Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, Lanterns follows experienced Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as they investigate a murder in Rushville, Nebraska, which Hal believes is an extraterrestrial incident, leading them to darker mysteries and reckonings.
Among the vast library of superhero characters and comics in existence, Green Lantern has always had a significant place in the DC comics universe, not only for having multiple characters taking on the titular mantle but also because of the extensive cosmic lore behind the characters that can provide decades’ worth of storytelling to adapt in any media format. There have been many adaptations of Green Lantern over the years, finding success in animation but unfortunate failure in live action as a result of the infamous 2011 Green Lantern adaptation directed by Martin Campbell and starring Ryan Reynolds. Everyone knows how bad that film was, including Ryan Reynolds himself, who has profited off of making fun of it for years, but because of that, the Green Lantern IP was severely cursed to the point that no one was willing to adapt Green Lantern to live action again for many years. But when James Gunn took over DC studios and created the new DCU, he decided it was time to bring Green Lantern back to live action first through his Superman film with the character Guy Gardner, and second with an HBO Max series following Hal Jordan and John Stewart in a grounded detective-style series brought to life by award-winning and nominated showrunners.
This new adaptation was a massive gamble for the DCU to make, but I was very excited to see two of my favorite Green Lanterns in live action in what was set to be a very interesting take on the characters and their lore. After watching all eight episodes of this first season, I can say without a doubt that this new adaptation of Green Lantern is a phenomenal and masterfully executed series that not only ends up being the best adaptation of the source material but also the best project the DCU has created so far. Lanterns is a magnificent character-driven drama set within a decade-spanning setting that allows for some incredible deep dives into the lives of its characters while slowly unraveling a compelling mystery at the center of it all. It embraces the Green Lantern lore and cosmic elements through a grounded perspective while also constructing a deeply powerful story that isn’t afraid to take very bold risks of its own to make it stand out amongst the rest of the DCU and other superhero media. This series was everything I wanted it to be since it was first announced, while also being so much more than I expected.
The casting of characters in the DCU has been truly amazing so far, with not a single bad casting choice picked for the iconic heroes pulled straight from comics, and this series continues that streak with not one but two of the most perfect comic book castings ever made: Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. These two actors are the living embodiments of these characters that are both set on explorative journeys that are beautifully brought to life by their outstanding performances and end up sharing the best chemistry I’ve seen in a superhero duo in years.
Kyle Chandler gives us a perfect portrayal of Hal Jordan right off the bat with his stubborn, cocky, and humorous charm that hooks you instantly with the character, but you end up really falling in love with him once you get past all that and see all sides of him as both a veteran space cop and a deeply flawed human being. This is a very brazen version of Hal, who’s upfront, fears nothing, says things as they are, and though he seems like a madman, is shown to be very intelligent and knows more than he ever shows. But despite proving to be an incredible and confident Green Lantern, he is also a deeply broken man whose years on the job have made him consumed with deep loneliness and an addiction to the ring he wears, feeling he would be nothing without it. Kyle Chandler is able to deliver all of this in such a deeply layered performance full of raw emotion that is absolutely phenomenal to see explored. Additionally, a slight change made to Hal Jordan’s origin from comics in this series gives us an entirely new perspective of the character that makes him stop being the typical classic fearless hero to becoming a much more human and fascinating character that a lot of people can find more relatable.
Opposite of Kyle Chandler’s phenomenal performance as Hal is Aaron Pierre’s equally phenomenal performance as John Stewart, giving us one of the best-developed superhero characters in modern media in a long time. John is, to a certain extent, the opposite of Hal, being dedicated, determined, and balanced in his approach to being a Green Lantern. He is a former Marine sniper and an architect who can use the precision of his artistic talents to enhance his proficiency in the field, making him a perfect candidate to be a Green Lantern. But behind this incredible talent is a man who is at constant war with himself as a result of a troubled past and a destiny that was forced upon him, which prevented him from having any chance of a normal life. His childhood trauma, his military years, and every painful lesson he has ever endured have shaped his willpower piece by piece and really make his journey hit hard in unexpected ways.
Like Hal, John’s origin story is slightly altered from the comics, but the changes that are made do not rewrite the core of what makes John Stewart the beloved character he is known to be. Rather, these changes add depth in a way that, while risky, is surprising and ultimately incredibly rewarding in what it means for how he carries himself throughout the series. Aaron Pierre takes the magnificent writing he is given and truly delivers a career-best performance that certifies him as one of my favorite castings of the DCU so far and makes me eager to see more of his work going forward, including his upcoming role in Man of Tomorrow.
The two leads are the perfect spearhead of this series, but the supporting cast, from both in and out of the town of Rushville, I found to be just as compelling, with their performances and some of their arcs that not only add on to the journeys of our two heroes but also provide the story with immense richness and depth.
Sheriff Kerry Kane, played beautifully by Kelly Macdonald, is a sharp and to-the-point character that may at first appear to be your typical small-town sheriff who exudes honesty and reliability, but turns out to be a much more complex person than one may expect. She clearly has a good heart and a desire to protect the innocent people of the town, but she carries with her immense trauma, guilt, and secrets that threaten everything she cares for. Her connection with Hal and John results in some unique dynamics they have together through the series, and Kelly Macdonald delivered some truly top-tier acting moments that put her on equal footing with both Kyle and Aaron with their performances.
Playing as an antagonistic force against the Lanterns in their Rushville investigations is the mysterious Macon family composed of William Macon (Garret Dillahunt), Billy Macon (Jason Ritter), and Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan). Each family member is performed brilliantly by their respective cast members but the one to standout was Poorna as Zoe Macon, who was a fascinating character to follow and given a truly wonderful performance. She is very manipulative and cunning in her choices to benefit her own survival and ends up having a much larger impact on the characters and story than I expected, yet I was heavily invested in as a result.
Outside of Rushville we have John Stewart’s parents, John Stewart Sr. and Bernadette Stewart, who are crucial characters to John’s journey throughout the entirety of the series; they spent years inhumanely raising him to become the next Green Lantern and are given two powerful performances by J. Alphonse Nicholson and Jasmine Cephas Jones, respectively. While their reasoning for their actions comes from an understandable place, it doesn’t necessarily make us forgive them for their horrible treatment towards John, who deserved to have a much better childhood than he had. However, it was incredibly satisfying to see John being able to rise above them in his journey and show that trauma, even by parents, doesn’t have to define your life.
Then we have the alien characters that come into play, each playing a significant part in both the story and characters’ journeys while also giving cosmic world-building to the DCU from a grounded perspective. The most fascinating amongst them was the portrayal of the Green Lantern Corps founders, the Guardians, through the character Lianna, played amazingly by Laura Linney. The Guardians of the Universe in most media are considered to be all-powerful and lawful beings that seek only to protect all worlds in the universe from existential threats, but here they are shown to be a lot more flawed in their systems and morals, giving us a more interesting take on them. No law enforcement or justice system has ever been perfect in our own world, so the same is shown for the Guardians and their systems, with their past mistakes resulting in massive consequences in the current story and their complete misunderstanding of humanity causing all sorts of problems for our main heroes, whom they intentionally pit against each other.
Hal and John may have their own flaws, but the bosses they work for have no true regard for their humanity and see them as only mortal tools to use for their cause until they outlive their usefulness or make a crucial mistake that makes them easy to replace. I really loved this complex take on the Guardians, all brought to life through one awesome performance by Laura Linney that really shines even in a small recurring role.
Two special guest stars play a significant role within the series even with short appearances, and they are Thaal Sinestro, played by Ulrich Thomsen, and Guy Gardner, reprised by Nathan Fillion. Sinestro is a former Green Lantern and mentor to Hal Jordan who went rogue and was expelled from the Green Lantern Corps after a failed coup against them and is currently in prison. Within a short amount of time on screen, when Hal goes to visit him, Sinestro shows himself to have a very imposing presence and maturity, even when Hal confronts him, proving that even without a ring he’s in total control of the situation and can manipulate Hal’s emotions with such ease. He is ruthless yet undeniably charming thanks to a magnetic performance by Ulrich Thomsen that makes him feel perfectly cast for one of the most iconic villains in Green Lantern comics history. Now, even though we don’t get to see Sinestro in action this season, it is strongly indicated in the finale that his story is just beginning in the DCU and that he will soon evolve to form the infamous Sinestro Corps, which could be the main threat of season 2, leading to exciting conflicts to follow in the future.
Nathan Fillion returns as the bravado-filled Guy Gardner, who is a little bit higher-strung in this series compared to his introduction in Superman. We are given a little bit more insight into how he became a Green Lantern in this series while also seeing a bit more depth with him even in a short amount of time. He might be an absolute jackass, but there’s a reason why he is a Green Lantern, and he clearly has a heart underneath the rough exterior, just like Hal and John. Where his future will go after this is uncertain, but it’s clear that Guy Gardner’s journey is about to get a lot more interesting going forward after the events of this series.
The season’s narrative is primarily a character-driven murder mystery taking place across decades that trusts its own story completely and doesn’t spoon feed its audiences as it progresses, all while exploring the deepest corners of Green Lantern lore in a mature and grounded setting. It honours the legacy of Hal Jordan and John Stewart from comics while still delivering a deep, compelling, character-driven drama that isn’t afraid to take creative risks and challenge everything we thought we knew about the Green Lantern Corps; diving into what it actually means to be a Green Lantern and the enormous responsibility that comes with carrying that mantle.
Rather than taking the typical action-packed superhero approach that the 2011 film adaptation and various animated adaptations have done over the years, this series chooses substance over spectacle by turning the Green Lantern mythos into something more personal by showing that behind the ring, the uniform, and the legend of these characters are humans who struggle with their own traumatic pasts, mental health, and addictions to power that have shaped them into the people they have become. So many unique themes can be seen and explored every episode all while telling a compelling mystery narrative that comes together beautifully from start to end remaining consistent with its premise and tone. This results in an immensely satisfying season finale that doesn’t wrap things up with a typical explosion-filled conclusion just for the spectacle, but rather a powerful character-driven conclusion that brings all the characters’ journeys full circle and leaves nothing unaddressed aside from a few intentional cliffhangers meant to be followed in a second season or other DCU projects.
Even when set in a small town on a mission that these heroes seem initially overqualified for, it grows episode by episode to embrace the sci-fi elements of the source material that are smartly blended into the grounded setting both narratively and technically. This series is beautifully crafted on a visual level with its stunning cinematography, incredible effects and magnificent sets that create an intense atmosphere perfectly fitting for the story being told. Even when it’s not going over the top cosmic, this series still looks and feels like a graphic novel with the way it is shot and edited in such a unique style.
I also loved the hybrid blend of fantastic practical effects with solid digital effects used for the entirety of the season even for the constructs of the ring. Even when restrictions by the budget may prevent this series from going all out with the lantern constructs like in the comics and Guy Gardener’s sequences in Superman, I actually loved the fact that the constructs were sparingly used for this season to be allowed for mostly important moments that leave a large impact rather than having a constant usage of the constructs that overstay their welcome and lose their potential worth.
Adding on to all of this is a phenomenal score by Stephanie Economou that blends a mix of sci-fi and grounded detective elements to make it stand out amongst other scores in superhero media. Her score can add intensity, haunting, wonder, and overall enhancements to some of the most powerful sequences of the series as a whole. A few fantastic needle drops are added in throughout the series to give certain sequences some great impact, but Stephanie Economou’s score is the true MVP of this season for me personally.
The first season of Lanterns really lived up to my expectations while also vastly exceeding them with its bold choices and unique direction for my favorite characters and lore in the DC Universe. As of writing this, a second season for Lanterns is currently in development, and John Stewart is set to make his cinematic debut in Man of Tomorrow next year, but with the current state of the media landscape involving cancellations of well-received shows and monopolized mergers, I can’t help but worry about the future of these characters and storylines. It would be an absolute disaster to not see such a magnificent adaptation continue and evolve, especially with the almost endless lore still left to cover in the cosmic world of Green Lantern. So I highly encourage everyone to watch this series and give support to the talented artists responsible for making this series so they can keep telling more phenomenal stories with these characters and world rather than be buried by corporate greed. I’m going to give Lanterns Season 1 an A+ = 100.
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