Best Sandman Episodes Ranked

September 6, 2022

Introduction To The Best Sandman Episodes

How did it take this long to produce a good adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s iconic comic? Anyway, if you haven’t checked The Sandman out on Netflix yet, you really should. Whether it’s for the stunning visuals and VFX that bring the world of the Lord of Dreams to life or the performances of any of the stellar cast, there’s a reason why the Sandman dominated the Netflix Top 10 for months. Also, Tom Sturridge in general in the show is wonderful. So, before I get into the list properly, here is some history about this TV show.

History Of The Sandman

The Sandman was first released on Netflix on 5 August 2022, a month to the day that I’m writing this list in a weird coincidence. As mentioned above, it’s an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s iconic comic and follows Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams or the Sandman, as he attempts to rebuild his shattered kingdom after his imprisonment at the hands of a mortal magician. Now there are a few small differences from the comic, notably with some gender-swapped characters who don’t worry I’m going to touch on. Anyway, the show received high praise for the aforementioned visuals and performances, especially from Tom Sturridge (Morpheus), Jenna Coleman (Constantine), David Thewlis (John), and Boyd Holbrook (Corinthian) to name but a few. So, without further ado, here are the best episodes of The Sandman.

Best Sandman Episodes – Top Ten

10. Playing House (S1, E8)

Kicking off the list of the best Sandman episodes is Playing House. Now, what makes this episode so good? Well, the furthering of the Sandman/Corinthian battle through via Rose. Basically, Rose makes a deal with Morpheus to find her distant brother, Jed, via the dreams of her friends. However, another aforementioned creation of the Dream Realm, Corinthian, is also after Jed. This leads to him murdering Jed’s foster family and using him as bait to lure Rose into a trap. Yeah, Corinthian is more than a little bit sinister to state the obvious…..

9. Lost Hearts (S1, E10)

Now, this is technically the last episode in the arc of who Rose Walker is and her importance to the Dreaming. So, after finally tracking Corinthian down again Morpheus is all set to wipe him from existence…. except for him using Rose to break down the walls of the Dreaming. On top of all this, there’s a phenomenal scene of Morpheus haunting all the attendees of the serial killer convention with the horrors of their crimes. If that’s not enough, the twist about Rose and her mother, Unity, is brilliant and continues the world-building for a potential second series. Oh, also Gwendoline Christie is great as Lucifer thought that goes without saying….

8. Collectors (S1, E9)

Speaking of Corinthian and that convention, this episode really hints at how powerful Rose really is. As mentioned above, Corinthian plans to trap her at the serial killer convention however Rose isn’t travelling alone. Instead, Corinthian gets recognised by the lovable gentleman, Gilbert, who reports back to Morpheus about the danger Rose is in. Yeah, Gilbert is a personification of a realm within the Dreaming, don’t ask about it.

Also, speaking of Rose, her power has got to the point where she can give someone a baby within a dream yet that person remains pregnant in the real world. However, the real MVP of this episode is Tom Sturridge’s Morpheus as we see how cold and cruel he can be when he banishes Lyta’s, the person who Rose’s power impregnated, boyfriend back to Hell. God, Tom Sturridge was a near-perfect casting choice.

7. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (S1, E3)

Remember when I mentioned some characters in The Sandman were gender swapped? Step right forward Jenna Coleman as the exorcist Johanna Constantine. Honestly, the biggest highlight of this episode is the interactions between Constantine and Morpheus, especially after she performs an exorcism on a footballer at his wedding. Yeah, weird but awesome.

Also, this episode sees Morpheus regain his sand from Constantine’s ex-girlfriend which then forces him to make a difficult choice regarding her fate. Oh, also this episode sees Patton Oswalt shine as Morpheus’s new talking raven. Damn, this episode is good, and I’ve barely mentioned how good David Thewlis’s performance is!

6. Imperfect Hosts (S1, E2)

Now I love how Morpheus is portrayed but sometimes there are some utterly heartbreaking things that he does. Case in point, killing bickering siblings Cain and Abel’s gargoyle: Gregory. This is in order to have enough power to summon the Fates and locate his stolen items: the sand in Constantine’s possession, the helmet in a demon’s possession, and the ruby in John Dee’s possession. This episode is also great because of David Thewlis’s performance as John. Mainly for the fact we see how cold and calculating he can be. Now that is saying something when compared to Morpheus….

Best Sandman Episodes – Top Five

5. Sleep Of The Just (S1, E1)

Well, at the halfway point of the best episodes of the Sandman it feels right to finally talk about the opener. And what an opener! Immediately from the off, we see the beautiful VFX that makes up the Dreamin. And the shot of Morpheus on his throne with the stained glass behind him, raven on his shoulder, is phenomenal. Speaking of excellent scenes, the whole sequence of magician Roderick Burgess capturing Morpheus is gorgeous and also very sinister and cult-like. Man, Charles Dance smashed this role. Anyway, when Morpheus finally escapes we see just how powerful the Lord of Dreams is when he condemns Burgess’s son to eternal sleep as punishment. Damn what an opening episode…..

4. 24/7 (S1, E5)

Remember when I mentioned how good David Thewlis’s performance was? Well, the cold and calculating John Dee is on full display here as he takes shelter in a diner. Now that sounds nice until he uses the Sandman’s ruby to remove the other customers’ ability to lie. This leads to a horrific sequence involving sex, depravity and eventually all of the other customers committing suicide because of their actions. However, Morpheus eventually catches up to John who crushes the ruby and seemingly beats the Lord of Dreams…. until it’s revealed he’s just given Morpheus his power back. Oh, we also see one of Dream’s siblings, Desire, plotting his demise. Such a good episode….

Best Sandman Episodes – Top Three

3. Dream Of A Thousand Cats/Calliope (S1, E11)

Now, kicking off the top three is arguably the most experimental episode of The Sandman and that is saying something. So, just take the first portion of the episode (Dream of a Thousand Cats) as proof. Here, we see an animated tale about how cats used to rule the Earth instead of humans. Again, not only is it beautiful to look at but the fact David Tennant has a small voice cameo is even better. What about the second portion of the episode: Calliope? Well, speaking of former Doctor Who actors, Arthur Darvill, puts in a horrifyingly good performance as a writer in desperate need of inspiration. And to say he uses a muse is a horrific understatement and yes Morpheus does enact a rather brutal vengeance on him for his crimes against Calliope.

2. A Hope In Hell (S1, E4)

Now I’m sure this was entirely unintentional but yet again Gwendoline Christie is cast as a deity within Hell in a TV show. What are the odds? Anyway, this episode is great as it sees Morpheus fighting the ruler of Hell: Christie’s excellent Lucifer Morningstar. Also, this isn’t your typical fight between two immensely powerful deities. No, no this one sees both deities try and out-think the other in the imagination of each other. Eventually, Morpheus wins with the unbeatable concept of hope and is able to regain his helmet. Oh, also we find out John has tampered with Morpheus’s ruby but that pales in comparison to the A plot….

Best Sandman Episode

1. The Sound Of Her Wings (S1, E6)

And the best episode of The Sandman is….. The Sound of Her Wings. Why is this the best episode? Well, it sees Morpheus aimlessly wandering the world when he bumps into one of his siblings and fellow Endless: Death. What follows is an episode in which Death attempts to show Morpheus the fulfilment he could have as the ruler of the Dreaming. Also, this episode’s B plot is just as interesting in which Morpheus meets every century with a mortal called Hob Gadling. Now that sounds boring until it’s revealed that Death granted Hob immortality for as long as he wished. This allows for some wonderful emotional character development for Morpheus and Hob. Oh, and there’s a brief appearance from Constantine just to make this episode even better!

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