‘The Sandman’ Season 2 Volume 1 Is a Messy, yet Cathartic Dream

Perhaps one of the most underrated comic adaptations in recent memory, The Sandman, is back with its second and final season on Netflix. Now that Dream, aka Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), is freed from the imprisonment seen during the events of Season 1, the god of dreams has rebuilt his realm, known as The Dreaming, and is now left to deal with the actions of his storied past. Season 2 of The Sandman is broken into two Volumes, as we’ve seen Netflix due before in its popular series such as Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, and Bridgerton, in an attempt to mitigate the binge model the streamer made famous and spread out the conversation.

The series is based on the graphic novels of the same title and created by David S. Goyer, Allan Heinberg, and graphic novel creator Neil Gaiman. It was after Gaiman’s very serious and problematic allegations and lawsuits that the streamer announced that The Sandman would conclude in its second season, and Gaiman would take a backseat when it comes to the series — at least in the public eye.

What Is ‘The Sandman’ Season 2 Vol. 1 About?

The Sandman Season 2 kicks off with a meeting of The Endless. Dream is summoned by his brother Destiny (Adrian Lester), along with his other siblings, Death (Kirby), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles), and Despair (Donna Preston). The meeting leads to the realization that Dream needs to travel back to the depths of Hell in an attempt to right a wrong done many, many eons ago. Which, of course, means seeing the wonderful Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer again.

The actual plot of the first half of The Sandman Season 2 is a bit all over the place when it comes to the storytelling aspect. Even though some of the plotlines don’t fit together perfectly, they all share a common theme — learning to grow from your past mistakes. Season 1 really hammered down on an existential journey of mortality and the beauty of what can be a morbid lifetime, but Season 2 excels in humanizing Gods, showcasing that even the all-powerful beings that rule the realms are mere mortals just like us when it comes to love, guilt, loneliness, and most importantly, accountability.

‘The Sandman’ Season 2 Vol. 1 Takes a Bold Swing in Its Storytelling

The most interesting part of how The Sandman Season 2 Vol. 1 chooses to tell its story is that it weaves in lengthy flashbacks to give the audience context of the past mistakes Dream has made in order to give the reconciliation of his issues more emotional and thematic weight. Instead of flashing back and forth between the past and the present, the present usually bookends the episodes, letting the full backstory play out for the viewer. While this mostly works, it can almost feel overwhelming at times, like a trauma dump of information fed to the audience at a breakneck pace.

Even though the content can feel overbearing at times, the result of The Sandman Season 2 Vol. 1 is a thoughtful contextualization of the beauties of life. As a human being, or even a God, mistakes will be made — over and over again — but it’s not about the mistakes, it’s about learning from them and pushing to be a better individual. This may seem like a simple concept, but The Sandman reaches these conclusions through sprawling stories told throughout centuries, filled with fantasy set pieces plucked from fans’ wildest imaginations and brought to life. These stories are anchored by incredible performances — most notably, Sturridge’s stoic yet vulnerable portrayal of Dream, and the wise and understanding stewart of the afterworld in Kirby’s rendition of Death.

Now, this is only half of the story when it comes to Season 2 of The Sandman, but this first part does indeed complete a prolific arc for the titular character. These six episodes feature stories about purpose, responsibility, and even the trials and tribulations of family, especially from the perspective of Dream himself. But his actions, even now, hold intense consequences, and if the trailer is an indication of what’s to come, it will be an Earth-shattering conclusion for this epic series. The Sandman works so well because it doesn’t feel like a traditional comic book adaptation, and that’s because it isn’t. It may be a Netflix original series, but it truly feels like it belongs in the conversations alongside the great comic book series like Watchmen and Daredevil.

The Sandman Season 2 Vol. 2 is now available to stream on Netflix. Follow Agents of Fandom on socials for the latest entertainment news and reviews.