Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of Netflix’s ‘The Sandman’ brings many twists and turns in the story of the King of Dreams, as he is forced to confront the consequences of his choices. While he prepares for his date with the Furies, the people around him are also influenced by the decisions that he makes. One such decision leads to an unlikely collaboration with ends on an even more unexpected point: the pairing of Johanna Constantine and the Corinthian. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Dream Gives Johanna the Same Thing He Gave to Her Ancestor
Say what you will about Morpheus, but he has a way of bringing people together in a way that no one else could have expected. At the end of Part 1, he reaches out to Johanna Constantine to find his son, Orpheus, and take him back to his island, where he can be safe. This mission leads Johanna to spend a considerable amount of time with Orpheus, and their friendship deepens into a bond that holds much more meaning to Johanna. So much, in fact, that when she dies, she is buried on Orpheus’ island to be close to him. The same thing happens as the final leg of Morpheus’ story comes to a close.
Once again, he needs help finding someone, so he turns towards the present-day Johanna. This time, he needs to find baby Daniel, who has been abducted by Loki and Puck. While he knows that she is resourceful enough to find them, she is not powerful enough to fight them. He needs someone to protect her, and because he cannot be there himself, he sends the Corinthian to accompany her. This Corinthian is quite unlike the last one, who turned into a serial killer after Morpheus was held captive by Roderick Burgess. This one is more docile and obedient, and infinitely more likable.
At first, Johanna is not interested in having anything to do with him because she suspects him. However, he takes an immediate liking to her. As they spend time together, chasing after the Norse god and his mischievous companion, they develop a bond that is not a surprise, considering their sparkling chemistry. Despite herself, Johanna feels attracted to Corinthian. In fact, by the time their mission ends, she likes him quite a lot. In a sense, she seems to have found the person who complements her in several ways, which is what she had been looking for in her failed relationships so far. Still, it is not so easy for her to be with him.
Johanna and the Corinthian Decide to Give Their Relationship a Shot
Had both of them been human or both of them dreams or nightmares, it would have been much easier for Johanna and Corinthian to be together. However, the difference in their species is one of the several reasons behind Johanna’s reluctance to pursue a relationship. While Corinthian is pretty clear about his feelings and is ready to do whatever it takes to be with her, she is more cautious. One of the reasons behind it is the fact that she has attracted so much danger in her life that anyone she got too close to ended up getting killed. While she knows that Corinthian cannot be killed because he is not technically a man, she feels that being with her will end up getting him in trouble. Or at least, that’s what she tells herself.
When Daniel is found and the mission is over, Corinthian asks her if they can see each other again, even if just in her dreams. She decides that it would be best if they didn’t meet again. She says that meeting him in her dreams would make it even more difficult for her to wake up. At the time, it seems that this is it between them; fate brings them face to face when Morpheus dies. As one of Dream’s many friends, Johanna is invited to his memorial, and as Dream’s creation, Corinthian is there too. While he is visibly excited to see her, she contains her emotions. For the entirety of the memorial, she keeps her distance from him, but by the end, she has a change of heart.
Before leaving, Johanna finds Corinthian, and they finally have a chat about their future. She accepts that perhaps she has been too harsh towards him. She also reveals that despite knowing that it is not going to go anywhere, or end well for that matter, she has decided to give their romance a chance. When the Corinthian wonders if his being a literal nightmare could be a problem, she states that most of her past relationships, which include men and women, have been nightmares of their own. By this time, she has seen it all, and in comparison, the Corinthian is pretty tame.
Johanna and Corinthian’s Relationship is Original to the Show
While Netflix’s ‘The Sandman’ closely follows its source material, the romance angle between Johanna and Corinthian wasn’t initially in the books. In the comics, Dream sends the Corinthian to find Daniel, but the nightmare is accompanied by Matthew, who is sent to keep an eye on him since he cannot be trusted. When bringing this story arc to the TV show, the creators had to consider the cost of CGI for keeping Matthew on the screen for the entirety of an episode. The scale of the show had already made ‘The Sandman’ quite an expensive endeavor, so showrunner Allan Heinberg looked for Matthew’s alternatives.
At this point, Neil Gaiman, the author of the original comics, suggested that Johanna should be brought into the picture. By this time, Jenna Coleman had already established herself as one of the fan favourites, and Heinberg had been looking for ways to bring her back for Part 2 of the second season. Pairing her with Boyd Holbrook’s Corinthian felt natural, considering they already seemed like a match made in heaven. Given her past relationships, Corinthian seemed like a gift from Dream to her because he was not only exactly what she wanted, but also someone who couldn’t get physically hurt or die because of her. This arc also allowed for the Corinthian to show a new side of himself, proving that he is different from the original one. At the end of the day, this arc proved fruitful for both the characters and gave them an unlikely happy ending.
Read More: The Sandman: Does Loki Kill Daniel? Why Does He Burn the Baby?
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