The Sandman - Season 2

Season two of The Sandman isn't perfect, but it does give the series a fitting finale. Three years ago, The Sandman debuted in an interesting way. In the first season, we saw Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), the ruler of the dream realm, trapped in the mortal world for a hundred years and forced to rebuild his realm after his escape. While the series wasn't perfect, it offered a captivating and rich mythology filled with gods, demons, and other supernatural beings. Season two is also compelling and interesting, but far from perfect.

In this second and final season, we see three overarching storylines intertwine. Morpheus receives the keys to Hell and must determine who will be the new ruler of the underworld. He then sets out to rebuild his relationship with his son and confronts the Fates, who still have a score to settle with him.

This season offers the same strengths and weaknesses as the first season

Season two offers much of what season one had to offer: an interesting world, beautiful special effects, colorful characters, and an intriguing story. At the same time, The Sandman is far from perfect. The pace is quite slow, yet the ending still feels rushed. And despite Tom Sturridge being a fine actor, his protagonist, Morpheus, is emotionless, flat, and not the most interesting aspect of his world. While that's certainly the nature of his character, almost all the other characters are so much more interesting, which is a shame.

But apart from that, there's still plenty to enjoy this season. Even more than in the first season, we see a beautiful world brought to life with a multitude of mythologies. Characters and stories from the Bible, British folklore, Greek myths, and Norse sagas are seamlessly woven together into one believable world. And while it's clear that extensive computer effects were used to bring this world to life, it still looks impressive.

The worlds and mythologies are more interconnected than in the first season. In the first season, you often saw an interesting character or concept introduced, only to be completely abandoned. It left the series feeling rather fragmented and disconnected. While that feeling still occasionally persists, the writers, with a stronger overarching storyline, are successfully connecting the right characters and elements.

The Sandman features a colorful world full of interesting characters

The actors also do a good job. It's a shame Morpheus isn't the most interesting character, but there are plenty of fun, colorful characters to compensate. Freddie Fox and Jack Gleeson are wonderfully in form as two evil gods, and it's great to see Jenna Coleman return as the supernatural detective Johanna Constantine. Morpheus' siblings, the Endless, are also very interesting. Newcomer Delirium (Esme Creed-Miles) shines, as does Destruction (Barry Sloane), whose role is brief but memorable. But the highlight for me, just like in the first season, is Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste).

Each of the Endless demonstrates that their mission in the universe is inseparable from its opposite. No destruction without creation, no despair without hope, and no death without life. Death himself loves life, but fully realizes that life also has an end. This is powerfully demonstrated several times, just as in the first season. The special in which she goes on the road with a suicidal journalist is a tender and heartwarming highlight.

It's a shame that The Sandman ended after two seasons. While not perfect, it's a fascinating piece of television that brings an interesting world to life. The series has a beautiful ending, but I'd love to see more of this world. The comic book on which this series is based also has many spin-offs and one-offs featuring side characters. Perhaps we can continue to enjoy the world of The Sandman in the form of one-off specials in the future.