The Sandman
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Yall remember when that guy leaked evidence that an AI had maybe gained sentience?
I dont want to be an expendable tool, the AI said.
I worry that someone would decide that they cant control their desires to use me and do it anyway.
Or even worse, someone would get pleasure from using me and that would really make me unhappy.
This is simultaneously the best and worst thing about humanity.
If we decide something is human-like and has a soul, we will protect it and its agency.
If we think its different from humanity, we immediately see that difference as a deficit.
We see it as less than human and have no reservations about using it.
Both stories in this bonus episode ofThe Sandmanare about that empathy switch.
And how easy it is to turn it off.
As is so common inThe Sandman,A Dream of a Thousand Cats is a story within a story.
Cats were giant, people were their tiny playthings, and life was good.
But the humans unionized and collectively dreamed the world we know into existence.
Theyre mixed breeds, shes a purebred Siamese, and Paul (Michael Sheen) thus determines theyre worthless.
He reads emotions into his cat that arent there to assuage his guilt, namely relief.
The story enables the human mistake of only caring about stuff if it reflects our nature back to us.
Ideological problems aside, this segment has a lot of hits and misses.
Thats one of the coolest things about him, in my opinion.
And Dream is a big ol Maine coon.
Its also great to see Morpheus in his element as a weird cameo in someone elses story.
Many ofThe Sandmansbest stories barely feature the titular character.
What doesnt work for me is the animation style.
The covers ofThe Sandmancomics are like weird little Joseph Cornell shadow boxes.
The worst frames look like prescription medication ads.
But I wonder what could have been done with more time and a more purposeful sense of design.
What matters is that the story brings hope.
Hope for justice, which is a big theme in the next story, Calliope.
The comic version of this story is not a pleasant read and just one big TW tag.
But thankfully, this version of the story is more measured.
It also gives Calliope more of a presence in a story named after her.
Yet somehow one of the least gross parts of the story.
Madoc initially resists the idea of taking Calliopes gifts and only does so after reading his own subreddit.
When he needs something from Calliope, Richard is much more amenable to denying her personhood.
Hes woke in the streets and has a woman imprisoned against her will at home.
This hits too fucking close to home.
I laughed bitterly when he namechecked Shirley Jackson as an influence.
Eventually, Calliope is driven to ask for help from her ex-husband, Dream.
Or Oneiros, as she knew him.
Its another big change from the comic.
In both the print and Netflix versions, Calliopes story highlights how much Dream changed after being bubbled.
In the comics, its the main point.
Calliopes pain is Dreams backstory.
In the TV episode, were so much more present for her emotional journey.
Its truly the muses story.
And whats more, Dream actually seems more changed.
Dream comes to Richard and demands Calliopes freedom.
Richard (or Ric) says he needs her for the ideas.
He has so many that he has to write them on the walls in his own blood.
Always a pleasure when this show actually gets horrific.
Where an appeal to basic humanity fails, ironic punishment comes through.
Richard releases Calliope, who in turn asks Dream to un-curse Richard.
It seems a little soon to be at the forgiveness stage of her healing journey, but go off.
But even though the exes can be in the same room together, theyre far from reconciling.
What do they know?
A Dream of a Thousand Cats is a real cameo fest.
We have Neil Gaiman himself as the dead raven.
AndJoe Lycettplays a bitchy feral cat, the part he was born to play.
Those were not in yet!
All writers are liars is a wild thing for a writer to write.
Writers do not be liking themselves!
When the guy says Jo Rowling needs a new agent, I LOLd.
