Tag Archives: Lanterns

Lanterns: OutKast [S1E3] – TV Review

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TL;DR – We go full-flashback episode this week, but they make it work.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the HBO Max service used to view this series.

End Credit Scene – There is a making-of and trailer after the end credits.

John falling.

Lanterns Review Introduction

Today, we are looking at a style of episode that can be quite tricky: the flashback. This is when we put the current narrative on hold to jump back in time and give some more context around a character or an event. They can be fraught because putting your narrative on hold can feel indulgent, be a sign that you have not explained things properly, or worse, it can derail your entire story. Thankfully, we miss these potholes today.

So, to set the scene, it is 2016, and we begin with John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) falling through the air and landing on a pile of mattresses. It is a unique entry into what might be the most important interview in his life. Waiting for him is an unassuming lady, friendly but with a stare that pierces through you. Lianna (Laura Linney) has many questions, including, “Do you feel fear?” Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Lanterns: Trust Fall [S1E2] – TV Review

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TL;DR – I feel that this episode is a good encapsulation of the style of story that we will be getting for the rest of the season, and if that is the case, I will be very happy.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the HBO Max service used to view this series.

End Credit Scene – There is a trailer after the end credits.

Hal Jordan walks into a town hall meeting about himself.

Lanterns Review Introduction

Well, the Pilot of Lanterns certainly landed a whole whack of mystery on us, intriguing at every turn. It is the kind of episode that says, “trust us, we know what we are doing”, and given the creator’s past work, you kind of believe them. But today we start getting into the weeds and seeing if that does start to pay dividends.  

So, to set the scene, at the end of Pilot we were hit with a flash forward to 2026 with a very dead Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) sitting on the high school stadium at Rushville, Nebraska. We start today back in 2016, with Hal berating John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and sending him on busywork back to Coast City to get his Lantern. Meanwhile, Hal starts exploring the town, wondering why William Macon (Garret Dillahunt) knew to kill those four aliens, because that is not something you do on a hunch when he discovers the whole town in a meeting. This meeting is probably very much about him. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Lanterns: Pilot [S1E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This first episode has me intrigued about the show, but not yet sold on it.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the HBO Max service used to view this series.

End Credit Scene – There is a trailer and a behind-the-scenes documentary after the end credits.

Hal Jordan flies through the air.

Lanterns Review Introduction

Today is an interesting one. We are continuing through the DCU’s great rebrand that had worked until the recent Supergirl misfire. But we are also focusing in on the one aspect of the DC Universe that I have very little knowledge of. The most I know about Green Lantern is that he appears and can do things with his ring; oh, and there was a version of one in Superman, which makes me interested to see if this show can capture someone who is not familiar with all the lore.  

So, to set the scene, in 1996 it has been ten years since Green Lantern made himself known to the world, and now it is time for Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) to reveal himself. In 2016, Hal has found himself training the next potential Lantern, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), but they don’t quite get along. I.e. jumping from a moving car and letting John fly off a cliff, sort of don’t get along. But everything changes when an automatic system warns them that:  “There is hail in Rushville, Nebraska”. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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