Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Sandman’ takes the audience into the world of the King of Dreams as he tries to protect his kingdom from various threats while also going through significant character development. The second season focuses on Morpheus’ fate, and Part 2, specifically, deals with his date with destiny. By this time, he has killed his son, Orpheus, out of an act of mercy. Nonetheless, he has spilled family blood and must face the consequences of his actions. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Morpheus Accepts His End With Open Arms
Morpheus’ fate was sealed the moment he realised that he would have to talk to Orpheus to find out Destruction’s location. He hadn’t talked to his son since he walked into the Underworld to talk with Hades and Persephone in the hopes of getting his wife, Eurydice, back, and then got himself decapitated, even though he knew he couldn’t die anymore. His son’s actions broke Morpheus’ heart, but what made things worse was when his son asked him to kill him, even when he knew that doing so would mean Morpheus’ death as well.
So, when it becomes clear that Orpheus is the only one who can tell them where Destruction is, he realizes that in return for this information, Orpheus will demand death again, and this time, his father will have to comply. Despite knowing this, he still goes forward with the whole thing, so it is no surprise when the Kindly Ones show up at his door, using Hippolyta Hall as the weapon to destroy his Dreaming. Initially, Morpheus hopes to find some way to delay, if not entirely cancel, his death, but no matter whose counsel or help he seeks, he always receives the same answer: there is no way to change the course of things now.
Having accepted his own end, the only thing on the Dream King’s mind is the well-being of Dreaming and its residents. To ensure that his successor is in place when he is gone, he tries to secure Daniel Hall, but that act itself becomes the thing that fast-tracks the events of his death. Eventually, as the Kindly Ones refuse to show any mercy, even after Lyta discovers that her son is alive, Morpheus confronts the trio, offering himself up in the hopes that his end will make them leave and keep the Dreaming from being destroyed beyond recovery.
The Dream King knows that his sister, Death, is the one who must take him to the other side, which also gives him comfort in a way because the two of them have been closer than they are to the rest of the siblings. They share a chat where Death tries to make him reconsider the plan of giving up when he can fight and maybe even win, considering that he has soldiered through things far worse than this. However, he has made up his mind, especially now that he has his successor to take care of the Dreaming. Killing his son, even if as an act of mercy, has left him too broken to want to keep living. So, he asks her to let him leave the mortal world. This time, when she holds his hand, it is not as his sister but as Death of the Endless, marking an end to Morpheus’ life and story.
Morpheus’ Death Leads to the Rise of a New Dream
Something that has been reiterated throughout the second season is how Dream and Morpheus aren’t necessarily the same thing. Morpheus himself says that even if he dies, the Dreaming shall survive. The same thing is repeated by Cluracan to Nuala, suggesting that everyone knows that being one of the Endless is more about the position than the person. The moment Morpheus realises that the clock is ticking on him, he starts making plans to make sure that Daniel is there to take over as soon as he passes, and that’s what happens, even though not in the way that he had originally expected.
The problem with Daniel taking over is that he is still a baby when Morpheus’ fate is sealed. The Dream King and his subjects believed that it would be years before the Furies would come knocking at his door, which would give him enough time to raise Daniel such that the boy would know what he is getting into. However, the events turn out such that when Morpheus dies, Daniel has yet to speak a word. However, one noticeable aspect is that his arrival in the Dreaming hastens his growth, at least in body. By the time Morpheus decides to go face to face with the Kindly Ones, the baby has already grown a few years. The moment Morpheus is gone, this toddler transforms into a full-grown man.
Daniel’s sudden growth doesn’t mean that he has a complete awareness of what his role as Dream means. Still, he is aware enough to know how to make dreams, and even has some memories of Morpheus, so that he recognises people and things even if he has never personally met or known them. He knows enough to get a handle on things, but there is still much to learn. He explains the dilemma of his situation when he says that, as Dream, he is as old as time, but as Daniel, he is still an infant.
This paradox is also deepened by the fact that he is partly human, which makes him quite different from the rest of the Endless, and in some ways, perhaps, better. In any case, he is welcomed by the family; even Destruction shows up to meet with him, even though he doesn’t attend Morpheus’ memorial or meet the rest of his siblings. Lucienne and the others also decide to stick around, at least long enough to let Daniel come into his own as the ruler of the Dreaming, and take charge as Morpheus’ natural successor and begin a new chapter for himself as well as his realm as the next Dream of the Endless.
Read More: The Sandman Season 2 Part 2 Post Credits Scene: What Does the Poem Mean, Explained
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