The Sandman – Season 2 Episode 2 'The Ruler of Hell' Recap & Review
Episode 2 of The Sandman Season 2 begins with Morpheus arriving in Hell only to find it empty. He is welcomed by a dejected and depressed Lucifer who assures him that they don't have any tricks up their sleeves. They go as far as to promise that within the bounds of Hell, they won't harm Morpheus.
Curious, he follows along as Lucifer locks all the gates and has their wings cut off. Once they are out of Hell, the fallen angel then gives the key to Morpheus. He accepts it and realises Lucifer's plans too late.
Lucifer never wanted to rule Hell, and inspired by Dream constantly leaving his realm, the fallen angel has quit Hell. All the residents of Hell have left, including Nada which means her location is now unknown. On top of that, Morpheus's life just got harder as he cannot let the key fall into the hands of someone reckless.
Morpheus panics as he rushes back to the Dreaming. With Lucifer gone, every being hungry to rule Hell is after the key.
He tries to palm it off to Death so he can focus on finding Nada. She refuses and reminds him of his first duty as the new ruler of Hell. He needs to retrieve all the demons and Hell's souls before they wreak havoc on the world.
On cue, a bunch of beings show up, demanding the key. Morpheus decides to host a banquet and pick Hell's next ruler. Some notable attendees include Thor, Odin, Loki, Kilderkin, Chaos, Japanese sea god Susano-O-No-Mikoto and Azazel.
Next arrive the fae ambassadors, Cluracan and Nuala. Every seven years, nine faeries are given to Hell as a tithe. They want Morpheus to stay as the ruler of an empty Hell. Nuala is upset as Morpheus continues with his diplomatic assurances. As they are led to the banquet, the Dreaming subjects acquiesce to every guest's wishes.
From a secret gallery, Morpheus observes everyone reveal their true selves. Lucienne's first pick is Odin but Morpheus notes that he is reckless enough to bring his imprisoned trickster of a son, Loki. As expected, Odin wants Loki to trick Morpheus into giving them the key. But Loki claims his powers don't work on Dream in his own realm. Most of the guests think the best way to win Dream over is to bribe him.
Lucienne's next pick is Azazel since he knows Hell best. It cuts to Azazel and his party engaging in sadistic acts. Thor is nasty with the female demon, Merkin and she puts him in his place. Nuala checks on her while Thor causes a scene. Morpheus steps in and ends the fighting.
More guests arrive but they are the angels, Remiel and Duma who simply want to observe and report to God. Morpheus is nervous but his chef, Taramis, sees it as him having the upper hand. She deduces that even God doesn't know what to do or He would have taken the key. Everyone knows Morpheus will make the right decision.
Soon, bribes are offered. Morpheus rejects Kilderkin's dream essence. Chaos threatens him. Susano-O-No-Mikoto makes a sincere pitch. Next is Odin who offers to find the missing Endless. He also reveals why he is desperate; he hopes to delay Ragnarok by relocating the giants and the dark elves to Hell.
Following a gory show presented by Cain and Abel, Morpheus ends the banquet and sends everyone to their rooms. He also confides in Lucienne that he finally has two candidates.
At the end of The Sandman Season 2 Episode 2, Azazel shows up in Morpheus' throne room. He offers Choronzon as revenge for challenging Morpheus in Season 1. When Morpheus rejects the gift, Azazel reveals that he has Nada. He brutally kills Choronzon and threatens to kill Nada the same way unless he gets the key.
The Episode Review
The Sandman Season 2 Episode 2 is another fun chapter and if this season continues the same way, the show can very well end with the legacy of having the perfect run. It seems that this adaptation has found a working formula and is sticking to it in every episode.
Morpheus faces a challenge with a sprinkle of some existential philosophy or moral dilemma, the bad guys get involved but they aren't really bad and right when the problem is about to be resolved, there is a shocking cliffhanger.
Along with it, we also get some exciting characters from folklore and myths in a new form such as the desperate Odin, a fae who is actually sincere for once, and the angry Japanese sea god who has changed. Lucifer's plan is a masterclass on revenge as well. Like Morpheus, viewers will be second-guessing Lucifer's every move till the other shoe drops. And the best part is that it cannot go wrong. No matter what decision Morpheus takes, Lucifer has won. But we do hope this isn't the last we see of the fallen angel.
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