Every iconic protagonist has to have a cool, unique weapon or object. The Sandman, more fondly known as Dream, has not one but three such possessions.
When he is captured in Ep 1, Roderick Burgess takes away his possessions, which inevitably land up in different places and different hands as the decades go by. Once Dream is free, he sets off to retrieve his precious tools.
Episode 3 deals with how he tries to find his Pouch of Sand. But what is it exactly?
The Pouch of Sand is one of Dream’s three powerful tools depicted in The Sandman. It contains part of his powers, strengthens his control over dreams, and is a medium through which he can transport between realms.
1. What is the significance of the Pouch of Sand?
Let’s start off by understanding that this is no ordinary sand, it’s actually dream sand. The pouch may appear tiny, but its capacity is infinite. This is the very sand that is associated with the Sandman’s tale—one that you may recall from Ep 1.
“My mum used to say if I was good, when I went to sleep, a man would come and sprinkle sand in my eyes. Make all my dreams come true.”
Ethel Cripps, The Sandman
So, not only does the pouch contain a part of Dream’s powers, but it also gives him the ability to put anyone into a dream or pull them out of it. Using the sand, he can also bestow “eternal sleep,” which, of course, means death.
The sand is also a means through which Dream travels across different realms.
As we see with Rachel, humans are not meant to use or possess this sand. While it can give them immortality, it also eats them up, leaving them in a state of decay.
2. How is the Sandman Ep 3 different from the comics?
The original story about Dream retrieving his Pouch of Sand happens with John Constantine. For whatever creative reasons, John has been gender-swapped for Johanna Constantine.
As Dream mentioned in this episode, he knew Johanna’s ancestor who also went by the same name. Just so you don’t get confused, know that Jenna Coleman is playing both versions of the character.
In the episode, Johanna feels remorse because her girlfriend Rachel suffers such a terrible fate only because Johanna left her with the sand. This is contrary to the comic book story, where it is implied that Rachel knew the sand’s power, deliberately stole it from John, and tried to sell it off for drugs.
3. About The Sandman
The Sandman is an American fantasy drama TV series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. The series was developed for Netflix and is being produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television.
The first season adapted the first two comics in the series, Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll’s House. In 1916, Dream, the king of Dreams and Nightmares and one of the seven Endless, is captured and imprisoned after an occult ritual. After being held captive for 106 years, he escapes and sets out to restore order to his kingdom of The Dreaming.
The Sandman stars Tom Sturridge as Dream, with Gwendoline Christie, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry, and Sanjeev Bhaskar in supporting roles.
No Comments on The Sandman Ep 3: Why is Dream’s pouch of sand so important to him?