Item: The Sandman
Rating: 4
Author: Ashley Hurst

The Sandman Season 2 Volume 2 Ending Explained

Picture Credits: Netflix

After years of waiting and anticipation, Netflix’s The Sandman saga has officially come to an end. It concludes a bit earlier than fans would’ve liked, but the series still tells a full story, delivering a satisfying ending and leaving very few loose ends.

The time is here, folks. Netflix’s The Sandman has reached its conclusion, but was it worth the wait? The final season was split into two parts, with the first 6 episodes dropping on July 3 and the final 5 on July 24. Overall, the first 6 were excellent, if a little rushed as a direct consequence of the writers only being enough budget to end the series in one season.

Warning: The following section contains spoilers. Proceed with caution!

As we move into the final 5 episodes, however, the pacing issue is much less jarring. Volume 1 had the challenge of adapting two major story arcs, including additional side stories like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Thermidor. It moved at a breakneck pace. The final 5 focus on the final, endgame arc of the comics. It condenses the story and introduces some incredible new dynamics, namely the duos of Loki (Freddie Fox) and Puck (Jack Gleeson), and Johanna Constantine (Jenna Coleman) and The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook).

The Volume begins with Dream immediately beginning his next quest, to prepare for the future of The Dreaming. There’s no narration this time: the show dives straight into the action. Following on from a phenomenal performance in the conclusion of the first 6 episodes, Tom Sturridge continues to look as melancholic as ever, and oddly even paler than usual.

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His main goal in the beginning is to find Daniel – the child of Lyta and Hector Hall — who was conceived in The Dreaming. Given the child’s intrinsic connection to Dream’s realm, Daniel is chosen to become the next Dream of the Endless in the event of Morpheus’ death. But Dream is not the only one after Daniel. Both Norse trickster Loki and rogue Faerie Robin Greyfellow, aka the Puck, set their eyes on the child, determined to capture Daniel and invoke The Kindly Ones to kill Dream.

These 5 episodes introduce some fantastic duos.

The relationship and dynamic between Loki and Puck was an instant standout in these episodes. Two meddling tricksters, especially Loki, they’re electric to watch. The chemistry between both Fox and Gleeson is out-of-this-world good. They get a lot of screen time, too, in which the show deviates slightly from the comics, but that’s nothing to complain about. Bringing them together in such a way was a stroke of genius from the writers.

The other unique duo sees The Corinthian (now re-created by Dream to take his place in the mortal world) and Johanna Constantine, both sent out on an errand to find and retrieve Daniel. Again, these two are such an unlikely duo, but it works.

The Corinthian is much changed; he’s more peaceable than his previous incarnation, which isn’t exactly hard. He also appears significantly dumbed down. He’s not a character to fear anymore. Conversely, Johanna is her regular, snappish self. It’s a whole lot of fun to watch — they even strike up an intimate relationship, which was a strange but not un-welcome surprise. The relationship between Johanna and the Corinthian is completely original to the show. I think fans will really take to this addition.

Returning to the Faerie.

One of the breakthrough characters from Volume 1 was Nuala (Ann Skelly). The show hugely expands her role from what it is in the comics, much for the better.

When the Faerie learns of an imminent attack on the Dream realm, Cluracan is sent to retrieve his sister Nuala and escort her back to the Faerie, where her safety is guaranteed. Nuala is not in agreement with his decision, but she heeds him regardless — if only to convince Queen Titania to raise an army.

Despite the lack of episodes, both Nuala and Cluracan stand out as the most impressive newbies to the season. Their stories — especially Nuala’s — are super engaging. Cluracan is witty and utterly detestable, but you can’t help but be glued to the screen whenever he appears. Whereas Nuala is quiet and dutiful, and a brave force of nature discovering herself. Her journey of self-discovery and search of meaning (which she finds in The Dreaming) is among the finest elements of the show.

There’s a greater focus on the inhabitants of The Dreaming

When fans found out that The Sandman was ending with season 2, showrunner Allan Heinberg made it clear that the show would tell Dream’s story. Volume 1 very much focused on Morpheus, in a way that almost pushed other characters to the sidelines. That said, in these final episodes, each of the key inhabitants of The Dreaming get their chance in the spotlight; whether it’s Lucienne, Fiddler’s Green, Cain, Abel, Goldie, Nuala, The Corinthian, and Merv.

Their interactions make The Dreaming feel alive. It’s not just Dream sulking in his empty throne room, as has been the case most often throughout the series. Lucienne especially is there for him at every turn.

Dream’s ultimate demise hits so much harder when you see it from the perspectives of those closest to him. There’s also an expanded role for Hob Gadling. While he might not be an inhabitant of the realm, his connection to Dream is very, very important. He’s Dream’s one true mortal friend. Having him bought further into the fold was pleasing to watch.

Dreams change. Literally.

Of course, the series ends with the tragic death of Dream. We explain exactly how his death plays out in our Ending Explained section down below. But right now, I want to touch on what is perhaps the standout surprise of the season: the arrival of Daniel as Dream of the Endless.

Fans had been pondering who would play Daniel for years. In fact, the casting was hidden for the final season, which paved the way for a surprise. Turns out, Daniel (aka the new Dream) is played by Jacob Anderson. Fans couldn’t have asked for a better casting. He plays the role with a genteelness. He feels like Dream, but he’s a changed Dream. He’s the character with a human side to him, which is something Morpheus never had.

Daniel’s presence isn’t immediately welcomed from those in his realm. But before long, he inspires hope, and everyone warms to him.

The introduction of Daniel was always going to be a tricky casting. So many names were floated about. The casting team’s decision to give the role to Jacob Anderson was an inspired choice. It feels right.

Verdict

Volume 2 plays out in a linear fashion; it feels more streamlined. The anthology style of Sandman is mostly set aside for the final act. It no longer cuts away to something completely random, but focuses on the core story arc. While I like the side stories, the heavy focus on telling its final story without distraction works very well.

I’m astounded by the writers’ work in adapting such a sprawling and epic story into a TV series. For decades, The Sandman was deemed ‘unfilmable,’ but showrunner Allan Heinberg and the team of writers managed to pull off the impossible. Despite countless hurdles, such as Netflix only giving the show enough budget for one more season, the team pulled off something spectacular. Not only do they cover all of the essential bases, but we even get a few beats from spinoff comic Overture thrown in, such as appearances from Dream’s mother and father.

Sure, Netflix’s The Sandman is not a perfect adaptation. It suffers from pacing issues, and it condenses the narrative of the comics into two seasons by dropping a lot of fantastic content. But the mere fact that this story has been told, through conclusion, is incredible.

4.0/5Very Good

★★★★☆

Ending Explained

The Sandman season 2 delivers a conclusive, satisfying end to the story. It doesn’t leave behind a trail of loose ends, but it does leave a few things to the imagination. The big twist in the end is that Morpheus loses his life. After putting his son, Orpheus, out of his misery in the Volume 1 finale, he spilled family blood.

The Endless are permitted to spill mortal blood should they threaten their realms. However, they are bound by ancient laws of the universe; most notably, they cannot kill each other. In killing Orpheus, Dream understood what he was doing, but went ahead with it anyway out of love for his son. In Volume 2, the immense consequences of his actions are put into motion, and Dream prepares for an attack on his realm from the Fates, also known as The Kindly Ones.

Dream cites Daniel Hall — the child of Lyta and Hector Hall — as his successor to be the next Dream of the Endless after he dies. Of course, in season 1, we learn that Daniel was conceived within The Dreaming, and so the essence of the realm flows through him. Dream tells Lyta that the child belongs to him — something Lyta naturally refutes.

In the Waking World, Dream seeks out the assistance of Johanna Constantine to help him find Daniel. However, it’s revealed that Daniel has already been found and captured by Norse trickster Loki and rogue Faerie Robin Greyfellow, also known as Puck. The duo steal Daniel and burn him in a fireplace in order to invoke the Fates, leading directly to Dream’s demise. They succeed in ‘killing’ Daniel, rebirthing him in his new form.

Realising that he cannot leave his realm, Dream re-creates The Corinthian, who’s much more composed and pacifistic than the version of season 1. He sends the ‘new’ Corinthian to the Waking World with Johanna Constantine, where they team up to find Daniel. They ultimately reclaim the baby from the grasp of Loki and Puck, returning him to The Dreaming.

Trapped inside his own realm, hiding from the Fates, Dream is unwittingly thrust into the Faerie at the behest of Nuala, to whom he granted a boon. While outside of The Dreaming, the Fates waste no time in using their opportunity to enter and cause chaos. They also bring with them Lyta Hall, using her fuel for vengeance to attack the very heart of the realm, killing Abel and Mervyn Pumpkinhead.

Time slowly runs out for Dream, who admits defeat — but knows that the pieces are in place for The Dreaming to survive even if he does not. He is ultimately killed by the Fates, following his sister Death to the sunless lands. Following his demise, The Dreaming still stands, but Dream of the Endless is reborn in the form of Daniel Hall, now an adult. Daniel possesses echoes of memories from Morpheus, but he’s very much his own person. He has a human aspect to his existence, too, thanks to his mortal parentage.

Daniel does not attend the funeral of Morpheus; it would be improper attending a funeral for who is, in essence, himself. Instead, he meets Destruction, who offers him advice and wisdom on how to deal with his responsibilities and rule his kingdom, while not falling into the pitfalls of his predecessor.

A funeral is held for Morpheus, attended by his family, the Endless (except for Destruction), each of whom stand up and speak. As does Lucienne, his loyal librarian. It’s an incredibly emotional farewell, and a fitting, satisfying, and definitive end to Morpheus and his saga.

Below we have listed some key additional details:

Dream releases Alex Burgess, now an old man, from his punishment of eternal sleep.
The ‘new’ Corinthian and Johanna Constantine pursue a relationship; only in dreams.
Hob Gadling meets Death, and he tells her that he still wants to live forever, a request that she grants.
Lyta Hall meets her son Daniel, now as Dream of the Endless, and he promises to always look out for her in dreams.
Daniel (as Dream) brings Mervyn Pumpkinhead and Abel back to life in The Dreaming. He attempts to bring back Fiddler’s Green, but he refuses to be recreated and chooses to remain dead.

Did you enjoy the final episodes of The Sandman? Tell us in the comments down below.