Lanterns kicks off with a flashback of young John Stewart in 1996 watching Hal Jordan in an interview.
It’s clear the TV shouldn’t be on, but John is willing to deal with the consequences to hear the one question that matters to him: “Are you afraid?”
After being caught watching TV, John Sr. leads John outside for what turns out to be a test, where young John places a single apple on his own head. John Sr. asks one question, as he aims the gun at John: “Are you afraid?” The question echoes what Hal said in his interview. Young John has one answer: “No, sir.” As John Sr.’s shot destroys the apple, John doesn’t flinch. This flashback shows the foundation of discipline John grew up with, and at the center of it: his father.
Flash forward 20 years, and things have changed. Imagine meeting your childhood hero and finding out he’s nothing like what you thought he’d be. Instead, he’s arrogant and pushy. Testing you at every turn… literally — Hal jumps out of a moving car mid-conversation, leaving the ring on the dashboard. It’s John’s only way out as the car goes over a cliff at full speed.
John survives and begins the three-mile walk to the taco stand — the spot Hal graciously called out before jumping. He is upset, and calls John Sr. to tell him what happened. His father’s advice: stay the course. Now we know that in this storyline, being a Lantern is something John desires. If almost being killed hasn’t thrown him off, this signals John has what it takes.
On the way, the ring activates, loading a hologram of Hal with a message meant for the current Lantern. The hologram is a backup of Hal’s consciousness merged with the sentience of the ring. Hal should be backing it up weekly, but it is ten years out of date. John learns that Hal should have taught him the backup protocol — and other basics, like flight — long before now.
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Over tacos, John relays the hologram’s message: “There’s hail in Rushville, Nebraska.” Hal immediately flies there himself, leaving John to take the more human route — a plane, then a rental car. John is rightly annoyed, but he is building on a skill foundational to his character: tenacity. With or without the ring, John needs a strong will.
Upon arrival, John comes across a mass shooting scene that’s left four dead at a local football game. Sheriff Kerry Kane gives John the same cold reception she reserves for Hal. She is direct: they are not welcome, and Lantern Corps’ presence will cause trouble. Locals will see Lanterns’ presence as a sign of extraterrestrial activity.
As we watch Hal and John discuss how to approach the case, two things stand out: John can pick up on what is out of place quickly, and Hal is territorial. We learn one thing: “hail” means aliens, and Hal suspects the victims are aliens. Still, both want to approach this case differently. John is analytical but seems impulsive. On the other hand, Hal’s years of experience give him the restraint that John must learn.
Surprisingly, Hal gives John the OK to do things his way. That leads to a chase, with John and Kerry pursuing a suspect. Together, they take down the suspect, but John and Hal cannot join the interrogation.
Over at the local bar, John drops his respectful “Yes, sir.” Here, these two have an honest conversation. Hal shares how he came to be a Lantern, and why they are in this small Nebraskan town. The conversation reveals that even if they don’t care for each other, they understand each other.
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros. Discovery
While Hal works on his plan to get into the prison, John meets a woman who seems to have very targeted questions and observations about him and Hal. It doesn’t take long for John to drop his guard, opening to her and then sharing an intimate moment back in her truck.
Eventually, the bar fight Hal incited lands him in jail. Instead of interviewing the suspect, Hal finds himself in front of a judge for causing the fight. His defense, pro bono: none other than the Sheriff’s husband, Billy Macon. Billy’s father will be covering the cost of Hal’s bail.
The price for the representation: dinner at the ranch with Kerry and Billy — and a chance to meet Billy’s father, a “huge fan” of Hal. As they drive onto the property, they observe men with automatic rifles patrolling the grounds and a militia-style shooting drill in progress. Over a dozen people are out there armed and ready — but for what?
Our host has a name: Will Macon, and he does not own the ranch. He’s the caretaker instead, working for an employer, with an active NDA. Will also knows about the aliens and is part of an operation to get rid of them. His group is preparing to fight the colonization of planet Earth.
While visiting the ranch, John’s new friend from the bar reemerges, and she has a name: Zoe Macon, wife to Will Macon, grandmother to Billy and Kerry’s son. Hal notices an awkward exchange between Will and John; he learns that John and Zoe slept together, and Will knows. For someone functioning as caretaker of a ranch, Will has a good amount of intel.
The dinner proves useful, as Will gets Kerry to give Hal a chance to interview the suspected alien. As Hal gets to work talking to the suspect, John and Kerry have their own moment of honesty. We learn that John has respect for Hal, regardless of what Hal’s put him through. But Kerry brings up a point that John hadn’t considered. Hal is fearless, yes. But those who care for others have something to fear: losing them. Hal’s fearlessness might be because he doesn’t care about anyone, and no one cares about him.
Inside the interrogation room, we learn Hal might be right. The person sitting across from him is in fact an alien, with a chilling mission. This alien hints at the possibility that he could blow up the entire town. What does Hal do now?
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros. Discovery
Laughing, the alien mocks the Green Lantern oath and triggers Hal. In anger, Hal slams him against the interrogation room window, and a slow and steady beeping begins. Hal presses again for why the alien is here. Then the beeping intensifies, and Hal throws the alien to the floor. He braces for the explosion by putting a shield around the alien and covering the shield with his own body. The explosion rocks the town, leaving a huge hole in the side of the Sheriff’s station. There is no doubt there will be questions about what happened. Kerry’s job to keep the townsfolk calm just got harder.
The next scene puts us in 2026 with John, now ten years older. He’s sporting a new look: goatee, clean-cut, a turtleneck under an overcoat. John drives down a road that’s barren and cold — possibly where the ranch once stood. Now, only rubble remains. In town, he meets with Kerry, who greets him as an old friend. Kerry slowly leads him to the football field they first met on. We come upon Hal, frozen in the snow and sitting on the bleachers, a single gunshot wound to the head. Even more troubling: his ring is gone.
There are so many questions: why are the aliens there? Why would they spend so much time fitting in? Back in the moments before the blast in 2016, the suspect leaves us with one clue. When asked why he is here, his answer is one word and chilling: “Vengeance.” Whatever these human-looking aliens are planning, it is not a moment of peace. If this is episode one, we’re in for quite the season — and quite the series. Let’s see what the next episode tells us; maybe we find out more about what this town means to Hal.
