It was not a dream. Netflix did adapt two stories from the third volume of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Dream Country as a bonus episode, dropped just two weeks after the first season found its way to the OTT platform. And we would like to send out a thank you to the universe, especially from the fans of the comics.

A Dream of a Thousand Cats

Why? Because the first part of the episode, A Dream of a Thousand Cats, is a standalone story that doesn’t have any bearing on how the story of Morpheus plays out over the 75 issues but is a favourite among Sandman fans. And the on-screen adaptation of how a Siamese cat tries to bring to fruition a world where cats are not subjugated by humans by encouraging cats to dream together is beautiful. Made using real oil paintings combined with traditional 2D animation and computer generated 3D animation, it brings to life the pages of the comic book.

That’s not all. The cast of A Dream of a Thousand Cats is a star-studded affair that is also a nod to many adaptations of Gaiman’s other works. From David Tennant and Martin Sheen, who have played the demon and the angel in the screen adaptation of Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s book Good Omens, to James McAvoy who voiced Dream in the Audible adaptation of The Sandman, to Gaiman himself. Sandra Oh voices the Siamese cat and, of course, Tom Sturridge voices the Cat of Dreams, Morpheus in cat form.

For those who are new to The Sandman, the episode might not have furthered Dream’s story but it does have some of the series’ core themes like the power of dreams to shape reality and instigate change, even among animals.

Calliope

The second part of the episode, Calliope, is a much, much darker story that has larger consequences in the Dream Lord’s story, as fans of the comic books will know. The story is about Calliope, the youngest of the nine muses, who is imprisoned by author Erasmus Fry and regularly raped for “inspiration” and then sold to Richard Madoc, an author with writer’s block, who perpetuates the abuse, till she asks for Morpheus’ help.

A #MeToo story written long before the movement, Calliope is extremely disturbing, almost as much as the episode 24/7, without once showing the abuse on screen. Greek actress Melissanthi Mahut plays Calliope with dignity and strength, and Arthur Darvill, who has a Doctor Who connection with Gaiman (Gaiman wrote the episode titled The Doctor’s Wife in the season where Darvill played the Doctor’s companion Rory), plays the role of Madoc. Another Doctor Who alum, Derek Jacobi, plays Fry.

Unlike the first part of the bonus episode, Calliope is important as it introduces Morpheus’ son Orpheus, who plays a role in the story of the Endless siblings. But that’s still a little way away if the show continues adapting the comic books two volumes at a time.