The Sandman Season 2 Predictions and Wish List

By Sideshow

The Sandman, based on Vertigo and DC Comics of the same name and now a Netflix original, is a smash-hit television series. The successful comic book adaption has been #1 on streaming charts for weeks. Fortunately, Netflix just renewed The Sandman.

That’s good, because we need more, especially after that cliffhanger with Lucifer and their enigmatic decision to do something that’s never been done before. What could that mean for Morpheus? Below, we’re breaking down some of the comic storylines and events that we think might make it into The Sandman season 2.

Family Meeting

Based on the season 1 happenings, we can safely presume season 2 will start by pulling from the Season of Mists arc. This arc brings in the rest of the Endless and sets up Dream’s return to Hell. Thus, we expect to begin with the family meeting within Destiny’s realm, The Garden of Forking Ways. Inside their eldest brother’s castle, the Endless catch up on important business as well as personal matters. It’s also the first time we see most of the Endless together. Destruction, of course, is still absent of his own volition.

The meeting ends when Desire mocks Dream for leaving his past lover, Nada, in Hell. You’ll remember her as the crying, caged woman from season 1 (episode 4) who appealed to Kai’ckul for forgiveness. To Dream’s shock and dismay, his sister Death agrees that Dream’s actions were wrong. So Dream resolves to fix his mistake, departing for Hell almost immediately in order to free Nada.

Saying Goodbye

Dream is extremely concerned about his return to Hell. He believes Lucifer Morningstar is incensed at Dream for besting him in “the oldest game” — wherein Dream won back his helm from the demon Choronzon (season 1, episode 4). Fearing he might die during this trip, Dream visits a variety of characters.

He bids farewell to Lucien and the dreams. Traveling to the waking world, Dream sees the infant Daniel Hall and reminds the mother, Lyta Hall, that Daniel belongs to the Dreaming. Finally, Dream also says goodbye to his immortal friend Hob Gadling. These scenes would be integral in connecting seasons 1 and 2 together, and reminding audiences of important plot points yet to come.

Lucifer’s Key to Hell

As teased in episode 10’s cliffhanger, Lucifer has some big plans. Interestingly enough, in the comics we don’t get this confirmation that the Morningstar’s machinations were so premeditated. Instead, when Dream arrives in Hell to rescue Nada, both he and the readers are blindsided by what’s occurred: Lucifer is giving up Hell. After convincing Dream that this is no trick, he leaves the front gate key to Dream of the Endless.

So now Nada is nowhere to be found, and Dream has a huge new responsibility to deal with. After all, the Dream King does not want to own Hell — but there are plenty of bidders from other realms who want the job. And now Dream has to decide who gets it.

Dream’s Dinner

Similar to season 1 splitting into 2 major parts, the Key to Hell arc will probably span the first half of the episodes. Why? There’s a lot to cover. First of all, there are a whole host of entities who wish to control Hell for various reasons. They all converge upon the Dreaming for a party of sorts. While a television episode might not cover them all, here are the key players you absolutely need to know:

Odin, accompanied by Loki and Thor, wants to own Hell so the Norse pantheon can survive post Ragnarok. The demon Azazel — the big collection of eyes we met in season 1 — vies for control alongside other Dukes, offering to trade Nada in exchange. Conversely, two angels, Duma and Remiel, come to simply observe. Two Fae representatives, Cluracan and Nuala, ask Dream to give Hell to no one. Also present are Egyptian gods, the lords of Chaos and Order, and the Japanese storm god Susano-o-no-Mikoto.

The New Rule

There’s a lot of bidding, bribing, and brawling — conversations that could easily take two episodes — before Dream decides. In the end, he gives Hell to the angels. Then he descends into Hell to finally rescue Nada. Although she explains that she still loves him, she will not stay with him in the Dreaming. So Dream reincarnates her into the body of a newborn baby, giving her a second lease on life after she spent over 10,000 years in a cage.

Elsewhere, on an Australian beach, Lucifer begrudgingly admires the Almighty’s sunset. This would be a perfectly funny ending shot for the first half of season 2.

Barbie and the Land

The latter half of The Sandman season 2 would obviously focus on A Game of You, with Barbie. You met her in season 1, episode 7. During Rose’s time as the Vortex, Rose sees Barbie’s dreams of a place called the Land. We hear words like “the Porpentine” and meet a furry creature called Martin Tenbones. Sadly, Barbie’s arc begins with her life in New York City, and Martin Tenbones’ death.

Barbie thus undertakes a quest to save the Land inside the Dreaming. Her allies include the humans Wanda, Hazel, and Foxglove, as well as the witch Thessaly. Oh, and George, a quiet and creepy man who helps a villain named the Cuckoo seep into the waking world. Thessaly, immune to George and the Cuckoo’s powers, kills George and uses his severed head to guide her through the Land. Yeah … it’s disturbing.

The Hierogram

Within the Dreaming, in the Land, Barbie battles the Cuckoo. She also confronts the concept of her past self, her own guilt and regrets, and wrestles with her own perception of herself. It’s a very moving story, filled to the brim with a unique fantasy world and helpful anthropomorphic animals.

Dream, finally aware of this chaos, unmakes the Land. He returns Barbie and her allies safe and sound to the waking world. In New York, Barbie mourns her lost friends — Wanda, who died while Barbie was away — and tries to move past her trauma. She’s been through a lot now, after all. But she dreams a wonderful dream of Wanda and Death waving goodbye, and that seems to heal her.

Possible Bonus Episode(s) for The Sandman

Remember when The Sandman dropped, and then about a week later we got a bonus episode? Good times. The stories included in The Sandman episode 11 are A Dream of a Thousand Cats and Calliope. One is set in the world we know but doesn’t really impact the plot as a whole. Calliope, on the other hand, hints us toward extremely pivotal narratives involving Orpheus. So what could a season 2 bonus episode entail?

Nada and Dream

Fans who have only seen the Netflix show still don’t really know the deal between Nada and Dream. Well, a bonus episode could change that. Audiences would get to see how they fell in love — and how Dream spectacularly ruined the whole relationship. Alternatively, Nada’s story just might make it into the proper season, since she’s so important during the Season of Mists arc.

Lady Johanna Constantine and Orpheus

So in season 1, episode 6, Dream tells Hob Gadling that he met with Lady Johanna Constantine again. This is a reference to a task which Lady Johanna undertakes for the Dream Lord. Because Dream cannot interfere with mortal affairs, Lady Johanna rescues Dream’s son — well, his living, dismembered head — from France. The haunting melody of Orpheus’ song is one that belongs on our screens.

This could also give Netflix fans closure about what happened between Morpheus and Calliope. Honestly, Orpheus’ whole story could — and probably should — take up its own episode and not just half of a bonus. But like with all of The Sandman series, there’s a lot to cover, and in adapting it, writers have to pick what’s most important to the overall narrative per season. This simply might not make the cut for season 2, since it ties in a lot more with later comic plot points.

What do you hope to see in The Sandman season 2 now that Netflix has renewed the series? Share your thoughts with other fans at side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!