Lanterns episode 5 just leveled Rushville, and it left two of its main characters dead on the floor. That is the kind of week this show has been having.
The episode brought Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) face to face with Manhunter Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan). The fight destroyed the town, pitted the two Lanterns against each other, and ended with John shooting Zoe. Lanterns is now without a Green Lantern and without its Manhunter mystery. The question is simple: how do you top that?
The Rushville Fight, in Full
The battle started with Zoe healing John from the wounds Hal had given him earlier. Then she turned on the citizens of Rushville, ordering everyone to hunt Hal down. She also fired on the town from a laser satellite, tearing apart buildings as the episode progressed.
Hal responded by chasing Zoe directly. He sent Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) and his crew to William Macon’s (Garret Dillahunt) compound, pretending Macon was the Manhunter. Macon put on a convincing act, coached by Zoe, but Antaan saw through it and killed him anyway. That was the end of Lanterns’ resident exhibitionist wife guy.
Then Hal tried to take on Zoe himself. He threw Antaan at her, and Antaan blew up mid-air. Hal moved on to the real fight, meeting John at the motel.
The two Lanterns fought each other over the power ring, unleashing months of resentment built up during their time together. Zoe blew the motel to pieces while they were fighting. Hal managed to bubble John for protection, which saved him from the explosion.
After the dust settled, John used Hal’s body as bait to draw Zoe out. He shot her, ending the second-greatest threat Hal faced. John took both the ring and the lantern from Hal, but he refused to recite the Oath and become the new Green Lantern. Instead, he told Guardian Lianna (Laura Linney) that he wanted nothing more to do with it.
To answer Hal’s question after the fight: no, it wasn’t worth it.
Lanterns Without a Lantern
The show is now Lantern-less and Manhunter-less. That is a strange position for a Green Lantern series to be in, but Lanterns has always been more interested in its characters than its mythos.
The loss of Zoe clears the Manhunter mystery. The loss of Hal clears the mystery of who killed him. The show has spent its first five episodes building toward these two reveals, and both of them arrived at once.
The question now is what happens next. Lanterns has resolved its biggest mystery, but it still has three episodes left to run. That means the next mystery has to be bigger than the last one, and the show has already pointed at what it is.
The Next Big Mystery: Who Killed Hal?
The episode opened with John and Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) examining Hal’s corpse at the football field in Rushville. Episode 6 will likely pick up in the 2026 timeline, showing what John’s life has been like since his Green Lantern training. The big question is what Hal was doing in the last decade.
Did he stay in Rushville? Did he keep trying to woo the very married Kerry? Did he remember to feed Earl? Those are the small, human details that Lanterns has spent its run caring about more than its cosmic stakes.
The episode also sets up Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) as the new Green Lantern of this sector. Gardner was first introduced in Superman, and Fillion is confirmed to be starring in Lanterns. The question is whether he shows up as a goofy cameo or as an active participant in the investigation of Hal’s murder.
There is also the question of the show’s more extraterrestrial characters. Lianna and Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) have barely appeared so far, and the cosmic fear parasite Parallax has not shown up at all. Lanterns has spent its first five episodes mostly on Earth, but the last three could open up to the wider galaxy.
What Lanterns Has Already Resolved
The episode resolved the Manhunter mystery in one fell swoop. Zoe’s plan was to destroy Rushville and eliminate Hal. The town is ruined, and the mystery is closed.
The episode also resolved the Lantern mystery in a quieter way. John walked away from the ring, refusing to become the new Green Lantern. That leaves the title vacant, which is a strange position for a show about the Green Lantern Corps to be in.
What Lanterns Still Needs to Wrap Up
The show has three episodes left, and it has already resolved its biggest mystery. That means the next mystery has to be bigger than the last one. Lanterns has already pointed at what it is.
The investigation of Hal’s murder is the obvious path forward. John has been looking for answers since the beginning, and now that he knows who killed him, he can start asking the harder questions. The show has spent its first five episodes building toward this moment, and it would be a waste to rush through it.
The show also has a chance to explore the wider galaxy. Lanterns has mostly stayed on Earth so far, but the last three episodes could open up to the wider galaxy. The show has already set up the cosmic stakes, and it would be a shame to leave them unresolved.
The Road Ahead
Lanterns has delivered its biggest episode to date, and it has done it with style. The battle scenes were chaotic, the character drama was sharp, and the emotional payoff was earned. The show has proven that it can handle big moments, and it has proven that it can handle quiet ones too.
The next three episodes will be the test. Can Lanterns sustain the momentum it has built? Can it resolve the remaining mysteries without rushing them? Can it deliver a satisfying conclusion to its characters?
The answers to those questions await in Lanterns’ last three episodes. Until then, we all need to take a nice, relaxing nap to decompress from the madness of episode 5.
Key Facts Box
- Show: Lanterns
- Episode: 5
- Main characters: Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan)
- New Green Lantern: Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion)
Episode Timeline
| Episode | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | John and Kerry examine Hal’s corpse at the football field |
| 5 | Zoe destroys Rushville, John shoots Zoe |
| 6 | Investigation of Hal’s murder begins in the 2026 timeline |
Lanterns has proven it can handle big moments, and it has proven it can handle quiet ones too. The next three episodes will be the test. Can Lanterns sustain the momentum it has built? Can it resolve the remaining mysteries without rushing them? Can it deliver a satisfying conclusion to its characters?
The answers to those questions await in Lanterns’ last three episodes. Until then, we all need to take a nice, relaxing nap to decompress from the madness of episode 5.
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