'The Sandman Season 2 Volume 1' Hits Rough Water As Neil Gaiman Scandal Adversely Impact The Reviews

Netflix quietly premiered the first part of The Sandman Season 2 on July 3, 2025. The first six episodes of the series were released on the OTT platform. However, the scandal surrounding the show's writer appears to have also impacted the reviews. For the unversed, the series is the adaptation of The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman. The writer has been facing allegations of sexual assault from multiple women, which he denied. 

Critics give negative reviews to The Sandman Season 2

The Sandman Season 2, Volume 1, has received a series of negative reviews, and many believe that the adverse ratings are linked to critics not being pleased with the allegations against the writer. Jack Seale wrote the review for The Sandman in The Guardian and shared that while the show doesn't lack ideas, it smothers them all in a 'fug of pretension'. He added that the show failed to portray the abilities of 'Morpheus' properly and stated:

"The Sandman is not short of ideas, but it smothers them all in a fug of pretension, missing every opportunity it creates for itself. The fact that Morpheus has the ability to access humans' dreams – to mould them and make them real – barely features."

Nick Hilton from The Independent also gave the show a negative review, stating that the issue with The Sandman is that the series is not very gripping and lacks humour. He added that the comic elements are too infrequent. He also pointed out how the series featured 10 seconds of Lenny Henry doing one of 'the worst American accents ever committed to the small screen'. Stephen Robinson also wrote a piece for The AV Club and stated:

"Dream and his (very odd) sister Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles) embark on what is effectively a wacky road trip to find their estranged brother Destruction (Barry Sloane). The sight of the two on a commercial airline flight in the comic is a laugh-out-loud moment. But the Netflix series drains these situations of any trace of humour or sly wit. Simply put, the show is serious at a time when works of fantasy are confident enough not to take themselves so seriously."

What is Neil Gaiman being accused of?

Neil Gaiman is being accused of rape and abuse by two women. The writer was allegedly in a consensual relationship with his former nanny and a fan. However, things took a turn for the worse. It is also noted that Neil has denied all claims and filed a motion that the case should be heard in New Zealand, where the alleged abuse took place. The writer's lawyers have also pointed out the texts exchanged between Neil and the nanny, Scarlett Pavlovich. In one of the texts, when Neil confronted the alleged abuse allegations, Scarlett responded by stating:

"Oh my God. Neil! I never said that … Rape? WHAT? This is the first I have heard of this."

More about The Sandman

Allan Heinberg is the showrunner, executive producer, and writer of this season. The show stars Tom Sturridge as 'Dream', Gwendoline Christie essays the role of 'Lucifer', Boyd Holbrook as the 'Corinthian', and Charles Dance is seen in the role of 'Roderick Burgess', among others. The season will conclude with Volume 2 (Episodes 7–11) on July 24, 2025, and a special bonus episode will be released on July 31, 2025.

What are your thoughts on The Sandman receiving negative reviews from the critics? Do you think it has anything to do with Neil Gaiman's scandal? Let us know.

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