The Sandman season 1 episode 5 recap: 24/7

This article contains SPOILERS for The Sandman season 1 episode 5.

With Dream incapacitated, John Dee is able to test the full power of the King of Dreams’ ruby in the fifth episode of The Sandman season 1.

Catch up here on everything from the last episode!

The episode begins where episode 4 left off. Dream is struck down by his ruby thanks to John Dee’s protection he cast on it, while Matthew is trying to wake his lord.

Meanwhile, John is a free man going about his business by walking into a 24-hour roadside diner. Here, John talks with his waitress, Bette, about how he is doing better thanks to having the ruby.

After Bette gets his coffee, John watches as the waitress interacts with her coworkers Lindy and Marsh. She also converses with patrons like Judy who is trying to contact her girlfriend, Donna.

Bette tries to set her up with patron Mark who is interviewing for a job today.

As Bette keeps saying she has a “sense of people,” this is proven when a couple of five years come in to celebrate their anniversary. The wife of the couple, Kate, is the CEO of the company Mark is interviewing for, but he refuses to go talk with her.

The Sandman season 1 episode 5: John tests the power of the ruby

Bette gets distracted by all of her patrons before finally getting back to John to take his order and talk about the writing she does. He uses the ruby to have Bette tell the truth and states this will be how he creates a new world.

John continues to use his ruby on all the folks inside the diner including the not-so-happy couple of five years. Judy asks Mark if he has cell service to which he responds by saying Donna is ignoring her.

She goes to leave but stops at the door, turns around as Bette sits her down like she just arrived. When Judy sits in her booth, John is waiting there to ask if she is ok.

With the help of his ruby, Judy talks about how Donna left around midnight last night after a fight. When she is done, the same thing happens with the happy couple, they turn back around before leaving and sit down.

Once they sit back down, Bette invites Mark over to explain his interview. To spite her dueling husband, Garry, Kate invites Mark to sit down to do the interview here.

Proud of her work once again, Bette goes back to Marsh to explain what happened and also invites the cook to come back to her place. He asks if Bernard is going to be there, and Bette explains he will.

The Sandman season 1 episode 5: The positives of life without lying

In his booth, John is using his ruby once again which makes Marsh finally open up and speak freely with Bette. Marsh explains how he does not come over for Bette but rather, so he does not have to cook.

He also does this so he can be intimate with Bette’s 21-year-old son, Bernard. Bette storms off after hearing this news to the bathroom where Judy comforts her.

In her booth, Kate interviews Mark with Kate looking more longingly at Mark with every second.

Garry hides out in the kitchen to avoid dealing with his wife. He goes on to explain how he likes to eat, drink, and have sex even though Kate does not and sometimes he is desperate.

Each pairing builds with sexual tension before they are all going at it. Kate and Mark are having sex in the booth, Judy and Bette are hooking up by the bathrooms, and then Marsh is helping out Garry in the kitchen.

During the three separate intimate pairings, John walks freely through the diner to admire his work with the ruby. He gets some ice cream and sits at the bar to watch television.

The news is on with the journalist talking about pandas finally mating.

The Sandman season 1 episode 5: The negatives of life without lying

After they calm down, Judy explains to Bette how she hit Donna during their fight. This is quickly followed by a commotion that turns out to be Garry throwing Mark on the ground.

Garry has Mark pinned and choking him. Mark uses a spare knife to stab his attacker in the neck killing him.

With the help of the newscaster talking about rampant destruction around the world, Bette is able to deduce that John is responsible for all of the events of tonight. John explains that all he did was take away the lies, they did the rest.

To demonstrate his power more, John has all the folks harm and kill themselves and makes Bette burn her writing. She still does not see why John did what he did, so he makes the waitress stab her eyes out to look at the world differently.

This leads to the Fates using the bodies of Bette, Kate, and Judy to tell John his future. Other than telling him he will return to dust (like everyone) the Fates tell John that he will drain all of the power he has of Dream.

At the mention of his name, the King of Dreams appears at the diner. John explains how he is removing the lies however Dream states this is not the purpose of his ruby.

This allows John to recognize The Sandman but continue to argue he is right for removing their lies. Dream, however, explains how these are not lies they are telling but rather their dreams.

Kate dreams to run away, Garry dreams of proving his father wrong, and Bette dreams of making something that matters to people. All these dreams are their hope which helps them to keep fighting.

Making his plans clear, John states he will use the ruby to drain Dream of his power so he can become the new King of Dreams. Lord Morpheus states if John wants this, then he will have to try in dreams.

The Sandman season 1 episode 5: John tries to use Dream’s ruby against him

The King of Dreams throws John into a dream where his maternal trauma and imprisonment are rehashed. Once John snaps himself out of his nightmare, he is in Dream’s palace.

Using the ruby to absorb the Dream lord’s power, John is able to defeat him, stand tall and break the ruby in his hand. This destruction of the ruby actually allows Dream to receive all the power from the jewel and overtake John.

Since John was just a victim of some horrible circumstances, Dream decides to not kill him. Instead, Lord Morpheus places John back in his prison/hospital without any magical artifacts to aid him.

The episode ends with Matthew and Dream discussing how they plan to undo all the destruction John caused. Since Dream has retrieved all his tools, he can now begin to rebuild the Dreaming and the Waking World.

As the two walk away, a being looks on and states they will be watching Dream as they refer to him as their “big brother.”

How do you think Dream will use his powers now that he does not need his ruby? Do you think John will stay imprisoned this time?

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

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