The Sandman 1x11 Reaction | Dream of a Thousand Cats/Calliope

0:00 Opening
4:03 Dream of a Thousand Cats
10:03 Calliope
24:10 Ending
Editing and Visual Elements: Xander What
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[@Wolf6119]

I do find it low-key hilarious how when Dream rushes to help her so passionately you can see Calliope remember why she once loved him, and then towards the end of the episode, when she tries to rekindle something and he IMMEDIATELY clams up at the prospect of being openly emotional over the loss of their son, she gets this look on her face like "Ohhhh. Yeah. And now I also remember why we didn't work out."

[@brianschoner3350]

One of the many things I love about this show is its indirect storytelling. The scratch on Richard's face at 15:52 tells you everything you need to know about what just happened, without any explicit scenes or a word of dialogue.

[@jts8053]

Fun casting facts: Gaiman did the voice of the skull-raven, and getting Sir Derek Jacobi for Erasmus was awesome. As far as Dream's punishment goes, you need to remember Dream is NOT a nice entity. He never was. He is "far more terrible" than Death and as the Prince of Stories, he was uniquely suited to punish a writer like Richard.

[@insomnaholic]

All I could think of when he opened the door was, "Run, Rory! That's the Master!"

[@dupersuper1938]

@@insomnaholic The Master...reborn.

[@noahrobin1941]

Trivia: (directly quoting Gaiman’s Twitter post): “Episode 11 was written by Caroline Smyth-Mcmullen. I met her first at a convention in 1998 in Tasmania. She was a nine year old Sandman fan. I'd never met a nine year old Sandman fan before. She grew up to be an astonishing screenwriter.”

[@borjankosarac3645]

Fun fact about “Calliope”: Neil Gaiman was trying to write a different one-piece story but had terrible writer’s block for weeks. He was getting to be almost overdue and then was inspired to write a story about writer’s block. Got to love how this writer wrote a story where the two male writers are terrible people; Gaiman is very self-aware but also a really nice man himself from everything I’ve heard and seen. As for “Dream of a Thousand Cats”, it reflects the fascinating idea that’s our reality is a reflection of the Dreaming, shaped by it. And who knows, maybe cats and humans have consistently rewritten reality to rule over it; Dream only says what’s the Prophet needs to hear to find purpose. And he’s OK regardless so long as both worlds are stable. Along with at least one more season there’s also been discussion with Jenna Coleman about a spin-off about Johanna Constantine. Fingers crossed we get it, too…

[@artboymoy]

But we have the Constantine show with Matt Ryan already, well, for a bit, but if they did do Johanna set back in the 1800s, that would be fun.

[@abeclark524]

@@artboymoy And I'll never stop being mad at the studio for canceling it.

[@artboymoy]

@@abeclark524 It was a fun show. They should bring back Matt Ryan and do it as a streaming series and have him more edgy like he's suppose to be.

[@MrThierryFournier]

A sequel of Keanu's Constantine is in the works, and for the Matt Ryan show, he did reprise the role in the CW show DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

[@abeclark524]

@@MrThierryFournier As a support character. Not acceptable.

[@AnnekeOosterink]

I like that while Maddoc and Fry have success so long as they force Calliope to give it to them, it is short lived and they are forgotten, during their lifetimes even. Erasmus Fry's best book is out of print when he's still alive while Homer's work is still alive. I assume that was intentional, that the forced inspiration is fleeting but a genuine gift from a muse will last centuries. Also, during "dream of a thousand cats" we learn that 1000 people can change everything about the universe. Now remember that Corinthian had a convention hall full of serial killers all dreaming about the same thing. If we're taking it literally, even without a dream vortex to make it real, he could have made it happen.

[@thactotum]

I like to imagine there is the implication that the reference Dream made to Rose about the time he neglected his duty to kill a vortex that an entire universe was destroyed may have been the cat universe, in which a vortex unified enough human dreams to destroy the entire reality so that it had never existed in the first place.

[@cuffzter]

"Dream of a 1000 cats" make me think of consensual reality, where the collective consciousness of humans (and cats apparently) can change reality, like how the Gods of "American gods" (also by Neil Gaiman) only exists because of humans believing they do.

[@DavidB-2268]

This was a Doctor Who reunion: the kitten's people were David and Georgia Tennant, and of course Calliope featured Arthur Darvill (Rory), and Derek Jacobi (the Master)

[@Frank-Voight-Kampff]

There are even more connections. Neil Gaiman wrote episodes for Doctor Who and Martin Sheen voiced the character of "House" in one of them.

[@cliveklg7739]

I always felt the Dream of the books is cold like he is because his job is to inspire beauty, but also to inspire terror. He has both aspects in him and he actually sits in the middle of the two. What is also cool about the Morpheus books is the stories aren't always focused on him directly.

[@parzivalkni110]

Fun Fact: The scull headed vulture is actually the voice of Neil Gaiman. He has narrated a few of his books for the audio books, and I adore his voice.

[@dlweiss]

Re: Dream's empathy (and occasional lack of it) - I think the first half of the season showed Dream slowly learning better empathy for humanity and their "brief" human struggles/feelings, and then the second half of the season showed Dream slowly learning better empathy for his fellow supernatural beings (especially those entities who are technically under his authority). A lot of his coldness towards Rose seems to stem from the fact that he views her as NOT strictly human, but rather an supernatural being who's linked to the Dreaming.

[@morlock2012]

I always got the impression that Dream's problem is feeling too much, rather than too little. If he wasn't so single-minded about doing his duty to protect the Dreaming, he might have taken a little time, dug a little deeper into Rose's history, and spotted Desire's plot by himself. If he hadn't loved Nada and Calliope so much, he would have better relationships with them now. If he could handle disappointment better, Death wouldn't have to call him out on his wallowing.

[@mastervodo6840]

My favorite bit of acting in this entire series is when Dream confronts Madoc, and his last line, "You shall have them.. in abundance." The way he says "abundance" is probably the most heart-stopping, chilling threat I have heard ..... ever.

[@BoboftheOldeWays]

Dream Of A Thousand Cats is one of my favorites from the comics. Not just because I am a former (and hopefully future) cat dad, but also because of its homage to HP Lovecraft’s Dreamlands tales, where cats hold a very special place.

[@1thedeadzone]

I love the interactions between calliope and dream he still has a lot of love for her regardless of what happened in the past

[@Turambar88]

If you've heard of the musical Hadestown, that is an adaptation of the story of Morpheus and Calliope's son and his wife, Orpheus and Eurydice. "That boychild who went to Hades for his ladylove" as the Hecate put it.

[@Stable_Delerium]

My favorite episode is actually episode 1. As a reader, episode 1 is when I could see right away, “okay, they’re doing this right,” and it was such a relief. I think it was a perfect prologue and Tom Sturridge’s mostly silent performance is chef’s kiss! Also hyped about Vox Machina!

[@wizzardrincewind9458]

The relationship between Calliope and Dream in this episode is so beautiful and nice. Everybody have a nice time and greetings from germany :)

[@wb3159]

Dream controls reality too as was kind of shown in the cats episode. The cat episode also hints to why dream doesn't have a lot of humanity. Dream is dream to everything, not just humans. He doesn't show preference to any of them.

[@GriffinPilgrim]

Lot of Doctor Who in this episode; The kitten's male owner is the once and current Doctor David Tennant, the female owner is Tennant's wife and one off Doctor Who guest star Georgia Moffat (who, strangely, is also the daughter of another Doctor). Derek Jacobi (Erasmis Fry) planned a villain in the show and Arthur Darvil (Richard Madoc) was a long time companion of the Doctor.

[@zbeebs]

After episode 11 aired people were posting tons of pictures of their cats watching Dream of a Thousand Cats. Thanks, Neil, you've doomed us all.

[@wtimmins]

'I'll never chase views' There's a million ways to make yourself nuts trying to try the right strategy, but in the end I think you have to follow your passion. Most of us are here specifically for your energy and insight, and if you aren't into it... that's no fun for either creator or audience. All the support... eager to see what you do when you do it.

[@funnylilgalreacts]

A sincerely appreciate you and all your support William 🖤

[@AngeloBarovierSD]

Agreed! As the late great Robin Williams once said: _Bee-ee-ee-ee yourself!_

[@mikeclemens795]

Yep. Some of my favorite reactions are on "less watched" channels, doing content that "doesn't get views". Target Audience is doing original Star Trek, Gallifrey Gals are doing Star Trek TNG, and Medusa Cascade is doing Babylon 5. None of those creators seems to be obsessed with views, they just do what they like. And I'm here for it.

[@0okamino]

I don’t mind a bit of chasing views. As the wise cat said, humans are even more delightful to catch than even birds. 😉

[@siegeperilous]

Why is Dream such a dick? I think it’s because he’s so old. Ancient. Primordial - he’s very much like something from the old Testament - harsh, strict, Draconian in his punishments. The Dream you want him to be, kinder and more compassionate, is very different from the primordial being he is but he’s getting there.

[@reverance_pavane]

I do like that the revenge Dream performed was for Calliope, and not because he was indirectly slighted. And that he stopped because she wished it so. Episode 6 was my favourite, but that was probably because it combines two of my favourite stories from the comic. Episode 4 would be a strong contender as well, except, as was hinted in Episode 10, that story is nowhere near complete.

[@Ylyrra]

The undertone to that exchange however is that it's the response she, from experience with him before, expected from him. It's saying a lot about who he was as well as who he is now.

[@mikeclemens795]

RE: "cats have experiences and maybe it sticks with them". I have no idea how well cats retain memory/trauma, but I suspect it happens. I adopted a cat 12 years that had been at a Vet clinic for months. Her previous owners had taken her there to be euthanized, because she "kept having kittens", and apparently it's cheaper to kill than spay/neuter (?). At any rate, Echo is afraid of brooms and trash bags. Which makes me wonder if she witnessed one of her own litters being put in a bag, and if the people hit her with a broom. But she's in a loving home now and is definitely Queen of the Castle.

[@crystalfire5564]

I think my favourite episode was 6 as well. It was so good to see an empathetic Death. And Dream finally opening himself up to friendship. I seem to block the part about the kittens out when I think of the Dream of 1000 cats. Each time I watch a reaction to it, I am happily thinking of the cats dreaming about hunting humans and then it gets to that part and I suddenly remember. “Oh yeah. That asshole!” And I’m sad and furious with humans again. So I hope the cats get to enjoy their dream. In Calliope, I really hoped Richard would just let her go at the beginning and then she would give her gift to him out of kindness. But I guess that wouldn’t be much of a story. I’m glad Dream was able to help her and he had another person he cherishes trying to teach him about compassion.

[@estoy1001]

Orpheus, the name of Calliope & Morpheus' child, is the subject of a Greek myth cycle that was the center of an ancient cult- and also the root of the word we use for "orphan".

[@GMWILD87]

Neil Gaiman was the voice of the beskulled buzzard in the dreaming.

[@Moricant]

I was really happy to hear about the renewal as the next main arc from the comics is excellent. There is also one more standalone-ish story from the volume that includes Dream of a Thousand Cats, Calliope and Hob Gadling’s story that I really want them to adapt.

[@wtimmins]

Interesting thing about Morpheus as a cat... looks a bit like that cat in the dream from the end of the first episode.

[@Rabidpygmy]

I thought they did that purposefully. Also, when he’s in hell and sees his ex love who betray him, it switches to HER perspective for a moment & he looks different to her than we normally see him. Makes me wonder if Dream, and the others look a bit different or perhaps vastly so, in the eyes of those who view them.

[@TimeLady128]

Rory Williams and Professor Yana on screen together....I didn't know it would make me so happy, but it did. Great actors all around.

[@johnblythe6261]

The Dream of a Thousand Cats, feels very much like an Outer Limits or Twilight Zone type story which I love. The bit at the end was great, how many cats are they short of a thousand.... we should worry, there might only be few more left before they have enough to change the world. :D

[@GriffinPilgrim]

On the other hand the Prophet seems to have missed that humans can then just dream it back...

[@DemeterMedi]

I wish you would consider watching Good omens with us! I enjoy your reactions so much, and it's a treat. Miniseries of six episodes, based on a book of Neil Gaiman and late Terry Pratchett, and it's everything you could ask for. It's hilariously funny, sweet, clever and very loveable. Terry Pratchett would had loved to see the story on screen, and then died - so everyone was bending backwards to do it right. And they did. David Tannent and Michael Sheen are the main characters. An angel and a demon are trying to stop the Armageddon, while loosing sight of the baby Antichrist. Just wonderful :) Oh, and it was just announced that it will get a second season!

[@erikpohjola6246]

Purist speaking, not sure I can handle a second season when the first covered the entirety of the book - though missing some of the humour around Death in the Four Horsemen.

[@DemeterMedi]

@@erikpohjola6246 I see your point, and I loved the book too. My only hope is the involvement of Neil Gaiman, who seems to be pretty enthusiastic about writing the new season.

[@Saphthings]

"I don't wanna see a kitten fall..." *me knowing what's coming* "poor you..."

[@dancarter8389]

What's key to keep in mind is that the world kept moving despite dream being essentially frozen in place. He has some catching up to do and the question is really how much one can change and still be who they are.

[@mikeclemens795]

Dream of a Thousand Cats is one of my faves from the comics. I mean, there are SO many good stories in Sandman, but I just love that one. Blew my mind first time reading it.

[@Ylyrra]

Dream's arc, to me, has always been about exploring the difference between being right and being good. That being right all the time isn't sufficient unless tempered with goodness. Dream is always obsessed with being right and letting the consequences fall where they will, it's other people's fault if they fall on the wrong side of that. He gradually starts to realise that people can be on the wrong side of those consequences through no fault of their own, and that maybe he needs to be more than JUST right.

[@ghlmk5931]

My favorite was definitely #6 with #11, 5 and 4 competing for second place. I will never look at my cats twitching in their sleep the same way again😼😼. After having read Calliope’s story in the comics, I think the show is better. Implying r@pe without being explicit, giving Calliope more agency, and the relationship between her and Morpheus was so well performed, you totally believed they loved each other deeply long ago and were torn apart by the loss of their child. So happy we’re getting a second season, probably in 2024. Great reaction!

[@Serryy]

Fun Fact about Cats: If you take the kittens away from the mother before theyre old enough to grow independent, the mother sometimes will get depressed, looking for the kittens. Its also recommended when your cat dies, that you show the other cats in the household the body, let them sniff at it, etc. because then they will understand what happened to their friend. Otherwise they might keep looking for them and be distraught when they cannot find them.

[@CountryMusicMann]

As a bit of a writer myself, I find it helps immensely not to set out to write a novel, but to tell an interesting story. Sort of getting your priorities in order. Also, it's important to note that Dream isn't good or bad. None of the Endless are. Each are metaphysical concepts that cannot be bound to something as simple as morality. They are beings that have a function to perform, and they perform it, regardless of morality. They, in a very real sense, are amoral, existing wholly apart from that spectrum we humans have created for ourselves.

[@j9lorna]

The vulture talking to the cat, that's Neeil Gaiman's voice. You should give Lucifer a try, that's Gaiman's creation too.

[@Ylyrra]

Lucifer is only based on the Gaiman take on character. It's technically a spin off but only in a "franchise" sense. And in tone and theme it's a radically different portrayal of the character from the one in this show. It IS really good though, and I'd love to see a react to it. :)

[@commiebastard3633]

Dream left a lot on him, with the writer's mind turned to soup, so in his own way he did punish him. He's not one for letting it lie.

[@Taliesyn42]

The thing to keep in mind with Dream is that pre-imprisonment Dream was basically the incarnation of Pride itself. He was arrogant, amoral, and never, ever forgave an offense. Post-imprisonment Dream is still reserved, but far less arrogant and he's developed opinions about imprisonment. One neat fact - in ancient Greece, prayers were burned to send them to Olympus. Madoc throwing Calliope's prayer in the fire was actually him unknowingly sending the prayer to Dream. Finally, I am very much looking forward to Season 2 now that it's been announced. If they do Season of Mists (it's the next in the storyline sequence), you're in for a treat.

[@TraXlem]

yesssss Vox!! im a Devoted Critter for Yeaaaars so im hyped for you watching The legend of Vox Machina!

[@unicyclist97]

Bidet to everyone!

[@knavehart]

the voice cast of Dream of a thousand Cats is a bit of fun casting - David Tennant and his wife, Georgia as the Kitten's owners, and Michael Sheen and his partner, Anna, as the owners of the Siamese cat. Sandra Oh as the Siamese,

[@parallaxnick637]

We actually know what cats dream about. A few decades ago a very unethical experiment was done to remove the switch in cats' brains that shuts them down when they sleep, so we could watch them enact their dreams. Surprise surprise, they dream about hunting and killing things.

[@rain6957]

Episode 6 was far and away my favorite, I hope they give Death as much love as she gets in the comics

[@davidkeye9334]

Stardust is also Gaiman, if you haven't seen it.

[@Rabidpygmy]

“For I am far more terrible than you.” Dream, to Death. SO TRUE. He holds dreams, nightmares, inspiration, terrors come true, joy & beauty, as well as the ability to withhold sleep or keep someone sleeping forever. I honestly wonder if Desire want’s to stick it to him so bad because before his imprisonment, before being forced to interact with people in the waking world, he was always the most powerful in the room- aside from Lucifer and no clue who ‘the prodigal’ is, but that entity might also be more powerful than Dream. But overall, he has incredible power, and he became proud and aloof & probably felt invulnerable. He struggled to not smile at Death a few times, he obviously loves her, but Desire? Desire seems a bit deva ish. I could see Desire saying how they had done this or that, & Dream saying desire is PART of a person dreaming to have or be something. Because there IS some overlap. I don’t think Desire’s wish to screw with Dream wasn’t something Dream kinda… brought on himself. I could be wrong, but yeah… he CAN be a huge jerk and soooo proud. That can be hard to live with for eternity.

[@HelloThere.GeneralKenobi]

It's been long enough that I've seen this episode and another reactor has finished the series. So, I actually forgot about the two stories. Then this notification pops up and a flood of memories rushed back. At the sight of the title, and previously seeing that you're a fan of cats, I wish you could be a bit braced of what was to happen. The cat version of Dream is epic!! I'm on the fence to get a tattoo of it! As for Calliope... When Dream said he would help, and you mentioned that "look" .... there was going to be hell to pay!! Dream: "Be quiet." ...... that gave him a chill so cold, it froze him in place I'm right beside you with Episode 6 being my favorite. We all can only hope to meet Death, for our time of passing, as peaceful as it was shown here. My favorite line of the series (and of anything on screen) Dream speaking to Gregory "You have served this kingdom with great honor. You will be missed."

[@lllihhir6628]

You’re one of my fav reactors! I literally watch your reactions to shows I have never & probably won’t ever watch purely because I enjoy your reactions to stuff! You’re so fun!

[@Marion10610]

👏👏🥰🥰 ...I loved watching your reactions to The Sandman! You are sensitive, insightful and charismatic! Can't wait for season 2...I wonder if Corinthian will return as a dream, like Gault ...hope so!

[@funnylilgalreacts]

Having Corinthian back would be amazing. That actor did such a great job!

[@JonathonLapak]

With regards to your comments about how Dream has had love, family, etc. and lost it - an interesting thing in the show and the series to remember is that the Endless do cross into each other's lives not just in their personified forms but in their functions. There's reason that Dream has such a fractious relationship with Desire, who is responsible for what we want (and the pain that comes from losing that desired thing, which as eternal beings the Endless always eventually do.)

[@wtimmins]

I always love the theme of a curse being the answer of a wish (re: Calliope and Ric Madoc)

[@rnkelly36]

What gets me is the level of acting in The Sandman is out of this world. In Calliope you have two Dr. Who alums that gave masterful performance. You really want to hate them but knowing their work I loved them in this. Oh Rory you foolish man! We can say over and over about who and what Dream is and it is really just a hard concept to get. The easiest way I was thinking about recently is think of your own dreams. You wake up sometimes in various emotional states because of the dream you just had. If Dream was a person he/she is a complete jerk. I have been naked in public or missing something or trying to fly or climbing up something that I seem to can't get up so much I should be angry with dreams. However there is a lesson in all of them and sometimes they just help me cope. Dream you are a bastard!

[@UncleMilo]

Not only should you see Coraline - you should see ALL the films from LAIKA studio!! :)

[@ferchrissakes]

Great reaction, thank you! Happy to hear you’re a cat person - the episode is much more fun for cat people, I’m sure. In part because it’s damn well animated; all those little cat mannerisms. Btw if I’m not mistaken, the skeletal vulture that the cat met in her dream is voiced by Neil Gaiman. The Caliope episode is amazing too of course. That writer is such a complete villain - but I also love that Gaiman is definitely reflecting himself in him. The whole thing of him insisting that cast and crew of his show must be diverse is, I think, an ironic joke on Gaiman himself since this show is more diverse than the comic (c.f. people complaining that Death should have been white, Constantine can’t be genderswapped etc etc). One hopes that Gaiman’s motivation isn’t as hollow as that writer’s. But in terms of struggling to create and maybe worrying that you’re (more figuratively) abusing the muses when you do seems like a Gaiman self-insert

[@AngeloBarovierSD]

Regarding the self-insert notion, it's often mistakenly thought that a writer's _writer character_ must be a self-insert but it's most often simply a matter of dealing with a subject with whom you're familiar. Setting aside the idea that all your characters are intrinsically a piece of you, I think we are too quick to compare an author to their writer character. Stephen King, for example, has dealt with writers before (MISERY, BAG OF BONES) but they're hardly him just because they share a profession. And the term "self-insert" is overly broad in popular culture (much like "Mary Sue / Gary Stu") when its core definition is quite specific. In any event, one teacher of mine had an intriguing writing exercise. He told us to write a story where the main character was the answer to a question: _"What if your critics are right about you?"_ And Ric/hard in this story reminds me of that exercise, for many of the similarities you've noted but with a nuanced difference in the reasoning.

[@StarkRG]

@@AngeloBarovierSD Yeah, Richard isn't a self-insert character, but I think there's a lot more of Gaiman in him than in most of the other characters (save Dream himself). Writing is obviously a process Gaiman knows well, I imagine he's encountered some extremely frustrating bouts of writer's block, therefore he has a lot of experience with what this character is going through, therefore more of Gaiman's own thoughts and reactions go into that character than, say, Funland. I haven't read everything Gaiman has written, but, as far as I'm aware, I think Dream is as close to a self-insert character as he's written, and I'm not even sure whether he based Dream on himself, or he modeled himself after Dream. Possibly a combination of the two.

[@ferchrissakes]

@@AngeloBarovierSD Interesting writing exercise, and yes, it feels very much like that sort of self-deprecating “self-insert” (using the term here for brevity, but I take your point that it’s imprecise usage) in this case. I highly doubt Gaiman would unironically write a wish-fulfillment Gary Sue - but a sleazeball oozing insecurities, some of them his own? Yeah, that sounds like something he’d do

[@AngeloBarovierSD]

@@ferchrissakes Well, shoot. Wow. After all these years, I think I just finally realized something about that exercise thanks to you. The teacher wasn't really expecting us to have "critics". Maybe it was what we _presumed_ people were criticizing us for. Because he was making us write about our _insecurities._ Ha! Sneaky bugger. I guess writers (and writing teachers) really are liars.

[@ferchrissakes]

@@AngeloBarovierSD Heh, it reminds me of this “prank” friends and I played on each other for a while: Out of the blue, put a hand on someone’s shoulder, and in a somber, sympathetic tone say “hey, don’t pay attention to what they say about you, ok?” and walk away, refusing to elaborate. Even if the “victim” didn’t have many insecurities, well, they do now! The wording your teacher used is just as evil :) Of course, I’d be tempted to just pretend that my critics are all right about me being totally awesome, and write one hell of a Gary Stu story :P

[@dkfrito]

So, these two stories are from the "Dream Country" collection from the comics, which is made up of three standalone stories. I have a feeling we will see the third story next season. There's a few collections of stories like these in the Sandman run, and I think the idea of getting them as bonus episodes is a good one. Coraline is great, but Gaiman has had several adaptations of his work. I'd also recommend Good Omens, Stardust, and American Gods (even if it sort of falls a apart a bit at the end, the TV show, not the book, which is one of my favorite works of his.)

[@hippiecheapskate]

He's a great example of the 'but he was such a normal nice guy' abusers in reality.

[@Triskaan]

And it's the end of the road (for now), it's been absolutely great reliving it all with you. :) And we still have The Expanse on the schedule ! Oh and if you ever decide to watch Black Sails, I would personally love it. Cheers to you ! :)

[@wratched]

We actually know what cats dream about. A few decades ago some very ethically questionable experiments were done in which cats had a brain op that removed the "off switch" that keeps us still when we sleep. What do they dream about? Hunting and killing things.

[@michaelacker4493]

As always, love your reaction. There are so many great stories about Dream and the other Endless. I can’t wait to see where they go with it. And I certainly hope to see your reaction to said stories. ❤

[@connorhalo]

That look you gave the camera when he said he regards himself as a feminist writer. I snorted my coffee!

[@TrzaGoesHard]

24:20 "I liked to get him physically again" I see you

[@funnylilgalreacts]

🤫 😏

[@StarkRG]

The Sandman comics were definitely more of an anthology. There were short runs of continuous story, and, of course, events from previous issues would be referenced or even carried on many issues down the line. The first season was a bit more cohesive than I remember the books being. It is an absolutely amazing adaptation as, for that matter, is the audio play and the original comics. If they just put Gaiman in charge of producing adaptations of whatever of his works he wants, I imagine they'd all be excellent. You should check out Mirrormask, a very odd, very Gaiman-y Fantasy movie written by Gaiman (it was later adapted into a book, but it really wasn't anywhere near as good). In addition to some dark, psychologically scary bits and heartfelt, emotional bits, there are some very funny bits all mixed together in equal amounts..

[@elbruces]

So, if about a thousand creatures dream the same dream, they can recreate the universe to be as they want it. How many people do you think a convention hall holds...?

[@emilsrdoc3214]

If you're interested in watching something else of Gaiman's - there's always "Good Omens" - which he co-wrote with the legendary PTerry (and news is the ineffable husbands are greenlit for another season) - and which is ... less emotionally scarring ... than "Coraline". PS: "Vox Machina"? Yay! :)

[@abeclark524]

Animals definitely dream, and they definitely mourn for their lost young.

[@Orwulf]

episode 6 was one of my favourite episodes of anything so. easy answer xD also i know you probably do lose views when you dont watch a show as it airs, but i personally often prefer when reactors dont watch shows right away because while i dont follow a legion of reactors, i follow enough that sometimes a super popular show will have 3 or 4 reactors in my feed watching it as it airs, and that's just so much to try to watch every week haha, usually i just pick one reactor to watch as it airs, and while i say ill go back to the others eventually, i rarely do.. so im much more likely to watch a popular show's reaction if its a bit offset like this haha

[@funnylilgalreacts]

Thank you for that, the reassurance definitely helps. I wasn’t sure if people would care about my reaction but I definitely wanted to watch the show. I know my feet definitely gets clogged when certain things come out. A lot of reactors were popping up for house of the dragon, and I definitely will go back and watch once I’m finished.

[@lordhoot1]

I believe the animation was done by the same team who animated Undone, which is a great little show on Prime with Bob Odenkirk. Strongly recommend people check it out.

[@Forbidaxe]

This reminds me lilgal, The Umbrella Academy, on the roster, you will love it, this we know.... OMG that would be great...

[@GMWILD87]

I loved the use of animation for the cat portion and and the calliope story is very true to the novel.

[@ChristopherPayneMUA]

I'm sure others have said this, but if you enjoyed Sandman you should check out Good Omens, also by Neil Gaiman and his friend and writing partner Terry Pratchett

[@stanleysmith2221]

I thought both episodes were truly fabulous

[@jtmaxwell]

This episode also has some casting crossover with the Sandman audiobooks (which are an amazing adaptation in their own right!). James McAvoy who does the voice of Morpheus in that version plays the human prophet in Dream of a Thousand Cats. Michael Sheen voices Lucifer with a spot on David Bowie impression and is somehow even more evil here as the human who drowns the kitten, while his Good Omens (also by Gaiman!) and Staged costar David Tennant voices Loki in the audiobook (who we'll probably get to see next season and can't wait to see who they cast!) and the much kinder owner of the first kitten (and their wives here are voiced by their real life partners Anna Lundberg and Georgia Tennant). And Arthur Darvill who plays Richard Madoc here voices Shakespeare in the audiobook (a writer who, depending on your perspective, gets the much better end of his dealings with Dream. ;) ). Been loving your reactions and can't wait to come back for season 2 AND for Legend of Vox Machina (big Critter here as well!)! (oh, and my favorite episode was also 6. Death and Hob are my two favorite characters from the comics, and to have them so perfectly adapted and juxtaposed here made my heart sing!)

[@Sentinel3D]

The way I interpret this story is as a juxtaposition. The same story was told twice. Calliope remembers a day when gods and their children were second to the endless, and ran things. Now she locked in a room by a powerless, lowly human. I see her asking herself how did it come to this, with humans on top? Just like cats. How can this paradigm shift be undone?

[@SunlessNick]

In the first half of the episode, I was thinking Paul was such an evil shit. And then the second half happened...

[@martymcdermott67]

This was the reaction I was waiting for, after ep 6. And, like with ep 6, you didn't disappoint. For the same reasons. For the record, 6 is my fav too. Keep being you

[@VastyVastyVoid]

Calliope is just amazing TV. Arthur Darvill played the heck out of Richard. As incredible as his portrayal was, Melissanthi Mahout actually surpasses it.

[@siegeperilous]

I noticed you mentioned Coraline, also by Gaiman. So far I think this is the truest adaptation of Gaiman to cinema/tv But he’s also done MirrorMask, Neverwhere, good omens, American gods, Stardust But so far I’d say this is the closest adaptation I’ve seen of Gaiman’s work. By the way, the sky little bird in the cat’s dream is voiced by Gaiman.

[@Wouldyoukindly4545]

Episode 11, making me hate characters played by some of my favorite Dr. Who actors. Derek Jacobi, Arthur Darvill, and David Tennant (the cat owner in the first short). Neil Gaiman really seems to like to get Arthur Darvill to write on walls in his blood (see episode named The Doctor's Wife).

[@Saphthings]

I always saw the "Dream of a thousand cats" as cats used to be huge, saber toothed tigers and such, and hunted humans. Then humans "dreamed" of being on top, and created tools, and things, and eventually domesticated the cats.

[@arifchasan8611]

fantastic reaction. and whats with your left eye.. its hilarious :D

[@ianwills2738]

Loved the faces in this reaction. I agree the guy who dumped the kittens can have endless nightmares, so can his wife for not stopping him. The old writer got off far too lightly.

[@funnylilgalreacts]

All of them deserved to have terrible nightmares for the rest of their lives. Erasmus died a “has been” and that’s delicious.

[@Citizen88020120820]

Sandman has alot of stories to tell. Great stuff. Calliope I'm so glad was here. It's a rageful story for sure but an important one. I remember reading a Trilogy of books with an amazing female character written by a man. Then soon after it came out he sexually harassed and was inappropriate with women. As a guy it made me feel betrayed, can't imagine women who loved the books.

[@shaunfleming5860]

I love watching your videos to make me laugh and plus I loved how you were watching the Annabelle and The conjuring films. But there is one movie I would love to see you react to actually two of them. One is Aquaman. And the other one is the very first Robin Williams movie Popeye. That's right. He played the one-eyed sailor with Shelley Duvall. It wasn't that good back then, but now it has a cult following. It's a musical comedy film done by Disney and Paramount

[@charlie53echo]

I miss my cats. The best parts of these episodes, for me, is the beautiful darkness. The way they expose our faults and force us to feel feelings we might prefer to avoid.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Have you seen that episode from Tom & Jerry, with the three kittens getting out of the bag in Heaven? Yeah, that totally flew over my head as a child, and I'm glad it did, I didn't need that trauma.

[@rexwilliams7643]

When I read the comics I always thought of Dream as a tragic character rather than a sympathetic one.

[@SteveNaranjo]

Maybe you can read the comics, they are masterpieces for sure.

[@mikeclemens795]

Absolutely. If the show cannot tell the entire story, I hope she'll read the books.

[@lemonherb1]

If you really liked the stories with Death, I still recommend the short animated film DC Showcase Death. I'm pretty sure they won't adapt that story for the show, largely because it wasn't part of the original stories, in the comics but it takes place within that world. Another Neil Gaiman movie I really enjoyed was Stardust, which was a great fantasy story and I'm sure you'd enjoy

[@dandyx12]

Keep going back and forth on the animation, I suspect it was down to practical reasos as getting even two real cats to do something, let alone a thousand, is a sure fire way for the crew to end up it a happy padded room kind of place. And really hoping the Orpheaus story gets explored, more Lady Joanna and grumpy Death all good

[@milamila1123]

The episode 'Calliope' reminds me of the man vs bear debate. If it must be the man, then I'd like to see the bear eat him afterwards.

[@Scheherasad]

if Richard did not spent all money he got for the books he has probably still enough so that he can live from it for a while

[@MrBendylaw]

Don't mess with the Endless, kids. Maybe Death, cause she's super nice. But if you do mess with them, Dream might actually be the worst one.

[@mmagnenat]

Yesss! can’t wait for House of the Dragon! Best show of the year so far (maybe after Severance)!

[@nyghtmoon]

There have been stories of cats paying serious attention to the Dream story 😳... then the dreams started...the dreams..the cats... Calliope was a very disturbing as a story in the comics. They toned it down, rightly, for the show. I think 6 is everyone's favorite episode. It was beautiful, and spoke directly to topics we can relate to as humans. Plus Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death and Ferdinand Kingsley as Hob both knocked it out of the park. Then it was the calm between two impressive arcs.

[@anubisftn]

Another Fantastic Neil Gaiman movie/book is Stardust with Charlie Cox/Claire Danes/Robert De Niro.

[@ImAlsoMerobiba]

:O I never saw this episode, omg.

[@funnylilgalreacts]

Omg go watch it immediately!!!

[@abeclark524]

My dad had to euthanize some kittens. The mother had decided not to feed them, and they were far to young to try and feed from a bottle. They would have died a horrible death of starvation. He did what was necessary.

[@gwinnellheald8592]

I think youd love coraline!

[@thomashiggins9320]

"It makes me miss my cats." Well, maybe not so much, by the time you see the end of the story.... 😁 I figured you'd find, Calliope, offensive in many different ways. Most of us felt the same and, in the books, Madoc's abuse of Calliope is graphic enough that there's no question about what he's doing to her. You'll take pleasure in knowing that Death has several stories of her own, collected as, "Death: The High Cost of Living."