Leinen and Johanna’s Interrupted Romance

The Collini Case

Leinen and Johanna’s long, interrupted attachment returns during the murder case, but intimacy cannot protect them from its revelations.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The First Kiss The First Kiss from "The Collini Case". The First Kiss A sudden closeness Johanna kisses Leinen after they have been swimming, then runs back toward the water.

The First Kiss from "The Collini Case". The First Kiss A sudden closeness Johanna kisses Leinen after they have been swimming, then runs back toward the water.

The First Kiss A sudden closeness Johanna kisses Leinen after they have been swimming, then runs back toward the water. He remembers the moment as one of the happiest of his youth. An unfinished possibility Their attraction remains unspoken and unrealized as their lives continue. The memory becomes a private measure of what Leinen believes has been lost.

The Wedding Encounter The Wedding Encounter from "The Collini Case". The Wedding Encounter A brief return At Johanna’s wedding, she tells Leinen that she misses Philipp and touches his cheek.

The Wedding Encounter from "The Collini Case". The Wedding Encounter A brief return At Johanna’s wedding, she tells Leinen that she misses Philipp and touches his cheek.

The Wedding Encounter A brief return At Johanna’s wedding, she tells Leinen that she misses Philipp and touches his cheek. He holds her hand and imagines they might still be saved as a couple. Lives moving apart Johanna marries an older professor, while Leinen carries his feelings without acting on them. Their connection survives as an unrealized alternative to the lives they choose.

A Phone Call Reopens Grief A Phone Call Reopens Grief from "The Collini Case". A Phone Call Reopens Grief Anger and tears Johanna calls Leinen furious that he is defending the man who killed her grandfather.

A Phone Call Reopens Grief from "The Collini Case". A Phone Call Reopens Grief Anger and tears Johanna calls Leinen furious that he is defending the man who killed her grandfather.

A Phone Call Reopens Grief Anger and tears Johanna calls Leinen furious that he is defending the man who killed her grandfather. The professional choice brings their old attachment into direct conflict with her family loyalty. A reluctant meeting Leinen agrees to visit, while Johanna asks for time before seeing him. The relationship resumes not as romance first, but as a painful argument about duty and loss.

Comfort in Munich Comfort in Munich from "The Collini Case". Comfort in Munich A private reunion Johanna and Leinen find each other in a hotel room after a day of searching for answers.

Comfort in Munich from "The Collini Case". Comfort in Munich A private reunion Johanna and Leinen find each other in a hotel room after a day of searching for answers.

Comfort in Munich A private reunion Johanna and Leinen find each other in a hotel room after a day of searching for answers. Their physical closeness offers temporary relief from the public case. No easy future They talk about grief and her marriage, but do not turn the encounter into a promise. Their closeness is real yet fragile, shaped by the uncertainty surrounding the trial.

A Departure at the Airport A Departure at the Airport from "The Collini Case". A Departure at the Airport Another separation Johanna returns to London after spending time with Leinen.

A Departure at the Airport from "The Collini Case". A Departure at the Airport Another separation Johanna returns to London after spending time with Leinen.

A Departure at the Airport Another separation Johanna returns to London after spending time with Leinen. He watches her pass through security and fears losing her as he lost Philipp. Distance returns The airport intensifies Leinen’s sense of detachment from himself. Their relationship remains suspended between renewed intimacy and the separate lives that await them.

The summer before Leinen’s final school year

Four years after Philipp’s death

After Collini’s arrest

During Leinen’s trip to Munich

After the first day of trial