Netflix has added The Sandman season 2 after a long wait for fans of the fantasy drama series.
The first season dropped in August 2022, and nearly three years later, we're getting 12 new episodes — although they’re not all landing at once. Episodes 1-6 have arrived today (Thursday, July 3). Episodes 7-11 will be available starting Thursday, July 24, and episode 12 will be available on Thursday, July 31.
Based on Neil Gaiman's comic books, we find the brooding Lord Morpheus, AKA Dream (Tom Sturridge) — who presides over the world of the sleeping — busy restoring his kingdom until a family reunion forces him to reconcile with his past decisions.
Called to meet with his siblings, Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Desire (Mason Alexander Park) and Despair (Donna Preston), Dream also reunites with two more of the Endless brood; stoic eldest brother Destiny (Adrian Lester) and younger, chaotic sister Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles).
But as their gathering is fraught with old wounds, will their seventh sibling, Destruction (Barry Sloane) — who abandoned his family 300 years ago — return to the fold?
“Dream is in a place of rebuilding and is trying to bring his kingdom back to its former strength, but then he’s called by his brother [Destiny] to a family meeting, the consequences of which are enormous,” says Tom Sturridge. “It's thrilling to have the siblings of the Endless together in one room for the first time, though.
“Ultimately, The Sandman is a story about a family and beyond the Endless being these divine embodiments of different expressions of the soul, they are siblings, and they behave and interact in a way that’s entirely familiar."
The new cast includes Game of Thrones star Jack Gleeson and Clive Russell as hobgoblin Puck and Dream’s long-time ally, Odin. Freddie Fox plays Loki, the god of chaos, Ruairi O’Connor is Dream’s idealistic son, Orpheus, and Laurence O’Fuarain joins as hammer-throwing storm god Thor.
Plus Douglas Booth is royal emissary Cluracan with Steve Coogan voicing Barnabas, while Gwendoline Christie reprises her role as Lucifer, who vows to destroy Dream.
Teasing season 2, Netflix says: "After a fateful reunion with his family, Dream of the Endless (Tom Sturridge) must face one impossible decision after another as he attempts to save himself, his kingdom, and the waking world from the epic fallout of his past misdeeds. To make amends, Dream must confront longtime friends and foes, gods, monsters, and mortals.
"But the path to forgiveness is full of unexpected twists and turns, and true absolution may cost Dream everything. Based on the beloved award-winning DC comic series, the second season of The Sandman will tell Dream's story arc in full to its thrilling conclusion."
As to why the show is ending now, showrunner Allan Heinberg released a statement to Variety back in January saying: "The Sandman' series has always been focused exclusively on Dream’s story, and back in 2022, when we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season.
“We are extremely grateful to Netflix for bringing the team all back together and giving us the time and resources to make a faithful adaptation in a way that we hope will surprise and delight the comics’ loyal readers as well as fans of our show.”
The first six episodes of The Sandman season 2 are available to watch on Netflix now. Check out our best series on Netflix guide for more recommendations.
