Netflix’s series adaptation of the beloved Neil Gaiman comicTheSandmanproved to be a surprise success for the streaming service. So it was likely expected that it would eventually be renewed. But there’s something different about its upcoming second season, namely that it won’t actually be called “Season 2.”
WhenNetflix recently renewedThe Sandman, anyone could be forgiven for assuming that the continuation would be handled in the same way as any other series. But it turns out that, while there’s more ofThe Sandmanon its way, the next batch of episodes will not be called “Season 2.” The reason for that is a bit complicated, as one would expect from a Gaiman production. But luckily, two of the series stars have some insight into that.
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Vivienne Acheampong, the star behind Lucienne onThe Sandman, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, who plays Death, recently sat down withColliderto discuss the series, its renewal, and a few other tidbits. When asked why the continuation wouldn’t be called “Season 2,” the duo had some answers. “We have no idea where stories go next season,” Howell-Baptiste revealed about the upcoming season. The interviewer asked whether they were aware that production wasn’t calling it “Season 2,” to which Acheampong replied, “We’re aware because I think that it’s such a unique thing anyway,Sandman. So to call it Season 2, I think that’s not what it is because there are just more stories to tell. As Kirby said, we literally don’t know how this is going to be.”
The answer is as cryptic asthe endlessly quotableThe Sandmanitself. But there’s still more. “Well, I would say, I think part of the hesitance probably to call it Season 2 is that one of the things aboutSandman, and one of the things about Neil, is Neil loves his fans and I think there is the understanding that we told some of the stories and there’s more to tell,” Howell-Baptiste added. “So it’s much more to it. And if you are a fan of the comic books, you know how many stories. It’s just that once you put that into a TV format, it’s broken up.”
That certainly makes an odd amount of sense, asThe Sandmanin its comic book formreally is a collection of stories that don’t play by the rules of a typical linear TV season. While there were throughlines with the first collection of episodes, it was still a very episodic formula, and it sounds like the format will step even further down that path. So, to call it a proper season might not accurately represent what Gaiman and the show’s creators are going for.
Whatever it’s called, it’s clear thatmore ofThe Sandmanis a good thing. Its run on Netflix has been a pretty unambiguous success, so odds are it will stick with what kept the viewers streaming in. But in a Gaiman production, that could mean anything, and that’s the fun of it.
The Sandmanis currently streaming on Netflix.
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