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Lanterns Finale Reveals Hal Jordan's Killer and Manhunter Mystery
Confirmed
In Short: In the finale of HBO's Lanterns, the identity of Hal Jordan's killer is revealed, along with the Manhunter's true nature.
HBO's Lanterns series has concluded with a finale that answers the central mystery of the season: who killed Hal Jordan? The episode, titled 'Dirt and Stars,' delves into the complex intergalactic conspiracy that has been unfolding in Rushville, Nebraska.
The series, starring Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, follows the two Green Lanterns as they investigate a mysterious murder that leads them into a larger cosmic conflict involving extraterrestrial technology and the Green Lantern Corps.
In a surprising twist, it is revealed that the Manhunter, created using DNA from Kerry's severed finger, was responsible for the carnage in Rushville. However, the actual triggerman was Rushville's sheriff, who shot Hal after he revealed the truth about Noah Macon, the Manhunter.
Showrunner Chris Mundy confirmed that the finale was designed to be character-focused, with less emphasis on action and spectacle. 'We wanted the emotional progression to feel real and earned,' Mundy said.
The series finale also marks a significant moment for John Stewart, who inherits Hal's power ring and begins his journey as a Green Lantern. 'What we see at the end is that John is not 100% a Green Lantern anymore. He has a Lantern that has a bit of yellow in it, has a bit of fear in it,' said series co-creator Tom King.
The finale explores themes of accountability and the tension between nature and nurture, as John grapples with the legacy left by Hal and the responsibility of wielding the power ring.
Lanterns, which has been following a traditional weekly HBO schedule, has been praised for its unique approach to the superhero genre. 'Instead of immediately taking viewers into a giant cosmic war, Lanterns combines the Green Lantern mythology with a grounded detective story,' noted Entertainment Weekly.
The series has also been noted for its character development and the complex relationships between its protagonists. 'The show started to become less of a whodunit and more of a why-done-it,' Mundy explained.
As the series concludes, it sets the stage for John Stewart's future adventures, including his involvement in the upcoming Superman sequel.
The Lanterns finale has been a mixed bag, satisfying fans with answers to long-standing questions while also leaving room for further exploration of the Green Lantern universe.
Background
Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, first appearing in issue #1 of Action Comics, published in the United States on April 18, 1938. Superman has been regularly published in American comic books published by DC Comics since then, and has been adapted to other media including radio serials, novels, films, television shows, theater, and video games.
What's confirmed
- Warning : This episode contains MAJOR spoilers for all eight episodes of Lanterns.
What's still developing
- Interestingly, Jagannathan has said that she herself did not know Zoe was the Manhunter until receiving the script for Episode 4.
- Lanterns Season 1 has arrived as one of the most important projects in the new DC Universe, but it is deliberately different from a conventional superhero show.
- And with Episode 4 now available, the Manhunter mystery has taken a major turn.
- Hal is an experienced Lantern who has spent years operating as one of the Green Lantern Corps' most important members, while John is still learning what it means to wield a power ring.
- John is younger, determined and still trying to prove himself.
- Throughout this time, the two Green Lanterns have been at odds with each other, failed to save multiple citizens who lived in the small, uneventful town, and one of them even perished under unlikely (and suspicious) circumstances.
- Week after week, we've all been eager to solve the main mystery at the center of Lanterns : Who exactly killed Hal Jordan, and why?
- He doesn't believe that all this is as simple as Sinestro is making the plan out to be, that there must’ve been a different reason why Hal was killed—and by someone else.
- It's here that the villain reveals that Hal followed Noah through the portal — and it was Sinestro who told Hal to kill the Manhunter, but Hal wouldn't do it.
- The reason Hal warned John not to tell anyone he was there the night he died was so that nobody assumed he had revealed the truth about Noah.
- When John returns to Rushville through the portal, Noah is waiting for him.
- After John leaves Hal at the motel, Kerry ( Kelly Macdonald ) goes to check on him.