The DC Universe just released a noir, mystery-like TV show that opens off with a series of violent murders... and yet, it stars someone other than Batman himself. Lanterns not only marks the debut of John Stewart and Hal Jordan in this new, interconnected universe, but it also plants the seeds for bigger storylines to come. But before we get to discover what cosmic surprises lie in store, we'll have to do our best Batman impression and solve a few riddles first.
Since the pilot episode of Lanterns was released, audiences have been presented with countless twisted questions that seem to have no logical answer. What truly happened to Hal in 2026? Who is William Macon's mysterious benefactor? And what exactly is going on between John and Hal? We've been digging deeper into the rabbit hole in the hopes of stumbling upon answers along the way, and luckily for us, such a moment finally came with the release of Lanterns episode 3.
Lanterns finally answered why John Stewart was picked to become a Green Lantern by the Guardians and not the ring
From the moment Lanterns begins, it's clear there's a lot of tension between John and Hal. Worse yet, it is implied that the circumstances of their mentor-student relationship aren't exactly normal. After all, Hal has acted as Earth's one and only Green Lantern for years now, saving our planet from countless dangers along the way. But all of a sudden, John was picked by the Guardians themselves—not the Green Lantern ring—to succeed Hal. So why was the new hero's recruitment so out of the ordinary? And why will Hal be forced to hang up the suit?
Lanterns episode 3 acts as a huge flashback sequence that goes over John's origin story. In it, we learn that the Green Lantern ring visited multiple potential candidates on Earth after the death of its former owner, Abin Sur, and before Hal Jordan took on the role. One of the recruits taken into consideration to become a hero was John Stewart Sr.—a US Marine and the father of the protagonist of this tale, John Stewart Jr.
Unfortunately, things don't quite go according to plan. The sudden, unexpected visit of an extraterrestrial device scares John Stewart Sr. out of his mind. However, one of the requirements to become a Green Lantern is that candidates should be fearless when the ring presents itself. As simple as that, the ring visited other people before finding a perfect match in Hal Jordan and rejecting any other potential candidate.
The ring's visit leaves John Stewart Sr. traumatized. For the rest of his days, he regrets not being brave enough to become a hero, and slowly starts to resent Hal Jordan for ultimately taking what should've been his. To make matters worse, nobody believes John was truly visited by a huge, green forcefield that gave him the chance to become something greater than himself. Even his wife, Bernadette Stewart, is skeptical at first. However, that finally changes when she is visited by one of the Guardians.
The Guardians are a group of immortal beings responsible for creating the Green Lantern rings and the Green Lantern Corps as a whole. One member of these extraterrestrial beings visits Earth and explains to Bernadette that they were unaware of the emotional turmoil that would befall the human candidates who were considered to become Green Lanterns. As a result, the being offers Bernadette a large diamond as an apology for all the trauma they caused her husband. It is at that point John's wife finally realizes her husband was telling the truth all along.
Bernadette and the Guardian talk a while longer, and it is there that the former comes to a realization: "Whatever the ring saw in your husband is in his genetic material. Your offspring could, one day, be a great candidate." From that very moment, it became Bernadette and John Stewart Sr.'s personal mission to raise their son to be fearless and eventually suit up as a Green Lantern. But while John Jr. would get his chance to shine, it wouldn't come courtesy of the Green Lantern ring.
Initially, 12 Guardians looked over the Green Lantern Corps, but one of them would be brutally killed by Sinestro. What made this assassination all the more shocking was that Sinestro himself was a Green Lantern, chosen by a ring to protect the galaxy and answer to his superiors. Since the ring's judgment led to a catastrophic event, the Guardians started to interview potential candidates in-person to determine whether they could be worthy of the Green Lantern mantle or not. That explains why the ring didn't choose John to begin with.
During John's interview, the Guardian reveals that Hal Jordan has been using his powers to intervene in "terrestrial disputes," despite being ordered not to do so. That alone is a hint as to why this alien race is looking for a replacement for Hal, although it wouldn't be surprising to learn there's a bigger story regarding the original Green Lantern's retirement.
There are still many lingering mysteries in Lanterns, but at long last, we're starting to get some answers. Better yet, this is just the beginning of a larger snowball effect that will result in the revelation of the deepest and darkest secrets of the cosmos... at least, the DC Universe's version of the cosmos.
New episodes of Lanterns drop every Sunday on HBO Max.
Add us as a preferred source on Google