Netflix's The Sandman confirmed what a 'Boon' means in its gritty comic book universe, revealing just how vital it is to Orpheus' story. The new season of the hit streaming series, based on Neil Gaiman's beloved comic of the same name, is now available. It tells the story of Tom Sturridge's Morpheus/Dream as he is forced to make an impossible choice regarding his son, Orpheus (played by Ruairi O'Connor).
Part of this sweeping tale told in The Sandman Season 2 Vol. 1 is the well-worn Greek mythological concept of a Boon. In Season 2, Episode 5 (subtitled "The Song of Orpheus"), the hit streaming series looks back at the origins of Dream and Orpheus' estranged relationship, revealing how they came to be the way they are when fans find them in the rest of the series, and setting up an epic follow-up that comes in Season 6, Episode 6.
The Sandman Season 2 marks the show's last, as Netflix winds down its critically acclaimed comic book adaptation. Based on Neil Gaiman's comic series of the same name, the hit streaming show tells the tale of Morpheus/Dream (played by Tom Sturridge), the physical embodiment of dreams, as he traverses several realms to fix the problems he has caused on the timeline after years of imprisonment.
Season 2 picks up where Season 1 left off, following Dream as he leaves his time in the Dreaming Dream behind, looking to the future for the first time, as dangerous threats from Hell begin to bare their claws. Season 2 will be released in three parts, with the first hitting Netflix on Thursday, July 3, the second on Thursday, July 24, and the third on Thursday, July 31.
What Is a Boon In Netflix's Sandman Season 2?
Toward the end of The Sandman Season 2 Vol. 1, the idea of a boon becomes a significant part of the story.
The hit streaming drama takes fans back over 300 years, recounting the events that led to Dream becoming estranged from his young son, the oracle Orpheus. This word, 'Boon,' comes up several times, even tying into the present-day storyline in the following episodes as well.
The Oxford Dictionary defines a boon as "a prayer, petition, entreaty, request," but it is used in Greek myths to mean a favor passed from a god to another being.
In Greek mythology, these are often seen as being granted from a god to another god, usually with some catch, and causing the sort of drama Greek myths have come to be known for.
In Episode 5, this is demonstrated by telling the true-to-mythology tale of Orpheus and his dearly departed wife Eurydice. In that flashback, Eurydice is killed by a snake on her and Orpheus' wedding day.
When Orpheus begs his father to let him exchange his life for hers, Dreams (aka Morpheus) refuses, causing a rift between the father and son that would last for centuries.
This causes Orpheus to take matters into his own hands. The Endless grants him immortality, and he heads to the Underworld to see if he can bargain with the terrifying Hades.
In the realm of the dead, Orpheus brokers a deal with Hades (or is granted a boon by the keeper of the Underworld). Hades tells the young immortal that he can take Eurydice back if he does not speak or look at her on their way out.
The pair make it close to the otherworldly realm's barrier, before Orpheus succumbs to temptation and checks back to see if his bride-to-be is still there, thus breaking the contract with Hades and damning his love to an eternity in the Underworld.
This mention of a boon comes back into play later in the series, as Orpheus crosses paths with his father once again, begging him to grant him one final boon. Dream realizes he must give in to his son's request as he owes him for keeping him from Eurydice all those years earlier.
However, Orpheus' final request for his dad is to be granted death, something which Dream obliges to, ending his own son's life and sending him to the realm of the Underworld once again (albeit a bit more permanently this time around).
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