Chapter 5: 24/7 is the fifth episode of the first season of the Netflix original dark fantasy series, The Sandman.
Synopsis[]
With Morpheus caught off guard, John settles in at a diner to watch the people around him — and put his theory about truth and lies to a terrifying test.
Plot[]
Matthew awakened first from the blast and attempted to wake up Dream after realizing that the ruby had been taken.
John showed Bette his ruby
John made his way to a nearby diner, where he was greeted by a waitress named Bette, to whom he explained how his ruby would make his dream come true, specifically for a more genuine and honest world.
A woman named Judy arrived at the diner, and while waiting to use the restroom, she got a call from her friend Rose, to whom Judy revealed that she and her girlfriend Donna got in a fight last night, and that Donna never came home. Rose hadn't heard from her and offered to call Donna's mom, but Judy insisted she'd handle the matter herself.
After overhearing Judy's phone call, Bette headed into the kitchen and detailed Judy's trouble with Marsh, who didn't appear particularly interested. Still, Bette couldn't understand why Judy continued to waste her time with Donna and suspected that she simply might be afraid to be happy.
Bette serving Mark
A young man, dressed in a suit, entered the diner. Approached by Bette, he introduced himself as Mark, and she sat him at the front counter before correctly assessing that he was interviewing at Vanguard. Judy then exited the restroom, realizing that Bette sat Mark next to her in an attempt to set the two of them up together. Uninterested, she relocated to another booth and expressed to Mark that she was gay.
Bette greeted Kate and Garry as they arrived at the dinner, introducing them as her proudest achievement, as she was responsible for setting them up five years prior. Kate ordered the usual spinach salad for the two of them, but Garry personally preferred a burger, which Kate expressed would be too fattening. And so, Garry conceded and ordered a salad as well.
Judy and Mark had very different views on Vanguard, with the former arguing that they were trying to enslave people and that Mark would find out soon enough once he got the job. It was then that he learned from Bette and Judy that Kate was actually the CEO of Vanguard. Bette offered to make an introduction, but Mark insisted that it wasn't necessary.
Having realized that she'd forgotten about John, Bette returned to take his order, during which she revealed that she was a writer of sorts; she wrote stories that were based on real people, but the stories themselves were fiction, with all of them having happy endings. John pointed out that's because she knew when to stop. The trouble with stories was that if you kept them going long enough, they ended in death. John then used his ruby to force the truth out of Bette, asking if she found him to be handsome. When she admitted that she didn't, he questioned why, and she revealed that she wanted him to like her, to which he replied that he liked the truthful version of her a lot more and that he wished they could live in a world where people actual said what they were thinking, a more honest world that he intended to create himself.
Garry appeared disgruntled with Kate for shaming him for wanting a burger, though she insisted that she did no such thing. She then began to question who Garry was texting. He claimed it was shipping, who were seeking the distro list. Kate offered to handle it, but Garry accused her of constantly undermining his authority and credibility, unaware that the two of them were under the effect of John's ruby. Bette then returned with their food. However, instead of the spinach salad, Betty accidentally brought Garry a burger, which he refused to send back and was more than willing to eat, much to Kate's disapproval.
Judy asked Mark how many bars his phone had, unsure if her texts were going through to Donna. Much like Kate and Garry, Mark was being affected by the ruby as well, replying to Judy that her texts were going through and that Donna simply didn't want to hear from her. Angered, Judy attempted to leave, but John stopped her using the ruby, and Bette encouraged Judy to sit back down.
Judy in her booth
John joined Judy in her booth to ask if she was okay. This led to Judy explaining how her girlfriend left at midnight and hadn't made contact with her since. Judy claimed that she hoped Donna was fine, but in actuality, she hoped that Donna had been in a car accident, at least that would explain why she hadn't texted back. They got in a fight over Judy's jealousy, which was a result of her feeling as though she was constantly being judged by those around her, who believed she'd be happier with a man. John then revealed that Bette didn't believe that Donna was good enough for Judy, but Judy believed that it was the other way around.
Having finished their food, Kate and Garry prepared to leave, but John directed them back to their seats using the ruby. Garry continued to text who he claimed was shipping, but Kate grabbed his phone from his hand and discovered otherwise. Bette then returned with their food and introduced them to Mark, who had a scheduled interview with Vanguard. Upset with her husband, Kate decided that they should have the interview in the booth.
Bette headed back into the kitchen, where she asked Marsh to come over to her house after work to have dinner with her and her son. And after dinner, the two of them could go up to her room, but Marsh didn't believe that was a good idea. He suspected that Bette didn't actually want him, rather she was just bored and lonely. Marsh wasn't interested in Bette either. He actually liked her 21-year-old son, Bernard. After dinner, when Bette would fall asleep in front of the TV, he would go up to Bernard's room, where the two would have sex. Enraged, Bette fled the kitchen and into the bathroom.
Kate and Mark flirting
Kate proceeded to interview Mark, though she was more interested in his personal life than his professional. Mark didn't think any girl would want him, given that he was unemployed with a small apartment with roommates. However, when Kate met Garry, he was selling gym memberships. Now he's a VP at Vanguard, but unlike Garry, Mark didn't mind taking orders from women, Kate specifically.
With Kate conducting her interview, Garry decided to catch up with Marsh in the kitchen, revealing that Kate had him on a new diet, which was why they hadn't been around as much. Garry then asked Marsh about Bette, but he insisted that they weren't together and apologized to Garry for his fight with Bette ruining their lunch, but Garry claimed it was Kate who actually ruined their lunch, looking out the window to her and Mark, who he suspected Kate was grooming to be his replacement.
Judy checked in on Bette following her fight with Marsh.
Kate shared with Mark her marital troubles, such as how Garry was unfaithful and would have sex with anyone except her, which she was fine with by her, remarking that he wasn't very good at it anyway.
It was all about control with Kate, Garry explained to Marsh. When they met, he had nothing, and she gave him everything, so that he wouldn't leave and people would perceive her as lovable, but in reality, she was cold and perfect, whereas Garry preferred to simply, eat, drink, and have sex, though Kate didn't like any of those things. When he was with her, he behaved, but when he wasn't, he would frequently cheat.
Judy and Bette kissed
Judy knew that Bette didn't like Donna, but nonetheless, she shared with her how the two of them might've broken up last night. Bette replied that she simply didn't like Donna for Judy. She needed someone who she didn't have to take care of all the time, someone positive and fun. "Like you?" Judy asked Bette before kissing her.
Alone in the booth and realizing that everyone was gone, Kate and Mark proceeded to have sex, as do Judy and Bette by the bathroom, and Garry and Marsh in the kitchen. As this unfolded in different areas of the diner, John entered the kitchen, grabbed the ice cream from the freezer, and returned to his seat.
John set them free
After hooking up, Judy confessed to Bette that she hit Donna in the face and that's why she left. Meanwhile, Garry attacked Mark in the dining area after catching him with Kate. He knocked Mark to the ground and began to choke him until Mark stabbed him in the neck with a knife, killing Garry almost instantly. Bette then proceeded to confront John after realizing that everything that had taken place was his doing and that he was changing the world as he previously mentioned. John confessed to taking away the lies, allowing them to do the rest. He simply offered them a world where they could be themselves without having to suffer from it, but given that they seemed to enjoy their suffering, John made it so that their suffering would set them free.
Bette burned her story in the kitchen, while Kate and Mark nailed his hand to the counter with a hammer. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Judy cut her wrist with a knife while Marsh proceeded to chop off his fingers and Kate to slit her own throat. By the end, only John and Bette remained, though she was suffering from burns all along her hands and forearms. Bette questioned how was this a better world, to which John replied that she was still seeing it with her eyes when she needed to close them and embrace the darkness. And so, she grabbed two screwdrivers and jabbed them in her eyes.
John summoned The Fates to inquire about his future, though they claimed he had no future. It was bound by walls and guards and the sour smell of madness. Additionally, they revealed that he'd stolen some of Dream's power and that he would take all of it before crushing the Dream Lord's life in his hands. As if on cue, Dream arrived to see the blood and bodies scattered within the diner. He demanded that John return the ruby so that he could repair the damage, as it was harming John and his world. John claimed that he was ridding the world of lies, but in actuality, he was destroying dreams. Rather than returning the ruby to its rightful owner, John believed if he could use it to steal the rest of Dream's power and become the Dream Lord, but that could only be done in his realm.
Dream regained his power
John was now dreaming. He found himself at Roderick Burgess' house, following a young woman up the stairs and into the bedroom, where he unmasked her of Dream's helm, only to discover that it was his mother. Now in a new dream, John watched as his mother suffocated him while he was an infant before being attacked from behind by his mother again. Finally realizing that he was dreaming, John used the ruby to fend off his attacker before arriving in Dream's palace. Using the ruby, John proceeded to burn away what remained of the palace. Morpheus pleaded with him to stop, but John believed it was his birthright to become Dream Lord and used the ruby to drain what remained of Morpheus' power. However, in taking all of Dream's power, the ruby shattered and all of Dream's power returned to him. Rather than killing John, Dream decided to spare him, putting John to sleep and returning him to the hospital from which he escaped.
John used the ruby to reveal wounds that were hidden but never healed. Dream was intent and rebuilding in the waking realm as well as his own. However, unbeknownst to him, he was being watched by Desire.
Cast[]
Starring[]
Guest Starring[]
- Mason Alexander Park as Desire
- Joely Richardson as Ethel Cripps
- Niamh Walsh as Young Ethel Cripps
- Kyo Ra as Rose Walker
- Emma Duncan as Bette Munroe
- Steven Brand as Marsh Janowski
- Laurie Davidson as Mark Brewer
- Daisy Head as Judy Talbot
- James Udom as Garry Fletcher
- Lourdes Faberes as Kate Fletcher
- David Thewlis as John Dee
Co-Starring[]
- Sarah Quist as Lindy
- Jennifer Armour as Traffic Report Terri
- Kirsten Foster as News Anchor Annie
- Jay Rincon as Meteorologist Mike
- Georgia Goodman as Rebecca
- Walles Hamonde as Jeff
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
References[]