DC Studios head James Gunn promised that each of the projects released by the studio would have its own flavor and feel. However, the recently released Supergirlfelt very much in the Gunn sensibility, leading many to wonder if DC’s third live-action project, HBO’s Lanterns, would be more of the same. We are happy to say it’s very much its own thing, and in fact, it’s some pretty great television, anchored by two absolutely stellar performances from actors Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler, as Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan, respectively. While it’s not always perfect as a comic book show, it’s pretty close to perfect as a compelling character drama. And usually, that’s enough.
The early descriptions for Lanterns described it as “True Detective with superheroes,” and it turns out, the description was 100% accurate. Actually, “True Detective with aliens” is a more apt description, as there’s not a ton of actually superheroing in this show, although the characters talk about being heroes a whole lot. The basic plot for Lanterns has veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan, who has been Earth’s resident Lantern since at least the ‘90s, training his backup Lantern, ex-Marine John Stewart. As Jordan trains the much younger Stewart, the two investigate a mystery in the small town of Rushville, Nebraska.
We won’t get into exactly what the mystery is, but yes, it is otherworldly. So if you were worried that two Green Lanterns would be investigating a crimeyou’d see on Dateline NBC, you needn’t. This is worthy of superheroes with extraordinary cosmic powers being on the case. Lanternsalso fully realizes the tiny town of Rushville and its inhabitants, particularly Kelly Macdonald as the exasperated Sheriff Kerry, and Poorna Jafannathan as Zoe, one of the townsfolk who has secrets of her own. All we’ll say is Zoe has pretty palpable chemistry with John Stewart, and leave it there. Series writers Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King know their Green Lantern mythos, but also understand how to deliver compelling character drama.
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What makes this show truly stand out is the excellent dynamic between Hal and John. Some were worried that the series made Hal too old. But it turns out, making Hal a grizzled veteran with a chip on his shoulder absolutely works. Chandler plays Hal like the most likeable asshole ever, which is exactly as he should be portrayed. We as the viewers can tell he’s threatened by rookie Lantern John Stewart, but that also deep down he respects the hell out of him. This Hal is a man whose best days are behind him, and he knows it, whether he can admit to that publicly or not.
Meanwhile, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart is simply stellar. He’s stoic but charming, and you constantly feel the burden of his quest to be worthy. There’s an interesting wrinkle to his backstory not from the comics, which we won’t give away. But it adds a ton of unexpected depth to his character. Kyle Chandler is excellent, but it’s Pierre’s John Stewart that is the true standout here. Talk about being born for this particular role. (Although we must say, he’d make a great Blade for Marvel too, now that the position is open).
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For those worried that Lanterns would de-comic book the concept, it both does and doesn’t. All the key aspects of the Green Lantern lore are absolutely canon to the series. A dying Green Lantern named Abin Sur still recruited Hal. The immortal Guardians of the Universe on the planet Oa are his bosses. Sinestro, the former Green Lantern who went rogue, still trained him as a rookie. All of that is canon here. The show even includes comic-booky details like Hal Jordan keeping his power battery in a pocket dimension, and mentions of the alien chipmunk Lantern, Ch’p.
Having said that, there’s a lot of telling and not showing. Lanterns barely shows Hal in uniform. The one scene you see in the trailers is the one time he wears it. Yes, he can conjure constructs with his ring, but he doesn’t do it much for a show called Lanterns. We don’t know if that’s a budget thing. It may just be a deliberate choice to make the show more palatable to the typical Sunday night HBO audience. If you’re a Green Lantern comic book fan as we are, this will no doubt annoy you. No matter how good a dramatic series this is, you want to see these guys in space. The series mostly talks about the comic booky stuff without showing it, which is sometimes grating.
But what will keep viewers engaged each week are the performances of the two men at the heart of Lanterns. This is a show about what it means in our culture to be past your prime as a man. And also what it means for someone who is not a straight white man to have to fight twice as hard to earn what’s his. All of that character stuff is twice as interesting as the mystery at the heart of the show. But that’s not to say that the X-Files-esque plot isn’t engaging. Although we can’t help but wonder if the references to Green Lantern lore throughout will be confusing to general audiences. Green Lantern isn’t Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man. His mythology isn’t a given to most people. We as nerds know what all the cosmic stuff the characters reference is, but will everyone watching? That remains to be seen.
The tone for Lanterns could not be more different than Gunn’s Superman. Yet it lives comfortably in the DCU that his film set up. And yes, we do get an explanation why Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is the Lantern of Earth in Superman, when there’s only supposed to be one. You just have to be patient.Lanternsmay not be what fans were expecting when they announced a Green Lantern series. But it’s nevertheless very good television that’s worth your time. And it couldn’t come at a more necessary time for DC Studios, which has to prove it’s more than just Superman and pals. Green Lantern debuted in DC Comicsway back in 1940, before even Wonder Woman. The title (and many characters who’ve used the name) is one of DC’s most storied properties. Lanternsfinally gives it the respect on screen fans have been waiting for.
