Pilot
The DC Universe returns to the small screen in the new HBO Max original series, Lanterns. Its premiere moves between three points in John Stewart’s life: his childhood in the 1990s, a Nebraska mystery he investigates alongside Hal Jordan during the 2010s, and the 2020s, where Stewart is left to uncover the truth following a shocking discovery involving Hal Jordan.
Warning: Spoilers below.
Training
After a cold open exploring John Stewart’s relationship with his family and his childhood admiration for Hal Jordan, the story jumps ahead 20 years. By then, Jordan is training Stewart to become a Green Lantern, although it quickly becomes apparent that the two men are not exactly happy with their current circumstances. Stewart may have once viewed Jordan as a hero, but the veteran Lantern has lost much of the idealism associated with serving as an intergalactic peacekeeper. Even so, there are still aspects of the job that he clearly enjoys.
Photograph by John Johnson/HBO Max
When Stewart asks for the opportunity to use the Green Lantern ring, Jordan gives him one in an unconventional way. He leaves the ring inside their moving car before jumping out as the vehicle races toward a cliff. Stewart manages to grab it and creates a bubble-wrap construct to cushion his fall. Afterward, he walks three miles to a taco stand, where Jordan had instructed him to meet. During the journey, another version of Hal Jordan emerges from the ring and delivers a message to his 2016 counterpart, one that appears to carry major significance for him.
Mystery
Jordan flies off to Nebraska, leaving Stewart to make his own way there. Since the trainee has neither been taught how to fly nor received his own ring, he is forced to find another way to reach the destination.
When Stewart finally arrives, he discovers what appears to be the aftermath of a mass shooting at a football field. Hal is waiting in the stands and tells him that aliens are responsible for the attack and that he has already identified one of them. The local sheriff has reached the same suspect but believes he is simply responsible for the shooting rather than an extraterrestrial. The suspect takes off after spotting Stewart, forcing John to chase him down.
Photograph by John Johnson/HBO Max
Sheriff Kerry Kane refuses to allow Hal to interrogate the man, prompting Jordan to come up with another plan. He uses the same song on a jukebox to deliberately start a fight at a bar in hopes of getting himself arrested and gaining access to the suspect's cell. The sheriff, however, sees through the scheme and places Hal in solitary confinement instead. By the following morning, Jordan finds himself in court, where he gets an education in how justice operates in a small rural town.
Partnership
The judge is prepared to punish Hal when a lawyer unexpectedly arrives to represent him. The attorney is Billy Macon, who also happens to be Sheriff Kane’s husband. Billy explains that his father is willing to cover Hal’s legal expenses, provided that he and John join the family for dinner.
Photograph by John Johnson/HBO Max
That introduction brings them face-to-face with William Macon, Billy’s father and someone who appears likely to become a major problem in the 2016 storyline. With enough land on his farm to support a militia, William has become deeply concerned about the possibility of extraterrestrial threats. He initially presents himself as an ally, but there is clearly something unsettling beneath the surface.
William eventually arranges for Hal to interrogate the suspect arrested by the sheriff. Jordan repeatedly tries to expose him as an alien, but the man avoids giving him a straight answer. That changes when Hal begins questioning him about Barack Obama. The suspect starts speaking hypothetically about being an extraterrestrial while challenging the power of Hal's ring. He even mockingly recites the Green Lantern oath, pushing Hal toward anger. Moments later, the alien explodes, forcing Hal to use a construct from his ring to shield himself from the blast.
2026
The episode concludes ten years later as John Stewart returns to Nebraska to meet with Sheriff Kane. On a snowy night, the two return to the football field where the earlier attack took place. There, sitting in the stands, they discover Hal's body. He has suffered a fatal head wound, and his Green Lantern ring is nowhere to be found.
Photograph by John Johnson/HBO Max
Final Thoughts
This series was billed as True Detective meets superheroes, and that comparison appears to be taking shape. The premiere follows three timelines, with each one introducing questions that could drive the rest of the season.
In the 1990s storyline, John has an unusual relationship with his father. His brothers seem genuinely afraid of the man, while John does not, so it will be interesting to see how that dynamic develops. The 2016 storyline is clearly centered on the search for extraterrestrials, but there are plenty of questions about where that investigation is headed. My guess is that the Macons will ultimately prove to be more foe than friend, although Sheriff Kane and John Stewart seem destined to become allies.
Then there is the biggest mystery of all: what happened to Hal Jordan? Who killed him, and where did his Green Lantern ring go? I'm also curious about how much we'll see of Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, who was introduced to the DCU in Superman and is expected to appear at some point during the season.
It's a good start and, more importantly, the premiere leaves plenty of questions to explore moving forward.
Check out Lanterns streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
Article Written By: Jeremy Brown for Stelmach Brown Media 2026
Add comment
Comments