Does Rosemary Die in Netflix's 'The Sandman'?

Sometimes good deeds have dire consequences. That's a lesson Rosemary from the Netflix series 'The Sandman ' learned the hard way. In episode 4, "A Hope in Hell", she offers help to a stranger, giving him a ride – only to find out that her passenger, John Dee, is actually a killer and a psychopath, travelling to retrieve a very precious item.

Rosemary understandably freaks out, but somehow is able to hide it well enough. First she tries to call 911 only for her phone to slip; and then Rosemary comes up with the idea to stop for gas, walking inside the store and asking the cashier to help her. However, John Dee, while seemingly disturbed, is not stupid – far from it. Moreover, the amulet given to him by his mother protects him against the cashier who threatens him with a gun. The scene in the store ends in a bloodbath and Rosemary walking out of the store to continue their journey.

The rest of the ride is tense to say the least; Sarah Niles and David Thewlis superb acting makes viewers hold their collective breath while wondering whether Rosemary is going to live or die after she drives John Dee to his destination point.

Those of the fans who were familiar with the original comic series by Neil Gaiman knew how all this would end: in the comics (issue 5, "Passengers") Rosemary dies at the most unexpected moment for readers, when everything seems to end well for her. She drops John Dee off at his destination, the readers sigh in relief – and that's when John kills her, unexpectedly and with casual brutality that makes him all the more terrifying as a character.

In the series, however, the story takes another turn entirely. When John Dee retrieves his ruby, he doesn't kill Rosemary; in fact, he gives her the amulet of protection, saying how he doesn't need it anymore. Rosemary doesn't die in Netflix's 'The Sandman': she receives a truly priceless gift from her accidental traveling companion-killer, as if as a reward for all the horror she has endured.

Not all fans of 'The Sandman', especially those familiar with the original comic book series, were happy about this plot change. Many felt that this move by the writers made the villain less intimidating.

"Am I the only one who wasn't happy that Dee didn't kill rosemary? That was one of the first things in the comics that really gutted me. He seemed so appreciative of her and so... human, and then just kills her without a second thought. It really made me see him as the villain. Idk, taking that out just seems wrong." – /aliara

However, there's the opposite take on this, with fans arguing that John choosing spare Rosemary's life actually makes him even better villain than in the comics:

"Letting Rosemary live and only hurting those trying to hurt him has given the character far more nuance." – /Bigger0nTheInside42