The Green Lanterns are among of the most treasured characters in DC Comics. The brightly-colored and creative constructs made by their power rings have made them easily recognizable and fun characters, too, which also makes comic book readers smile. That being said, abandon all hope, ye who start HBO's Lanterns. It’s going to be bleak.
During a panel at the Boston Fan Expo, Tom King described the upcoming DC Universe series Lanterns as a cross between Training Day and HBO’s True Detective. That leads me to believe that this show will be darker than people think. That means the first five minutes, where someone shoots an apple off of a child's head, and Hal Jordan appears to be drunk when he picks up John Stewart, will be looked at as light compared to what happens later. In fact, I believe that something will happen within the first fifteen minutes to truly set the grim tone of the series.
Lanterns follows veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler) as he trains John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). During the training, they come across a case involving dead people that Hal believes will end up being aliens. The case also involves the most dangerous being in the galaxy, the Manhunters.
So, overall, not the easiest training period, but definitely one that will prepare John for the future. With that in mind, here's when you can see how John progresses in the Lanterns series premiere.
Lanterns season 1 episode 1 release time on HBO and HBO Max
Lanterns is set to premiere in the US on Sunday, August 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. PT, 8:00 p.m. CT, and 7:00 p.m. MT. It will air on HBO at the top of the hour while also being available to stream on HBO Max at the same time, too.
Now, HBO Max is a worldwide streaming platform so, in all locations with the service available, DC fans will be able to watch. With that in mind, here are all of the times you can watch Lanterns episode 1 in your region, including in areas such as the UK, India, and Australia:
- Hawaii: 3:00 p.m. HST on Sunday, August 16
- Alaska: 5:00 p.m. AKDT on Sunday, August 16
- West Coast of the US: 6:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, August 16
- Mountain Time: 7:00 p.m. MT on Sunday, August 16
- Midwest of the US: 8:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 16
- East Coast of the US: 9:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 16
- Canada (Crave): 9:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Augist 16
- Brazil: 10:00 p.m. BRT on Sunday, August 16
- Portugal and Western Europe: 3:00 a.m. WEST on Monday, August 16
- UK (Sky Atlantic / HBO Max): 2:00 a.m. GMT on Monday, August 16
- Spain and Central Europe: 3:00 a.m. CEST on Monday, August 16
- Bulgaria and Eastern Europe: 4:00 a.m. EEST on Monday, August 16
- India: 6:30 a.m. IST on Monday, August 16
- New Zealand (Neon): 1:00 p.m. NZST on Monday, August 16
What to expect in the season premiere
Lanterns is one of the most heavily-anticipated shows of the year, and for good reason. Not only is it a DC TV show (we don't have many of those anymore), it's another chapter in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe franchise, sharing continuity with the likes of Superman, Supergirl, Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, and the upcoming Clayface.
However, Lanterns will be different than anything that Gunn and Safran's DCU has produced thus far. While it's undoubtedly going to have the same kind of mature content as Gunn's own Peacemaker, the vibe will be very, very different. While there likely will be jokes and funny moments for levity, this isn’t Guy Gardner’s show, so it won't be wacky. Hal Jordan and John Stewart have a case to solve and likely have no time for nonsense.
This does mark a change for the DC Universe franchise, and it's a much-needed conversation-changer after the mixed response to Supergirl (and its subsequent box office defeat). Here's hoping that the gritty detective drama can turn things around for the DCU and set it back on track ahead of Clayface this spooky season.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow and our social media pages on Bluesky,Instagram, and Twitter, for more Lanterns news, opinions, and rumors as they come out.
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