The James Gunn-shepherded transmedia shared narrative known as the DC Universe hopes to relaunch DC Comics’ library of characters to the world in a way that is more warmly received than the Zack Snyder-led DC Extended Universe. We’ve already gotten three distinct shows, all on HBO: Dean Lorey’s Creature Commandos, an adult animation series; James Gunn’s Peacemaker, a superhero action-comedy series starring John Cena; and now, Lanterns, a superhero show about the Green Lanterns presented as a grounded buddy-cop neo-Western detective drama. To make a super-grounded, HBO prestige television version of the brightly colored space crime-fighters, the network and DC Studios turned to a fascinating trio, or corps, of writers in the hope that somehow something could be made that could satiate DC die-hards and the non-comic book savvy, HBO faithful alike. They enlisted renowned comic book writer Tom King, Ozark‘s Chris Mundy, and, finally, Damon Lindelof, one of television writing’s biggest names given his work on Lost, The Leftovers, and Watchmen. The first season of the show, which just ended last weekend, was in many respects a success, but there were a couple of hiccups related to structure, consequences, and groundedness. However, those hiccups did not ruin its chances of being a contender for a place in the pantheon of great superhero storytelling on television, even if this is not quite as well-written as Watchmen.
Lanterns follows John Stewart (played by Aaron Pierre), a former Marine and architect, who has been specifically chosen by the Guardians of the Universe to be the future replacement of Earth’s first Green Lantern, Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler). This is an untraditional practice, as the power ring, which Green Lanterns wear and use to be superpowered, is usually in charge of selecting who is most worthy in the vicinity to take the responsibility. The Guardians are distrustful of Hal Jordan, who shared a special connection with his now-imprisoned former mentor, Sinestro (played by Ulrich Thomsen), and Hal, too, is distrustful of both his otherworldly employers and the recruit that they’ve saddled him with. Jordan reluctantly brings Stewart along to ‘train,’ in his own bothersome way. Soon Stewart must tag along on a mission in Rushville, Nebraska, which Hal Jordan is certain is an extraterrestrial incident. As the duo bicker about the right approach, Stewart is pushed to make a move for the ring, and soon the mutual distrust between the current and future Lanterns worsens and affects the investigation in troubling ways.
Lanterns is a fascinating concoction because it feels like it’s hitting on several different aspects borrowed from other shows. It feels like a tapestry woven together using a variety of different familiar fabrics to make something that, in that process, can become special. It is an odd genre-blend, as it is essentially a murder mystery superhero show masquerading as halfway between a True Detective-inspired series, what with its bickering central duo and its multi-layered narrative, and some kind of Yellowstone-adjacent Taylor Sheridan-esque series, what with its partial focus on a rancher (played by Garret Dillahunt) and his private militia. That sort of three-pronged prestige television approach does make it feel somewhat heavy at times, and I found myself thinking a lot about how much exposition was used, and if it worked for those unfamiliar with the sci-fi superheroic origins of its title characters. I think the writers pull off that juggling act well, but it doesn’t come without issues. Its multi-threaded narrative — focusing on events both in 2026, 2016, and even in the central duo’s childhoods — makes it feel like a puzzle box-esque show, and there are, indeed, multiple mysteries to figure out. Indeed, while the first half of the season focuses on the murder mystery in 2016, another murder mystery in 2026 is introduced in the premiere episode. I think the most interesting episode of the season was the third — titled OutKast — which tells the story of John Stewart’s untraditional upbringing and the pressure from his parents, who, in crazed fashion, push him toward a destiny that slipped through his father’s fingers. The show’s focus on parents, children, legacy, nature versus nurture, and making your own path is perhaps its clearest and most well-told narrative thread.
There has been a lot of chatter about how they were unsure about the final structure of the season, and, if I understand correctly, they were presented in a different order to those critics who received the season early for review. Ultimately, the order of episodes is a bold choice, as the primary 2016 mystery finishes already in episode five, and they’ve thus almost split the season up into two distinct focuses. However, as a result, one half is stronger than the other, and the season finale notably is not nearly as hectic and action-heavy as the mid-season finale. I felt that both halves of the show worked and came to relatively logical narrative conclusions, but, as I mentioned earlier, there are some hiccups present in the final episodes that perhaps leave you with a less-than-smooth aftertaste once the season concludes. I think the mysteries of the second half of the season were pretty easy to figure out, that the actual murder scene of the 2026 murder mystery was executed in a really clumsy and inelegent way, and that Shea Pritchard’s character was too important to be as underwritten as he is. While I figured out what payoff they were building to with Pritchard, I didn’t fully buy the explanation for what he had done off-screen.
If I am to stick, for a moment, with aspects that perhaps weren’t as fulfilling as intended, allow me to focus on a classic purist criticism of superhero adaptations. I think that while the grounded nature of the show works just fine, it does also feel like a two-steps-forward, one-step-backward kind of superhero adaptation akin to the 2000s X-Men films. What I mean by that is that it really ended up being quite similar in approach to the X-Men films’ inaccurate leather suits. Jordan very rarely puts on the Green Lantern suit in this season, and when he does, it looks too bulky. Also, the Green Lantern powers are used so infrequently, and often so unimaginatively, that it got a little bit frustrating that iconic characters like Hal Jordan and John Stewart didn’t really get a chance to show off. With only two exceptions, if memory serves, the actual extraterrestrials in the series don’t get to look alien at all. This is a bit of a bummer, but I also think it is them being true to their approach to the series. They wanted a grounded, mostly Earth-bound take, and that absolutely is what this is.
The season was at its best, for me, when it became character- and banter-focused. Kyle Chandler, especially, is an actor that the writers just knew how to write for. Chandler is effortlessly charming as this cocky hero with a lot of pent-up frustrations. Although he isn’t technically the protagonist, he steals the show completely with his winning performance. When he’s not on-screen, you want him back, and when he is there, he charms the socks off you. Over the course of the season, it became probably the best portrayal of any DC superhero not named Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne. That’s how good he is here. Aaron Pierre, however, shows that he is more than capable of sharing the image with him. Pierre’s screen presence in Rebel Ridge was undeniable, and he is terrific as Stewart. Pierre’s steady-handed performance makes Stewart a complex character that you’re excited about stepping into a bigger role for this shared universe. In supporting roles, Kelly Macdonald, Ulrich Thomsen, Laura Linney, and Poorna Jagannathan all stand out positively, but only the actresses bookending the quartet get material with which to deepen their characters.
– Review written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
