A new season of Netflix’sThe Sandmanlanded on the streamer this month and, despite dropping a bit in viewership, it’s managed to receive an unusual score combination onRotten Tomatoes.The Sandmanseason 2 Volume 1premiered on June 19, 2025, with Volume 2 and a Special set for release on July 24 and 31, respectively.
The first season ofThe Sandmanpremiered in 2022 and earned an 88% onRotten Tomatoes. Then, in November 2022, the series was renewed with season 2 set to premiere in July 2025. Before the season could even air, it was announced in January 2025 thatThe Sandmanseason 2 would be the final season.
Viewership forThe Sandmanseason 2 has dropped, with the show dipping in the rankings, but it’s earned a very unusual rating onRotten Tomatoes. As of this writing,the critic score sits at 79% and the audience score sits at 78%.
What This Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For The Sandman
Critics And Audiences Understand What The Series Is Going For
Rarely, in movies or television, do theaudience and critics' scores match onRotten Tomatoes. Critics judge more harshly, and their input is taken as a higher authority after all. Critics also see hundreds of movies and TV shows a year. What may be “new” or “fresh” to a casual TV watcher could be rote for a critic.
That both the critics and the audience seem to be enjoyingThe Sandmanwith the same level of appreciation suggests that the TV show has managed to do something unique and clever that’s also crowd-pleasing. That’s no easy task, particularly with a Neil Gaiman property that many fans are protective of.
The Sandmanis a long, sprawling story with plenty of spinoff, sequel, and prequel potential.These positiveRotten Tomatoesscores may be enough to convince Netflix to order more seasonsor some kind of continuation. Showrunner Allan Heinberg has stated he only intended there to be two seasons, but perhaps this reception will change his mind, too (viaTHR).
Our Take On The Sandman Season 2’s Rotten Tomatoes Scores
The Season Still Has Worse Reviews Than Season 1
The Sandmanseason 2 volume 1 does have a uniqueRotten Tomatoesscore, and yet,neither score is as high as the scores for season 1. So, while the show seems to be getting its message across to both critics and audiences, both appear to agree that this is a step down from season 1.
However, we have only seen the first half of season 2, and as season 2 is the finale, the direction Heinberg and his team go will be the ultimate factor in how critics and audiences feel about it.The SandmanRotten Tomatoesscore is an interesting wrinkle, but let’s wait to judge until July 31.
