All 8 Episodes of Lanterns, Ranked

In blackest night.

I know, I know. I'm, like, two weeks late. I promise I actually watched the finale of Lanterns when it came out, but it's been a ridiculously busy time and I have not had the time to write a ton of stuff for the blog. With Clayface being released next week, however, I wanted to get at least one post about the end of Lanterns out, so I decided to do the episodes. Hopefully I can get a character ranking out too, but I also want to do some coverage of Ted Lasso and Carrie (I've watched both, but I have to choose my time wisely and I just haven't been able to hit the blog very often). Either way, here is my ranking of all eight episodes of HBO's Lanterns.

8. Dirt and Stars

Episode 8

The season finale of Lanterns wasn't bad, per se, but it was disappointing. To its credit, the show remained grounded - it maintained it's True Detective tone throughout, but the finale is where that hurt the show the most. The biggest problem with the finale was that it lacked any real surprises. Almost everyone knew that Noah was a Manhunter. Either Noah or Kerry killed Hal, so that wasn't surprising. And then everyone knew John was going to become Green Lantern in the end, and those are the three major things that happened. The final episode played it very safe while also not delivering everything we wanted. I get that it wants to stay grounded and feel like a crime show rather than a superhero show, but we've spent the entire season building to John getting the ring...so show him as Green Lantern for a bit. Not even seeing him in the suit was a major disappointment. He barely fought anyone as Green Lantern. And, while I think the way in which he becomes a Lantern is satisfying, I do not think the show emphasized how big of a moment this is for him. This should be epic - John Stewart, after eight episodes, fulfilled his destiny...and it's a quiet, somewhat melancholy moment. That isn't right.

On the other end of things, the final reveals to the mystery weren't bad, but they, like the rest of the finale, felt safe. Noah being a Manhunter was telegraphed from the moment Zoe told him to remember everything she taught him. It was all but confirmed once he became a major character in the 2026 timeline. So that reveal felt underwhelming and extremely predictable. I think Kerry killing Hal is an interesting development, but it feels out of character for her. She just turned around and shot someone in a moment of weakness...and she gets away with it. Kerry has been written as the most straight-laced character, trying to keep Rushville safe, and she has allowed another Manhunter, one of the most apparent dangerous creatures in the universe, to live after the trauma Rushville suffered. And then she makes John go down this road of solving Hal's murder when she committed it. I don't know, man. This just felt like a really, really underwhelming finale for what could've been a great show.

7. Trust Fall

Episode 2

This episode felt like the first deep dive we got into Hal Jordan's psyche. Lanterns was at its strongest when it focused on our two leads, and Trust Fall showed us the growing tension between the two of them, mainly from Hal's side. Hal sends John away on a side mission to Coast City, where we get the sense of how truly lonely being a Green Lantern is. This was also where the mysterious build towards whatever was going on in Rushville was the strongest, because Will Macon was acting suspicious and Antaan tells John about Manhunters. This is a good episode. Other episodes were simply stronger. The final moments, in my mind, were very good, because I feel like so many shows shy away from giving us the characters we want just to tease us. Lanterns brought Sinestro into the DCU in episode two, and I really appreciated that we immediately got a sense of his character and his relationship with Hal. Not a mind-blowing episode, but a good one.

6. Bad Optics

Episode 6

After the destruction of Rushville in 2016, we flash forward ten years to 2026. Whereas episode two delved deeply into Hal Jordan's psyche, this episode really gave us an idea of the growth John has had in the ten years between episodes. Again, this is where Lanters shines - the characters. This episode almost feels like a direct sequel to OutKast, where we got the full-fledged origin of John Stewart. We now see how he has outgrown his previous goals and has become the man that he truly wanted to be. It's interesting seeing a John who knows he has rejected the ring but is also aware of the fact that he still deserves it. The temptation to go back to chasing the ring is subtle, but it's there, and it's further emphasized in Guy Gardner's appearance. This is where Lanterns felt like it successfully connected the DCU - in the R-rated Green Lantern show, Guy Gardner, who made his debut in the bright, colorful Superman, still fits in. This episode is definitely a bit slow and frustrating in the way it halts the mystery, but I think it works for the characters.

5. The Weenie

Episode 4

The fourth episode feels like the proper ramp up towards the explosive midpoint of the episode five. The dichotomy between John and Hal is made clear as they attack the mystery of the Manhunter through different methods. The Macon family becomes more suspicious. Everything set up in the previous three episodes starts to converge towards the epic discovery that Zoe Macon is the actual Manhunter. I actually think the weakest part of this episode is the revelation about Zoe - it's done in a clunky, confusing way where I wasn't actually convinced that she was the Manhunter. But where it shines is with our two leads and their growing dislike and disapproval. The final moment as Hal jumps out of the car and lets it crash into the telephone pole puts a perfect exclamation point on his relationship with John. The antagonism and split between the two of them is what causes the destruction of Rushville, not the Manhunter. And that's where this episode succeeds.

4. The Jordan Boys' Legacy

Episode 7

The quiet, emotional penultimate entry in Lanterns answers the mystery of Hal Jordan. The majority of Lanterns is from John Stewart's perspective, so we have not truly understood why Hal is so broken. A lot of movies and TV shows nowadays love deconstructing their heroes and having them in these broken, older states, but I think it works here because the contrast between Hal and John is what makes the show so effective. We finally see, through the Halogram's explanation of Hal's life story, why he is the way that he is. Lanterns is a character-driven show, so diving deep into our leads is where the show lives and breathes, and we had gotten so much development for John at this point. Understanding how Hal differentiates and how he carries this painful burden about the line of suicides in his family really puts us into the finale with a true understanding of why Hal is so broken and run-down.

3. OutKast

Episode 3

Besides it's True Detective vibes and gritty, R-rated tone, Lanterns differentiates itself by its main character's origin story. John Stewart was chosen at a young age to be the Green Lantern, so he was raised his entire life to be fearless. This episode is slow. It does not move the plot forward. But it gives us a deep, complex understanding of how John was raised. It feels almost like he's the Michael Jackson of superheroes - he was raised in an extremely harsh environment where his parents wanted something for him without ever questioning if he actually wanted it. We see how Hal Jordan has constantly gotten in the way. We see how he follows orders and wants to obey the chain of command. And we also see how he has developed a true lack of autonomy and feels stuck in his pursuit of the Lantern ring.

Lanterns may take its time and not fully deliver on the final reveals and payoffs, but it is undeniably great at adding depth, nuance, and complex backstories to its characters. In the last twenty years, the superhero genre has dominated pop culture. It's hard to come up with an origin story that is unique and memorable, and John Stewart's does just that. I think this episode will come to be more appreciated as the DCU expands and we see more of John Stewart, because it just gives such a cool and creative backstory for the Green Lantern of this franchise's future.

2. Lights Out

Episode 5

The mid-season finale kicked ass. There's no other way to put it. After four episodes of slow, methodical build-up, we get delivered an explosive (literally) climax to the 2016 storyline. John and Hal's relationship is broken beyond repair. Zoe is outed as the Manhunter. And all hell breaks loose. Antaan and his crew arrive in Rushville with a thirst for vengeance, and Hal's refusal to leave Zoe alone and allow Rushville to go on gets the town destroyed. Meanwhile, Zoe saves John from the car and tries to manipulate him into being her protector. All of this culminates to a brutal fight between our two Lanterns as John finally gives Hal the beating he's been asking for. When Zoe prepares to kill Hal, she is sniped by John in one final act of teamwork between the duo.

The best part of this episode, beyond all of the action and craziness, is the final decision John makes. The man has spent his whole life waiting to get the Green Lantern ring...and he rejects it. At the moment that he has trained for, waited for, John Stewart decides to renounce his destiny and give Lianna back the ring. It's such a powerful and subversive move that really solidifies John as the most compelling character in the DCU's early history. He has seen the blood, mistrust, and dishonesty that comes with the ring, and he wants none of that, so he decides to live his own life...until, of course, he is beckoned back ten years later.

1. Pilot

Episode 1

I think the pilot was always destined to be my favorite episode, because I was super excited for Lanterns. Whereas lots of people rejected this show after the first trailer was released, I could not wait to see a hard boiled crime show starring two Green Lanterns. And, off the bat, Lanterns hooks you. The mystery is compelling and the setting is interesting. The Green Lantern lore about Abin Sur and the Guardians, despite being cosmic in a very grounded show, feels very organic and natural. And the final reveal of Hal Jordan's corpse is a really good twist that puts the audience on the edge of their seat for the rest of the season.

But where the first episode of Lanterns shines most is, of course, in its introduction to Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The show is about its namesake, and our two lead Lanterns are absolutely fantastic. From the moment Hal shows up hungover and late, we get the sense of the antagonistic relationship that we are going to spend this entire show building up. Aaron Pierre's tough, focused version of John Stewart contrasts perfectly with Kyle Chandler's charismatic, chaotic Hal Jordan. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the true conflict of the show lies in their ability to work together despite personality differences and deep-seeded character flaws. The most important thing about Lanterns was never the mystery or the lore or the advancement of the DCU's lingering plot threads - it was Hal and John, and the pilot introduces the audience to them beautifully.