Season 1 Episode 6 – Now in business with his brother Marcus, John is on the verge of landing a major investor for his innovative take on panic rooms when an unexpected phone call pulls him back to Rushville – and everything he worked so hard to leave behind.
Please note that our reviews are based on likes and dislikes. These contain significant spoilers. If you haven’t already watched the episode, we recommend that you click off the article and come back once you have watched the episode. Enjoy!
Highlights
1. We finally get a full link to the Superman movie. John is working a completely different job, seemingly 10 years into the future. He owns his own business and has become a salesman. I’m just happy that the show finally has a direct link to the wider DCU, as it makes Lanterns feel properly connected to the universe we’ve already seen on the big screen.
2. John and Hal finally come face-to-face again after 10 years. John believes Hal is going to apologise, but obviously, that wasn’t happening. They don’t sort things out, and it ultimately results in Hal being punched in the face. I didn’t like this scene at first, but then I realised just how intense the entire interaction felt. John’s reaction still makes complete sense as well, and I said this last week. I’d probably do the same thing considering Hal literally tried to kill him.
3. We finally catch up to Hal’s death, where he’s found frozen in the snow. It’s actually fairly emotional, especially considering we hear about all of the redeeming he tried to do in the years since, including helping the citizens of Rushville. Seeing him frozen there with blood across his face is a sad moment, with the later autopsy confirming that he had been shot. Even John seems to have a small sense of guilt over everything that happened between them, which makes the entire situation hit that little bit harder.
4. After John is arrested for attacking Billy and the other civilians, Guy shows up to see him in prison. We learn that the Guardians built a new ring specifically for Guy, meaning Hal’s original ring still exists. This is a great explanation and means there’s technically nothing stopping two Green Lanterns from existing at the same time, or even a third if the Guardians simply decide to make another ring. It opens up some interesting possibilities going forward.
5. It’s the funeral of Hal Jordan, and Guy Gardner comes through and manages to retrieve Hal’s Lantern ring. He places the ring in Hal’s coffin and puts him into his Green Lantern suit so that he can properly be laid to rest as a Lantern. It’s a great moment that shows Guy genuinely does care, despite everything about his personality suggesting otherwise. I also love the fact that Hal wrote his own eulogy, meaning John has to read Hal’s own words at his funeral. Considering everything that happened between the two of them, it adds another emotional layer to an already sad moment.
What Didn’t Work
I understand why John digs Hal back up. He needs the ring to access the Halogram and continue investigating what happened to him, but I still don’t particularly like how he went about it. We literally just watched Guy retrieve Hal’s ring so he could be buried properly as a Green Lantern, followed by a surprisingly emotional funeral, only for John to dig him back up that same night. I understand John clearly has an ulterior motive and isn’t simply taking the ring for himself, but it still feels hugely disrespectful, especially after the moment we had just watched.
Standout Character
It’s John’s episode. However, he didn’t stand out for me. Guy did. I’ve been excited to see Nathan Fillion return to the role since the Superman movie, and it was fantastic to see him again. I do wish we got more of him, but I loved how he was the character that completely connected the continuity of the series to the wider DCU.
I also really enjoyed seeing a slightly different side to Guy. He’s still the same arrogant and hilarious character we saw in Superman, but his determination to get Hal’s ring back and make sure he was laid to rest properly showed that underneath all of that, he genuinely cared about him. It was a small moment, but one that added a lot more to Guy as a character.
Favourite Moment
John finds a Lantern beacon, similar to the Bat-Signal that shines in the sky. As soon as he turns it on, he’s confronted by a group of angry civilians, including Billy, who threatens John and demands that he turn the light off. John doesn’t even flinch before taking out all five of them without breaking a sweat. It’s a great scene and a nice reminder that even after all these years, John can absolutely handle himself without the ring.
Verdict
Story - 8
Action - 7
Characters - 9
Entertainment - 9
Quality - 10
8.6
Great
Lanterns continues to be an impressive series, and one filled with plenty of twists and turns. Many episodes ago, when we first saw Hal Jordan seemingly frozen to death, I fully expected him to somehow survive. Yet here we are, and they’ve actually committed to his death. It’s a huge decision to kill off arguably the most popular Green Lantern, especially this early into the new DCU. I genuinely didn’t expect them to go through with it, but I respect the fact that they did. Even with Hal gone, his presence is still being felt throughout the story, and with the Halogram now in John's possession, I'm incredibly curious to see where they take things next.
