Apologies once again for the weird release of articles of Lanterns. I did miss out on last week’s review, and now the finale is coming to you later than anticipated. Let’s rectify that in this article, and also give you my thoughts on the season now that the show has come to an end. Did it live up to the promise of being True Detective meets DC, or did the show misfire? Let’s find out.
A quick summary of the previous episode first, that said. I thought having a different version of Hal accompany John throughout the episode was a clever way of keeping Kyle Chandler in the show, despite the ticking clock of the ring’s limited “battery” time left. The episode was also the most “cosmic” of the show to date, with a wormhole to a far-off planet ravaged by fear. It’s also where Sinestro has been hiding, after he was sprung out of jail. I feel we could’ve used more Sinestro overall, and more cosmic detours to help make Lanterns feel more unique. John also got over the whole fear thing really quick, despite it clearly affecting his mind as they were on the boat heading towards the lighthouse.
Onto the finale. Now, did I call Noah being the Manhunter, or did I not call that? Perhaps it was pretty easily telegraphed; genetic lineage isn’t a huge assumption, but it was nice to see it unfold. What was even better was how Noah was challenging his very nature. He’s aware of the corrupting nature of his alien heritage and fears that he’ll end up doing something bad as a result. Knowing that John mercy-killed his grandmother ten years ago, he asked John for the same; just after his final football game. Noah even confesses to the murder of Hal to try and tempt John, but our Lantern protege knows better: it was Kerry Kane all along who killed Hal. Not in cold blood, but in a desperate move upon learning that Hal knew her son was the same alien threat that came to town all those years ago. To protect her son, she killed Hal, and it’s something John deduced for himself after learning that Noah was a Manhunter and one who may be better than his programming. The best scene in the episode, arguably in the show, was when John and Noah shared a car ride to the football game, where the topic of nature versus nurture, mercy, and consequence really became paramount. Thankfully for him, John has a moral compass and refuses to execute a teenager, especially when there’s a chance for a better tomorrow. So not turning this into a CGI battle like so many other superhero tales was a welcome change.
By the end, John assumes the mantle of Green Lantern and coerces Guy Gardner to give up Earth in exchange for the stars. John will operate as a sort of independent contractor, not bound by the whim of the Guardians and their messy history, but solely as someone who is in it to protect Earth. I wonder if we’ll see Pierre show up on the big screen or in a second season? (Lanterns hasn’t been renewed yet for a second season). A DCU without Hal Jordan also feels, weird, if I’m being honest. So we’ll see how this future turns out.
So did the show work overall? Yes, but it also felt like it was still missing something. Aaron Pierre crushed it as John, which is interesting since he was so stoic throughout. He paired nicely with Chandler’s rough-around-the-edges Hal Jordan, but I feel the show could’ve done more in the way of actual detective work. It felt like half the time they simply stumbled into a scenario by fluke or by ease. I never felt like there was a major challenge or roadblock for them to face, apart from each other. John gets a bit more thanks to the ample backstory with his family, but that’s to serve his character arc, and not the overall mystery. It so clearly wants to be True Detective, but it also feels like a sanitized version of that iconic show instead of trying to do something more novel and original. Taking that concept and setting it in a more sci-fi setting could’ve really made this more unique, but the small-town setting, the hunt, it did feel familiar to a fault. It didn’t help that the show felt very predictable at times too. I mentioned that I called Noah, and Zoe was hardly a big surprise twist. So while Lanterns was great in the drama and character department, its overall mystery felt lacking. Would I watch another season, though? Probably, if only because Pierre did great work in the lead role. So overall, Lanterns was a solid character story about a man brought up in extreme circumstances and alienated by his family, but also a so-so mystery story. It’s a decent show overall, just not an amazing one. And considering the bar set by HBO, I think the show could’ve been better.
