Top 10 Darkest Moments in The Sandman
#10: Dream’s Imprisonment
“Sleep of the Just”
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The inaugural season of “The Sandman” begins with occultist Roderick Burgess conducting a ritual ceremony to summon and entrap Death. Well, they get Dream instead, and his imprisonment leads to a worldwide condition where some people fall asleep and never wake up; others can’t sleep at all. The terrifying disease is called the “Sleepy Sickness,” or encephalitis lethargica, which was a real epidemic from 1915 to 1926. The cult ceremony was disturbing alone, especially since Burgess’ young son Alex witnessed it all go down. He was later forced to murder Dream’s raven Jessamy right in front of his eyes.
#9: Lyta Loses Hector Again
“Collectors”
Lyta Hall, Rose Walker’s closest friend, still struggles with the untimely death of her husband Hector. She sees him in her dreams, where they build a life together. Even though he technically shouldn’t exist in the dream realm, Lyta’s proximity to Rose (aka the Vortex) allows his spirit to not only spend time with Lyta but also get her pregnant. It was traumatizing the first time she lost her husband in the waking world. Now Lyta has to watch Morpheus banish Hector from the Dreaming into the afterlife. Morpheus also tells Lyta that he’ll be back to claim his baby.
#8: John Dee’s Ride with Rosemary
“A Hope in Hell”
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After the death of his rapidly aging mother, and his gruesome escape from the hospital, John Dee finds a good Samaritan who offers him a ride after nearly running him over. All is well until John starts talking about his murderous past that led to 30 years in a psychiatric hospital. That’s when things get dark and Rosemary becomes reasonably unsettled. It’s one of the tensest scenes in the show. Thankfully, Rosemary and her dog Susie survive their encounter with the madman. We can’t say the same for the gas station clerk, though.
#7: Rachel Dies
“Dream a Little Dream of Me”
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In search of his bag of sand, Dream tracks down Johanna Constantine. She’s willing to give it back, no problem. But it’s at her ex-girlfriend’s place. At first, their reunion is awkward and tense, but then it feels like they’re rekindling their romance. Their interaction ends when Johanna finds the real Rachel withered away, on the verge of death as a result of the addictive and consuming nature of the sand. Racked with guilt, Johanna steps out as Dream puts Rachel to rest. The entire sequence is an emotional rollercoaster for Johanna, and us.
#6: Fun Land Tries to Kidnap Jed
“Collectors”
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Okay, everything about the Collectors and their poorly named Cereal Convention is messed up. But Fun Land, in particular, made our skin crawl. His references to a certain theme park where he hunts for victims is sickening. And we were uneasy when he was just talking to Jed. But later, Fun Land tries to take advantage of the boy when he’s lost and scared, and attempts to lure him back to his room. Luckily, Jed’s big sister Rose arrives in time to save him but Fun Land puts up a fight. It ultimately ends in his bloody demise thanks to the unlikeliest of saviors …
#5: Morpheus’ Judgment of the Collectors
“Lost Hearts”
In a world of dreams, nightmares, and gargoyles, there are still mortal threats. Three of the Collectors meet at a diner to discuss landing a keynote speaker for their convention, devising a plan to get the attention of the Corinthian with copycat murders. They succeed, and in his speech, he encourages and glorifies their grisly “hobbies”. We’re taken deep into their twisted minds. However, Morpheus gives the attendees of the convention a brutal wake up call. Once they’re confronted with their unspeakable crimes, the Collectors leave the convention, some turning themselves in to authorities…others taking their own lives. Seeing all their murderous fantasies was beyond disturbing but this macabre ending goes even further.
#4: Johanna Constantine’s Nightmare
“Dream a Little Dream of Me”
The world that Johanna Constantine walks through is filled with demons, but it’s her own demons that keep her up at night. She has a recurring nightmare about the fate of a young girl named Astra. Johanna takes the place of John from the comics, and while the details differ, the basic story is similar: she blames herself for the poor girl being dragged down into Hell. Imagine feeling that you were responsible for such a tragic and awful fate. And that you had to re-experience whenever you fell asleep. That really is the stuff of nightmares.
#3: Gregory’s Fate
“Imperfect Hosts”
Due to his century-long absence, Morpheus finds his kingdom in the Dreaming in disrepair. To regain his power and summon the Fates, he sets out to find one of his creations to absorb. Sadly, his only option is Cain and Abel’s gargoyle companion, Gregory. It took us seconds to fall in love with the adorable creature. But shortly after we meet him, Morpheus comes to end his life. What’s even more upsetting is that Gregory seems to know what’s coming and accepts his fate. Yes, Cain and Abel receive another incredibly cute baby gargoyle. But we’re not sure if he can fill the Gregory-sized hole in our hearts.
#2: Death Makes Her Rounds
“The Sound of Her Wings”
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Out of all the Endless, Death has what seems like the worst job - although she manages to find the grace and intimacy in it. Dream tags along with his big sis while she does her work and even he is touched by what he sees. Given her function, it’s no surprise that Death’s scenes would be somber. Though she exudes comfort and peacefulness, watching Death kindly ease the dying into the afterlife is heart-wrenching. Their moment of realization is painful, even more so when we can hear their loved ones calling out to them - including the mother of a baby!!!
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Unmaking the Corinthian, “Lost Hearts”
Dream Wipes Out His Rogue Nightmare’s Existence
Royal Wedding Exorcism, “Dream a Little Dream of Me”
Definitely One of the Most Gruesome Demon Summonings On-Screen
Nada & Kai’ckul, “A Hope in Hell”
A Cold, Unforgiving Morpheus Leaves His Former Lover to Suffer in Hell
Barnaby Threatens Jed, “Playing House”
Jed’s Foster Dad Routinely Mistreats Him
Dream Punishes His Captor, “Sleep of the Just”
Alex Burgess Receives the “Gift” of Eternal Sleep
#1: The Diner
“24/7”
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While on his crusade against lies, John Dee sits down in a diner and traps the patrons inside, unleashing chaos among them. Using the ruby, he removes their impulses to lie, which leads to revelation of dark secrets and repressed desires. Some of these truths are incredibly bleak. Meanwhile, the news broadcasts on TV seem to show the world falling apart. The scenario culminates in John’s victims inflicting horrible harm on themselves and each other. It’s an existentially terrifying horror show. And John has an unnaturally calm reaction to it all because, to him, this is a better world. But perhaps the darkest aspect of the entire episode is the possibility that a world without lies would descend into madness.
