The Sandman Episode 2 Review With Spoilers

The Sandman Episode 2 "Imperfect Hosts" Review

Warning: The below review contains spoilers

Episode 2 picks up right where we left off last time. Lord Morpheus wants to recreate his kingdom, but he currently doesn't possess the power to accomplish that. Lucienne, his kindly and supportive right-hand woman, suggests rest and food, but he can't afford to waste time on that. 

To make matters worse, without his Sand, Ruby, and Helm, he can't construct his kingdom or bring its residents back. He also doesn't know the location of his talismans. But he knows that there's a way to know their whereabouts- with the help of The Fates. 

But it isn't an easy job, as Lucienne kindly explains to the viewers. The Fates require an offering, and Morpheus doesn't have anything to give them. So he hatches a plan. 

He plans to get a little of his power back by absorbing something he created and then getting the offerings. This turns out to be Gregory the gargoyle. 

In an amusing addition, Gregory turns out to be Cain and Abel's pet. And they are devastated upon hearing Morpheus' wish. Yet Abel understands Morpheus' motivations while Cain doesn't. This dichotomy is present throughout their relationship and Able describes this as of 'the first victim and the first murderer.' 

But we can't dwell on them much. The episode has a lot of ground to cover, so we immediately head to the waters where Dream gets the offerings for the Fates and an gargoyle egg for Cain and Able. 

With the offerings all ready, Morpheus summons The Fates. They are 3 women who represent different stages of life. They accept Morpheus' Snake offering and in return allow him to ask a question to each of them. 

At the end of the session, Morpheus doesn't get any concrete information about the Helm or the Ruby. But he does get to know that his Sand was once in the possession of Johanna Constantine. And with that nugget of information he sets off in the waking world. 

On the other hand, we catch up with Ethel Cripps, currently an art dealer. Thanks to her Protection Amulet she looks way younger than her 100 years and more. Now, The Fates' words might have been riddles to Morpheus, but it's clear to us that Ethel traded his Helm with a demon for the Amulet, and passed on the Ruby to her son. 

 

The Corinthian comes knocking to Ethel in search of Dream's talismans, but he gets banished back to the Dreaming realm by Ethel's amulet. We also see Ethel going to visit her aged son in a high security psychiatric facility to get the Ruby from him. 

This episode was exposition heavy, but we did need it to understand the rules of this world. Additionally, it set up Johanna Constantine's introduction. Cain and Abel were interesting parts of the episode as they added depth to Dream's kingdom, and the egg Morpheus gifted them was used to showcase his magnamity. 

The pacing of the episode was tight and the CGI was used well to showcase Morpheus' world. The scene where he ventures into other people's dreams to get the offerings was innovative. 

Yet, there are concerns regarding the Corinthian. Is he really a capable villain if he was banished easily with the Protection Amulet? As of now, it seems like he isn't any match for Ethel, let alone Morpheus.