One of the most anticipated comic book adaptations, The Sandman, has finally made its way onto our screens. Fans absolutely loved the live-action rendition of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel collection. After multiple failed attempts, this great homage to the books is a massive and satisfying payoff for the creators and fans. The Sandman is a piece of art that is carefully and intricately conceptualized and crafted by Neil Gaiman.

Adapting a mammoth literary masterpiece was surely no easy feat. Yet, The Sandman does full justice to the source material, be it the pace, the performances, the overall narrative, or the mind-blowing aesthetic. A special shout-out goes to the Diner Scene from episode 5, which is based on a comic issue. Looking at all the gore and violence, one would wonder how Gaiman came up with such a scene for his comic series. Well, the author himself broke down his process in a recent Tudum interview.

Neil Gaiman on how the Diner Scene from The Sandman came about

Netflix Tudum recently interviewed the creators of The Sandman and broke down the infamous diner scene from episode 5 of the show. Titled 24/7, the episode is based on 24 Hours, an issue from the comics drawn by Mike Dringenberg. It is one of the most loved stories owing to its diabolical and convoluted narrative. The Netflix adaptation rose to the challenge and delivered spectacularly, maintaining the terror and fiendish character of the tale.

Author and executive producer Neil Gaiman also provided insights about the “terrifying scene.” Neil was keen on “an issue in which John Dee had control of the ruby and was driving the world mad.” With this core idea in place, he initially planned the story to “go all over the world… follow a whole bunch of things everywhere.” Then, he came up with the master plan of “a comic that’s 24 hours and 24 pages.” 

Although doubtful at first, Neil reminisced about his vision and how he believed, “If I go this far — once — nobody will trust me. They’ll know I’m a raving psychopath. They’ll know that this comic is dangerous and that I might do that again. And I’ll never need to do that again.” Aren’t we thankful for the great Neil Gaiman to trust his gut and go that far?

The scene in question

Totally consumed by the power of Morpheus’s Ruby, the seemingly harmless yet appalling John Dee ( played by David Thewlis in the Netflix show) steps into an everyday American diner. In an attempt to create a better world, he takes away what, in his opinion, is the undoing of humanity: lies. What happens next is a series of chaotic events orchestrated by Dee.

With the customers forced to only speak the truth, all the walls, the facade, and the deception shatter. And with that, the shrouded darkness is unleashed upon the world. What starts with minor disagreements leads to all kinds of lewd behavior and debauchery, with a grand finale of everyone killing themselves in a gut-wrenching scene. Apparently, the world cannot function without lies.

What do you think of this scene? If you haven’t already, check out The Sandman, currently streaming on Netflix.