There's a lot of history prior to the events of Lanterns, and episode 4 makes that clear. The latest entry in the acclaimed DC Universe show picks up right where episode 3 left off: with two former friends turned enemies in front of each other.
A lot of strange things have been happening in Rushville, Nebraska. Aliens have suddenly appeared in the city, and William Macon ordered his men to kill them for... unknown reasons. While he argues he doesn't want other beings invading his planet, it's clear he's simply following the orders of a mysterious benefactor who has remained in the shadows for years now. But in the middle of all the chaos, unanswered questions, and mysteries, Hal Jordan has one possible lead: Manhunters.
The question is: Who is the Manhunter? And who killed Hal Jordan in the present-day DCU? Those are questions that we hope will be answered in episode 4. And, with that in mind, join us as we recap the events of the fourth installment of DC's Lanterns: "Weenie"
The Green Lantern visits Sinestro in prison in hopes of learning more about these evil androids and how to distinguish them despite their ability to change forms. In the meantime, John Stewart spies on William Macon's ranch and notices a strange helicopter landing in the middle of it. At that moment, Hal returns from his trip to space, and the two Green Lanterns reach the same conclusion: William's benefactor just arrived in Nebraska.
William Macon's true plan revealed?
Sheriff Kane, Hal, and John gather at the bar to discuss the next step. After all, they only have one day to find the Manhunter, or else the other aliens hiding in Nebraska will detonate a bomb that will kill everyone in the city (because that's how far they are willing to go to eliminate the shape-shifting android).
Hal and John theorize that the Manhunter must be the secret benefactor. That would explain why the synthetic being ordered Macon's men to shoot the very same aliens who are willing to blow up an entire city to kill him. Furthermore, John also speculates that the four sniper posts inside the ranch are tactically placed to protect an unseen area that's exactly in the middle of them. If the ranch houses a secret facility being so heavily guarded, that's where the Manhunter will surely be hiding.
The Green Lanterns wait until night comes so that they can infiltrate the ranch without being seen. Hal hands the ring to John, and the latter uses it to will an excavator into existence that will allow them to sneak underground before emerging at the spot where the secret hangar is presumed to be. On the upside, John's intuition was right, and there was indeed a structure right in the middle of the sniper posts. On the downside, this place didn't house the Manhunter, but rather alien weapons.
The plan was mostly going smoothly until Hal accidentally triggered an alarm, and multiple men appeared at the scene. Using these alien devices, Macon's men shot "darkness" at the two Green Lanterns until they passed out. When our heroes wake up, they find themselves in front of William Macon. It is at that point that the antagonist reveals the unnerving truth hidden in Rushville, Nebraska.
Macon used to have cancer. His wife, Zoe, took care of him as his nurse, but any effort to treat him was fruitless, as he lay on the brink of death. But out of the blue, the Manhunter arrived. Suddenly, Macon was cured by this extraterrestrial being. Additionally, crops grew, kids thrived, and no one in the city got sick ever again. Since that moment, it has become Macon's mission to protect his benefactor.
Tragedy strikes
Before Macon is able to torture the Green Lanterns, Sheriff Kane arrives at the scene and takes them out of the ranch, claiming that they would be prosecuted for trespassing (which was nothing more than an excuse to save their lives). Back at their motel, Kane tells the two Green Lanterns that she's very close to breaking into Macon's files and discovering the identity of the benefactor. In the meantime, she asks them to stay out of trouble (yet she also gives John a shotgun for protection).
The night passes, and John stays in his room, vigilant in case any uninvited guests decide to show up at his door. Much to his surprise, one actually arrives: Zoe. She's been having an affair with John, and the two hook up one last time before she tells him they can't keep doing this anymore. The two then have a conversation while lying in bed, and Zoe tells John to leave the city and the whole Manhunter deal behind. However, the novice Green Lantern rejects the offer and tells her that she doesn't owe her husband anything. It is at that very moment that Zoe replies with a very curious line:
"You got this wrong. He owes me. He was dying when he met me, and I saved his life."
The two then share a farewell as Zoe gets into her car and drives away. But before John closes the door, a sudden energy beam falls from the sky and strikes Zoe's car, making the vehicle explode. Without missing a beat, Hal gets out of his room and flies directly into the night sky, returning with the satellite that shot the laser in the first place.
A few moments later, the motel has become a crime scene as Sheriff Kane investigates Zoe's sudden murder. Hal also willed a giant force field into existence above the motel, preventing other mysterious rays from killing more people. Eventually, Kane discovers the satellite is registered under the company Atlas Inc, which is owned by someone named Hector Hammond.
The Manhunter's identity is revealed
The Green Lanterns decide to pay Hammond a visit, suspecting that he's the real Manhunter in disguise. After all, Hammond doesn't have any records prior to 1986, which is the year the murderous android arrived on Earth. It all just seems too good to be true. While they drive towards their destination, Hal asks John if he's okay. After all, his romantic interest just blew up right in front of him, but John doesn't even react and claims everything is fine.
When they finally arrive at the farm, they take a quick tour around the place (which is filled with alien technology) before coming face-to-face with the suspect himself: Mr. Hammond. The newcomer claims that he is, indeed, the Manhunter, and that one of his many beam-shooting satellites has targeted John's childhood home. The novice Green Lantern, who is usually cold and stoic, reacts with anger and even panic at the idea of his parents being shot. However, Hal doesn't buy the whole act.
The veteran Green Lantern has a hunch that Hammond isn't really the Manhunter, but just a simple man. This theory is eventually proven true when Hal threatens to kill Hammond, and the latter drops the act. As it turns out, the suspect's real name isn't even Hector Hammond, but rather Hector Gutierrez. Furthermore, Gutierrez states that William Macon is the true Manhunter.
However, something doesn't seem to fit.
The two Green Lanterns get in the car after discovering they were tricked and return to the Motel. While on their way back, Hal lets his partner in on a very interesting theory he has been entertaining since they left the farm. Hal claims that John isn't really made of stone, despite his best attempts to pretend that he isn't afraid of anything. This notion is proven by the fact that John panicked when his parents' lives were on the line. However, Stewart didn't even flinch when his romantic interest, Zoe, died. Hal theorizes that his lack of reaction means that Zoe is still alive, but the only way for her to survive a space blast is if she was the Manhunter in disguise.
At that moment, John reveals he pieced together the Manhunter's identity much earlier, but he didn't tell anyone about it. After all, Macon revealed that the Manhunter cured his cancer, and moments later in the motel, Zoe explicitly says she was the one to save her husband's life.
Knowing that his partner kept a secret from him, Hal jumps out of the car before the vehicle impacts a telephone pole while John was still inside. If things weren't exactly "right" between these two heroes, then their relationship is bound to go downhill from here.
New episodes of Lanterns are released every Sunday on HBO Max.
*** This is a LIVE recap and it will be updated with the events of Lanterns episode 4 as and when they play out on our screens on both HBO and HBO Max. ***
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