage and kills him. In the shock of his abuser being dead now, Alex and Dream almost have a moment where Alex frees the all-powerful being.

But he decides to take a step back and think instead.

The Sandman season 1 episode 1: The fallen patriarch

While Sir Roderick is falling victim to parricide, Ethel gives birth to another Burgess son. Here, Ethel promises that she and her offspring will be able to make all their dreams come true.

In the garden, Alex is decompressing after the events in the basement when he is comforted by a man, Paul, who works for him. Paul convinces Alex to try and reason with Dream and talk with him.

But since Alex showed his true self to Dream with his raven, Dream remains silent. This silence is deafening for Dream as this goes on for decades since the next thing the audience sees is Alex and Paul, now old and wrinkly, still trying to talk to Dream.

Alex finally gives up in this pursuit. When his darling Paul wheels his husband away in his wheelchair, Paul purposefully breaks the enchantment circle, allowing Dream to use his powers.

Once one of the guards starts to doze off and dreams of laying on a beach on vacation, Dream manipulates the dream so that he can grab some sand. He then tricks the guard into shooting the glass case.

The Sandman season 1 episode 1: Dream returns home after a century

Dream is now freed from his prison and uses the sand from the dream to put the guards properly to sleep. The Endless being then sneaks into Alex’s dream and puts him in an eternal sleep for the torture and imprisonment he put him in after Sir Roderick died.

With Dream free now, Corinthian senses his creator is after him and goes on the run.

After exacting revenge on his jailor, Dream returns home to The Dreaming where he is greeted by Lucienne. However, his once golden and prosperous realm has now decayed and become broken down.

Lucienne informs her lord that a lot of the residents abandoned the realm since they were worried Dream would follow the trend of another member of The Endless and abandon his people. With this news, Dream vows to rebuild his realm back to its glorious image along with bringing back the Dreams and Nightmares preying on folks in the Waking World.

How do you think the pilot did in introducing this iconic story? Do you think Dream was valid for not even speaking to Alex for all those years?

Let us know your answers and opinions in the comments below!

Watch all of The Sandman season 1, only on Netflix!