TV Review | Lanterns (Episode 3) HBO Max

“Lanterns delivers another excellent episode. This one unveils John Stewart’s new origin story, which adds gravitas to the character and makes his story more dramatic.”

It’s time for a new episode of Lanterns. Last week gave the fans a pinch-me moment with Hal Jordan in his suit talking to Sinestro. It is created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King. It stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Dillahunt and Poorna Jagannathan. A new episode is now streaming on HBO Max.

JOHN STEWART’S ORIGIN STORY

Last week’s episode ended with the beginning of a major conversation between Hal and Sinestro. However, this week’s episode doesn’t pick up where that left off, so we’ll have to wait until next week to see how that conversation unfolds. Instead, this episode takes a deep dive into John Stewart’s past. The series introduced him as a child, and it seemed like he had a difficult life. This episode finally unveils the whole truth. Having a flashback episode at the beginning of the series rather than near the end is a smart choice because it doesn’t disrupt the pacing when there’s already a lot happening. It also allows us to gain a better understanding of this character, which is important to the story.

The structure of the episode is quite original, and it’s effective. The audience witnesses John’s interview with the Guardian as he recalls his childhood and the important events in his life that are relevant to the interview. In the DCU, John’s father was asked to become a Green Lantern before Hal Jordan, but he failed the test. This led him to train his own son to pass the test when the time came. John has essentially been preparing for this interview his whole life. This is actually different from his origin story in the comics, although he’s still a Marine here, and he’s still good at drawing.

Obviously, this change is going to cause some stir on social media. But if you look at this change to his origin story honestly, you’ll realise that this choice was made for the better. Stewart’s origin story in the DCU adds gravitas to the character and makes his story more dramatic. It’s not a common origin story, and that’s precisely what makes it one that leaves a mark. With each episode, Aaron Pierre proves us why he was exactly the right choice to play Stewart.

LAURA LINNEY

This episode introduces the Guardians to the DCU, with one of them played by the talented Laura Linney. She absolutely nails the role. There’s a certain coldness in the way she plays the character, while still making great use of her facial expressions. When you have an actress like her, you want her to play the character in a human form because you want to get the best out of her performance. However, we do get a glimpse of the Guardian in her true alien form. It’s only a brief glimpse, teasing a full reveal later on. This way, the show maintains a certain sense of mystery. Let’s not reveal everything right away.

VERDICT

Lanterns delivers another excellent episode. This one unveils John Stewart’s new origin story, which adds gravitas to the character and makes his story more dramatic. Aaron Pierre proves with every episode why he was the right choice to play Stewart. Laura Linney absolutely nails the role of the Guardian.