Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘The Sandman,’ Dream is personified as one of the seven Endless as he rules his kingdom called the Dreaming, where each living being enters when they fall asleep. While the show is mainly focused on his arc, we also get to meet his siblings, all of whom have their own powers and quirks. The youngest of them is Delirium, who is introduced in the first episode of Season 2 when the eldest Endless, Destiny, calls a family meeting. This introduction serves as a great jumping point for her increasingly important role in the rest of the season. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Delirium Has a Complicated Backstory in The Sandman
Delirium is introduced as a seemingly chaotic being whose entire aura oozes with frenzy and disorder. However, she wasn’t always so. In the beginning, she used to be Delight, a personification of pleasure and joy. But she left this form a long time ago and turned into Delirium, which is a more hallucinatory version of her original form. The reason behind this switch is not revealed. Even in the comic books on which the show is based, there is no clear explanation as to what prodded this change and when, but breadcrumbs are dropped throughout the story to allow the readers to build their own theories on the matter.
In ‘The Sandman,’ the only time that we see Delirium as Delight is in her portrait in Destiny’s realm, which he uses to call upon her, much like he uses the portraits of other siblings to call them. In her current form, Delirium justifies her name. She changes form, be it her clothes, her makeup, or even the color of her eyes (one emerald, one blue), based on her mood. Her general appearance paints her as an eccentric who is so overwhelmed by the train of their thoughts that their words come out in ramblings and might seem incoherent to someone who is not paying attention to them.
Her realm is a representation of Madness and is just as, if not more, chaotic as she. It is easy to lose oneself in her realm, and even she admits that she loses stuff a lot of the time because of the shifty nature of the place. It is believed that when she was Delight, her realm reflected the orderliness of her nature, but that was a very, very long time ago. Despite appearances, Delirium sometimes seems saner than her siblings, especially when it comes to the context of her true feelings, which is what perhaps makes her more likable than the others.
Delirium is Brought to Life by Esmé Creed-Miles
Because Delirium is such a complicated character, it was necessary to find someone who could inhabit the nuances of the role but bring a sincerity to it without making it feel caricature-ish. The creators of ‘The Sandman’ were glad to find that depth in Esmé Creed-Miles’ performance. The actress gained recognition after her titular role in Prime Video’s action-thriller, ‘Hanna.’ She has since appeared in films and TV shows like ‘The Chronology of Water’ and ‘The Doll Factory.’ Apart from acting, she has also had a successful music career.
Additionally, she has forayed into the world behind the camera and has tried her hand at directing music videos. The writer inside her presents herself through her musings that she shares on Substack. Apart from her creative work, she also advocates for causes close to her heart, like trans rights and feminism, among others. In ‘The Sandman,’ Esmé Creed-Miles expertly slips into the role of Delirium and becomes a close reflection of the character that fans have become familiar with through the comic books. Her transformation is not limited to the wardrobe, but becomes evident in the physcality she brings to the character, most importantly in Delirium’s voice and inflection, proving that she has been cast perfectly for the role.
Read More: Where Was The Sandman Season 1 and 2 Filmed?
