Fans of Neil Gaiman’s legendary comic series The Sandman got to see flesh-and-blood renditions of their favorite characters in Season 1 of the Netflix series. The first name on the list of well-known actors is Charles Dance, who plays the occultist Roderick Burgess. Boyd Holbrook lends his visage to the chaotic nightmare known as the Corinthian, while David Thewlis portrays Burgess’s abducted son John Dee, and so on. The titular Sandman Dream, played by Tom Sturridge, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Mason Alexander Park, as well as the other main Endless characters Death and Desire, appears in the show. Even though she is only on the screen for a brief period of time, Donna Preston gives a stunning performance as Despair.
However, that list is lacking a few individuals, or better still, a few entities, don’t you think? Perhaps one of the reasons viewers are hoping for a second season of the show is the possibility of finally seeing Destiny and Delirium, who haven’t yet been in it. The infamous Prodigal is an additional person who we haven’t yet seen, and who the Endless themselves haven’t even seen in a very long period of time.
The Prodigal is frequently addressed in The Sandman. When Despair pays a visit to Dream’s realm, she wonders where he is and for a moment seems excited at the prospect of his comeback. Although the characters never explicitly state that he is an Endless, this is demonstrated by the fact that Dream inquires about him when speaking about his brothers and by the fact that both Dream and Desire’s family galleries include an empty mirror. The Prodigal is an Endless who has gone missing, not just anyone. Furthermore, as Dream’s captivity has demonstrated, nothing positive can result from an Endless’ disappearance. However, who is the Prodigal basically? What does the world’s lack of him mean?
The Endless, in chronological sequence of appearance in the cosmos, is Delirium, formerly known as Delight, Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, twins Desire and Despair, and Dream. The seven represent fundamental facets of conscious existence, making them far more than just simple gods. Despite what Desire and Despair may state, it is commonly accepted that the Endless exist to benefit living creatures, not the other way around. Gods and humans alike visit their domains at various stages in life. Each of them is in charge of a domain that is crucial to life as we know it, such as dreams, delusions, or even the cycle of existence itself.
The Prodigal Left His Kingdom: What were the Purposes?
At the dawn of the so-called era of reason, Destruction made the unfathomable decision to depart from his realm. To the dismay of humanity, he removed the sigils that would have allowed his siblings to call him, went on the road, and avoided his obligations at all costs. Because there is no one to rule over destruction, it has become uncontrollable, senseless, all-encompassing, and unending. Destruction, like the prodigal son, has given his gift to all people without considering what that would entail.
Destruction’s absence also causes The Endless enormous suffering. Because their occupations depend on dealing with others, having no control over such a fundamental component of life makes everything much more challenging. The sorrow of not understanding where a cherished brother is is, however, what matters most. Despair is the one who weeps the most since she has always admired her older brother’s creativity, which is why she is so thrilled by the prospect of seeing him again. In the comics, Delirium is likewise depicted as having a close relationship with Destruction, and the “Brief Lives” story arc details her efforts to mend fences with her kidnapped sibling.
Brief Lives, which was released between 1992 and 1993, represents the first de facto example of Destruction in a Sandman comic.
In the show, Delirium convinces Dream to go with her on a search for Destruction. They conduct their inquiry in search of those who have encountered the Prodigal, but everyone they speak with ultimately commits suicide. After some searching, they locate their lost brother residing in a cabin with his dog, Barnabas. Destruction, a strong, youthful man with red hair, recounts that he left his realm because he was afraid of change: He feared that he would experience the same fate as Despair, who had already lost her former appearance and allowed a different element of herself to occupy her body.
His land is never visited again by him. He subsequently makes an appearance in The Sandman: Endless Nights, a graphic novel that is a continuation of Neil Gaiman’s original series and has one narrative for each Endless. Glenn Fabry created the chapter art for Destruction.
Unlike Delirium and even Destiny, Destruction makes her initial appearance in the comics much later. As a result, there is no assurance that we won’t have to wait longer than 10 episodes for the Prodigal to appear, even if Season 2 is in the works. Still, we’re crossing our fingers for a return visit from him for both his followers and the Endless.
Netflix is streaming The Sandman.
