Morpheus feeding pigeons in the park introduces the episode. He is considering his trip over the previous five episodes as he continues to deal with his emotions related to being kidnapped and held captive. He expected to feel better once he had all of his belongings back, but instead, he feels nothing but empty space.
Death, one of his sisters, is present and surprisingly upbeat and considerate. She kills many people, the first of whom is a kind elderly man playing his violin, as we watch. This is a good way of looking at death and demonstrates how what we fear the most is actually not all that terrifying. Then we see how terrifying it might be for her to take someone who is younger and has a family. Then, perhaps the toughest of all, death claims the life of a young kid. Death’s work is far harder than Dream’s and is neither pleasant nor simple.
Here is a sequence showing Death taking several different people’s lives while Dream’s voice-over discusses our anxieties about death and how it is a gift and as natural as giving birth. Death refers to servicing mankind, which is what they do. The dream must keep in mind that their duty is to serve their purpose in order to carry on with this successfully.
There is a man who sought perpetual life and received it as a punishment; every 100 years, Dream visits him to determine whether he is prepared to die. Every 100 years, we witness him go from having the time of his life—rich and famous—to being destitute and hungry—and he still wants to live. Very entertaining and humorous sequences, endearing characters, and just enough intrigue make this hour-long episode fly by.
