Season 1 of Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” ended with Dream (Tom Sturridge) finally apprehending The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook) and reasserting control over The Dreaming. With the Dream Vortex—a rare and catastrophic disturbance in the fabric of The Dreaming—stabilized, the collapse of the barriers between the dreaming and waking worlds was prevented. Just when all was seen to be well, the season finale also set up a major threat, depicting Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) in Hell vowing retribution against Dream for her earlier defeat, threatening an impending cosmic clash that would make even God himself shake.
When the release date for Season 2 was announced, it was also revealed that this would also be the breakout series’ last. With this announcement, it had been assumed that the decision to end “The Sandman” may be due to allegations of sexual assault that emerged against Gaiman last summer, which were followed by subsequent claims by more women in January of this year. According to showrunner Allan Heinberg (who did not mention Gaiman or the allegations against him in a statement about the show’s upcoming conclusion), this was always the plan.
While it feels as though this series’ conclusion has been rushed behind the scenes, Volume 1 of Season 2 is even stronger than the first season of the show. When Destiny (Adrian Lester) calls each of The Endless to a family meeting, he explains that this meeting will spark a chain of events that will cause “much change and upheaval” throughout various worlds. Old tensions begin to surface between the pseudo-siblings, who are all incredibly different; yet, their deep-seated distaste and jealousy for one another manifest in similar sharp jabs and snipes. While this chaos that Destiny speaks of hasn’t come to fruition yet, it soon becomes clear that Dream’s newfound struggles will outweigh the petty insults from The Endless.
His true journey centers on his return to hell to try to set his lover Nada (Deborah Oyelade) free from her thousand-year damnation, which Dream orchestrated. It won’t come easily, though, as Lucifer awaits his arrival, appearing weary for the first time in her life and shocking Dream with a revelation that will come to change both of their lives. A gift she gives him, while seemingly in good faith, propels Dream into a world of dread that threatens the lives of him, The Endless, and everyone who crosses their paths.
A tangible sense of exhaustion hangs over each character, who speaks with an air of apprehension that makes each stake Season 2 takes feel heavier than it did in Season 1. The characters in “The Sandman” are burdened by their endless task of orchestrating the past, present, and futures of humankind, leaving their own desires in their wake. It’s an intriguing way to explore these characters, and examining their mirrored weariness of the gruellingly long lives they lead is much more interesting than Dream’s solo mission. It forces him to become less interesting than the people he’s surrounded by.
Even when some of the episodes drag—and trust me, a few of them do—they are each an undeniable visual feast, painstakingly brought to life with production and lighting design that rivals other modern fantasy shows. The craft in this series reflects a deep dedication to the graphic novels and the devoted audience that the first season amassed. However, this dedication is sometimes a hindrance to the series’ plot, which, with its cast, is at times so sprawling, it’s overwhelming to process. The dense lore and rich world-building that is present sometimes unspools faster than it can be wound back up, forcing characters to flounder about.
However, Season 2 Volume 1 is an undeniable improvement from Season 1, which bounced around so often that it was hard to become attached to anyone other than Dream. This season finally delves deep into the powerful and often fraught bonds between The Endless, which serve as the emotional core of this season. It gives the audience time to bask in the talent of the actors behind characters like Desire (Mason Alexander Park) and Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), who consistently steal the show each time they appear on screen. We are also introduced to Delerium (Esmé Creed-Miles), who is desperate to find The Endless’ long-lost brother, The Prodigal (Barry Sloane).
Each of these threads leads to Dream being confronted by his coldness, and the idea that perhaps he is not capable of loving his siblings or his past lovers in a way they deserve. The profound impact his actions have had on those around him, both in the mortal world and within the realm of the Dreaming, forces him to grapple with his past decisions, many of which have returned to haunt him. As the series begins to challenge the very nature of the Lord of Dreams, it also challenges its audience with a show that becomes increasingly provocative with each episode. By the end of Volume 1, “The Sandman” has proved that despite this being a path to the end of the series, it will end with a bang instead of a whimper.
