The Sandman season two panned by critics following Neil Gaiman allegations

Netflix’s big budget fantasy hit The Sandman is back for season two, but according to critics, there’s a lot left to, you might say, Desire.

The LGBTQ+ inclusive series, which is adapted from the ‘80s and ‘90s comic book series from disgraced writer Neil Gailman, entered our dreams with season one back in 2022.

Three years and a flurry of controversies later, and the cherished show is back for its second – and final – outing, with The Sandman season two volume one having just dropped on Netflix. Volume two and a special episode will round off the series later this month.

Despite season one garnering acclaim from fans and critics alike – it currently has an 88 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – season two has sadly not seen the same critical adoration, with one publication suggesting it “misses every opportunity it creates for itself”.

Others have suggested that season two is let down by the fact it arrives in the shadow of allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct from a number of women against writer and developer Gaiman. He has denied all the allegations.

In the 12 months since the allegations first came to light, a number of his projects – including Prime Video’s Good Omens, Netflix’s own Dead Boy Detectives, and a stage adaptation of Coraline have all been shortened or shelved entirely.

Similarly, fans of The Sandman were heartbroken to learn that season two would be the final instalment of the Netflix adaptation, considering the expansiveness of the comic book’s world. Netflix, though, has insisted the decision to give the show just two seasons was decided in 2022, before claims against Gaiman were shared publicly. 

Gaiman was an executive producer on season two alongside David S Goyer, and co-wrote the final episode alongside the series showrunner, Allan Heinberg.

Despite the furore, The Sandman has survived for one final outing. There’s no one better to describe where the show is picking up from than Heinberg, who explains that season two begins a few weeks after the events of the first.

“At the end of last season, Dream (Tom Sturridge) uncreated the rogue nightmare, The Corinthian, and destroyed the Dream Vortex that threatened to consume his kingdom and our universe. Meanwhile, in Hell, Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) and Mazikeen (Cassie Clare) plot their revenge against Dream for having publicly embarrassed them in Episode four,” he explained to Netflix.

“Finally — in an important coda to the season — Dream came to the aid of his estranged wife, the muse Calliope (Melissanthi Mahut), with whom he had fallen out over the fate of their son, Orpheus (Ruairi O’Connor).

“Season two begins a few weeks later. After more than a century away from the Dreaming, Dream has been restoring and rebuilding his kingdom. As he transforms the palace, he vows to leave the past behind and look to the future. The past, of course, has other ideas.”

With volume one now available to stream, critics have had their say, and there are some fairly mixed, and fairly disappointing, results.

Writing in a two star review in The Guardian, Jack Seale dubbed the dialogue as “flat” and unfunny, and added that while The Sandman is “not short of ideas” it fails by smothering “them all in a fug of pretension, missing every opportunity it creates for itself”.

In a similarly scathing two star review in The Independent, Nick Hilton laid out the “problem” with The Sandman plainly, writing that it is “not very gripping and not very funny”.

“Comic elements… are too infrequent. It also contains 10 seconds of Lenny Henry doing one of the worst American accents ever committed to the small screen,” he wrote.

“Most of the show, instead, is a combination of Dream’s portentous proclamations and trippy imagery that make the plot hard to follow. It leaves The Sandman feeling inert; a fan service project without a fandom to serve.”

For Irish Independent, Pat Stacey describes The Sandman season two as being “ponderously paced, full of portentous waffle, and mostly takes itself desperately seriously”.

“Dream is such a passive hero, you might find yourself nodding off,” Stacey added.

In AV Club, Stephen Robinson bashed the show for coming across as “unimaginative cosplay”, writing: As a TV show, The Sandman struggles to exceed or even match the original’s stunning visual landscape, and its characters often feel like unimaginative cosplayers reciting Gaiman’s dialogue.”

Not all hope is lost though, as The Telegraph awarded season two a solid four stars, with writer Ed Power stating that it “remains brilliant” – with a few caveats.

“The Sandman isn’t for everyone. This is hardcore geek material –  portentous, pretentious and not big on humour,” he wrote. “Though wonderfully made and acted, the allegations against the show’s creator have robbed The Sandman of a great deal of its lustre. It’s a shame the adaptation is over almost before it began.”

Other publications – including Collider – suggested that season two may be uneven, but remains “beautiful” regardless.

When is The Sandman season two volume two released?

The Sandman season two volume two, featuring five episodes, will be released on Netflix on 24 July. A special bonus episode will be released on 31 July.

The Sandman season two volume one, featuring six episodes, is on Netflix now.

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