The Sandman is now streaming on Netflix, and even though the series has not been officially renewed for a second season, high critical praise and strong viewership numbers are being taken as a decent indication that we will return to The Dreaming before too long.
Co-creator/Executive Producer Neil Gaiman certainly seems confident about the prospect of at least one more season (he's obviously hoping to see his entire 75-issue comic book run adapted), and confirmed that we will indeed pick up right where we left off in the season 1 finale when the show returns.
"[W]e just carry on with this story [in Season 2]," the author tells Newsweek. "That's kind of marvellous that anybody who has seen Season 1… when we tell them that Season 2 [is] going to begin with the big Lucifer-Morpheus rematch, they get very excited. Little do they know what's going to happen and that they are simply not prepared for where it's gonna go."
Spoilers follow from this point on.
In episode 4, Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) travels to Hell in order to retrieve his helmet from one of the demons who resides there. He ends up facing Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) in a rather unconventional battle, leaving the ruler of the Underworld embarrassed when he pulls out the victory.
In the final scene of the season (you can check out our full recap of the finale here), we return to Hell to find the Morningstar plotting their revenge.
If you've read the fourth volume of The Sandman, "Season of Mists," you'll know that Lucifer's plan is far more complex than simply invading The Dreaming, as they insidiously go about plotting Morpheus' downfall.
Have you guys finished The Sandman yet? If so, what did you think? Have a read through our review here, and be sure to drop us a comment down below.
"There is another world that waits for all of us when we close our eyes and sleep — a place called the Dreaming, where The Sandman, Master of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), gives shape to all of our deepest fears and fantasies. But when Dream is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for a century, his absence sets off a series of events that will change both the dreaming and waking worlds forever. To restore order, Dream must journey across different worlds and timelines to mend the mistakes he’s made during his vast existence, revisiting old friends and foes, and meeting new entities — both cosmic and human — along the way."
The Sandman also stars Kirby Howell Baptiste as Death, Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian, Donna Preston as Despair, Stephen Fry as Gilbert, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Charles Dance as black magician Roderick Burgess, and Sanjeeve Bhaskar as Cain. Joely Richardson will play Ethel Cripps, while David Thewlis will take on the role of her son John Dee, aka the deranged Dr. Destiny.
The 10-episode first season of The Sandman adapts the first two arcs of the Vertigo comics series, "Preludes and Nocturnes" and "The Doll's House."