Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for The Sandman season 2.The Sandman season 2 sees the return of many supporting characters and hints at some of the lore surrounding one (which probably can’t be said outright due to copyright issues). After he returned to the Dreaming and rebuilt his power in The Sandman season 1, Tom Sturridge’s Dream is dealing with several, more personal conflicts this season.

It has been said that The Sandman season 3 isn’t happening because the plan was always to keep the story focused on Dream, and there is only so much source material left that is strictly about him. However, the first outing illustrates how tricky dreams can be, resulting in those whose existence and power complicate Dream’s authority over his realm.

The Sandman season 2’s cast is confirmed to include Vanesu Samunyai returning as Rose Walker, the dream vortex whom Dream nearly killed to prevent her from breaking down the boundaries between dreams and reality. Rose doesn’t appear in The Sandman season 2, volume 1, but her family friend Lyta (Razane Jammal) has something of a cameo.

In Her Brief Scene In Episode 1, Dream Addresses Lyta As Hippolyta

Dream Uses Lyta’s Full Name

In season 1, Hippolyta “Lyta” Hall is a recent widow helping Rose search for her younger brother, who is being kept from her by the foster system. However, Rose’s growing powers make Lyta’s dreams much more real, as when she dreams about being with her late husband, she ends up actually pregnant in the real world.

Lyta gives birth to a son, but is terrified by Dream’s assertion that the child belongs to him, as he was conceived in the dreaming realm. This plot point isn’t followed up on in season 1, but when Dream prepares for a mission to Hell in season 2, he pays an unwelcome visit to Lyta and the baby.

This is apparently part of Dream’s plan to secure the Dreaming’s future should he not return. However, during this scene, Dream addresses Lyta by her full name, Hippolyta. Those who aren’t familiar with the comics may not have been aware that this is her name before now, and it nods to the mythology she is connected to.

Lyta Is Diana Prince & Steve Trevor’s Daughter In The Comics (& The Original Hippolyta’s Granddaughter)

Lyta Is Related To The Queen Of The Amazons In The Sandman Comics

Greek mythology plays a huge role in The Sandman, as Dream is also Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. So, the fact that Lyta shares her name with Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology, is significant, and may leave viewers questioning how exactly she fits into this myth.

Related

Netflix Is Employing A Brand New Release Strategy For Sandman’s Final Season

Netflix is releasing The Sandman in two parts, with another bonus episode coming later, much like how it handles its other major shows today.

However, The Sandman comic books are actually DC Comics, and feature some of the famous DC Heroes. Lyta is the daughter of the classic DC hero Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, and was named for Diana’s mother, the original Hippolyta. Lyta’s first appearance as a character was in Wonder Woman vol. 1, issue #300.

The Sandman Can’t Use DC Characters – But It Still References The Mythology Of Hippolyta

Lyta’s Name Holds Meaning In This Story

The Sandman TV show does not take place in the bigger DC Universe; in order to focus its story, and likely avoid complicated copyright issues, the series does not feature any references to characters who are strictly DC. For characters like Lyta, this means their connections to figures like Wonder Woman are erased.

However, Lyta’s formal name still holds some weight in The Sandman. In the first half of season 2, when Dream commissions A Midsummer Night’s Dream to present to the faerie court, we briefly see the players acting out a scene where the play’s version of Hippolyta is addressed by name.

Presumably, in this world, Lyta’s parents just liked the mythological name. However, The Sandman acknowledges the connection to mythology. Lyta found herself on a strange path where she came into contact with ancient gods, making it fitting that she would have such a name, even by coincidence.

The Sandman

7/10

Release Date

2022 – 2025-00-00

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Allan Heinberg

Directors

Louise Hooper, Andrés Baiz, Hisko Hulsing, Mike Barker, Coralie Fargeat

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  Tom Sturridge

  Morpheus / Dream

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  Boyd Holbrook

  The Corinthian