The Sandman season 1 episode 4 recap: A Hope in Hell

This article contains SPOILERS for The Sandman season 1 episode 4.

Dream and Matthew travel to Hell to retrieve his helm as John Dee is aided by a good Samaritan in the fourth episode of The Sandman season 1.

Catch up here on everything from the last episode!

The episode begins with Dream and Matthew arriving at Hell so that the King of Dreams can retrieve his stolen helm from a demon. In Buffalo, John Dee is a free man walking throughout the streets and almost gets run over while walking in a crosswalk.

The woman, Rosemary (Sarah Niles), who almost ran John over offers to take him to Mayhew to pick up his belongings. At the gates of Hell, Dream is unable to enter just yet as a king is not able to enter another monarch’s realm uninvited.

Dream rings the gong and speaks with the sarcastic Squatterbloat before he is allowed in and led to the palace.

The Sandman season 1 episode 4: John Dee proves he dislikes lying

On the drive to Mayhew, John and Rosemary talk about their evil mothers. Rosemary’s mom watches cable news all day but John’s mom was a thief.

John continues on to talk about how he was imprisoned for many things, murder being one of them, which puts some worry in Rosemary’s eyes. As Squatterbloat is directing Dream and Matthew to the palace, the two talk about the king of hell, Lucifer Morningstar.

Lord Morpheus explains how, except for The Creator, Lucifer is the most powerful being. After losing sight of the demon shortly, Squatterbloat brings Dream and his raven down a mysterious path.

On this path, Dream sees a jailed black woman who he calls Nada. He transforms into a black man that Nada refers to as Kai’ckul.

Nada wants to be forgiven by the Dream Lord who she loves. Although Dream loves her back after 10,000 years, he does not forgive her.

He turns away, transforms back, and keeps walking. Panicking about having a murderer in her backseat with her dog, Rosemary tries sneaking a call to 911 but struggles since she is driving.

John talks about how selfish humans can be and that is why they lie. But Rosemary argues people can lie because they are afraid.

The Sandman season 1 episode 4: Dream finds his helm

As they carry on walking through Hell, Matthew asks about Nada. Dream explains how he was in love with her.

She was the leader of a tribe that was called the First People, but after she defied him, Lord Morpheus placed her in Hell.

Finally, Dream and Matthew arrive at Lucifer’s palace where he greets The Morningstar and Mazikeen of the Lillim. Lucifer asks if Dream is here to ally their realms, something Dream has never liked and likely never will.

Lord Morpheus only wants his helm. Dream does not have the specific demon who has his helm, but since he is now in Hell, he uses his sand to bring the helm to him.

This summons a demon named Choronzon who is holding the helm. Dream demands he returns it.

Since Choronzon received the helm in fair, lawful trade, the demon states he does not have to hand it over. Dream accepts this and challenges Choronzon.

If Dream wins, he gets his helm back, but if he loses then he will be the demon’s slave for eternity. Dream announces he will represent himself, but Choronzon selects Lucifer as his champion.

While getting gas, Rosemary tries going inside to alert the employee of her predicament as John comes in with her. While John looks for a drink, Rosemary tries telling the clerk to call 911 but he overhears.

This results in the clerk pulling a gun, but it ends horribly due to John’s Amulet of Protection. Back on the road, Rosemary asks if John will hurt her to which he states he will not unless she gives him a reason to.

The Sandman season 1 episode 4: Lucifer Morningstar versus Dream

Returning to Hell, the duel between Dream and Lucifer is about to begin. Dream tries getting Matthew to leave without him and save himself.

But the raven refuses to leave his lord’s side. Since Lucifer is championing the challenged side of the duel, she gets to set the meter and make the first move.

Lucifer begins as a dire wolf, but Dream is a mounted hunter and wounds The Morningstar. The two keep one-upping the other until Dream becomes a universe filled with life.

Lucifer becomes anti-life and fatally wounds Lord Morpheus. While Lucifer is proud of her accomplishment, Matthew flies down to his master and motivates him to keep fighting.

To combat anti-life, Dream becomes hope. With this, Lucifer admits defeat and instructs Choronzon to return Dream’s helm to him.

He refuses which leads to Mazikeen taking the helm and throwing the demon to his doom.

Lucifer asks why she should let Dream leave since he and dreams have no power here. Lord Morpheus disagrees since dreams give her demons their power, making the two monarchs and their realms copacetic.

Lucifer vows to destroy Dream one day, but Dream knows that day is not today, and leaves Hell. With his helm and sand in his possession, Dream locates and goes to retrieve his ruby.

When he gets to it, though, he recognizes someone altered it. That is when a blast unleashes and knocks Dream and Matthew down.

The episode ends with John and Rosemary arriving at the shipping container where the ruby is held. As John goes inside and retrieves the red jewel, Rosemary waits.

When he comes back outside, he gifts her the Amulet of Protection as a token of gratitude for being a good person. Since John is in possession of “his ruby,” he will use it to make dreams come true and save the world.

Do you think Lucifer Morningstar will be a thorn in Dream’s side going forward? Is there more to Nada and the First People that Dream is not telling Matthew? 

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

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