The Sandman – Season 2 Episode 6 'Family Blood' Recap & Review

The Review Geek

2 days ago

Episode 6
Episode 6 of The Sandman Season 2 begins in England, 1794. Lady Johanna Constantine is visited by Morpheus, 5 years after their first meeting. He tasks her with the retrieval of Orpheus' head. Seems like he ended up in France and Robespierre locked him up out of fear of his oracle powers.
In Paris, Johanna is able to steal back the head but two soldiers spot her. While she hides, she and Orpheus bond. He misses his father and wonders if Morpheus is behind his rescue. Johanna looks sad as Morpheus has forbidden her from revealing her employer.
In the morning, Robespierre and his men show up. Unable to find Orpheus, they arrest Johanna. Via her dream, Morpheus too asks after Orpheus. Johanna shares how he is lively and how his spirit hasn't been broken. She asks for help and Morpheus suggests a song.
In the waking world, Robespierre gives Johanna a chance to return Orpheus. She pretends to agree. She has hidden him among the guillotined heads and retrieves him. On cue, he sings a song of liberty. The soldiers fall into a trance, allowing Johanna and Orpheus to leave. Soon after, Robespierre is guillotined for his reign of terror.
Our unlikely duo returns to Orpheus' island. Johanna doesn't want to part ways and suggests visiting Orpheus. He doesn't think it is a good idea as he doesn't want her to fall for a severed head. But he wishes his father would visit and she tells Morpheus so. The Dream King deflects and asks for her fee. She simply wants more time with Orpheus.
At present, we see that she has been buried on the island as Delirium and Morpheus arrive. Delirium is nervous and tries to stop Morpheus from kicking off the chain of events that will lead him to killing his son. If an Endless kills one family, the Three Sisters' wrath is brought on the killer. However, Morpheus wants to put his son out of his misery and goes inside. Orpheus is glad to see him and they have a bittersweet reunion as both apologise for their foolishness.
Delirium is waiting outside and looks sad once Morpheus returns. However, they have got what they came for – Destruction lives on an island nearby.
Unsurprisingly, this second reunion is bittersweet as well. Having accepted their stubbornness, Destruction is happy to see Delirium and Morpheus. Delirium peppers him with questions about his disappearances while Morpheus is angry with him for taking innocent lives as warnings.
This amuses Destruction who reminds Morpheus that the old him never cared for humanity. Morpheus continues to provoke him, calling him out for abandoning his responsibilities. But Destruction refuses to return. He reveals that he doesn't have to be present for destruction to exist; it is an independent function. And he refuses to take the blame for it.
And while he is glad to see his siblings, he doesn't want anyone to find him again. Delirium begs him to return as she is lonely and he asks Barnabas to stay with her. He then points out that Morpheus has changed for the better, helping Delirium and Orpheus. He reminds Morpheus that he loves humanity which is why he left; he doesn't want to be responsible for their destruction. He hugs his siblings and leaves for the stars.
Delirium is glad that she got closure but her smile falls when she remembers the boon which is indeed Orpheus' death.
Orpheus is relieved when Morpheus returns. The Dream King confesses that he initially refused to kill Orpheus as he didn't want to live in a world without his son. Morpheus finally kills him and then bids Delirium farewell.
He is in a daze as he arrives in the Dreaming. He tells Lucienne to have the priests bury Orpheus. Alone, he struggles to wash the blood from his hands and he finally tears up.
At the end of The Sandman Season 2 Episode 6, the Three Sisters are busy drinking tea and knitting. They learn of the filicide and the younger two sisters are sympathetic as they try to delay fate. However, the oldest reminds them of the rules and that Morpheus needs to pay for killing his son. She cuts a thread.
The Episode Review
The Sandman Season 2 Episode 6 is the perfect point to split the season and could have also worked as a finale had this not been the final season. All major conflicts and storylines are wrapped up, everyone gets closure, including Delirium and Orpheus, and it ends on a satisfying and almost positive note.
And there are enough clues hinting at what happens next. There's the aftermath of the prophecy, and what Fate has in store for Morpheus following the killing of his son. He also believes something otherworldly forced him to look for Destruction.
However, that 'otherworldly' force could also just be him missing his brother and wanting to help Delirium. Destruction's parting words suggest that, since he is proud of Morpheus changing into a more compassionate being. But the last few flashbacks in this chapter also prove that this change hasn't been sudden or only due to Morpheus imprisonment at the hands of Burgess.
18th-century him is still arrogant but he cares for his son, rescuing him, asking after him and allowing Johanna to be buried on the island so that Orpheus is not alone. His character development has been gradual but enough to not only make him likeable but also an anti-hero to root for. Boy, we do hope nothing bad happens to him in the second part which marks the end of his story…
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