After Six Years, This DC TV Series Has Released Its Final Episode

After six years, Netflix has just released the final episode of its hit DC television series. Back in 2019, Netflix signed on to produce a small screen adaptation of The Sandman, based on the DC Comics title of the same name, from writer Neil Gaiman and artist Sam Kieth, with the first season officially premiering in August 2022. The show, which stars Tom Sturridge, was a relative success for the streaming platform, with a second season being ordered officially in January 2023. While the show’s second — and final — season faced plenty of delays due to behind-the-scenes issues, it will finally conclude its run today with the special episode, “The Sandman Presents: Death: The High Cost of Living.”

The final episode of The Sandman‘s second season is a special episode that focuses on the fan-favorite character, Death, played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste in The Sandman. The bonus episode shares its title with a three-part comic book series by Gaiman, which sees Death spends a single day like a human, allowing her the ability to remain grounded and in touch with humanity. The episode is both a treat for fans, and one for Howell-Baptiste, who gets to shine on her own in a single episode focused on her character.

Read Next

After the Success of The Penguin, The DCU Should Adapt Sandman Mystery Theatre

The DC television series stars Howell-Baptiste as Death, Tom Sturridge as Dream, Destiny (Adrian Lester), Delirium (Esme Creed-Miles), Despair (Donna Preston), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), and the Prodigal (Barry Sloane). It was developed for television by Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg, with Heinberg also serving as the showrunner. While the series does stand on its own, it is also connected to another Gaiman television adaptation with The Dead Boy Detectives. That series, which was cancelled after a single season, was based on the series created by Gaiman and artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III, which spun out of The Sandman comics.

While The Sandman did return atop Netflix’s charts for its second season, the show seemed to take a hit among critics in its second outing. The first season earned a rather solid 88% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second season dropped to a 73% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many felt that while Sturridge delivered an “ethereal” performance, that the season had often gone off course with no real destination in sight. The Sandman’s second season was released in three parts. Part 1 consisted of the season’s first six episodes, while Part 2, which was released on July 24th, contained the remainder of the season. “The Sandman Presents: Death: The High Cost of Living,” the final episode from The Sandman, is meant to serve as a bonus episode and is finally able to stream as of today.

Before fans get ready to say goodbye to the Endless siblings with Death’s bonus episode, they can currently revisit The Sandman‘s two-season run in full now exclusively on Netflix. For those eager to delve further into the world of the character, The Sandman comics are now available to purchase thanks to DC Comics.