John’s training is still in session, regardless of what is happening in Rushville, Nebraska. In episode 2 of Lanterns, after a slightly rude awakening, Hal and John discuss what is next. John believes they should get the guardians up to speed. Hal’s plan: teach John how to fly with one instruction, “think flight.”
Knowing the ring has limited power, Hal puts John to the test, and John is ready. You must give the writers their kudos for the comic relief in the scene. There is nothing better than watching John put pure focus and energy into his first flight, to remain grounded.
However, John does create a living bird. Hal seems interested and confused that John’s will can project a living bird (let’s call it: Tweety). He also seems even more confused that the bird stays present after John returns a depleted ring. We learn that John’s willpower is strong, strong enough to leave Hal intrigued.
Hal gives John a task: take a plane to Hal’s home in Coast City to retrieve the Lantern. During this trip, John must keep Tweety alive. John must keep his concentration; if he loses focus the bird disappears and he fails. He also must feed Earl. It appears that Hal has something he cares about back at home, at least enough to want it fed.
A pre-booked flight makes it clear that Hal wanted to get John out of Rushville. With John out of the way, we get a chance to see how Hal works solo. He returns to the football field where the shooting took place. There, Hal reassesses the scene and makes note of two metal detectors that don’t seem to detect metal. These should have picked up any weapons brought to the field. So, what are they there for? Also, RIP to John’s rental, since Hal decided to pull the grill out and use it for the metal detectors test.
Hal has questions for Sheriff Kerry. Calls to the office lead to voice mail, but even more disturbing: the town is almost deserted by its residents as Hal drives through. Using the little charge he has left, Hal flies above the town. From there he can see there is a meeting happening that he was not invited to by the townsfolk.
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros. Discovery
Ever walk into a room and know they were just talking about you? This is what happens to Hal as he enters the building that seems to have everyone in town present, including Sheriff Kerry who is leading the meeting. A clear awkward change of topic happens upon Hal’s entrance, but Billy soon joins him. Billy’s message: The judge dropped all the charges, so Hal can go home. Hal asks Billy to clarify how Will’s men knew exactly who to shoot at the football field. Billy claims he knows nothing, and eventually their exchange gets Sheriff Kerry’s attention. Hal is getting on her nerves. But before he can push her last button, Hal steps out to take a call from John.
John made it to the house. Maybe house is not the right term. Hal’s mansion is slightly reflective of his personality. While on the phone with Hal, John and Tweety make their way through the house. As they talk, Hal breaks into the morgue and retrieves the alien bodies. John sees the Green Lantern suit in Hal’s closet. We see the want and determination in his eyes as he holds it up in the mirror. He asks Hal if he should bring one back, and Hal’s answer is not surprising: no. John retrieves the Lantern from the interdimensional box. Now it’s time to feed Earl.
Earl winds up being not a cat or a dog, but a plant-like creature from another world. He eats custom beef mixed with bison. Earl even has his own greenhouse with a name plate. While Hal doesn’t have much in his home besides the basics, he has Earl.
While Hal is discovering that the metal detectors at the Rushville stadium are in fact alien detectors, unknown assailants attack John outside of Hal’s home.
The captors have John zip-tied in the back of a van, with one of them holding Tweety in hand. He tries to escape and manages to get the zip ties off. But it’s clear John’s captors are not average. Somehow John makes it out of the van, grabbing the Lantern. Pursued by one of his captors, he races down the highway. However, the assailants capture John again when he makes a move to save Tweety.
Meanwhile in Nebraska, Sheriff Kerry has had enough of Hal, especially when she pulls him over with the corpses of the aliens in John’s car. He is taking the corpses to see Will; she advises against it. Sheriff Kerry is aware Will put the detectors up. She also knows that Hal’s pop-up visit might not go well. Sheriff Kerry agrees to take him to the ranch, but under the condition that she will be the one to lead the conversation.
That agreement does not hold, as Hal immediately tries to dominate the conversation when they arrive. We find out Kerry is right: Will needed Hal to prove the suspect was an alien. Will no longer has a use for Hal, now that Hal has confirmed alien presence in the town.
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros. Discovery
Hal believes there is more to the property than Will is letting on. The alien detectors are more sophisticated than any other technology Hal has seen in the galaxy. Will makes it clear the technology comes from his benefactor. Revised: However, Will is clear that his men will shoot Hal if Hal continues to trespass. As Will rides away, Hal continues to press by advancing on the property and a member of Will’s team shoots him immediately.
John wakes up in an abandoned building to, surprisingly, gentle captors. The bird impresses them, but more importantly they want to know what John knows about Manhunters. They assume John knows more than he does, because of his “closeness” to Hal. The aliens make it clear they don’t plan on torturing John; in fact, they want him to join them. They “stamp” John with knowledge of what happened in the past. John now holds the memory of a Manhunter who engineered a holocaust that wiped out their race.
Tears fall from John’s eyes as he experiences their loss. We learn a Green Lantern came to aid the aliens and took the Manhunter. The Lantern promised to execute the Manhunter. This execution never happened, and that Manhunter has been hiding in Rushville, Nebraska. Now, the Manhunter knows the aliens have its whereabouts. According to this group, Will’s men exposed and killed the team they sent to Rushville to deal with the Manhunter. The aliens are unable to enter Rushville without risking detection by Will’s team.
>The aliens give John a task: find the Manhunter in 48 hours, or they will come and finish what their counterpart, the suspect from episode 1, started. The aliens will destroy Rushville if they arrive, and the destruction they bring will cost many lives.
Why do they believe John can do this? His construct of the bird is more telling of his capability than he knows.
In Nebraska, Hal wakes up in a hospital bed recovering from his gunshot wound. By his side is Sheriff Kerry, who wants to know who Sinestro is. Hal and Sheriff Kerry come to an understanding. He will stand down so she can do her job: holding the town together. In their exchange, Hal learns that Sheriff Kerry is originally from Gotham.
As they exit the hospital, Hal notices that he might be the only patient ever seen here. New equipment, blank paperwork — something is off in this town.
John returns, with Tweety still intact (hurrah!), and stops by the café for a cup of coffee. He runs into his one-night stand, Zoe Macon. Ever the gentleman, John makes it clear that he would not have slept with her if he had known about her marriage. He learns more about the unconventional marriage between Zoe and Will, and why Zoe stays: security. John shares that he is trying to figure out if he can trust Hal; Zoe points out that if he must ask, he might know the answer.
Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros. Discovery
Zoe drops John off at the motel, where Hal is waiting. John gives him the lantern and the suit, which annoys Hal. Hal recharges the ring, as John discovers his car has been used by Hal in investigative work. John tells Hal about his new extraterrestrial acquaintances and his new objective. He also lets Hal know he was asked not to share this information, because Hal is not trusted by them.
More importantly, John shares that this group of aliens believes the guardians hid the Manhunter in Rushville, Nebraska. John also shares he learned that Tweety’s existence is extremely advanced. It is odd that Hal never acknowledged John’s talent. Hal’s response is sarcastic, but there is a new level of respect between the two. He asks John about the significance of the bird, implying it means something deep. John dismisses the question and dissolves the bird before returning to his motel room.
Hal returns to his room, and we see him put on the suit. He takes an impromptu flight out to an off-world cosmic detention facility. Here we meet Sinestro. Hal gets straight to the point: What does Sinestro know about Manhunters? However, Sinestro’s message: Hal’s biggest threat is not the Manhunter, it’s John Stewart. Is John really a threat to Hal? Or is Sinestro simply another being weaving threads of mistrust between the two? Maybe episode 3 will hold some answers.
