Lanterns returned to HBO this weekend with its second episode, sparking an alien debate amongst the DCU fanbase, which in turn prompted an interesting theory about Hal Jordan’s alleged death.
Warning, the following contains mild spoilers for Lanterns season 1 episode 2, so turn back now if you haven’t caught up. First, read our spoiler-free Lanterns review.
The new DCU show follows Kyle Chandler’s Green Lantern Hal Jordan and his trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as intergalactic cops who are drawn to an extraterrestrial murder case in Nebraska. During last week’s premiere, we learned the aliens are able to pose as humans, with Jordan rooting one out in an intense interrogation scene.
However, in Lanterns episode 2, it is revealed that when an alien takes human form, they can then be killed as a human and leave behind a human corpse. With that in mind, one Lanterns fan on Twitter thinks that the flash-forward scene in 2026, which shows Hal Jordan’s dead body frozen at the football stadium, might be a red herring.
“If the alien doesn’t change shape upon dying, then there’s the possibility that Hal Jordan actually didn’t die and was an alien disguised as him,” said the fan. Others seem to agree, as another replied, “This is what I’ve been saying! Also, if you notice in episode one when Hal sets down the ring onto the car dash, there’s this dark band of residue/ impression from his decades of wearing the ring that isn’t present on the dead ‘Hal’.” Now that is another interesting theory.
It came as quite a shock to see one of the show’s leads dead at the end of episode 1 (you can read our list of suspects here), and many DC fans were not too happy about it. However, soon after the series premiere, showrunner David Lindelof told Collider that he’s “willing to absorb the boos from the audience in the first inning,” urging fans to wait and “see how you feel at the end of Episode 8.” Hmm, it sounds as though not all is as it seems.
In the chaos of it all, episode 2 also introduces DC Comics’ Sinestro and confirms that Sheriff Kerry Kane is actually from Gotham, which some fans suspected all along.
Lanterns airs weekly on HBO Max and NOW. See our Lanterns release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One, and find out where Lanterns takes place on the DCU timeline.