TV Review | Lanterns (Episode 6) HBO Max

“This feels like a new beginning for Lanterns—a new season within the same season. It sets the tone for the remaining episodes and lays the groundwork for a new mystery.”

It’s time for a new episode of Lanterns! 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.

A NEW BEGINNING

Last week’s episode closed the chapter on the Rushville incident. It was a major episode and a genuine turning point for the series, while also leaving the door wide open for what comes next. And now, this week feels like a brand-new beginning. The story jumps forward ten years to 2026, the year Hal Jordan dies. We finally see where John Stewart is now, while the series opens an entirely new mystery: what happened to Hal Jordan?

A lot has changed for John Stewart over those ten years. Most importantly, his relationship with his family has completely shifted. On the surface, he’s a very different man, but what happened in Rushville has never truly left him. This episode is all about establishing the new status quo for the characters while introducing the mystery that will drive the second half of the season. In many ways, it feels like the premiere of Season 2—even though we’re technically still in Season 1.

And that’s what makes this series so exciting. It can reinvent itself within the same season without feeling like it’s abandoning what came before. There’s so much happening in this story that the series can completely change its direction while still carrying the weight of everything that has happened. It’s not easy to pull that off, but the writing team has absolutely nailed it. This series really is the gift that keeps on giving.

THE DEATH OF HAL JORDAN

Fans were shocked at the end of the series premiere when it was revealed that Hal Jordan would die in 2026. As the story progressed, people started to doubt whether Hal was really dead. But this episode confirms that Hal Jordan is, in fact, dead. Even though this version of Hal was arrogant and not the nicest person, his death hits really hard. In just five episodes, the writers have made us care about a character who wasn’t particularly easy to love. This is how you recognize great writing.

However, despite his death, this won’t be the last time we see Kyle Chandler play the character. Indeed, we’ll still see Hal in the remaining episodes, as John uses Hal’s ring to contact his younger self. It’s going to be exciting to see more of the younger Hal.

THE RETURN OF GUY GARDNER

Hal Jordan and John Stewart are no longer Green Lanterns, but this series is called Lanterns, so there has to be a Green Lantern showing up. And this time, it’s Guy Gardner’s turn. Nathan Fillion returns to play the character. He’s already appeared in Superman and Peacemaker, and now we get to see him again! In fact, Guy Gardner has become the character who has appeared in the most DCU projects so far. It’s weird to write those words, but it’s true. Yes, Guy Gardner. He’s probably the most unexpected character you would expect to see used as a live-action Green Lantern, and yet it totally works. That’s partly because it’s Nathan Fillion, but James Gunn also managed to pull off his introduction in Superman.

The Guy Gardner we get here is the same jerk we’ve seen in the previous DCU projects, except he gets to swear more since this is an HBO series, and he’s given much more time to actually be the character. And honestly, it’s great to see him in Lanterns. He’s the kind of character you love to hate, yet somehow, somewhere in the middle of all that, you start to think he’s kind of cool. But he’s still an idiot, too.

VERDICT

This feels like a new beginning for Lanterns—a new season within the same season. It sets the tone for the remaining episodes and lays the groundwork for a new mystery. It’s a compelling episode that showcases Damon Lindelof’s talents as a writer. Guy Gardner also makes his return, and it’s always a joy to see Nathan Fillion play this arrogant jerk. He absolutely nails the role.