Lanterns Episode 8 Rumored to Introduce Sinestro Corps

Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for Lanterns, Episode 7.

Throughout its run, Lanterns has divided DC Comics fans. Some love the more grounded murder mystery and the thorny dynamic between veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Others have taken issue with the fact that the more cosmic elements of the Green Lantern mythos have been pared down, or that the premiere episode ends with John discovering Hal’s dead body. Yet the latest episode, “The Jordan Boys’ Legacy,” hints that the Lanterns finale is about to finally bring a major piece of Green Lantern lore to life.

“The Jordan Boys’ Legacy” finds John using Hal’s old Green Lantern ring to summon a backup of Hal’s consciousness. Though this is a younger version of Hal, he’s still relatively prickly towards John, especially once he learns John is not Earth’s Green Lantern. Eventually, the duo travel to a long-dead planet that was once home to the alien insurgent Antaan, whom John and Hal encountered in 2016. They aren’t alone, as the planet also houses Hal’s former mentor Sinestro. Sinestro’s presence might point to the Lanterns finale finally introducing the Sinestro Corps, who wield the power of fear.

‘Lanterns’ is strongly hinting at the debut of the Sinestro Corps

The Sinestro Corps rose to power following Sinestro’s banishment to the antimatter world of Qward. He raises an army of beings who can “inspire great fear,” giving them yellow rings powered by Qward’s weaponeers, and launches an assault on the Green Lantern Corps as he seeks to bring order to the universe through fear. The Sinestro Corps War remains one of the biggest storylines in Green Lantern history, and for good reason. Not only did Sinestro recruit iconic villains like the Anti-Monitor and the Cyborg Superman to his Corps, but his battle with Hal Jordan was a prelude to the events of Blackest Night.

Lanterns is strongly suggesting that the Sinestro Corps will rise in its Season 1 finale. During the teaser for the finale, Sinestro tells John, “The Lantern Corps thinks that fear makes you weak. They couldn’t be more wrong. Fear can be the most powerful force in the universe.” Adding to this, the planet John and Hal are on is laced with a chemical that forces John to relive his worst fears. A character known for weaponizing fear on a planet fueled by fear is a recipe for a budding supervillain. Yet for anyone who knows their Green Lantern history, there’s still time for the show to throw a curveball at fans.

The ‘Lanterns’ finale could throw a curveball when it comes to John or Hal

In the lead up to Lanterns, the Green Lantern: Earth One comics by Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko were heavily promoted as inspiration for the series. That inspiration can be felt in Hal’s more militaristic Green Lantern uniform, but there’s also a major twist in Earth One Volume Two that could feed into the Lanterns finale. That twist? John Stewart winds up wielding a yellow power ring. The fact that John could be part of the Sinestro Corps would be genuinely shocking, yet it also makes sense. He rejected the Green Lanterns and the life his parents built for him, and taught himself to be fearless. What if he is the first Yellow Lantern to embrace fear as a force for good?

Then there’s Hal. The finale’s teaser strongly hints that he might return to life, thanks to the same Manhunter technology that saved John from near death. And as most fans know, Hal briefly turned to the dark side and became the villainous Parallax. Later comics revealed that Parallax is an entity of pure fear, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to reveal that it’s living on that planet. Whatever turn the finale takes, Lanterns is shaping up to expand the DCU and finally fulfill the promise that Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern left hanging.

The season finale of Lanterns premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, October 4.

Source: Polygon