Dream and Hob’s relationship in The Sandman explained: Why do Dream and Hob meet every 100 years?

The day has finally come. The Sandman is now available to stream on Netflix and people immediately dropped everything they were doing to binge-watch the fantasy series. For those who have watched the complete first season or have reached episode 6, you’d know that Dream (Tom Sturridge) meets an interesting character named Hob. We broke down the relationship between the King of Dreams and Hob below.

Spoilers ahead for The Sandman

After Dream retrieves his pouch of dream sand and helm and sends John back to the mental institution, he returns to London to visit his big sister, Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste). Dream explains to her how he feels he has no purpose now that he’s completed his quest of finding his stolen tools. He ends up tagging along with Death while she does her job of meeting with the recently deceased to lead them into the afterlife. While they’re having a conversation, Death explains to Dream that their purpose as the Endless is to serve humans. This gets Dream out of his funk and makes him realize that he also has someone he needs to visit.

The Sandman: Why do Dream and Hob meet every 100 years?

In episode 6, we’re taken back in time to the year 1389. Dream and Death visit the waking world and decide to go to a tavern in London. While walking around the tavern, they listen to the conversations between people. But there’s one conversation that sticks out the most. A man named Hob argues with his friends about the nature of death. He tells his friends that death is stupid and that if he just refuses to die, he will have eternal life.

Hob’s beliefs entertain Death and Dream. Dream can’t comprehend why a mortal would want eternal life on Earth. Death tells Dream that he could find out why if she grants Hob eternal life. Dream finds Death’s idea amusing and agrees. However, he doesn’t believe Hob will want to stay immortal after he’s lived on Earth for 100 years. Then, Dream’s experiment begins.

Dream walks up to Hob and proposes they meet each other in the same tavern 100 years from that date for a drink. While Hob’s friends find Dream’s proposal as a joke, Hob is intrigued and agrees to meet 100 years later. In 1489, Dream and Hob meet again at the tavern. At first, Hob believes he’s made a deal with the devil, but Dream assures him that’s not the case.

When Hob asks Dream why he decided to meet with him, Dream tells Hob that he’s interested in his experiences as the world constantly changes. Dream then proposes that they continue to meet every 100 years at the same tavern to discuss what’s going on in Hob’s life at the time. They continue to meet every 100 years, and after Hob gives a rundown of everything going on in his life, Dream always ends the conversation by asking him if he still wants to live. No matter what Hob goes through, he always tells Dream that he’s not ready to die yet.

But everything comes crashing down in 1889. Dream and Hob meet once again, but Hob makes the mistake of suggesting to Dream that the real reason he meets with him is because he’s lonely and seeks companionship. Dream is outraged that Hob would suggest someone of his kind would need friends and storms out. Hob chases after Dream and tells him that if he meets with him again in 100 years, that would mean they’re friends. In 1989, Hob waits for Dream at the pub, but Dream never shows up because he’s being held captive by Roderick Burgess.

Fast forward to the present in the 21st century, Dream meets with Hob and tells him that he was always told it was impolite to keep one’s friends waiting, confirming their friendship. To put it simply, Hob starts as an experiment for Dream, but as they continue to meet and get to know one another, they become friends.

The Sandman is now streaming on Netflix!