All 5 Damon Lindelof TV Shows, Ranked (Including Lanterns)

After seeing Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern in the “Superman” movie, many DC fans had questions about how James Gunn would handle other famous heroes who wield the ring. The answer is HBO’s “Lanterns,” from Damon Lindelof, Tom King, and Chris Mundy. Lindelof brings decades of TV writing experience to the DC Universe, as well as a keen eye for gripping science-fiction. King is a buzzy DC Comics writer who is able to turn its smallest properties into must-read material.

Lindelof has become the go-to creator when it comes to high-concept genre storytelling, with movies like “Prometheus,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and “World War Z” under his belt. But his bread and butter has always been TV. While he has credits on shows including ABC’s “Wasteland” and CBS’ “Nash Bridges,” some Lindelof TV shows have gone on to become unmissable entertainment and key pop culture touchstones.

5. Mrs. Davis

Coming in at the bottom of the ranking is “Mrs. Davis,” a borderline absurd look at AI and religion. The miniseries follows a nun, Sister Simone (Betty Gilpin) who hates the globally used AI called — you guessed it — Mrs. Davis. Bizarrely, the system makes a deal with Simone: If she can find the Holy Grail, then Mrs. Davis will delete itself out of existence. What follows is one of the weirdest road trips to take place since “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”

From diving inside a sperm whale to being married to Jesus Christ himself, Simone’s journey to find the Holy Grail is littered with theological debates and questions about religion in modern society. However, all this subtext is lost because it feels like Damon Lindelof and his co-creator, Tara Hernandez, threw every idea they had into the show, regardless of whether they worked or not.

It’s pretty commendable just how creative “Mrs. Davis” is, but for anyone who isn’t keen on wacky concepts and over-the-top adventures, the Peacock series might not sit well. But for anyone who can stick along for the outlandish ride, it’s certainly an interesting watch.

4. Lanterns

Damon Lindelof and co-creators Tom King and Chris Mundy had a tricky job bringing “Lanterns” to TV, given the expectations that come with the characters who are essentially cosmic police officers. But with its gritty Earth-based mystery, they crafted something quite special for the DC Universe going forward. Not only does it finally bring John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) into live action, but it elevates the character beyond constructs with a power ring.

At every turn, “Lanterns” could’ve turned into one of the many superhero shows audiences have forgotten the moment they ended, but Lindelof, King, and Mundy had enough mysteries built into the eight-episode season that it kept HBO subscribers hooked from week to week. The problem with “Lanterns” was that despite two planetary excursions, the lack of cosmic adventure feels like it strays too far from what audiences actually want out of a Green Lantern story.

Instead, “Lanterns” commits hard to almost being a character study of Stewart, diving deep into the themes of willpower and fear — two core tenets of the Green Lantern mythos. This works well for a drama, but the series does feel like it’s missing some spectacle at times. Thankfully, the season finale lays a path for bigger stories down the road, and Pierre will reprise his role in the “Man of Tomorrow” movie. So while “Lanterns” is a resounding success for DC Studios and HBO, there’s definitely room for improvement.

3. Lost

Let’s address the polar bear in the room first. Yes, “Lost” gets undoubtedly messy toward the end, but it is also a defining show of the 2000s and is filled with some of the best plot twists of all time. The mystery box approach had audiences by the throat with the bizarre nature of the island, the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, the Others, and the Dharma Initiative. But while all these things helped sell the show and keep audiences trying to put all the pieces together, it was the characters that really kept people hooked.

All of the weird and wonderful things in “Lost” wouldn’t work if the audience didn’t care about the passengers who found themselves stranded in the first place. Whether it’s Jack (Matthew Fox) and his need to fix everything or Locke (Terry O’Quinn), who enjoys the freedom of the island, it’s fascinating to see how they’re changed by their experiences.

The show becomes convoluted when Damon Lindelof and the other writers start messing with time-travel and stories set in an alternate timeline, but “Lost” is never boring even at its worst moments. To create such a rich mythology with genuinely compelling characters and keep it going for six seasons is nothing short of a miracle.

2. Watchmen

Creating a sequel TV series to one of the best graphic novels ever written is no easy feat, let alone doing so with a layered story about systemic racism, extremism, generational trauma, and corruption. But somehow, Damon Lindelof did all that with the 2019 “Watchmen” miniseries. It takes place in an alternate version of history where superheroes exist but have been outlawed by the government. However, Tulsa P.D. trials a program where its detectives use costumed personas to hide their identity while hunting down a white supremacist group called the Seventh Kavalry.

Regina King is the beating heart of the show as Angela Abar, a detective who goes by Sister Night. Her tortured, determined performance propels the audience through an ingenious mystery which masterfully weaves in the original 1986 graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The book is a dark parable about nuclear war and superhero deconstruction, and Lindelof smartly adds to that by exploring the impact of racism on America through the lens of trauma.

King isn’t the only talented actor in the show, which also stars the likes of Don Johnson, Jean Smart, Jeremy Irons, and even Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Doctor Manhattan himself. Throw in an electrifying score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and Lindelof delivered one of the best superhero TV shows of all time.

1. The Leftovers

“The Leftovers” is Damon Lindelof’s best work, there’s no question about it. The 2014 series follows a small town in the aftermath of the “Sudden Departure,” in which 2% of humanity vanishes into thin air. It’s a rapture scenario, but it’s less about finding answers for the huge disappearance, and more about how society moves on — or struggles to — in the wake of such a devastating event. Lindelof frequently looks at religion, faith, and messianic figures in his work, and “The Leftovers” imagines what would happen to the world if people stopped looking to typical belief systems for answers.

It blurs the lines between science-fiction and drama, while maintaining a tragic streak through characters like police chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux). He’s saddled with immense guilt over having an affair and his lover disappearing during the Departure. That guilt manifests in self-destruction, as he tries to take his own life numerous times throughout the series. To be clear, “The Leftovers” isn’t exactly a light-hearted show, but it is weirdly optimistic at times as people try to find meaning to their lives after the world is radically changed.

Yes, “The Leftovers” is a story about grief and loss, but it’s also about finding purpose and how to grow as a person after navigating an immeasurable tragedy. Seasons 2 and 3 jump into the unknown with more supernatural elements being thrown in, but it’s a leap of faith that truly pays off. It’s one of the best shows of the 21st century.

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