The mysterious nature of The Sandman Season 2 becomes more intriguing with the release of titles for six of the new season’s episodes. Director Jamie Childs’ CV was updated to reflect episodes he had worked on for Season 2. Childs is a prolific television director whose previous credits include Season 1 of The Sandman, His Dark Materials, and Poldark. Season 2 of the Neil Gaiman property will reportedly have 12 episodes, but the six new titles offer an idea of what to expect coming down the pipe.
What’s On Netflix reports that the episode titles will be as follows: “The Song of Orpheus,” “More Devils Than Vast Hell Can Hold,” “Brief Lives,” “Family Blood,” “The Ruler of Hell,” and “Season of Mists.” These crumbs of information are likely all fans will get for now. The Sandman production has been famously quiet on updates for new content. So much so that even its own actors aren’t sure when the new season will wrap. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, who plays Death on the series, admitted to Collider that the production is somewhat of a mystery.
“I don’t ever finish filming. [laughs] We just continue the filming as we continue the episodes. I don’t know because there’s been so many things that have changed over the last year in terms of filming scheduling. I truly don’t know.”
As mysterious as the future of The Sandman may be, there still may be some insight to gain from the newly released information. In The Sandman, episode titles always mean more than just a throwaway line. The dreamy atmosphere of the series lends to equally atmospheric titles, like the emotional episode “The Sound of Her Wings.” “The Song of Orpheus” may be the most obvious title on the list. The story of The Sandman comes from many well-known myths and deities.
What Do ‘The Sandman’ Episode Titles Mean?
Orpheus is a legend that stretches back to Greek mythology. Married to Eurydice, he is heartbroken when she dies. He is allowed to go to the Underworld to bring her back, but the main caveat is that on their way back to the surface, he can’t look back. Of course, he does, and Eurydice is lost to the Underworld forever. “The Song of Orpheus” also happens to be the name of a story arc in the original comic, featuring Dream (Tom Sturridge) and Calliope’s (Melissanthi Mahut) son. Presumably, Dream’s son will make an appearance in the episode.
“Season of Mists” also pertains to a story arc in the original comic. Other episode titles are less obvious but can be speculated upon. “More Devils Than Vast Hell Can Hold” refers to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Viewers will remember that throughout Dream’s long immortal life, he has been adjacent to many figures such as Shakespeare. To see another entry into this world would be a delight. “The Ruler of Hell” almost certainly pertains to Gwendoline Christie’s Lucifer, who has been a constant competitor to Dream.
These details are not confirmations, but foundational texts that may be important when the new season airs — whenever that may be. In the meantime, fans can catch up on The Sandman, streaming on Netflix.
via Collider