HBO Series Lanterns Undergoes Major Creative Shift

The premiere episode of Lanterns ended with a shocking reveal: Hal Jordan, Earth’s first Green Lantern, has been murdered. Fans were surprised and quickly whipped up theories about how Hal might actually not be dead. This speculation grew because the series stressed that several aliens can appear human and even change their appearance. However, a new midseason trailer shared Thursday indicates that Hal Jordan is very much dead.

The new trailer for the remaining three episodes shows John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Hal (Kyle Chandler) meeting up in Rushville in 2026. Hal seems to have been in prison since the events of episode 5, which was set in 2016 when the Manhunter brutally devastated the small town. They share a tense conversation. As John notes at the end of the trailer, they have a long way to go to repair their fractured relationship.

Their time together is cut short when Hal dies. This death establishes the mystery that John and sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) will spend the rest of the season solving. Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and his bowl cut also appear in the footage, alongside Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), who receives a visit from John. The preview suggests viewers might see a Hal Jordan origin episode, similar to how episode 3 dedicated time to telling John Stewart’s origin across the decades.

“True Detective with superheroes”

Lanterns is one of the best shows of the summer and holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Polygon’s Corey Plante called the series “True Detective with superheroes” in his review.

“In the best possible way, Lanterns also recalls the thematic heft of HBO’s Watchmen, which [Lanterns co-creator Damon] Lindelof developed. Both series use superhero mythology to examine the Black experience in America, especially the inherited trauma and the institutions that decide who gets to wield power,” he wrote.

New episodes of Lanterns premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays at 9 p.m. EDT.

Source: Polygon