Time and Night

The second half of Season 2 kicks off not with thunder, but with a chill: sleek, clever, and full of dark promise.

"Time and Night" marks the return of the ever-slippery Loki, played with gleaming menace by Freddie Fox. He's less fireworks, more flint... and his quiet manoeuvring immediately unsettles the cosmic order. Don't expect grand entrances. This is a slow burn, and it's all the more sinister for it.

Tom Sturridge's Dream remains captivatingly unreadable... emotionally walled off, but clearly shaken. With recent grief still clinging to his cloak, this episode sees Morpheus navigating both political undercurrents and personal tremors.

The title nods not to prophecy, but to the oldest of forces: Dream's parents, Time and Night, whose legacy begins to cast a long shadow over the Endless once again. There's no exposition here, just mood, menace, and the growing sense that ancient bonds are fraying.

Stylistically, it's Sandman at its most deliberate: gorgeous to look at, tightly written, and brimming with dread.

7.5/10 but a few new threads seem to be opening that hold promise!

Ah yes, The Sandman Season 2, Episode 7 - because nothing says "high fantasy" quite like Morpheus brooding in a corner while the plot takes a nap longer than he does. At this point, even the dreams are yawning. If you thought you'd get answers or momentum in the penultimate episode, bless your naïve optimism.

The episode tries to tie threads like it's auditioning for a macramé competition, but ends up with knots no one asked for. We reunite with some familiar faces, who appear to be contractually obligated to mope around with poetic dialogue that sounds like it was co-written by Shakespeare and a Tumblr post from 2009. Lucienne is back to whisper warnings that Morpheus completely ignores (again), while Matthew the Raven continues being the only sane one in this circus of somber stares and dramatic pauses.

Let's talk plot - oh wait, that's cute, assuming there was one. The pacing moves like a snail with stage fright. Dream paces through realms muttering profound nothings, while the supporting cast pretends something important is happening. Spoiler: it isn't. Desire pops in for their mandatory five minutes of vaguely sinister sass, because heaven forbid we forget there's supposed to be a cosmic sibling rivalry in the background.

The visuals? Stunning. Absolutely wasted on an episode that could be summarized as: "Everyone is very serious. Nothing changes." By the end, you're left with one burning question: "Why am I still watching?" But alas, you're seven episodes deep and it's too late to quit now - much like Morpheus and his addiction to tragic eye contact.

In summary: Episode 7 is a masterclass in doing absolutely everything except progressing the story. But hey, at least it looked pretty while wasting our time.