'The Sandman' season 2 is awesome — and now I want a Netflix spinoff with these two characters
Yes, there's still a pesky bonus episode, "Death: The High Cost of Living," that hits Netflix next week on July 31. But the story of Dream of the Endless, and all the other characters we've met along the show's 22 episodes to date, has concluded, even if we're going to see some of them one last time.
But after watching the second half of this season, I'm not convinced this should be the end. Or at least, it shouldn't be the end for two characters in particular: Johanna Constantine (Jenna Coleman) and The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook).
For those of you who haven't watched the five-episode "The Sandman" season 2, volume 2, don't worry. I don't plan to spoil anything of note here. While some of you may be surprised to see The Corinthian return from season 1, the news of Holbrook's return hasn't been a secret for a while now.
But what was a secret, until I started watching this latest batch of episodes, was that Coleman and Holbrook are electric on screen together. Now that I know this, I'm here to convince you, and any Netflix executive reading this, that we need more from Constantine and The Corinthian — it can't end with "The Sandman" season 2.
Before filming got underway on season 2, there were signs pointing to the return of Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian.
At the time, that surprised me, given that the show was covering two volumes of the "Sandman" comics per season, and The Corinthian doesn't appear until the penultimate volume of the comics.
Fast forward to today, and now we know that The Corinthian still doesn't return until toward the end of Dream's story. It just turned out that the show was renewed for season 2 and then subsequently canceled, so the story concluded sooner than season 1's pace projected.
But that's OK, because we got Holbrook's excellent portrayal of The Corinthian back on screen. We also got to see his palpable on-screen chemistry with Jenna Coleman, who plays the occult detective Johanna Constantine, and that was a revelation.
We were introduced to Coleman's take on the character made famous by Keanu Reeves and Matt Ryan as John Constantine in season 1, and it worked. In her stint with The Corinthian in season 2, though, she shines alongside Holbrook.
There's a smoldering attraction that is complicated by a couple of factors. First, the original Corinthian was a serial killer, so everyone is a bit on edge around this reincarnation. Second, he lacks any subtlety when it comes to his advances on Johanna during their brief time together.
And yet, it works. By the end of their arc, there's a clear attraction on both sides, and you're emotionally invested not only in both characters, but their budding relationship with each other. That's why we need more from these two characters, and history indicates there's at least some appetite for it.
"The Sandman" launched as part of DC Comics, but was shifted to DC's Vertigo imprint partway through its run.
This darker sub-label, now known as DC Black Label, produces comics that are aimed at more mature audiences. If DC Comics is network television, Black Label is HBO.
This imprint has also produced multiple TV and film adaptations. "The Sandman," "Lucifer," "Watchmen" — the list is genuinely too long for me to write out in full in this article.
Of course, another character to feature prominently? None other than the antihero Constantine. Including their appearance in "The Sandman," Constantine has appeared in 10 shows and films.
Case in point that people want more of these stories? A Johanna Constantine spin-off was in early stages of development prior to "The Sandman" being canceled by Netflix (h/t The Hollywood Reporter).
Look, I get it. The sheer amount of CGI in "The Sandman" made it expensive. To say that Neil Gaiman is a toxic property these days would be an understatement. I understand why Netflix would want to leave this universe behind.
But it also knows what a draw these shows can be. The streaming service saved "Lucifer" back in 2018, giving it life for another three seasons.
I'm not saying make this a CGI-filled prestige drama. I'd personally make it a procedural, like "Bones," but with Joanna Constatine and The Corinthian at the center.
Maybe it can be 'Constantine & The Corinthian: Dark Detectives'? It's a working title — we can workshop it. Just let us continue to love these characters that "The Sandman" brought to life.
Stream "The Sandman" season 2 volumes 1 & 2 on Netflix
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Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
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