With The Knowledge That Sam Specifically Built The Prison To Mirror What Tommy Went Through In Exile,

with the knowledge that sam specifically built the prison to mirror what tommy went through in exile, that explains the entire vibe that the prison.... was specifically made to scare tommy. not just because he once was supposed to be it's prisoner. but even as he walked those halls as a guest, the prison was meant to terrify him. the careful isolation in order to enter the prison- the only way out being through nether portals monitored and controlled by sam. having to drop all of his items when he arrived, just so he couldn't try anything. being killed over and over, even after he'd dropped all his items, just in case he had anything that could be used to fight back. sam's contract including a clause that stated tommy had to do everything he said without question, even if it meant killing himself, which put tommy completely at his mercy. (and even if he refused, sam could have just as easily killed tommy himself.) sam's words after poisoning tommy being, "I want you to be as low as possible and as weak as possible." forcing tommy to once again question his relationship with dream, out loud, to a friend he barely knows anymore. his unempathic march through the prison with tommy in tow, isolating him more and more with every locked room and fortified wall. and in the end, tommy's growing paranoia leading him to ask if sam would betray him, and sam's answer, "if I wanted to betray you, I would have done it already." no wonder sam felt off! no wonder he felt suspicious! in that moment, he was just as much tommy's warden as he was dream's. an uncaring overseer trained to keep his prisoners in their place. which makes it make so much more sense now that tommy was the first person to visit. it was meant to scare one person, and it did it's job perfectly. sam did his job as the warden perfectly. and tommy pushed through regardless. because today, tommy conquered more than just his fear of dream. he conquered his exile as a whole, and took one step further on the road to finally recovering from his trauma.