The Sandman Presents: Death: The High Cost of Living: All we need to know about the bonus 12th episode of The Sandman Season 2

Netflix may be wrapping up The Sandman Season 2, but fans are getting one last surprise before it ends.

A twelfth episode of The Sandman Season 2, separate from the previously announced eleven, will drop on Thursday, July 31. Titled The Sandman Presents: Death: The High Cost of Living, the episode will focus entirely on Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s Death, giving the character her own standalone story.

This comes after The Sandman Season 2’s July release schedule was split into two parts, with six episodes on July 3 and five more on July 24. The twelfth episode wasn’t part of either batch, making its announcement a last-minute addition that has stirred excitement among fans of Neil Gaiman’s original comics.

The episode borrows its title and premise from one of the most well-loved standalone miniseries in The Sandman universe, exploring what happens when Death chooses to spend one day living as a mortal.

While The Sandman Season 2 dives deep into major arcs like “Season of Mists” and “Brief Lives,” this final entry promises something more grounded, personal, and human. Netflix hasn’t revealed much else, but with this Thursday's drop, Death gets the last word, literally and thematically, in a series already packed with myth and consequence.

What to expect from The Sandman Season 2’s final bonus chapter?

The bonus episode of The Sandman Season 2, The Sandman Presents: Death: The High Cost of Living, is adapted directly from Neil Gaiman’s 1993 three-issue miniseries of the same name. In that comic, Death takes human form for one day every century to understand what it’s like to live among mortals.

The Netflix version is expected to follow a similar structure, with Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s version of Death stepping out of the cosmic role she normally plays to experience life from the ground up. It’s a quieter, more emotional story compared to the mythology-heavy arcs of Season 2. It also gives fans a break from the larger conflicts around Dream and focuses on one of the most universally loved characters in the series.

This episode wasn’t initially revealed in Netflix’s rollout plan. It was announced later, creating buzz because it signals that the showrunners wanted to close the story with something that felt personal rather than apocalyptic. It’s not an epilogue. It’s more like a final spotlight on the sibling who’s always been the most emotionally grounded figure in The Sandman universe.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste made her debut as Death back in Season 1 during the episode The Sound of Her Wings, which received abundant fan praise. That single episode was enough for many to ask for more screen time for her character.

Netflix and showrunner Allan Heinberg seem to have answered that request by giving her an entire episode to herself. The episode drops on July 31, just a week after the Season 2 finale, giving fans something new to talk about even after the main story ends.

While Netflix hasn’t confirmed every supporting cast member for the episode, we’ll likely meet a new set of characters unrelated to Dream’s arc. In the comics, Death meets a teenager named Sexton who is contemplating suicide, and the story unfolds over the course of their unexpected day together.

Whether or not Sexton appears in this version is still unknown, but fans can expect the same themes of connection, value of life, and quiet reflection to play a major role. This isn’t a finale, but it might be the most meaningful goodbye the show has to offer.

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