Lanterns Finale Explains How John Stewart Sets Up Man of Tomorrow

The first episode of HBO’s Lanterns set up two big mysteries regarding extraterrestrials in Rushville, Nebraska, and who killed Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). The season finale reveals the truth about Hal’s death along with more of Rushville’s secrets. “Dirt and Stars” also sets up a new conflict with big implications for the future of the DC Universe.

Major spoilers follow for Lanterns episode 8.

Who killed Hal Jordan?

Plenty of speculation followed Hal’s murder since his body was found in the stands of Rushville’s football stadium at the end of episode 1. Episode 7 introduced the possibility that Hal might have shot himself in the head, following the sad Jordan family legacy of his father and grandfather who both died by suicide. Hal actually seems very happy at the beginning of “Dirt and Stars,” where he hopes to take his relationship with Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) to the next level by accompanying her to watch her son Noah (Shea Pritchard) play his last football game in Rushville.

Someone sets Hal’s home on fire, trapping the former Green Lantern inside while he tries to rescue his pet carnivorous plant Earl. Hal succumbs to smoke inhalation, but Noah rescues Hal from the fire and heals him with the same advanced technology Noah’s grandmother Zoe (Poorna Jagannathan) used on John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) in episode 5. Earl also survives.

Lanterns previously hinted that Noah might be a Manhunter when Zoe urged her adoptive grandson to remember what she taught him before her final confrontation with the Lanterns, and when Kerry said that Zoe gave her a miracle. When Zoe used advanced technology to regrow the pinkie Kerry cut off to satisfy thugs, Kerry wound up pregnant with Noah. Kerry did not think that Noah knew he was a Manhunter until Hal told her what happened.

Hal followed Noah and discovered that Noah broke Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) out of prison and took him to Antaan’s planet using a portal from Zoe. In exchange, Sinestro built Noah a new Lantern that could charge a Green Lantern ring, though it is contaminated by the planet’s fear. Noah wanted to use the Lantern to get revenge on the Guardians of the Universe, starting by killing the current Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion). That way, he could take Guy’s ring and use the Lantern to power it. Because Noah is still part human, his conscience allows him to combat his ruthless Manhunter programming. Sinestro assumes that Noah killed Hal to hide his secret, and Noah confesses to the crime himself when John confronts him about it. Noah even asks the former Marine sniper to kill him the same way John killed Zoe.

Noah was lying to protect his mother. Kerry shot Hal after he told her that he learned the truth about Noah. Hal also tried to persuade Kerry to flee town to protect them all from the Guardians. After killing Hal, Kerry called John to Rushville, knowing he was the only one who could discover what really happened. Kerry felt guilty about killing Hal and was afraid she raised a monster like her Gotham City gangster father, whose crimes made her flee to Rushville.

Kerry offers to turn herself in, but John decides that Hal would not want to see her punished. John also decides that Noah is not a monster since he was willing to die to protect his mother and give up the power of Sinestro’s Lantern. Noah opts to play football at the University of Nebraska to live a normal life instead of attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he could more easily pursue power.

What’s next for John Stewart?

John leaves Sinestro stranded on Antaan’s planet, and decides to use Sinestro’s Lantern and Hal’s Power Ring for himself to become a Green Lantern who does not directly report to the Guardians of the Universe. Charging the ring for the first time transferred ownership from Hal, erasing the Halogram, though the former Green Lantern and his trainee exchange a fond farewell before that happens.

John explains his plans to Guy, declaring that Guy can maintain his role as the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 and deal with threats in space while John protects the Earth. Guy thinks the Guardians will send an army to stop John, but John predicts they will leave him alone due to their complicated relationship with his family and the fact that he possesses a Lantern crafted specifically to be able to stop them.

That conflict will likely be further developed in James Gunn’s next DCU film Man of Tomorrow, which features a sprawling cast of superheroes and villains including both John and Guy. Brainiac is the movie’s main villain, so Guy will have plenty to do in space while John focuses on terrestrial problems. John also repeatedly mocks Guy’s gold tooth, so maybe Guy will ditch it for the movie.

If Guy faces extraterrestrial threats, that makes him a lot less useful to the Justice Gang, the superhero group sponsored by businessman Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn). Sean Gunn has confirmed Lord will appear in at least two more DCU projects, so he might be in Man of Tomorrow looking to recruit John as Guy’s replacement.