Biggest Unanswered Questions From The Sandman Season 1

For all intents and purposes, a property like "Sandman" should be unfilmable. After all, how can someone adapt "a story about stories" and bring a whole new frontier of fantasy to life? Netflix's "The Sandman" has done it, finally delivering a live-action adaptation of Lord Morpheus which has been in the making for decades. Taking inspiration from the DC comic book series, the dark fantasy show explores similar themes and features many of the same fan-favorite characters.

After 10 episodes, "The Sandman" mythology should be a lot clearer to the audience. Fans have now met the Endless, Lucifer Morningstar, and a host of other important characters that form the crux of the narrative. That said, the series doesn't wrap everything up, tie it with a red bow, and hand over all the answers to the viewer. No, it leaves us with a few burning questions to stir up water cooler conversations and pique the interest for potential upcoming seasons of "The Sandman." Keep in mind that these aren't criticisms or complaints about the series; these are merely thought-provoking points that deserve discussion and analysis. Let's dive right in and check out the biggest unanswered questions from "The Sandman" Season 1. Spoilers for "The Sandman" follow.

Before "The Sandman" Season 1 was released, there was a fair amount of debate over swapping out John Constantine for Johanna in the series. Johanna exists in the comic book continuity; however, she takes over John's arc for the show as well. While many fans believe this switch was done purely because of rights issues being tied up with other shows, Neil Gaiman denied this was the case. "I was told there were all sorts of restrictions about using Constantine and that J.J. Abrams had brought these things in, and people were going, 'Ah! You must be doing that because of this,' and I wish I could say, 'Well, yes, we wanted John Constantine,' but no," he told /Film, elaborating how everyone agreed it would make sense to cast Jenna Coleman as Johanna instead.

On the show, Dream reveals how he has known many Constantines over the eons. Of course, this includes Lady Johanna Constantine who also appears during the season, but does this throwaway line suggest the possibility that John could also exist here? If the rumors of a "John Constantine" HBO Max series are true, it's highly unlikely that anyone will see the chain-smoking hellblazer appearing on "The Sandman" anytime soon.

When it was announced that David Thewlis would play the role of John Dee in the live-action adaptation of "The Sandman," there was a natural excitement surrounding his casting, especially for those who remember the character from the comic book series. In the "The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes," John is an antagonist who hangs onto Dream's ruby, the Dreamstone, and uses it to cause anarchy and chaos. The series tweaks John's origins ever so slightly; however, it keeps most of the main beats from the comics intact, including the shocking and depraved diner scene.

Like in the comics, John shatters the Dreamstone, believing doing so will destroy Dream forever. However, it merely releases the power of the ruby back to the Endless. Rather than strike down John and finish him off once and for all, Dream places him in a deep slumber and tells him to sleep well. John isn't seen again for the rest of the series, so it's unclear if he has been put to sleep for the rest of eternity or if he will wake up later on after a power nap. In the comics, John also goes by the name of Doctor Destiny and clashes with the Justice League on occasion; however, that's unlikely to happen here.

In Gotham City, the villains meet in the shadows or in the hidden club nestled under the surface of the Iceberg Lounge. However, in "The Sandman" Season 1, they appear out in public, holding their own conventions that come complete with numerous lessons and lectures about the art of horrendous crimes. The Cereal Convention is a central part of the ninth episode, "The Collectors," where the Corinthian's fellow "collectors" — "collectors" being a thin euphemism for serial killers in this instance — meet to share their wisdom and gloat about being homicidal maniacs under the guise of attending a convention about breakfast cereals. They get their comeuppance in the end, though, as Dream's punishment is for them to feel the intensity and sorrow of all the pain they have caused others. It's essentially a karmic slap that they can't escape from.

While it's a fitting punishment that sorts out all the Corinthian's evil followers in one go, what about all the others who weren't at the convention? Some of them might have had work commitments or even other crimes to attend to that prevented them from partaking in the nefarious celebrations. Ultimately, it means there could be more copycats and evildoers out there who could be showing up in the future to carry on the Corinthian's legacy of horror.

Throughout "The Sandman" Season 1, several antagonists appear and show off their true colors. However, the end of the season reveals Desire to have been the mastermind and architect behind the dream vortex that threatened to tear apart Morpheus and the Dreaming. Clearly, Desire holds resentment and anger towards their brother, which isn't about to go away anytime soon. When Morpheus uncovers Desire's involvement in the creation of the dream vortex, he confronts his sibling and emphatically states that there will be consequences if they interfere in his affairs again.

In the comics, the two develop somewhat of a truce after the events of "The Doll's House." However, the glint in Desire's eye on the show and the promise to "draw blood" hints that this ordeal is far from over. Perhaps there will be a momentary respite or even a calm before the storm. That said, don't be surprised if this escalates and the Endless siblings are forced to pick sides in this never-ending battle.

When we meet Lyta Hall in "The Sandman" Season 1, it's clear that she still hasn't dealt with the loss of her husband, Hector. She prefers to spend her time asleep, where she is able to speak and spend time with her husband, who is alive in her dreams. Hector asks her to stay with him, and she becomes pregnant in the Dreaming. To her surprise, it turns out she is also carrying the child in the Waking World. Later in the story, Dream explains that since the child was created in the Dreaming, it belongs to him. He also vows to come for the child in the future.

At the end of "The Sandman" Season 1, Lyta gives birth and Dream appears to soften his stance towards, well, everything in general. However, it is never revealed if he will or won't come back for Lyta's baby. It is possible that he may stay true to his word and return for the child later on. As an interesting side note, Lyta is the daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor in "Sandman" comics.

During one of Dream's meetings with Hob Gadling, he hears all about William Shakespeare. However, it's clear that the people of the era don't appreciate the playwright's talents and view him more as an oddball than anything else. Dream, though, is fascinated by what he overhears as Shakespeare speaks to someone else. The Lord of Dreams approaches Shakespeare and offers to talk to him further.

There's no second guessing the meaning here — Dream inspires Shakespeare and opens his mind to endless potential, perhaps serving as a muse of sorts. Even Hob is left with no doubt that Dream had a hand in shaping Shakespeare's legacy and work. It begs the question — If Lord Morpheus helped Shakespeare, which other famous historical figures did he approach throughout the ages? He could have inspired musicians, filmmakers, photographers, sculptors — the list is endless ... pun intended.