The Sandman’s Powers Explained: There really is no explanation

One of the harder things to keep in mind while watching The Sandman is Dream himself. Not necessarily where he is; that’s easy enough. what he can do, but not. In the first half of season one, Dream rebuilds – gathering his favorite tools to get his powers back on track. However, what these powers are is never really clear. As confusing as it may be, that’s not really what The Sandman it’s about that, and being a little lost is okay because it leads to a more interesting story.

Hearing someone say that an annoying thing doesn’t matter is not a very satisfying answer. So let’s dig deeper into why. As a personified abstraction, Dream controls both and is the collective dreams and nightmares of mankind, giving him a broad mandate to do what he pleases effectively, so long as the rationale can be linked to dreams in some way. Essentially, when you are asleep or even drowsy, you are at his mercy.

However. Dreams aren’t just things that happen when you’re sleeping. They are also stories, ambitions, hopes. Dream is arguably free to use these as he sees fit. Its powers are rooted in how we make sense of what we don’t understand and inherently undefinable. Basically, one of the Endless can do whatever he wants, as long as he can come up with arguments for it. Unless, of course, they can’t.

Image: Netflix

That’s what I mean when I say Dream’s powers don’t matter. The Sandman is not a show with a traditional conflict. Antagonists like the Corinthians may come and go and endanger people, but the real conflict, the indeed existential threat to Dream is obligation. Being one of the Endless comes with many rules, as it turns out that the beings who have the power to manipulate the cosmos are also responsible for keeping it stable. (The Sandman‘s first episode shows what happens when they don’t, as the Dreamers’ world falls to pieces when Dream is captured, and many who were asleep the moment he was captured never wake up again on.) So, like feudal lords, they must figure out how to appease their grievances indirectly without risking open war.

The first season of The Sandman only indirectly states these rules: in the decency that must be observed when Dream calls Lucifer in Hell, in Dream’s cold and stubborn approach to enforcing his rule, and late in the season in a trap set Dream by someone with a ax was put in for sharpening .

These limits aren’t just good because they’re interesting constraints; They are an important part of what makes The Sandman feel mythical. The Endless are said to be ancient and mightier than gods because they are righteous are – Believing has nothing to do with whether you dream, die or wish. Knowing that they are bound by an ancient and tangled tangle of customs and bound by their word – Everyone of their word – means that their existence is bound to all existence, a part of the star stuff that we cannot yet explain includes our actual bodies.

Dream and endless, they are like gravity: always felt but never fully understood, everyday and magical at the same time. Understanding how it works is not important; just knowing it’s there is enough.