“The Sandman” is officially back for its second and final season on Netflix.
I won’t lie, that last part had me worried. The first season of the DC Comics adaptation was lovingly — and expensively — crafted by Warner Bros. Television and Netflix.
So my first reaction when I heard that season 2 would be the show’s last was “Oh my god, they’re going to cheap out on this.”
I’m happy to report that this isn’t the case. At least, not through the show’s first episode. The CGI-heavy show still doesn’t look cheap at all.
It also still tells incredibly compelling stories. Just the first episode alone is setting up multiple storylines that I can’t wait to explore over the next 10 episodes.
So if you were hesitant to start “The Sandman” season 2, don’t be. This final season seems set to avoid becoming a nightmare.
What is ‘The Sandman’ about?
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If you’ve never seen “The Sandman” or have never read any of the DC Comics stories, here’s a brief synopsis.
The series revolves around Morpheus, also known as Dream (Tom Sturridge). Dream is one of the Endless, a group of seven that personification of life’s core components.
As you can tell from his name, he’s the embodiment of dreams and rules a fantastical world known as the Dreaming, which exists in the time and space we explore while we sleep.
The first season kicks off with his capture in an occult ritual in 1918 and his subsequent escape years later in 2025. He’s then thrown into multiple storylines where he’s forced to save the real world to keep his realm of the Dreaming intact.
I hope ‘The Sandman’ season 2 doesn’t run out of time
Spoilers for “The Sandman” season 2 episode 1, “Season of Mists,” beyond this point
Season 2 picks up with Dream ready to restore the Dreaming to its full glory after the events of season 1.
But before he can begin, he’s called to visit his brothers and sisters — the Endless. While with them at Destiny’s home, he is goaded into journeying to Hell to free Nada, ruler of the First People and Dream’s former lover, whom he has imprisoned in Hell for 10,000 years.
As he readies to make the journey, though, his emissary to Hell returns with starting news: Lucifer is eagerly waiting Dream’s arrival.
When the devil is excited for you to come to Hell, that’s typically bad news.
This plotline is adapted from “Season of Mists,” the fourth volume of the DC Comics run of “The Sandman,” so as someone who I already know what story is being set up here — and that’s a good thing, because “Season of Mists” is probably my favorite “Sandman” story.
I won’t spoil what’s coming. All I’ll say is fans of the show “Lucifer” will find it an easy story to connect with.
But “Season of Mists” isn’t the only great “The Sandman” storyline that’s being set up here. A lot of time is being spent on the one member of the Endless who is absent from Destiny’s meeting.
That member of the Endless isn’t mentioned by name, so I won’t reveal it here either. But they play a key part in the seventh volume of “The Sandman” comics, “Brief Lives.”
Spoiler alert, but that’s also the name of the fourth episode of season 2, so we can essentially confirm the show will explore that storyline further.
Another volume name that has been turned into an episode title is the “Kindly Ones,” which is the penultimate volume of the comics run.
It’s the title of the third-to-last episode of season 2, volume 2 (which drops on Netflix on July 24), so we know that storyline will be addressed as well.
That means this season of television is covering three volumes from the comics at a minimum.
But there’s evidence in the official cast for this season that the show will also address “A Game of You,” which is volume five of “The Sandman” comics run, right after “Season of Mists.”
Given that it looks like we’ll go straight into adapting “Brief Lives” after adapting “Season of Mists,” it’s unclear where an “A Game of You” adaptation would fit in.
Even if it isn’t part of the show’s final season, though, I am concerned that the show is simply not going to have enough time to satisfactorily address these four storylines.
The good news is that, after watching the first episode of season 2, my only remaining concern is that the show has too many good stories to tell in not enough episodes. The cast remains exceptional, the stories are compelling and the CGI looks of the highest quality.
There are certainly worse problems to have.
Stream “The Sandman” season 2 volume 1 on Netflix
Malcolm McMillan
Malcolm has been with Tom’s Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He’s not one to shy away from a hot take, including that “John Wick” is one of the four greatest films ever made.
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