01x02 - Imperfect Hosts

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "The Sandman". Aired: August 5, 2022 –; present.*
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Series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics.
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01x02 - Imperfect Hosts

Post by bunniefuu »

I kept a journal for a while.

A chronicle of everything

that happened in your absence.

But slowly, the words began to fade.

Sometime after you left,

all the books in the library

became bound volumes of blank paper.

The next day, the whole library was gone.

I never found it again.

And yet you remained while others fled,

the royal librarian

of an abandoned kingdom.

I never felt abandoned.

I knew you would return.

You need rest, my Lord.

And food and perhaps a bit more rest,

and then you'll be back at full strength.

No.

Not without my tools.

Your tools?

My sand, my helm, my ruby.

Why? What happened to them?

They were taken from me.

By my captors.

And then taken from them.

I know not where.

Nor what I am without them.

Darling. How are you?

Well, you'll never guess

what I am looking at.

It is a Caravaggio.

And it can be

your Caravaggio for 22 million.

Well, of course you can

think about it, but not for too long.

Giovanni, it's Josiane.

I hate to bother you at work,

but I've just acquired

another of the Vasari volumes.

Yes, very nice.

Please tell the chairman

that Madame Daudet called.

Yes, I'll hold.

Bernard, I found it.

And it's in exceptional condition.

The Honjo Masamune.

Hello? Hello?

Quite the place

you got here, Ethel.

Who are you?

How did you get in?

Getting in was the easy part.

The hard part was finding you.

You've done a very good job

of convincing people

Ethel Cripps doesn't exist.

Apparently not good enough.

Well, I'm not exactly "people".

What are you then?

Do you remember the being Roderick Burgess

kept caged in his basement?

Hmm?

King of Dreams?

You're one of his?

I'm my own man now.

With your help, I intend to stay that way.

Why do you need my help?

Because he's out of his cage

and he's coming for us.

You and me.

Why me? I never did anything to him.

Oh, you did though, Ethel.

You stole from him.

There is only one sure way

for me to find my tools.

I must summon the Three-In-One.

Surely it hasn't come to that.

The Fates see past,

present and future, and they know all.

Yes, but they speak in riddles.

They never tell you what you want to know,

only things you should never know.

Perhaps just this once you could ask

one of your siblings for help.

Destiny would certainly know

where your tools are, or Desire

My siblings have their own realms

to attend to, I have mine.

We do not interfere

in each other's affairs.

You may not,

but they've certainly been known to.

Perhaps just this once

you could tell them what happened to you.

I am quite sure

they know what happened to me.

And not one of them came to my aid.

The Fates aren't cheap, you know.

They cost a bloody fortune.

And at present, I cannot muster

power enough to summon them,

let alone pay that cost.

Unless

Is there anything of mine

that remains in The Dreaming?

Something that I created?

You created all of this.

No, something that remains intact.

That might retain

some fragment of my power within it.

Something I can absorb.

There is one thing.

Gregory,

come down from there right now.

You're gonna slip and hurt yourself!

That's it.

There he is.

Are you sure?

Good boy, Gregory. Good gargoyle.

Cain, come quick.

Blasted, bulbous, bilge-bubbling bollocks.

- Cain.

- What you want, powder-brain?

- Can you not see I'm busy?

- We have visitors.

What?

Where?

Cain.

Abel.

Lord Morpheus.

You've come back.

At last.

I told you he'd return.

I never doubted it.

Come in, my Lord.

And you, Lucienne.

To the House of Mystery.

Or to the House of Secrets. I have tea.

I have tea and biscuits.

Gentlemen, I'm afraid

this is not a social call.

What's happened?

- Is something wrong?

- What is it?

For the sake of The Dreaming,

I must take back a gift

I gave you long ago.

Yes, my Lord.

What's ours is yours.

Anything at all.

Just ask it.

Surely there's another way.

I wish there were.

But The Dreaming must be restored.

You say that as if

we're the ones that destroyed it.

As if we disappeared for over a century.

- Cain.

- You forget yourself, Cain.

No, my Lord, you forgot us.

Do you have any idea

what we've already lost

waiting for you to come back

after all these years?

What you have lost?

The answer is no.

I have not come here to ask you.

I've come to ask Gregory.

I need your help.

Gregory, stop. No.

Take me instead. Or Abel.

- Yeah, take me, Lord Morpheus, please.

- I cannot.

I can only reabsorb

that which I have created,

and Gregory began as a Nightmare.

Yes,

but he's one of us now.

It's not fair.

No it's not.

You're a very good boy.

You don't have to do this, you know.

It's not fair.

You have served

this kingdom with great honor.

You will be missed.

Come, Lucienne.

We have work to do.

Good luck, my Lord.

Simpering suck-up.

I see you've turned your talent

for theft into a successful career.

I don't steal them. I broker them.

Well, you ever keep anything for yourself?

No.

Not even Dream's tools?

Well, he's gonna want them.

And I'm guessing that you do too.

The tools, they won't work for me.

They're made of the same stuff I am.

So why are you here?

To see if we can help each other.

I could show you how to use them.

Use them to do what?

Make him go away. For good this time.

You want me to k*ll the King of Dreams?

Right. You can do it. I know you can.

You just have to listen and trust me.

Then I'm afraid we're both dead,

because I don't have them.

Yeah, well, that is too bad.

I wonder if your son knows where they are.

How is John doing these days?

What do you think Dream will do

to the son of Roderick Burgess?

So I'll ask you one more time

for your son's sake.

Where are the tools, Ethel?

Do you think you're

quite ready for this, Your Majesty?

It has been some time

since you've navigated these waters.

Do you think I've forgotten how?

No, but

I cannot ask The Fates for help

without giving them something in return.

There is nothing left

to give from The Dreaming.

I have to gather my offerings

from the dreams of others.

I understand.

It's just that, in your absence,

these waters have become darker,

treacherous, unsafe.

These waters are as much

a part of me as I am of them.

Gregory's sacrifice will not be in vain.

You were right, Lucienne.

The Dreams and Nightmares

no longer seem to recognize their master.

I will remind them

and take from them what I require.

Since one meets The Fates at a crossroads,

I find one in the dreams

of a Cambodian farmer.

The hanged man represents surrender

and sacrifice for the greater good.

The gallows come from

a young Japanese cinephile,

her head full of British horror films.

Release!

The currents are stronger

and faster than I remember.

I have to focus.

Open my eyes

and see what The Fates require.

A serpent

a symbol of transformation,

of life, death and rebirth.

I have gathered my offerings.

Now, it is up to The Fates.

I, Lord Morpheus,

Dream of The Endless,

summon The Fates

the Three-Who-Are-One,

the One-Who-Is-Three.

The Hecate.

Morpheus, it's been a while.

You look thin, love.

Are you eating? Are you hungry?

He is, but not for food.

Look at him. He wants something.

You've found me out.

I do want something.

I need your help.

Help?

Oh, listen to him.

Like you helped us against Circe?

Circe is old business, sister-self.

And he did bring nice stuff.

You may ask us three questions.

And get one answer from each of us.

Thank you, ladies.

My first question.

I had a leather pouch filled with sand.

Where is it?

It was sold in London.

Last purchased by a magic user called

Johanna Constantine.

Constantine

I knew a Constantine,

but that was 300 years ago.

You said "last purchased."

Does she still have the sand?

Dream, you know better than that.

You get one question, one answer.

My apologies.

My second question.

Go on, dear.

My helm. What happened to it?

It was traded away

to a demon,

for the Amulet of Protection.

To which demon was it traded?

One question, one answer, love.

Last question.

My ruby, who holds it now?

Your gem was passed

from a mother to a son.

Where are they now?

You have

asked your questions!

My Lord, you didn't give it to The Fates.

Because it was not meant for them.

You don't listen, do you?

Attractive men seldom do.

I suppose they don't have to.

Ethel, are you flirting with me?

You asked me where the tools are,

I told you I don't have them.

I find that difficult to believe,

given your extraordinary success.

Do you think that

the only way a woman can be successful

is by using magic?

Supernatural and sexist.

You really are a Nightmare, aren't you?

Oh, come on, you can't deny

the tools have helped you.

They've certainly kept you

from looking your age.

Now who's flirting?

When I left Roderick, I traded the sand

and the helm for my life in America.

And the ruby?

The ruby

As you know, it does have the power

to make dreams come true,

but it also makes nightmares come true.

My son, John, took the ruby from me

and then the ruby took John.

Hmm. Well, where is it now?

I don't know. Don't want to know.

You're lying, Ethel.

You don't have to lie.

In fact

you don't have to say a word.

Your eyes will tell me everything,

every thought, every feeling.

You will regret this. I promise you.

What makes you think that?

I don't need Dream's tools.

I have my own.

Brother.

Thanks for burying me

in such a shallow grave this time.

And for this.

Who gave you an egg?

You did.

I didn't give you an egg.

Why would I give you an egg?

As an apology for murdering me.

When have I ever apologized

for murdering you?

Cain, look!

It's a baby gargoyle.

If he thinks leaving this creature

on my doorstep makes up for Gregory

Do you think he came from Lord Morpheus?

Who else, lackwit?

He's trying to buy us off

with a baby gargoyle.

Or he feels just as bad

about losing Gregory as we do.

He's rather cute, isn't he?

I think I'll call him Irving.

Irving?

You can't name a gargoyle "Irving,"

you gully-guts.

I like Irving.

Gargoyle names

always begin with a G.

"Gormogon, Gladstone, Ganymede"

All right, then. Girving.

- Girving?

- It starts with a G.

- It doesn't have to be Girving.

- It could be Goldie, Goldie's

Miss Dee. Hi. I'm Jackie.

I'll be escorting you inside today.

If you could just put this on for me?

Thank you.

- Hey, Sam.

- Hey, Jackie.

- I'll leave you in Sam's capable hands.

- Thank you, Jackie.

Welcome back, Miss Dee.

Thank you, Sam.

Hello, Johnny.

Hello, Mum.

How are you, Johnny? Are you well?

Same as ever.

Slightly bored. Highly medicated.

The days are all the same in prison.

Hospital, John, not prison.

If it pleases you to think so.

What did the doctors say?

How's your therapy going?

Is that your way of asking me

if I've forgiven you yet?

You're fine, aren't you, darling?

You've come a long way.

I'm proud of you.

Are you trying to convince me or yourself?

I'm trying to have

a conversation with my son.

We do need to talk.

That rarely goes well for either of us.

Perhaps I should ask the guard

to come in and referee.

We need to talk about the ruby.

Hello, Irving. I mean, Goldie.

I'll call you Goldie for Cain's sake,

but I think of you as Irving, really.

In my heart.

He can't help it. It's not his fault.

It's who he is. It's who we are.

The first m*rder*r, the first victim.

This is our story.

Do you even know what a story is?

Should I tell you one?

It's a secret story.

It's a story about two brothers

who loved each other very, very much.

And they were very nice to each other.

Nice and kind.

And and brotherly, you know?

And the elder brother

never harmed the younger brother ever.

And they didn't live in different houses.

They lived together in the same house.

And they'd be happy.

I don't mind getting m*rder*d, honestly.

If that's what makes Cain happy, then

Hey, what are brothers for,

eh, little brother?

Come on, then.

Shall we say good morning to Cain?

Oh.

I'll be fine.

He never normally murders me before lunch.

He's not much of a morning person.

Like me. Or you, apparently.

May I ask

where you're off to, sire?

London.

Did you not just spend

the last 100 years there?

Sorry. Why London?

The sand was sold there.

When I have it back,

I will seek out my helm.

In Hell.

Oh, dear.

Then will you grant me

one favor before you go?

Take a raven with you.

No more ravens.

If not for you, then for me.

A raven can go back and forth

between realms.

- Keep me informed

- I do not need a minder.

I am Dream of The Endless.

Yes, and Dream of The Endless

always has a raven.

Jessamy was the last.

If this Constantine

is anything like her ancestor,

she will serve me well enough.

She is only human.

As was Roderick Burgess.

What could possibly go wrong?

Oh, good. You've returned.

And just in time too.

His Lordship will be pleased.

Where is Dream?

He's away. Again. For the moment.

He's out there

looking for his tools, isn't he?

He will be coming back.

Well, then, I'd better get a move on.

Where are you going?

Back to the waking world.

To freedom. You should try it sometime.

Dreams and Nightmares

do not belong in the waking world.

Oh, turns out I fit right in.

Have you no loyalty to your creator?

Why should I? He has no loyalty to us.

You misunderstand him, Corinthian.

Oh, no, I see him for what he is.

He doesn't give a f*ck about you or me.

He only cares about himself.

His kingdom.

Well, he can have it.

'Cause I am leaving

and I am never coming back.

He will come after you.

Well, then, if he does,

he won't be coming back either.

You can't change him.

You can't save him either.
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