We are introduced to a new era of DC television with the release of Lanterns. Before Lanterns, we had the Arrowverse, which showcased a lot of crossover episodes and team ups. With Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre taking on the roles of Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively, we are shown a new version of Hal Jordan, a more grizzled veteran of the Green Lantern Corps, forced to train John Stewart, a headstrong Marine who has trained his entire life to become Green Lantern, to be his replacement. Throughout episodes 1-5, Hal reluctantly trains John until he is alerted of an extraterrestrial being in Rushville, Nebraska, resulting in the two entering into unknown territory as they search for the threat.
Tension Within the Ranks
Throughout the first five episodes, Hal makes it clear to John that he has no intention of giving up the ring to John, refusing to train him properly and putting John in several dangerous situations. John has spent his entire life to be fearless, training since he was five years old by his parents who wanted him to become the next Green Lantern, and has been chosen by The Guardians to be Hal’s replacement. As the two continuously clash, they come face to face with a Manhunter, a being created by the Guardians to police the universe before the formation of the Green Lanterns Corp. A threat that even Hal, who has been a Green Lantern for twenty years at this point, has never heard of before.
Deviations from the Comics
A noticeable detail in the show has been certain abilities missing from the ring outside of combat. Normally, Hal and any Green Lantern are able to “will” the ring back to their person in the event it is ever taken off their finger, however the show seems to have excluded this ability from Hal’s ring. As well as having the ability to access a pocket dimension to store their lantern battery so that they may be able to charge their ring when it gets low. Hal does have the pocket dimension, but instead of being accessible anytime, he has to open a safe like device with a voice command. Another detail that the show has altered are the capabilities of the Manhunters. Originally, the Manhunters were designed to be emotionless and were androids that were incapable of transformation or shapeshifting. The Manhunters in the show are able to transform into organic beings and are capable of feeling emotions, a detail which has made the Manhunters appear noticeably weaker and vulnerable compared to their comic counterparts.
Episode 1-5 Synopsis
*Spoilers ahead*
As Hal is training John, reluctantly, he learns of an alien threat in Rushville, Nebraska. Once they arrive in Rushville, it becomes clear that the town is hiding something as Hal and John come face to face with Will Macon, the Manhunter’s protector and Zoe Macon, who is eventually revealed to be the Manhunter. The leaders of the town persistently attempt to get Hal and John to leave, trying to preserve their town’s way of life. Hal is eventually forced to seek out Sinestro in prison, in order to learn any information he can about what the Manhunters are and what they are capable of. Meanwhile, John is contacted by one of the Guardians, who informs him that he must take the ring from Hal and become the new Green Lantern. John, who believed that he had been chosen and was constantly told that it was his birthright to become Green Lantern, struggles with the Guardians forcing him to take the ring from Hal instead of it being given to him by the Guardians. After the climatic moment, we see the moment when John has finally taken the ring from Hal, however, he has not yet taken on the mantle of Green Lantern. In a final meeting with the Guardian, Lianna, John chooses to reject the ring.
What Could Come Next?
With Nathan Fillion also making an appearance as Guy Gardner in the show, we could see how Guy was chosen after John rejected the ring. In the comics, Guy was the original backup to Hal and John was chosen to be the next backup after Guy had been injured. The show title being Lanterns, instead of “Green Lanterns” is an important detail. Throughout the comics, we are introduced to a whole spectrum of Lantern Corps and there may be a possibility of introducing several other Lantern Corps. One of the biggest Green Lantern storylines in the comics was an event called “The Blackest Night,” a massive story involving every Lantern Corps, as well as the Justice League. If DC and Warner Bros are able to integrate it well, we may see a potential crossover in the future.
