Chapter 16: The Song of Orpheus is the fifth episode of the second season of the Netflix original dark fantasy series, The Sandman.
Synopsis[]
To honor a promise made to a brother, Morpheus must break one vow to another. In ancient Greece, a wedding night tragedy pits a son against his father.
Plot[]
Dream stood inside the ruined dance club with Wanda laying by his feet.
Back in his Dream Realm, Dream asks Lucienne for an update on how his Realm was in his brief absence, which she reports all was well, but asked if he was any closer to finding his brother. Dream states that he has no desire to find his brother, but notes that unknown forces are seeking to counter this. He then asks Lucienne to make inquiries to know who and why. Lucienne promises to do so, but Dream then asks if there was anything else, to which she responds that she admired his brother and suggests asking him why he left if she ever finds him.
A flashback of 1675, in Arundel House, London, England, occurs where Dream meets with Destruction, who takes him into a building and into a room with a dissected orangutan. There, Destruction tells how humanity's curiosity and discoveries would ultimately lead to their demise. Dream, though, had no care about Destruction's logic, and Destruction tried to insist on it.
In the present, Dream states that if Destruction loved humanity, why would he abandon his realm, which Lucienne states was done to avoid being the one responsible for their end.
Dream then attends Wanda's funeral, where he meets Aunt Dora, who gives him the book he had requested — a copy of The Marvelous Land of Oz. The two talk, and Dora addresses Wanda as "Alvin" and states that the morticians cut her hair and dressed her up in a suit, to appease the family.
Later, Dream stands in front of Wanda's grave, which has her birth name written on it, and he's soon joined by Death, who rebukes the gravestone. Dream then asks for a favor of Death, but Death states she can't revive the dead, and notes that it was nice of him to attend the funeral. After placing the book by the grave, Dream changes the name from Alvin to Wanda. Death then tells Dream that Delirium has closed off her realm and suggests talking with her. Picking a small rock, Death tosses it, which creates a portal way into Delirium's Realm. Although Dream wanted Death to follow, Death had prior business to attend to. So, after Dream enters the portal way into Delirium's Realm, Death has a heart-to-heart with Wanda, which, after this, takes her to whatever awaits her in the afterlife.
In Delirium's Realm, Dream finds himself in a subway car where rave dancers are dancing and partying. There, he chases after Delirium, who, as Dream gets closer, disappears and reappears farther away. Following Delirium to the final train car, the Train PA states that it has arrived at their final stop, where Dream finds Delirium at an old carnival overtaken by nature, where she lies beside a sundial. Dream has a heart-to-heart with Delirium and confesses that he lied to her, accepting that she may never forgive him for his deception; however, he asks that they continue on their journey to find Destruction. The two then reconcile after Delirium learns that Dream does like her. Dream then suggests that instead of visiting the last person on Delirium's list, they instead see Destiny.
On his island, Destruction finishes his poem entitled: Basilisk and Cockatrice and reads it to Barnabas, who berates it. So Destruction allows Barnabas to continue doing his thing, and Barnabas mentions dreams, but Destruction notes that he doesn't dream, further telling Barnabas that he doesn't know his family.
Delirium and Dream visit Destiny, who advises them to end their endeavor to find Destruction. Disappointed, Delirium leaves, but Dream stays behind and asks that Destiny tell him where Destruction is, despite the consequences that would occur. Destiny recites what Ishtar said to him, and that was that he would need to see an oracle, one that is a part of the family. Dream realizes that the oracle was his son, Orpheus. Dream then pieces together that Destiny knew that everything that had happened thus far was all connected.
In 1700 B.C. Dream, accompanied by Calliope, meets with Orpheus, who lies on the beach by the water. Orpheus states that he had a strange dream, featuring Eurydice, but Dream brushes it off.
The group meets with Eurydice and then with Dream's siblings, all but Destiny, who offer their well-wishes to the couple. Both Orpheus and Eurydice are then married, and that night, Death approaches Dream and asks why he wasn't dancing with the others. Dream rebukes dancing and asks where their siblings are, which Death states they had business to take care of, and Death states why she stayed behind is because she, too, has business to take care of.
Meanwhile, Eurydice and Orpheus head away from the party, and amid this, Eurydice was murdered by someone, leaving Orpheus in a state of panic. Death arrives, and Orpheus entrusts her to watch over Eurydice, but Death apologizes to Eurydice, stating that her time has come.
Eventually, a funeral is held for Eurydice with all of Death's family in attendance. However, as Calliope learned, Orpheus would not attend the funeral. In light of this, Dream sets off to find Orpheus and locates him by the beach. There, Dream tries to reason with Orpheus that Eurydice is dead. Still, Orpheus asks that Death speak to King Hades and Queen Persephone to have them revive Eurydice; however, Dream refuses, making Orpheus cut ties with Dream.
Afterward, Orpheus stands by a high cliff intending to kill himself, but Destruction stops and reasons with Orpheus. He suggests speaking to Death to try and arrange a way for him to meet with Eurydice, which he opens a portal way to her Realm.
Death's Realm was a small modern living room, and there, Orpheus coaxed Death to allow her to take him to the Underworld, where Eurydice was. Despite her concern and hesitance, Orpheus' insistence makes Death do it by making him immortal.
Opening a doorway with a key that leads into the Underworld and Death, after saying her goodbyes to Orpheus, he journeys through into the place. There, he briefly encounters the Kindly Ones who are known there as the Furies, and requests an audience with Hades and Persephone. The two Gods appear before Orpheus, and Persephone asks if he'd play a song for them. Orpheus does, uplifting the spirits who inhabit the place and making the Furies cry. Because Orpheus promised to leave under the condition that Eurydice return with him, the two Gods agree that if Orpheus can leave the Realm without turning backward until he's fully enveloped by the sun, then she will reunite with him. However, Orpheus fails to do this and conveys his failure to his mother, who informs him that she has left his father. She also tries to warn him that the Cult of Dionysus and the Furies are after him, and he won't be safe where he was, but Orpheus has accepted his fate.
That night, the Cult of Dionysus mame and decapitate Orpheus and toss his head off a cliff and into the ocean below.
The next day, Orpheus is met by his father, Dream, who informs him that he's been told by some priests in a dream about him, and they will take care of him from then on. Despite Orpheus calling Dream his father, despite renouncing it, and pleading with his father to kill him, Death refuses and walks away.
In the present, Dream laments over his last memory of his son, and Delirium asks Destiny why Dream was in a sad state. Destiny suggested that Delirium ask him, and Delirium asks Destiny if he knows why she stopped being Delight. He gave no answer, which Delirium states is to be expected, as it didn't appear in his book or manifest a new pathway in his garden. Delirium then approaches Dream, who notes that her eyes are the same color, which Delirium states that she can do, but it's very pressuring to do so. Dream allows Delirium to stop for his sake, and once she does, Delirium asks what he learned from Destiny, and Dream answers that he's discovered how to locate their oracle. Destiny intervenes and suggests that they abandon their endeavor to find Destruction, citing that those who seek destruction find it. The two leave, and Delirium asks Dream where they are going, which Dream answers, to find the oracle they'll need to find Destruction, who will ask for a boon. The boon being for him to end his life, and Delirium seemingly getting second thoughts, asks Dream to stop.
Cast[]
- Tom Sturridge as Dream
- Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death
- Mason Alexander Park as Desire
- Barry Sloane as The Prodigal
- Esme Creed-Miles as Delirium
- Adrian Lester as Destiny
- Donna Preston as Despair
- Ruairi O'Connor as Orpheus
- Melissanthi Mahut as Calliope
- Indya Moore as Wanda Mannering
- Umulisa Gahiga as Nada
- Ella Rumpf as Eurydice
- Nina Wadia as Fate Mother
- Souad Faress as Fate Crone
- Dinita Gohil as Fate Maiden
- Steve Coogan as Barnabas
- Garry Cooper as King Hades
- Antonia Desplat as Persephone
Co-Starring[]
- Daphne Alexander as Bromie
- Célia Alturas as Priestess
- Rose Bianco as Aunt Dora
- Emmanuela Lia as Naia
- Athena Phos as Pannychis
- Sam Shoubber as Minister
- Jordan Stamatiadis as Anthe
- Tafline Steen as Xantho
Trivia[]
To be added
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
References[]