Netflix recently unveiled the first trailer and release dates for The Sandman season 2, which will be split into two parts. The 6-episode Volume 1 premieres on July 3, and the 5-episode Volume 2 arrives on July 24.
Now, the streamer has officially revealed the titles for each episode, and this final season will include a bonus instalment based on Death: The High Cost of Living.
This spin-off tale was hinted at in a deleted scene from the first season, when Death tells her little brother Morpheus that she used to take human form once every century in an attempt to remain grounded and in touch with humanity.
In the episode, "The Sound of Her Wings," Death reveals that she used to be a lot more, well, grim about her reaping, but an encounter with her human counterpart (Didi, presumably) gave way to her far sunnier disposition.
Netflix has also shared new stills for each of the 12 episodes. The rest of the titles will likely be familiar to fans of the comic, and they come with some pretty big spoilers.
FINAL SPOILER WARNING!
It looks like this final season will bring a definitive end to still story by adapting "The Kindly Ones," which culminates with the death of Morpheus, and "The Wake," which introduces Daniel as the new aspect of Dream of the Endless.
An updated synopsis reads: “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.”
We had assumed that the recent accusations against Neil Gaiman might lead to the show being cancelled, but Variety claimed that "the second season was intended to be the last prior to filming."
Whether this is accurate or not, fans of the acclaimed series are not happy. While it's true that excluding elements of the comic run that don't focus specifically on Morpheus would allow them to adapt more of the story, it'll be difficult to do justice to the later arcs with just one more season.
Season 2 stars Tom Sturridge, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, Esmé Creed-Miles, Adrian Lester, Barry Sloane, Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Coleman, Ferdinand Kingsley, Stephen Fry, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Razane Jammal, Ruairi O’Connor, Freddie Fox, Clive Russell, Laurence O’Fuarain, Ann Skelly, Douglas Booth, Jack Gleeson, Indya Moore and Steve Coogan.
Have you watched The Sandman yet? You can check out our review of the first season here.