In The Sandman’s bonus Season 2 episode “Death: The High Cost of Living” — now streaming on Netflix — Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) receives the gift of life in order to better understand her job.
Every 100 years, the wise and sensible member of the Endless family is allowed one day to live like a human. The message of the hour is what Death often imparts to those who have passed, showrunner, writer, and executive producer Allan Heinberg noted.
“You get a lifetime, no matter how long you’re here, so make the most of it,” Heinberg explained. “Don’t forget what a privilege it is to be here and how lucky we all are to be here, and don’t take any of it for granted because it could all be over very quickly. It’s definitely wisdom that has been shared again and again, but it’s also wisdom that human beings seem to forget again and again.”
Howell-Baptiste called it an honor to have a stand-alone episode centered on her character. “We’re following Dream throughout the show and then, all of a sudden, there’s this episode that is so divergent and unique and special,” the actor tells Tudum. “It’s such an honor to present an episode of TV, in what is quite a dark time for a lot of people, that is all about joy and the beauty of life. If there’s one thing you can learn from Death, it’sto really live as much as you can.”
Below, Howell-Baptiste delves deeper into “Death: The High Cost of Living” and the lessons her character walks away with in the bonus episode.
This is the final season of The Sandman and so, what has it been like saying goodbye to the series?
Kirby Howell-Baptiste: Difficult for sure. We really are such a united and loving group. It’s kind of emotional knowing that this is the last ride for all of us. And I think there’s also joy in that, in that it’s nice for us to deliver something to the fans where we know this is the end. It means that you give it your all, and you leave nothing on the table.
In the Season 1 episode “The Sound of Her Wings,” Dream (Tom Sturridge) accompanies Death on a journey to deliver a recently deceased person to the afterlife. In Season 2’s “The High Cost of Living,” she's paired with the journalist Sexton (Colin Morgan), who’s also jaded. Did you see a parallel between those episodes?
Howell-Baptiste: What’s really beautiful is that in [“The Sound of Her Wings”], I’m taking Dream with me to my job. And in “The High Cost of Living,” it’s Death who’s experiencing life for the day. Though I am trying to bring this man out of his misery, we’re also discovering at the same time — because I’m feeling what it feels like to be a human in this world — to not have forever. Obviously, as the Endless, we don’t have that.
The premise of this episode is that Death gets a day to live among humans every 100 years, and she tries to make the most of it. What do you think her to-do list, which includes a full English breakfast at the Regency Café, says about her as a character and how she views humanity?
Howell-Baptiste: I think it says that there is beauty in simplicity. What you get in this episode is someone going, “Life isn't about all these big massive things that you think it has to be about or that you are told.” There is so much joy in just having an incredibly made sandwich or meeting someone and having a really beautiful conversation with them. There’s just so much joy in the minutiae of life.
Was there a particular moment in this episode that you were really excited to explore as your character?
Howell-Baptiste: One of the things that stands out most to me is the club scene. Our director, Jamie Childs, has got such an incredible vision. You don’t watch that episode and necessarily know that you’re even in a fantasy show. For him to pivot so hard in the way it looks. It looks very different. It’s shot really differently.
It was really exciting for me to get into that rave scene, because I knew Jamie would have a vision for it that would feel really fresh and exciting, and it would allow the audience to feel as excited in that moment as Death does. We were in this warehouse in London [and] it was like being at a real day rave. It was incredible.
Ironically, Death was living her best life.
Howell-Baptiste: But isn’t that the point of death? The point of death is to enjoy life. We all have to die.
Later, there is this moment when Theo (Fra Fee) steals Death’s necklace and she realizes that while she can’t get hurt, others can. Do you think that changes her perspective at all?
Howell-Baptiste: If you walk around as one of the Endless, one of the things that comes with that is a level of imperviousness, because you don’t face the same consequences that human beings face. You are above all that. Sometimes the Endless act with impunity because they aren’t human.
When Death spends the day as a human, and she realizes that even if she can’t be hurt, people around her can be, it makes you think a lot more differently about your actions. You recognize that though your actions may not have direct consequences for you, they do for other people. This season, you’re seeing all the Endless grow up and understand that their actions have consequences.
At the very end of the episode, we see Didi die and then have this illuminating conversation with Death. You play both Didi and Death, so how was that explained to you? Are they two parts of a whole? What are they to each other?
Howell-Baptiste: That was never something that I was told, which makes sense and is very in line with the way both Allan [Heinberg] and Jamie [Childs] work — which is allowing you to discover your interpretation.
The way I saw it was almost as if you could talk to your younger self who was learning and discovering and growing, versus the side of yourself that has had experience and has met people and seen life and death. It’s almost like if you were having a conversation with your grandparents, and you told them something, [and] they’re like, “Yeah, I’ve been there. I know exactly what you mean because, believe it or not, I've been there.”
What do you think Death takes away from this experience?
Howell-Baptiste: The reason [Death] gives so much grace to people when they are scared and unready to go is because she knows exactly how that feels. She knows how it feels to love life. That’s the whole point of living for a day, isn’t it? It’s so that [she knows] exactly what it’s like, and [has] greater empathy for the people that are going through this for real.
Season 2 of The Sandman is now streaming on Netflix.
