Sandman Ep11 full, unedited watch-a-long REACTION: bit.ly/3FXn6m5 We have started season 4 of The Last Kingdom... find all the full watch-a-long REACTIONS here: bit.ly/3TE2bJ8 If you want to keep up with us, the community, the schedule and everything we have going on, join our discord. It's fun and free: discord.com/invite/stikkerfam We stream LIVE on RUclips... give it a sub: ruclips.net/user/nikkistevenlive
I don't know if you guys caught on to the fact that not only did these two "writers" keep Calliope prisoner and use her - but they did so in ALL possible ways - among them r*ping her for decades to be able to force and control her. So yeah. And the last writer even had the audacity to call himself a 'feminist' writer and to be able to 'understand' the female psyche. Effing narcissist - that's what he - and the old fart - was. Knowing exactly what these two men did to her over and over made me absolutely fuming and furious - and Morpheus's punishments the least he/they could get. He deserved everything and more, IMO.
The cat story explains what the Corinthian was trying to do. If 1000 beings dream the same dream, the universe conforms to it. Corinthian got all those serial killers to dream together, and was going to use the Vortex to take down the walls and combine their dreams into one.
Here's an interesting bit of trivia...in ancient Greece, prayers were written on paper or parchment and then burned, with the belief that the smoke would take the prayer to Olympus. So when Madoc threw that paper into the fireplace, he actually sent Calliope's prayer to Morpheus for her.
If you notice, she gives a small smile when he burnt it. I am huge in greek and roman mythology, so I got the reason she smiled instantly. He sent that message himself, crafted his own doom in several ways. LOL.
I know it is to show Richard's arrogance but.. I was struck with like - how are you going to house a Muse and know so little of Greek history and lore.
So fun fact, the dream of a thousand cats isn't some mystical thing, if you think about it. Cats, or felines were huge, hunters, sabre toothed tigers and etc. And humans were weak small little things. But then humans "dreamed" of a better life, invented tools, homes, and slowly domesticated cats until they were small pets at home. So the queen cat is hoping that maybe if cats also dream of a better life, maybe they can reverse the evolution back!
But what's interesting is that there's a third option but neither side can see it. Humans were being abused by cats so they wished for a world where they had the power. Now cats are being abused by humans so they wish for a world where they have the power again. But there's a third way where the power can be shared and nobody abuses anyone, yet the Siamese in the story can't see it. Ultimately she's no better than her former owners.
We didnt actually purposefully domesticate cats like we did with dogs. They started living around us because our food attracted rodents and they followed the rodents and just kinda got used to being around people. House cats are not that different from their African wildcat ancestors.
That's a good interpretation, and not necessarily a _wrong_ one, but... *[minor The Sandman: Overture spoilers below]* ... in the books' world the "1000 sentient beings simultaneously dreaming of a different world can cause it to become real" is very much _literal,_ and it has happened at least one other time in the past (besides the cat thing, and possibly also besides issue #50 / Ramadan, depending on your interpretation of what happened there).
@@mbpoblet That's a creationism vs evolution sort of thing. God can have created us, but the process of being created may have steps, forms and processes. Did 1000 sentient humans dreaming of a better life not cause it to "become real" by creating tools, technology, growth, and over time evolution? It doesn't have to be "poof magic" from our perspective. Like commonly said, magic is just science we don't yet understand. A cat, a kid, and who else _could_ just take it at face value and see action and consequence. But it's interesting to think of how it would've happened from our human perspective. Very little in the sandman universe happens without some sort of logic. Even when fantastical you can dissect it into, "Oh ok, human and dream world is being blurred by a mental vortex" and so on. Like you said, it leaves everything up to your interpretation.
There was an offhand comment in the episode where Dream spends the day with Death, where he says 'Yet I am far more terrible than you'. This is probably the first real proof in the series of just how bad it can be to get on Dream's bad side (well, this and seeing the old girlfriend he had condemned to hell for ten thousand years). In the comic, when he first gets free he sentences Alex Burgess to 'eternal waking' rather than 'eternal sleep' - which amounted to him essentially having constant nightmares, waking from them then realising he hadn't woken up at all and was stuck in yet another nightmare.
I'd never seen Melissanthi Mahut in anything before this and I was immediately struck by the way that she and Tom Sturridge could create that thousand years of history and tension between them with their acting. The silence in their scenes is some of the most captivating parts of an incredibly compelling season.
I am so captivated by the sound of Morpheus's voice. It is so sinister when he is mad, and I think the fact that he speaks so quietly makes it even more terrifying. I can listen to him speak all day. Not to mention how hype I get when he gets angry at the bad guys. His voice is something else.
I love the way Morpheus just exudes power in this show. When he faces John in the diner, or when he faces Rip Hunter here; there’s this aura of power despite (or because of) his quiet, simple demeanor.
The story of Morpheus, Calliope and their son is probably going to be shown in later seasons. It's a beautiful, devastating part of Morpheus' story and I can't wait.
I actually screamed in joy when I saw the Caliope was played by Melissanthi Mahut aka Kassandra from Assassin’s Creed Odessey! She is such a great actress and really made me somehow care even more for Caliope than I did from the comic. And as for the Dream of a Thousand Cats story I freaking love the voice casting because some of the voice actors like James McAvoy and Michael Sheen actually play Morpheus and Lucifer in the audiobook adaptation (which is just as amazing as the show) and the talking dead crow is actually the mad genius creator of The Sandman himself Neil Gaiman.
Calliope is a story I actually think is slightly improved from the comics. It was good there but by not showing what is done to her directly and by having Morpheus play the white knight less and only do what she asks of him it gives more power to Calliope herself.
Agreed. The comics are VERY graphic in showing exactly how these men "use force" to get their inspiration from Calliope. It was disturbing and grim enough in comic form - to see it enacted onscreen would've been deeply upsetting, and pretty unnecessary.
@@ffaristocrat And they expanded on that one off insincere "I consider myself to be a feminist writer" comment to really examine the hypocrisy of the person trying to say all the right things without not living them.
This was a perfect adaptation of two of the best single-issue stories in the books. And, as detached as they seem from the main story, they are _both_ extremely significant once you know the whole of it (though _A Dream of a Thousand Cats_ might remain seemingly detached unless a certain prequel is also adapted after the end of the main series).
The comic series is sprinkled with stories like these throughout the run, to give you more of a sense of who Dream is and how he has changed over time. Both of these stories are taken directly from the comics and are pretty faithful adaptations. Gaiman likes taking classic or mythical characters and putting them in modern contexts and some times it's rough. The other thing about this episode was the cast...Sandra Oh was the storyteller cat. James Macavoy was also in there (he voices Dream/Morpheus in the Audible series) and Neil Gaiman himself voiced one of the cats.
In Greek Mythology, Orpheus is the son of Apollo (a god) with Calliope (a muse). In Neil Gaiman's lore, Orpheus is the son of Morpheus. And yes, we will hear more about Orpheus. His story in the comics ("The Song of Orpheus") is the only time I ever wept while reading a comic.
As interesting as these stories were, you can tell why they didn't really fit into the main storyline. I'm glad they kept them separate, even though they gave some fascinating back story to Morpheus! Can't wait for Season 2, I love this show!!
Calliope actually should come back into play in later seasons, also, we'll be seeing more stories like this, the comic does have an overarching narrative, but it's primarily an anthology series.
"Dream of 1,000 Cats" was a popular single issue story which is why it feels like there's a disconnect, but "Calliope" will become VERY important in the later narrative should Netflix continue to the adaptation untill the end (also, Lyta's son will too).
The "Bonus Episodes" are pretty cool and appropriate given the source material. In the comics, most of the Sandman stories were told in multi-issue arcs. For example, the first season of the television show encompassed both the "Preludes and Nocturnes" story (Issues 1 through 8 of the comics, the story of how Dream got his tools back) and "The Doll's House" (Issues 9 though 16, the story of Rose Walker and the Corinthian). But every once in a while, writer Neil Gaiman would give us independent, single-issue stories between the longer story arcs. Both "Calliope" and "The Dream of 1000 Cats" were single-issue stories. For that matter, "Men of Good Fortune", the story of Dream and Hob Gadling's 600+ year friendship, started out as a single-issue story. The producers have admitted that most of Season Two will be taken up with a long arc, but I'm thinking we're also going to get some independent stories thrown into the mix, if only because there are so many good ones. I'm especially hoping they handle "A Midsummer Night's Dream", which details exactly what the bargain Dream made with William Shakespeare (as seen in Episode 6) actually entails.
I think they'll include the one off stories because they generally exist to explain story points. The Dream of 1000 Cats story, for example, explains what the Corinthian was doing at the serial killer convention: when he was making his speech, he told them to close their eyes and imagine a world where they're entrepreneurs, powerful, rule the world, etc. He was basically trying to use their dream power to change the world into one that's basically a nightmare ruled by murderers (at least in the comic. In the show, his intentions were more about using Rose to destroy Dream.) Calliope exists to introduce Morpheus's son, Orpheus, who's an important figure in the story down the road, as well as making him think about forgiveness.
This was how a lot of the comics were. Stories like these that like one offs. Some stories would be referenced later too. It just goes to show how much the Endless are involved with everything as a whole. That's why not every story has to be tied together.
Remember that The Sandman was originally sold as a continuation of DC's horror comics line. Many of the major extras (such as Lucienne) originally starred in these comics.
I feel like each of the short stories that gets their own episode/half-episodes are going to be sleeper hits as more seasons come out. There's some incredibly good ones that linger in your thoughts for awhile.
When we brought my two cats back home, they each say om a pillar outside our home and I'm not kidding, about a dozen cats came from all directions as if they were paying homage to them. I've always owned cats but this was completely freaky seeing this behaviour. My little Cisco ended up being an enforcer- defending her corner from all kinds, other cats, rodents and dogs no matter the size difference.
I love how the series emphasizes the power of dreams and how if you can believe in them you can actually change your reality. Also: Do not fuck with Morpheus!😛
Great reaction/review. 'Dream of a thousand cats' still sticks with me, I don't know why. It was just so well done. It's strange how foreign we think the 'dream world' is although we spend literally half our lives there, each night, every night. In a few hours we'll all be back there again and this world won't exist for us. Fascinating stuff.
I can't tell you how bad I fucking ugly cried with food in my mouth and one of my cats sitting next to me looking at me like I had lost the plot when I saw the cat part. I honestly felt physically ill watching it 😭😭😭
I don’t think you caught it but it is not shown explicitly as in the comics rather heavily implied that Richard was s*xually *ss*lting her for inspiration. Very tough topic but I’m happy that they didn’t skip this story
In episode 1, Morpheus is briefly a cat in Alex's dream. Think what would have happened if a thousand serial killers were all dreaming the same dream. Hopefully, we will see Calliope again with backstory in Season 2. Also, we could learn more when Lady Johanna Constantine is shown helping Morpheus with his task.
Thank you for your wonderful comments on this show. I truly do enjoy watching RUclips react to stuff. My life has been chaos since the loss of my mother and the finding a stage four cancer in me but watching RUclips have fun with these TV shows gives me about an hour of happiness and for that it's priceless. Thank you both so very much from the bottom of my heart. I hope you both have a very beautiful Christmas
Neil Gaiman knows so much about mythology, that he is able to create a creation myth for housecats, and it resonates with us humans as if it was being told to us.
I like to think that stories like 'dream of a thousand cats' are less about the stories themselves and more about reinforcing to the audience/reader things that they may have glossed over previously. Like how connected the dreaming and waking worlds are that they can very literally influence each other, and how Dream and his realm is percieved how the viewer would expect to see them. A cat, of course, sees Dream as another cat. and also sees his castle as a cave (fun fact if you look at one of the wide shots of the outside of his castle, the three "guards" are all there on the castle, so of course to a cat his castle is a cave with these three guarding it) Another thing to note is that another of Dream's names is Prince of Stories. So stories are indeed his purview so he wasn't really going outside his normal stuff by punishing Maddoc this way. That one of his names and the stuff about it is why he was so attracted to the scene where Shakespere was quoting Kit Marlowe so much that he came up and asked him about his intentions.
Hi! Just wanted to recommend a show called “1899”. It is absolutely beautiful and has a mind blowing story. Best show for the past few years for me. Would love to see your reaction!
Excellent bonus episode. Pretty much showing how people are the worst. These are very good stand alone stories. I heard that Gaiman wrote Callopie when he had writer's block, so that's cool, if it's true.
Loved your reactions to this season!!!!! As someone who started reading the comic around issue # 10, it is great to see your journey into the realm of Dream. I would like to address some of your comments. First, your observations about the disjointedness of the overall story are spot on. Because this started as a comic, It is disjointed by it's very nature. There is a overall story, but is connected by various diversions into other things that seem to have no connection when first read or viewed. We can see this in almost every comic that has a decent run, big story arcs interspersed with one off stories. Second, I liked your observation that Calliope could not call dream because he was captured himself. Remember what she said to him, that in the old days he would have let her rot there and that he had changed. I feel that the reason he changed was because of his captivity. If he would have never been captured, he would not have changed, and would have left her there. Third, I think that the Dream of 1000 Cats is more disturbing now than it was when it was first published in the early 90's. When you hear about stories about the kinds of things like what were done to the kittens today, it usually ends with the monster going to jail and society hating them as a whole, but I remember not being more than mildly disgusted at the time. This is not because I feel that way about cats, but because unfortunately that was part of the last times that it was not uncommon to hear of hat happening. I actually think that this an example of society evolving in a good way. Back then, there were not near the number of shelters that we have today. Because of this, these things happened a lot more frequently. It shows haw we have grown compassion over time as a people and society, and it kind of gives me hope for humanity in general. Cannot wait for watching season 2 with you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dream of 1000 cats is almost literally true - once humans were small hominids crossing grassy savanna being constantly hunted by big cats (Leopards and lions) and through the power of human imagination and thought they became the masters of the world and had cats as pets.
The dream of a 1000 cats shows something that DC has stated a few times belief shapes reality literally thought the unconscious collective that Dream mentions he embodied. Animal man once connected to it and played god with creation. Uts why Zatanna can be extremely OP when shes truly confident in herself and why lanterns can be extremely powerful. Another more in line even to show belief shapes reality is the Sandman prequel story Overture where the events of the list universe to a vortex that Dream had mentioned happened.
I didn’t love Dream of a Thousand Cats due to the drowning kitten scene (although 10/10 for story titles) but I LOVED the second story. I could do a full season of their beginnings.
There were 75+ issues of the comic book this show has done about 2 issues per episode that makes about 37 episodes. I would love for Netflix to do the entire run. Looking forward to your reactions to all of them.
Love this show, and the comics it's based on, so much. It's been a treat to see you guys, one of my favorite reaction channels, react to it. Can't wait for season 2!
I saw that someone else who commented here had part of the same idea, watching this; wondering if that one guy, back when cats ruled, was a Vortex of some kind. Maybe *that* is the purpose of a Vortex-- to change a world that a consensus of people agrees needs to be changed. (But a thousand cats to agree on one thing... yeah, that preacher cat has a ways to go.) Love you guys's reactions, especially to the cat story, being cat-people yourselves.
I lost five cats in 2021-2022 (one in December '21 to old age, two in August to flea enemia two days apart, one to a car accident a week later and a kitten last week to glea enemia (yes, we treated the house after August, but I didn't know flea eggs could "hibernate" for up to a year - turning on the heater for winter sprung a MASSIVE infestation out of nowhere and unfortunately, Salem just couldn't come back. So Dream of a Thousand Cats has hit very different each time I watch it, depending on where I am in my grieving.
While the “bag in the river” thing is extreme, I was shocked to find out that this basically still goes on. There was a documentary about the changes in dog breeds in the last 100 years and the British club that establishes the breeds, and one lady was complaining that it was hard to find vets who would “do what needed” for the ridgeback puppies without the ridge (newer vets being too soft-hearted) and that letting white German shepherd pups live was a “growing trend” that many weren’t happy about (because they want to make sure that trait doesn’t become common or hurt their reputation as breeders).
Hi guys, I'm big fan! :) I love so much that you finished The Sandman. I am so exited to share with you the last TV Series I just finished, because I think it's exactly according to your taste - "His Dark Materials" with James Macavoy. Did you check them yet? The last Season leaks and the Ending is just stunning! I'll be very happy to see your reaction! All best!
Dream of a thousand cats is actually very important to the worldbuilding. In fact in Lucifer, when lucifer meets god for the first time after thousand of years, he is surprised to see God having a human form, and it's suggested (and later confirmed by the author) that it was humans dreams that shaped him in that form. Dreams in the dc universe are actually one of the strongest forces existing, they can really shape reality to an extent that influences even god himself.
It terrible what people do do cats and especially kittens, and one cold night 2 days ago ,sadly i saw 1 cat in the cold go under the car for warmth, and as i awoke in the morning to see a terrible sight, it was dead...wether ran over or froze, it was a gruesome sight that i saw adn sadly still there in the same spot, outside my house as i see it through the window! Cats suffering and dogs suffering, truely terrible!
Oh god, I remember watching the part where the guy puts a brick inside the sack full of kittens and I got so anxious 'cause I thought, is he seriously gonna smash those poor kittens with the brick?! I was glad he didn't, but my relief was immediately washed out with what he did instead. That's why I truly felt Nikki's reaction with that scene as well. Nikki is such an empathetic person, I know it.
There are a lot of stories like this in the Sandman comics. They are sort of breather issues between major stories. I think doing them as bonus episodes is a peffect way to do them
The one thing Nikki hates more than spoilers is her hate of any type of cruelty to animals. Both suck no matter what. In Calliope... Morpheus simply says, "Be quiet." Which comes across as a command screamed at the top of his lungs!! Which made Richard (D***) freeze in place!
Steve: "Do cats do this." 🤣🤣 Never change big fella, promise me you wont. Edit: Also, I really loved how engrossed you both were during the cats tale. And...GO EAGLES!!!💚
So you know how the Corinthian got every serial killer in the hotel to dream the same dream? With a nearby Nexus to magnify it? Imagine if he got a full "reality reset" from them, like the humans and cats had done before? We'd be living in a world dreamed anew by serial killers now. He had a plan there. The fact that Dream has a baby-mama out there is going to become an issue in later seasons. They had a child? Who then died? How? (anti-spoiler tip, do NOT Google the legend of Orpheus). Plus, her saying "you should release the mortal" could apply to either Ric or Nada. Remember his other ex, who is still trapped in Hell? Richard's books did have him in them. The inspiration of a Muse requires filtering through an artist to produce Art. He was part of the process, the books came "from" him as much as anywhere else. He wasn't just a bystander in the process of Muse -> Publication. But he did go about it all wrong. Most everyone keeps saying "the Sandman is a story about stories." Sometimes it has a story arc, sometimes it becomes anthology-style, like this. But either way, it sets things up for later.
calliope was definitely talk about ric when she said “i think you should release the mortal now” because immediately after she says, “he has set me free.” one thing about inspiration coming from a muse that i really enjoyed was that it only seems to LAST if it’s freely given. we still read about homer to this day but the love of erasmus’s work faded quickly and i’m sure tic’s will too. such a neat detail!
since you guys like horror, i REALLY recommend 'Bones and All' its fantastic, also dont watch the trailer as they spoil too much. you guys are my comfort channel :(
Hey, I thought y'all were Harry Potter fans - a bezoar shows up as a poison cure in one of the books (maybe in the films too?) Before I read Harry Potter, I half-thought they were made up for this Sandman story. It was lovely seeing such a weird thing show up in a different context.
The Sandman was great, would love if you guys watch Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. Some episodes are truly great and whole thing is extremely well thought
fun facts: The skeleton crow that meets the cat in the dreaming is voiced by Neil Gaiman, creator of Sandman. The human that gets the rest of the humans to dream in the cat story is voiced by James McAvoy, who voices Morpheus in the Audible audiobook dramatization of the comic. (Which is amazing btw, they've done 3/4 of the series so far in three seasons, and it's a great listen) Re: " I don't know what that had to do with anything"... Sandman, while there are main story arcs in the comics, there are many stand-alone stories. "Dream of a Thousand Cats" is one of those. Calliope is an interesting adaptation. There are minor changes throughout. For example, in the book, after she calls Morpheus, he's just "I'm going to do this", where in this adaptation, he asks for her permission to do it. It shifts the agency of events to Calliope from Morpheus. It's actually a more nuanced take than the original story, giving her that power back after decades of abuse. Also: Nikki saying "wouldn't that be the story in itself". Me chuckling, already knowing Erasmus's favorite story.
23:51 All those ideas came from Neil Gaiman, not Calliope. ;-) Writers are liars. He did a wonderful short story about a little old lady who buys the Holy Grail in a secondhand shop, called Chivalry. There's a comic version too, illustrated by Collen Doran.
I stopped watching this episode when the husband took the kittens to the car. I was done. Then I immediately thought of Nikki. I’ve never known anyone who shares her concerns for animals on screen like she does.
Hate saying but my older people wouldn't have problem doing that with the cats or dogs too I couldn't myself but it was something done back then even now!
It really irks me that Paul says the kittens aren’t worth anything because they’re not some fancy purebreds. It’s so callously thoughtless. I have no doubts that there’s someone or some family to which each of those kittens would be cherished beyond any monetary value.
There are a lot of stories like these in "The Sandman" book run. It will be interesting to see which ones the series highlights in the future. I suspect the story of their son is going to be one. They've laid the ground work to it, would be hard to pass up.
For "the cat one", think about how the humans changed the game. 1000 people dreamed the same dream and changed the world from the beginning of time until the present. If 1000 cats could do the same...
On the second part rule number one don't fuck with Dream's ex wife I've never seen the actor who played Rory on Doctor Who play a bad guy and just to let you know judging from Greek mythology I think their son was Orpheus
Just to prep you for season two with something that has already been shown with season 1. The Sandman (comics and show) is not a singular story. It is a bunch of stories. Some are longer than others. Some are just a single story. Dream may or may not show up in them. Season 1, including the bonus episode, is 17 if the first 18 issues of the comics. It's makes up two longer story arcs and 4 solo stories. It's more of an anthology than an overarching story.
Honestly, and this is coming from a writer, if you only had one idea for a book and years have passed and you can't think of anything else, maybe you only got one book in you! Is it what it is, move on, man. Don't become a shit person and try to steal someone else's work, which I'm guessing would be the real life, non-fantasy version to this.
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I don't know if you guys caught on to the fact that not only did these two "writers" keep Calliope prisoner and use her - but they did so in ALL possible ways - among them r*ping her for decades to be able to force and control her. So yeah. And the last writer even had the audacity to call himself a 'feminist' writer and to be able to 'understand' the female psyche. Effing narcissist - that's what he - and the old fart - was. Knowing exactly what these two men did to her over and over made me absolutely fuming and furious - and Morpheus's punishments the least he/they could get. He deserved everything and more, IMO.
The cat story explains what the Corinthian was trying to do. If 1000 beings dream the same dream, the universe conforms to it. Corinthian got all those serial killers to dream together, and was going to use the Vortex to take down the walls and combine their dreams into one.
Here's an interesting bit of trivia...in ancient Greece, prayers were written on paper or parchment and then burned, with the belief that the smoke would take the prayer to Olympus. So when Madoc threw that paper into the fireplace, he actually sent Calliope's prayer to Morpheus for her.
If you notice, she gives a small smile when he burnt it. I am huge in greek and roman mythology, so I got the reason she smiled instantly. He sent that message himself, crafted his own doom in several ways. LOL.
@@Rabidpygmy So does Neil
I know it is to show Richard's arrogance but.. I was struck with like - how are you going to house a Muse and know so little of Greek history and lore.
So fun fact, the dream of a thousand cats isn't some mystical thing, if you think about it. Cats, or felines were huge, hunters, sabre toothed tigers and etc. And humans were weak small little things. But then humans "dreamed" of a better life, invented tools, homes, and slowly domesticated cats until they were small pets at home. So the queen cat is hoping that maybe if cats also dream of a better life, maybe they can reverse the evolution back!
But what's interesting is that there's a third option but neither side can see it. Humans were being abused by cats so they wished for a world where they had the power. Now cats are being abused by humans so they wish for a world where they have the power again. But there's a third way where the power can be shared and nobody abuses anyone, yet the Siamese in the story can't see it. Ultimately she's no better than her former owners.
We didnt actually purposefully domesticate cats like we did with dogs. They started living around us because our food attracted rodents and they followed the rodents and just kinda got used to being around people. House cats are not that different from their African wildcat ancestors.
@@arasdabear8785 Yeah, cats essentially domesticated themselves, on their own terms.
That's a good interpretation, and not necessarily a _wrong_ one, but... *[minor The Sandman: Overture spoilers below]*
... in the books' world the "1000 sentient beings simultaneously dreaming of a different world can cause it to become real" is very much _literal,_ and it has happened at least one other time in the past (besides the cat thing, and possibly also besides issue #50 / Ramadan, depending on your interpretation of what happened there).
@@mbpoblet That's a creationism vs evolution sort of thing. God can have created us, but the process of being created may have steps, forms and processes. Did 1000 sentient humans dreaming of a better life not cause it to "become real" by creating tools, technology, growth, and over time evolution? It doesn't have to be "poof magic" from our perspective. Like commonly said, magic is just science we don't yet understand.
A cat, a kid, and who else _could_ just take it at face value and see action and consequence. But it's interesting to think of how it would've happened from our human perspective.
Very little in the sandman universe happens without some sort of logic. Even when fantastical you can dissect it into, "Oh ok, human and dream world is being blurred by a mental vortex" and so on. Like you said, it leaves everything up to your interpretation.
There was an offhand comment in the episode where Dream spends the day with Death, where he says 'Yet I am far more terrible than you'. This is probably the first real proof in the series of just how bad it can be to get on Dream's bad side (well, this and seeing the old girlfriend he had condemned to hell for ten thousand years). In the comic, when he first gets free he sentences Alex Burgess to 'eternal waking' rather than 'eternal sleep' - which amounted to him essentially having constant nightmares, waking from them then realising he hadn't woken up at all and was stuck in yet another nightmare.
I'd never seen Melissanthi Mahut in anything before this and I was immediately struck by the way that she and Tom Sturridge could create that thousand years of history and tension between them with their acting. The silence in their scenes is some of the most captivating parts of an incredibly compelling season.
I am so captivated by the sound of Morpheus's voice. It is so sinister when he is mad, and I think the fact that he speaks so quietly makes it even more terrifying. I can listen to him speak all day. Not to mention how hype I get when he gets angry at the bad guys. His voice is something else.
I love the way Morpheus just exudes power in this show. When he faces John in the diner, or when he faces Rip Hunter here; there’s this aura of power despite (or because of) his quiet, simple demeanor.
@rickking228:-) Really enjoyed his character on ‘Legends.’
@rickking228I actually haven’t seen Doctor Who, but I know he was one of the Doctor’s there.
morpheus doesn't have to raise his voice at all to let you know that you f*cked up 😄
@rickking228 Ah, my bad. I may give it a shot sometime
I was sad when he wasn't in the show anymore but great to see his cameos! He's also in His Dark Materials!
The story of Morpheus, Calliope and their son is probably going to be shown in later seasons. It's a beautiful, devastating part of Morpheus' story and I can't wait.
its gonna fucking destroy me and i can't wait
Yeah, that (and many other reasons) are why I'm gonna be MAD if Netflix cancels it before the entire saga is told.
Love Orpheu. Can't wait to see him
I actually screamed in joy when I saw the Caliope was played by Melissanthi Mahut aka Kassandra from Assassin’s Creed Odessey! She is such a great actress and really made me somehow care even more for Caliope than I did from the comic.
And as for the Dream of a Thousand Cats story I freaking love the voice casting because some of the voice actors like James McAvoy and Michael Sheen actually play Morpheus and Lucifer in the audiobook adaptation (which is just as amazing as the show) and the talking dead crow is actually the mad genius creator of The Sandman himself Neil Gaiman.
Calliope is a story I actually think is slightly improved from the comics. It was good there but by not showing what is done to her directly and by having Morpheus play the white knight less and only do what she asks of him it gives more power to Calliope herself.
Agreed. The comics are VERY graphic in showing exactly how these men "use force" to get their inspiration from Calliope. It was disturbing and grim enough in comic form - to see it enacted onscreen would've been deeply upsetting, and pretty unnecessary.
Another subtle change I liked is Madoc himself. In the comic, he straight away exudes scumbag. Here, he's reimagined as a "Nice Guy".
@@ffaristocrat And they expanded on that one off insincere "I consider myself to be a feminist writer" comment to really examine the hypocrisy of the person trying to say all the right things without not living them.
So many reactors missed our on the raped scene tho.. They all thought he hit her. Lmao
This was a perfect adaptation of two of the best single-issue stories in the books. And, as detached as they seem from the main story, they are _both_ extremely significant once you know the whole of it (though _A Dream of a Thousand Cats_ might remain seemingly detached unless a certain prequel is also adapted after the end of the main series).
The comic series is sprinkled with stories like these throughout the run, to give you more of a sense of who Dream is and how he has changed over time. Both of these stories are taken directly from the comics and are pretty faithful adaptations. Gaiman likes taking classic or mythical characters and putting them in modern contexts and some times it's rough. The other thing about this episode was the cast...Sandra Oh was the storyteller cat. James Macavoy was also in there (he voices Dream/Morpheus in the Audible series) and Neil Gaiman himself voiced one of the cats.
Gaiman is the skeletal bird.
Neal was actually the skeleton raven in the Dreaming.
In Greek Mythology, Orpheus is the son of Apollo (a god) with Calliope (a muse). In Neil Gaiman's lore, Orpheus is the son of Morpheus. And yes, we will hear more about Orpheus. His story in the comics ("The Song of Orpheus") is the only time I ever wept while reading a comic.
To Death “To think that the humans fear you more than I, and I am by far more terrible.”
TRUTH. Lol
The Sandman is an excellent show. We appreciate all of your reactions on this channel. God bless you all.
As interesting as these stories were, you can tell why they didn't really fit into the main storyline. I'm glad they kept them separate, even though they gave some fascinating back story to Morpheus! Can't wait for Season 2, I love this show!!
Calliope actually should come back into play in later seasons, also, we'll be seeing more stories like this, the comic does have an overarching narrative, but it's primarily an anthology series.
"Dream of 1,000 Cats" was a popular single issue story which is why it feels like there's a disconnect, but "Calliope" will become VERY important in the later narrative should Netflix continue to the adaptation untill the end (also, Lyta's son will too).
😍😍👍 morpheus calliope more please
The "Bonus Episodes" are pretty cool and appropriate given the source material. In the comics, most of the Sandman stories were told in multi-issue arcs. For example, the first season of the television show encompassed both the "Preludes and Nocturnes" story (Issues 1 through 8 of the comics, the story of how Dream got his tools back) and "The Doll's House" (Issues 9 though 16, the story of Rose Walker and the Corinthian). But every once in a while, writer Neil Gaiman would give us independent, single-issue stories between the longer story arcs. Both "Calliope" and "The Dream of 1000 Cats" were single-issue stories. For that matter, "Men of Good Fortune", the story of Dream and Hob Gadling's 600+ year friendship, started out as a single-issue story.
The producers have admitted that most of Season Two will be taken up with a long arc, but I'm thinking we're also going to get some independent stories thrown into the mix, if only because there are so many good ones. I'm especially hoping they handle "A Midsummer Night's Dream", which details exactly what the bargain Dream made with William Shakespeare (as seen in Episode 6) actually entails.
I think they'll include the one off stories because they generally exist to explain story points. The Dream of 1000 Cats story, for example, explains what the Corinthian was doing at the serial killer convention: when he was making his speech, he told them to close their eyes and imagine a world where they're entrepreneurs, powerful, rule the world, etc. He was basically trying to use their dream power to change the world into one that's basically a nightmare ruled by murderers (at least in the comic. In the show, his intentions were more about using Rose to destroy Dream.) Calliope exists to introduce Morpheus's son, Orpheus, who's an important figure in the story down the road, as well as making him think about forgiveness.
As long as they do "Arabian Nights" and "Three Septembers and a January", I'll be happy.
This was how a lot of the comics were. Stories like these that like one offs. Some stories would be referenced later too. It just goes to show how much the Endless are involved with everything as a whole. That's why not every story has to be tied together.
Remember that The Sandman was originally sold as a continuation of DC's horror comics line. Many of the major extras (such as Lucienne) originally starred in these comics.
Even knowing it was coming, that moment in Dream of A Thousand Cats was so hard...
I knew the first story would affect you, Nikki. I had a really hard time with it and by the end I just wanted the cats to get their wish.
I feel like each of the short stories that gets their own episode/half-episodes are going to be sleeper hits as more seasons come out. There's some incredibly good ones that linger in your thoughts for awhile.
In the comics we got these wonderful little one issue tales between larger story arcs.
When we brought my two cats back home, they each say om a pillar outside our home and I'm not kidding, about a dozen cats came from all directions as if they were paying homage to them.
I've always owned cats but this was completely freaky seeing this behaviour.
My little Cisco ended up being an enforcer- defending her corner from all kinds, other cats, rodents and dogs no matter the size difference.
I love how the series emphasizes the power of dreams and how if you can believe in them you can actually change your reality. Also: Do not fuck with Morpheus!😛
Great reaction/review. 'Dream of a thousand cats' still sticks with me, I don't know why. It was just so well done. It's strange how foreign we think the 'dream world' is although we spend literally half our lives there, each night, every night. In a few hours we'll all be back there again and this world won't exist for us. Fascinating stuff.
I just KNEW how Nikki would react to That Scene with the kittens.
I can't tell you how bad I fucking ugly cried with food in my mouth and one of my cats sitting next to me looking at me like I had lost the plot when I saw the cat part. I honestly felt physically ill watching it 😭😭😭
I feel like the story of Calliope is the actual story behind why George R R Martin still hasn't written the next Game of Thrones book. 😂
I don’t think you caught it but it is not shown explicitly as in the comics rather heavily implied that Richard was s*xually *ss*lting her for inspiration. Very tough topic but I’m happy that they didn’t skip this story
In episode 1, Morpheus is briefly a cat in Alex's dream. Think what would have happened if a thousand serial killers were all dreaming the same dream.
Hopefully, we will see Calliope again with backstory in Season 2. Also, we could learn more when Lady Johanna Constantine is shown helping Morpheus with his task.
Thank you for your wonderful comments on this show. I truly do enjoy watching RUclips react to stuff. My life has been chaos since the loss of my mother and the finding a stage four cancer in me but watching RUclips have fun with these TV shows gives me about an hour of happiness and for that it's priceless. Thank you both so very much from the bottom of my heart. I hope you both have a very beautiful Christmas
Neil Gaiman knows so much about mythology, that he is able to create a creation myth for housecats, and it resonates with us humans as if it was being told to us.
I like to think that stories like 'dream of a thousand cats' are less about the stories themselves and more about reinforcing to the audience/reader things that they may have glossed over previously. Like how connected the dreaming and waking worlds are that they can very literally influence each other, and how Dream and his realm is percieved how the viewer would expect to see them. A cat, of course, sees Dream as another cat. and also sees his castle as a cave (fun fact if you look at one of the wide shots of the outside of his castle, the three "guards" are all there on the castle, so of course to a cat his castle is a cave with these three guarding it)
Another thing to note is that another of Dream's names is Prince of Stories. So stories are indeed his purview so he wasn't really going outside his normal stuff by punishing Maddoc this way. That one of his names and the stuff about it is why he was so attracted to the scene where Shakespere was quoting Kit Marlowe so much that he came up and asked him about his intentions.
Hi! Just wanted to recommend a show called “1899”. It is absolutely beautiful and has a mind blowing story. Best show for the past few years for me. Would love to see your reaction!
Finaaaallly... i waited sooo long for you guys to reach this ep!!! 💗 💗
Excellent bonus episode. Pretty much showing how people are the worst. These are very good stand alone stories. I heard that Gaiman wrote Callopie when he had writer's block, so that's cool, if it's true.
Loved your reactions to this season!!!!! As someone who started reading the comic around issue # 10, it is great to see your journey into the realm of Dream. I would like to address some of your comments.
First, your observations about the disjointedness of the overall story are spot on. Because this started as a comic, It is disjointed by it's very nature. There is a overall story, but is connected by various diversions into other things that seem to have no connection when first read or viewed. We can see this in almost every comic that has a decent run, big story arcs interspersed with one off stories.
Second, I liked your observation that Calliope could not call dream because he was captured himself. Remember what she said to him, that in the old days he would have let her rot there and that he had changed. I feel that the reason he changed was because of his captivity. If he would have never been captured, he would not have changed, and would have left her there.
Third, I think that the Dream of 1000 Cats is more disturbing now than it was when it was first published in the early 90's. When you hear about stories about the kinds of things like what were done to the kittens today, it usually ends with the monster going to jail and society hating them as a whole, but I remember not being more than mildly disgusted at the time. This is not because I feel that way about cats, but because unfortunately that was part of the last times that it was not uncommon to hear of hat happening. I actually think that this an example of society evolving in a good way. Back then, there were not near the number of shelters that we have today. Because of this, these things happened a lot more frequently. It shows haw we have grown compassion over time as a people and society, and it kind of gives me hope for humanity in general.
Cannot wait for watching season 2 with you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dream of 1000 cats is almost literally true - once humans were small hominids crossing grassy savanna being constantly hunted by big cats (Leopards and lions) and through the power of human imagination and thought they became the masters of the world and had cats as pets.
The dream of a 1000 cats shows something that DC has stated a few times belief shapes reality literally thought the unconscious collective that Dream mentions he embodied. Animal man once connected to it and played god with creation. Uts why Zatanna can be extremely OP when shes truly confident in herself and why lanterns can be extremely powerful. Another more in line even to show belief shapes reality is the Sandman prequel story Overture where the events of the list universe to a vortex that Dream had mentioned happened.
I didn’t love Dream of a Thousand Cats due to the drowning kitten scene (although 10/10 for story titles) but I LOVED the second story. I could do a full season of their beginnings.
"I would be devestated...devestated."
Well...give it a minute or two....
Just for record: The revenge that Lucifer plans for Dream is something you would never imagine... Love you guys, and your reactions!!😝😜🥰
And it’s such a key part to the series.
"something that will make God absolutely livid".
Never, EVER anger the King of Dreams. NEVER, EVER anger an Endless.
There were 75+ issues of the comic book this show has done about 2 issues per episode that makes about 37 episodes. I would love for Netflix to do the entire run.
Looking forward to your reactions to all of them.
I hope they can do the whole series and then some. I would particularly love to see _The High Cost of Living_ mini-series included in it.
Nice reaction! Looking forward to the next time you're hangin' with the Dream King...
Love this show, and the comics it's based on, so much. It's been a treat to see you guys, one of my favorite reaction channels, react to it. Can't wait for season 2!
The actress who plays Calliope is called Melissanthi Mahut, she's the same actress who voiced Kassandra in Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Cats do, on occasion, gather! The word for a large group of cats is a Clowder of cats.
I saw that someone else who commented here had part of the same idea, watching this; wondering if that one guy, back when cats ruled, was a Vortex of some kind. Maybe *that* is the purpose of a Vortex-- to change a world that a consensus of people agrees needs to be changed. (But a thousand cats to agree on one thing... yeah, that preacher cat has a ways to go.) Love you guys's reactions, especially to the cat story, being cat-people yourselves.
I was hoping you two would do the bonus episodes. Such a treat, I'm glad you did them!
The presence of a Lying Cat could have tied those two stories together nicely.
I lost five cats in 2021-2022 (one in December '21 to old age, two in August to flea enemia two days apart, one to a car accident a week later and a kitten last week to glea enemia (yes, we treated the house after August, but I didn't know flea eggs could "hibernate" for up to a year - turning on the heater for winter sprung a MASSIVE infestation out of nowhere and unfortunately, Salem just couldn't come back.
So Dream of a Thousand Cats has hit very different each time I watch it, depending on where I am in my grieving.
While the “bag in the river” thing is extreme, I was shocked to find out that this basically still goes on. There was a documentary about the changes in dog breeds in the last 100 years and the British club that establishes the breeds, and one lady was complaining that it was hard to find vets who would “do what needed” for the ridgeback puppies without the ridge (newer vets being too soft-hearted) and that letting white German shepherd pups live was a “growing trend” that many weren’t happy about (because they want to make sure that trait doesn’t become common or hurt their reputation as breeders).
Hi guys, I'm big fan! :) I love so much that you finished The Sandman. I am so exited to share with you the last TV Series I just finished, because I think it's exactly according to your taste - "His Dark Materials" with James Macavoy. Did you check them yet? The last Season leaks and the Ending is just stunning! I'll be very happy to see your reaction! All best!
Dream of a thousand cats is actually very important to the worldbuilding. In fact in Lucifer, when lucifer meets god for the first time after thousand of years, he is surprised to see God having a human form, and it's suggested (and later confirmed by the author) that it was humans dreams that shaped him in that form. Dreams in the dc universe are actually one of the strongest forces existing, they can really shape reality to an extent that influences even god himself.
It terrible what people do do cats and especially kittens, and one cold night 2 days ago ,sadly i saw 1 cat in the cold go under the car for warmth, and as i awoke in the morning to see a terrible sight, it was dead...wether ran over or froze, it was a gruesome sight that i saw adn sadly still there in the same spot, outside my house as i see it through the window! Cats suffering and dogs suffering, truely terrible!
Maybe Neil Gaiman has a Muse locked in his basement ?
Oh god, I remember watching the part where the guy puts a brick inside the sack full of kittens and I got so anxious 'cause I thought, is he seriously gonna smash those poor kittens with the brick?!
I was glad he didn't, but my relief was immediately washed out with what he did instead. That's why I truly felt Nikki's reaction with that scene as well.
Nikki is such an empathetic person, I know it.
I really hope that cats don't dream about playing with us before killing and eating us.
There are a lot of stories like this in the Sandman comics. They are sort of breather issues between major stories. I think doing them as bonus episodes is a peffect way to do them
"people actually do this shit"... yup, but fiction stories can teach us about reality too.
The one thing Nikki hates more than spoilers is her hate of any type of cruelty to animals. Both suck no matter what.
In Calliope... Morpheus simply says, "Be quiet." Which comes across as a command screamed at the top of his lungs!! Which made Richard (D***) freeze in place!
So calliope was essentially being R worded by these men for “ideas”…I like how they implied it but didn’t show it
Dreams of a 1000 cats... only read it once because it is a reminder of how cruel humans are.
You have no idea. My mom is a vet, and she’s had save animals from human cruelty.
@@MsMorri Your mom is a saint.
Steve: "Do cats do this." 🤣🤣
Never change big fella, promise me you wont.
Edit: Also, I really loved how engrossed you both were during the cats tale.
And...GO EAGLES!!!💚
So you know how the Corinthian got every serial killer in the hotel to dream the same dream? With a nearby Nexus to magnify it? Imagine if he got a full "reality reset" from them, like the humans and cats had done before? We'd be living in a world dreamed anew by serial killers now. He had a plan there.
The fact that Dream has a baby-mama out there is going to become an issue in later seasons. They had a child? Who then died? How? (anti-spoiler tip, do NOT Google the legend of Orpheus). Plus, her saying "you should release the mortal" could apply to either Ric or Nada. Remember his other ex, who is still trapped in Hell?
Richard's books did have him in them. The inspiration of a Muse requires filtering through an artist to produce Art. He was part of the process, the books came "from" him as much as anywhere else. He wasn't just a bystander in the process of Muse -> Publication. But he did go about it all wrong.
Most everyone keeps saying "the Sandman is a story about stories." Sometimes it has a story arc, sometimes it becomes anthology-style, like this. But either way, it sets things up for later.
calliope was definitely talk about ric when she said “i think you should release the mortal now” because immediately after she says, “he has set me free.”
one thing about inspiration coming from a muse that i really enjoyed was that it only seems to LAST if it’s freely given. we still read about homer to this day but the love of erasmus’s work faded quickly and i’m sure tic’s will too. such a neat detail!
Neil Gaiman revealing how he made The Sandman.
That Calliope storyline was deep.
Dream of a Thousand Cats! Wow, really drawing from source material! How highly do you recommend the series?
I wonder if you all might be interested in watching Shadow and Bone on this channel?
I’m begging for you guys to watch Andor 😩✨ It seriously (nearly) has some Black Sails level dialogue!!! And incredible acting. Best SW show fr.
Watched it live at release every week
@@NikkiStevenReact OH DAMN I MISSED IT RIPPP. Ah well I’m still glad it was watched by you guys!!
since you guys like horror, i REALLY recommend 'Bones and All' its fantastic, also dont watch the trailer as they spoil too much. you guys are my comfort channel :(
It was dropped a week after the rest of the season
Maybe Dream learned forgiveness and will forgive Nada.
Hey, I thought y'all were Harry Potter fans - a bezoar shows up as a poison cure in one of the books (maybe in the films too?)
Before I read Harry Potter, I half-thought they were made up for this Sandman story. It was lovely seeing such a weird thing show up in a different context.
The Sandman was great, would love if you guys watch Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. Some episodes are truly great and whole thing is extremely well thought
I know I'm a bit late, but fun fact, people will give fun facts.
You should watch His dark materials on HBO , its awsome.
fun facts: The skeleton crow that meets the cat in the dreaming is voiced by Neil Gaiman, creator of Sandman. The human that gets the rest of the humans to dream in the cat story is voiced by James McAvoy, who voices Morpheus in the Audible audiobook dramatization of the comic. (Which is amazing btw, they've done 3/4 of the series so far in three seasons, and it's a great listen)
Re: " I don't know what that had to do with anything"... Sandman, while there are main story arcs in the comics, there are many stand-alone stories. "Dream of a Thousand Cats" is one of those.
Calliope is an interesting adaptation. There are minor changes throughout. For example, in the book, after she calls Morpheus, he's just "I'm going to do this", where in this adaptation, he asks for her permission to do it. It shifts the agency of events to Calliope from Morpheus. It's actually a more nuanced take than the original story, giving her that power back after decades of abuse.
Also: Nikki saying "wouldn't that be the story in itself". Me chuckling, already knowing Erasmus's favorite story.
23:51 All those ideas came from Neil Gaiman, not Calliope. ;-) Writers are liars. He did a wonderful short story about a little old lady who buys the Holy Grail in a secondhand shop, called Chivalry. There's a comic version too, illustrated by Collen Doran.
please react to wednesday!!! love u guys
15:11 muses are people too! As depicted in Sandman. Calliope’s treatment was abhorrent. I would let her go too.
Just wait till you watch Silent Hill Nikki and Steve.
I stopped watching this episode when the husband took the kittens to the car. I was done. Then I immediately thought of Nikki.
I’ve never known anyone who shares her concerns for animals on screen like she does.
It's so hard to watch your reaction sometimes, just glad you finally finished the show good work
What’s hard about it?
If anyone see this cmt, can u tell me what is your fav ep and least fav ep compare to it? For me I didn't find a bad single ep.What a show!
Hate saying but my older people wouldn't have problem doing that with the cats or dogs too I couldn't myself but it was something done back then even now!
It really irks me that Paul says the kittens aren’t worth anything because they’re not some fancy purebreds. It’s so callously thoughtless. I have no doubts that there’s someone or some family to which each of those kittens would be cherished beyond any monetary value.
There are a lot of stories like these in "The Sandman" book run. It will be interesting to see which ones the series highlights in the future. I suspect the story of their son is going to be one. They've laid the ground work to it, would be hard to pass up.
Derek jacobi wooooo
I am nervous for Nikki to watch Dream of 1000 cats 😬😿
Love series too ❤
Have you reacted to the series The Magicians. It's adult Harry Potter and Narnia on steroids.
For "the cat one", think about how the humans changed the game. 1000 people dreamed the same dream and changed the world from the beginning of time until the present. If 1000 cats could do the same...
On the second part rule number one don't fuck with Dream's ex wife I've never seen the actor who played Rory on Doctor Who play a bad guy and just to let you know judging from Greek mythology I think their son was Orpheus
Just to prep you for season two with something that has already been shown with season 1. The Sandman (comics and show) is not a singular story. It is a bunch of stories. Some are longer than others. Some are just a single story. Dream may or may not show up in them. Season 1, including the bonus episode, is 17 if the first 18 issues of the comics. It's makes up two longer story arcs and 4 solo stories. It's more of an anthology than an overarching story.
Honestly, and this is coming from a writer, if you only had one idea for a book and years have passed and you can't think of anything else, maybe you only got one book in you! Is it what it is, move on, man. Don't become a shit person and try to steal someone else's work, which I'm guessing would be the real life, non-fantasy version to this.
PSA: please don't let your cats watch this episode.