The Sandman season 1 episode 9 recap: Collectors

This article contains SPOILERS for The Sandman season 1 episode 9.

Rose and Dream have some friction and The Corinthian is the guest of honor for a serial killer convention in the ninth episode of The Sandman season 1.

Catch up here on everything from the last episode!

The episode begins with Rose telling Lyta all about dreaming of Jed, locating his foster parents, and then visiting their home to find the foster parents dead. Lyta believes Rose because she woke up pregnant after dreaming of having a baby with Hector.

The Sandman season 1 episode 9: Lucienne sticks to her morals

Matthew is watching this all happen and reports back to Lucienne. The raven explains what Rose suspects and that she, being a dream vortex, helped Lyta become pregnant.

The librarian explains how Rose is weakening the walls between the realms. But she will not be doing anything with this information after Dream told her she was “just” a librarian.

Lucienne discusses how she forgot this is how Lord Morpheus can be; cold and isolated especially when he is working. Even though she wants to help Dream with Rose and the other two missing Arcana, Lucienne is worried her lord will banish them if they disobey.

Stopping for ice cream, Jed asks The Corinthian when he will see Rose. The nightmare explains she will meet them at a work convention he has to go to.

He goes on to explain once they find Rose, they both can stop running away.

After hearing her close friend is a dream vortex and is the reason she is pregnant, Lyta is happy that she found Hector and Rose found Jed. She explains how her husband asked her to live with him.

She is considering it due to her lack of life when she’s awake.

The Sandman season 1 episode 9: Rose is told where to find Jed

Just then, they get a call from a kindly-sounding man, The Corinthian, who tells them he has her brother. While Jed and Rose talk, she makes a plan to pick him up at the hotel where the convention is being held.

Rose is three hours away, so she and Lyta begin getting ready. The Corinthian checks in at this hotel while Jed sits in the lobby.

Nimrod and The Good Doctor come to escort their guest of honor when all three of them notice Jed with Fun Land. This is the same serial killer who thought a 17-year-old waiter was too old for him in the last episode.

Before they go, Rose and Lyta receive a visit from their housemate Gilbert. Rose informs the nice British man that she is going to Georgia to pick up her brother.

Gilbert insists on coming so she is not alone. He explains how he has his cane and a revolver to use to protect her if need be.

Lyta remains at the Bed and Breakfast so she can go into her dreams and be with Hector. There appears to be an earthquake when they are being intimate but they both shrug it off.

In actuality, the ground surrounding their dream home has cracks in the ground. In the Dreaming library, Merv Pumpkinhead is looking for Lucienne but finds Dream instead.

Lord Morpheus asks why he was looking for Lucienne. The janitor explains how he has some seismic activity to report.

Dream takes offense to this as he is the King of Dreams. In response to this, he goes to Lucienne and explains he meant no disrespect to her with his words.

He asks his librarian if she has any idea about the cause of the seismic disturbances. Lucienne knows it has to do with Rose being a dream vortex.

She warns her lord about letting Rose roam free since she is causing cracks in the Dreaming’s foundation.

The Sandman season 1 episode 9: The Corinthian is the guest of honor

As Gilbert drives, Rose talks with Unity on the phone and thanks her for her financial help. Unity offers to fly the siblings to London and to help make Rose her brother’s legal guardian.

This is something Rose absolutely wants. After she hangs up, Rose is delighted she might finally have a life and throws around the idea of her great-grandchildren moving to London so they can be one family.

Continuing on their drive, Gilbert reflects how mature Rose is acting. She begins irrationally worrying about the two reuniting and if they have changed too much in the last seven years.

Returning back to the hotel, The Corinthian is heading out to the convention and tells Jed to stay in his room and not open the door for anyone. The nightmare heads down to the function room to be introduced as the guest of honor for the serial killer, or “collector”, convention.

Following his introduction, The Corinthian and another man look longingly at each other. While this is going on, however, it is revealed that Jed left his room and is watching the convention.

Gilbert rambles about paradoxes and existential topics as Rose drifts off to sleep. She finds Lyta who thinks it has been months even though it has only been two hours.

As the two walk to Lyta and Hector’s house, Dream watches and notices Lucienne was right.

The Sandman season 1 episode 9: Dream finds Rose and Lyta

Dream is waiting for Rose and Lyta when they walk in as Rose introduces everyone. Lord Morpheus explains how Hector and Lyta can’t stay here, since a ghost and mortal being the Dreaming has caused it.

Dream sends Hector to the afterlife and explains that since Lyta’s baby was made in the Dreaming, it belongs to the King of Dreams.

Ending the dream, Lord Morpheus returns to his palace to find Rose is still with him. She is mad at him for his actions and threatens him to stay away from her loved ones.

Rose begins showing her true strength when she ends the dream herself. She wakes up to a call from Lyta and the two decompress while talking about their experience in Lyta’s dream.

Gilbert notifies Rose they have arrived so she tells Lyta they will be back shortly. Walking around the convention, The Corinthian is talking to the gawking “collectors” when the same man from before catches his eye.

The Arcana walks over and finds out this man is The Boogieman. They agree to meet for a drink later as Nimrod and The Good Doctor approach.

The Corinthian informs the planning committee members that The Boogieman is not who he says he is, since the real one died three years ago. After thinking he sees Jed, The Corinthian goes after him to find it is just a young boy.

Jed is hiding and continues walking through the hotel.

The Sandman season 1 episode 9: The Corinthian finds a liar

Rose and Gilbert walk into the hotel and unknowingly steal the nametags of serial killers to search for Jed. Gilbert walks down a hallway poking his head into the conferences and discovers the true nature of the convention and its convention goers.

The Corinthian reunites with Nimrod and The Good Doctor and they tell the nightmare “The Boogieman” is just an impersonating fanboy. Since he is the guest of honor, they let The Corinthian collect this civilian while agreeing to work together so the committee members can see him firsthand.

The Corinthian sees Gilbert and the kind British man’s face is filled with fear. He goes to leave a message with the front desk to find Rose has a room in her name.

When he sees The Corinthian again, however, leaves the hotel. As this occurs, Rose has issues getting in contact with the man who has her brother.

She heads to the front desk where she is given her room key and a message from Gilbert that states he went home. Confused, she heads off to her hotel room.

The Sandman season 1 episode 9 recap: The last Arcana returns to the Dreaming

Returning to the Dreaming and the library, Dream admits he is wrong to Lucienne since he knows that Rose is responsible for the seismic disturbances. Lucienne informs Lord Morpheus that it was not just the dream vortex but also The Corinthian.

She knows this since the third Arcana, Fiddler’s Green, told her. Fiddler’s Green comes out of the stacks to reveal himself as Gilbert.

He tells his lord that he left to explore the waking world and learn more about humanity. He warns Dream of The Corinthian since he is with Rose, something The Sandman is alerted by.

Aside, Lucienne informs Fiddler’s Green that Rose is a vortex. The Arcana is frightened by this news, since this means Dream will have to kill a person he has become friends with.

The Corinthian tricks the impersonator to go with him somewhere private. Here, Nimrod and The Good Doctor come out and the three of them begin killing their victim.

As they start, however, Jed walks in and witnesses the destruction. He runs away with The Corinthian claiming and chasing the boy.

Jed runs into Fun Land who takes him up to his room where he tells him this is a safe place. Rose heads to her room, enters and sees her brother’s favorite meal on the table.

She calls out for Jed who is down the hall. The episode ends with Jed and Rose reuniting but this moment is short-lived.

Fun Land tries taking Jed back, but the boy fights off the killer. The two run away from Fun Land and are cornered when The Corinthian approaches, kills Fun Land and tells the kids (rather ironically) they are safe with him.

Were you expecting Gilbert to be the last missing Arcana? Do you think Dream will have issues killing Rose?

Who do you think will not make it out alive following the finale next episode?  Let us know your answers and opinions in the comments below!

Watch all of The Sandman season 1, only on Netflix!