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The Sandman season 2 release schedule: When is episode 12 out?

The fantasy show's final season is under way.

Tom Sturridge as Dream in The Sandman.

Ed Miller/Netflix

Published: Thursday, 24 July 2025 at 9:30 am

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We're almost at the end - 11 episodes of The Sandman season 2 have now been released on Netflix, meaning there is just one more left until the fantasy show comes to a close.

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When season 2 was first announced, it was expected to be made up of 11 episodes total, finishing off the story of Tom Sturridge's Dream.

However, it was later confirmed there would be a bonus 12th episode, which would instead shine a spotlight on Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death. Episode 11, which is now available, is still ostensibly considered the finale to the main series.

The decision to end the show is said to have come before author Neil Gaiman, who wrote the comics on which the series is based, was accused of sexual assault, which he has strongly denied.

A total of nine women have spoken out against the writer, with their accusations being detailed in a Vulture article published in January 2025, and in a Tortoise Media podcast released in July 2024.

Allegations included claims that Gaiman engaged them in "rough" sex and BDSM without their consent. The novelist has firmly denied any non-consensual or illegal conduct in a statement.

He said: "As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don't, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen.

"I'm far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever."

Showrunner Allan Heinberg explained why he and the team eventually settled on a two-season run for the show, telling The Hollywood Reporter that it came out of a suggestion by Netflix that they skip anything from the comics that doesn't feature Dream.

"I had always thought of The Sandman as a three-season show with 11 episodes in each season, and initially I had crafted season two to end with Orpheus’ death and Dream’s response to it," Heinberg said. "And then the third season was going to be The Kindly Ones [the ninth and penultimate instalment of the original Sandman comics], and everything that comes after.

"And when we took A Game of You out of the mix, it created all the space we needed for The Kindly Ones and everything that came after. So it was a very organic process of looking at the comics and saying, 'If we’re just telling Dream’s story, what are those elements, and can we do it in the 11 episodes that we had? And then [we’ll have] the additional Death episode at the end.'"

As for when fans be able to watch the final bonus episode? Read on for more information.

When does The Sandman season 2 episode 12 come out on Netflix?

The 12th and final episode of The Sandman season 2, titled Death: The High Cost of Living, will be released on Netflix on Thursday 31st July - just one week after episodes 7-11 were released.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death and Colin Morgan as Sexton Furnival in The Sandman, sat on a wall together

Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death and Colin Morgan as Sexton Furnival in The Sandman. Ed Miller/Netflix

The Sandman season 2 full episode release schedule

The Sandman season 2 will be released in three batches. The first was made up of six episodes, the second, which has now been released, is made up of five, and the third will be made up of one additional bonus episode.

You can find the full release schedule for The Sandman season 2 here:

Jenna Coleman as Lady Johanna and Boyd Holbrook as Corinthian in The Sandman.

Jenna Coleman as Lady Johanna and Boyd Holbrook as Corinthian in The Sandman. Ed Miller/Netflix

How many episodes are there in The Sandman season 2?

There are a total of 12 episodes in The Sandman season 2 - one more than there were in season 1.

As with that season, which was made up of 10 central instalments and one bonus episode, the 12th episode of the new season will focus on Kirby Howell-Baptiste's character Death, rather than Tom Sturridge's Dream.

The bonus episode was announced in June 2025, at which point it was confirmed that episode 11 would still act as the show's formal series finale.

Stephen Fry as Gilbert and Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne in The Sandman.

Ed Miller/Netflix

The Sandman season 2 trailer

You can watch the trailer for The Sandman season 2 volume 1 below.

Meanwhile, you can watch the trailer for volume 2 here.

The Sandman season 2 volumes 1 and 2 are available to watch on Netflix now. The final bonus episode will be released on Thursday 31st July. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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