‘Lanterns’ continues to build upon the HUGE debut of the first episode with another stunningly brilliant outing. The show developed it’s backstory in the premiere and spent much of this episode building the lore around the two main characters. With an ever growing world, built around flawed, but likable characters, ‘Lanterns’ is an entirely human and grounded series regardless of whether or not it has aliens in it. ‘Lanterns’ ability to ground an intergalactic who-done-it entirely on Earth while not feeling outdated or dry has been one of the most impressive aspects of the show. The series continues to get better week to week, uniting fans, new and old, in the latest water cooler series from HBO.
Picking up right where it left off, ‘Lanterns’ finds Hal Jordan and John Stewart attempting to solve the anomaly that has occurred in Rushville. Hal continues to be a thorn in the side of local law enforcement as well as John. John continues the tasks Hal sets before him, growing increasingly impatient with Hal. ‘Lanterns’ ability to balance this relationship while building the world that the characters exist in and developing the lore within that has made this series one of the latest examples of appointment viewing. It simply can’t be missed.
Builder of Worlds
Following the first episode’s focus on story building, it was only natural that the follow up episode would be FILLED to the brim with lore. The references and set up throughout the episode were exceptional, pulling audiences in and allowing them to fill the space with the characters. The episode builds more towards WHO these characters are and more importantly what their motivations might be. The Easter eggs and nods to those who have loved Green Lantern through his books were elegantly spread throughout the episode while the story built around bringing in a new audience. The writers and show runners have clearly poured their love, imagination, and care into building and creating the world that these characters live in.
WATCH: “Nerd Initiative ‘Lanterns’ Post Show – Episode 2”
‘Lanterns’ development of lore is also where the episode falls short. The show slips in Easter eggs, of course, but in many cases those same spots leave the uninitiated confused. I arguably had no clue who Mogo was or what that meant. It’s clear that it’s a reference, but to what? It’s these types of deep track nods that make inquisitive people reach for their phones and miss important plot points. This, unfortunately, is the nature of the beast when it comes to shows built on preexisting IPs. The trick is to not overdo it and ‘Lanterns’ teeters on the line of overkill in this regard.
Bicker Brothers
The true charm of ‘Lanterns’ is it’s lead characters, Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre were simply made for one another. Their ability to play the perfect odd couple is both endearing and informative, giving insight to the pairs feelings. There is a clear trust between the two that does not show itself in words, but in action. Jordan and Stewart clearly have a mutual respect for one another that is more than one line zingers and “oohrah”s.
The beauty of the skill that Chandler and Pierre possess is their ability to bring out the best in each and every cast member on screen. While the words are written by writers in a room, charisma does not come from a page. Pierre is exceptional when he has screen time with Poora Jagannathan, who has been downright enchanting in her role as Zoe Macon. They seem to have an understanding of one another on a microscopic level, playing with each others emotions in a straight to the point kind of way. Chandler has found a similar foil in Kelly Macdonald’s Sheriff Kerry. Her no nonsense meets Hal’s overcompensated bravado in a fury. Jordan knows he’s the Green Lantern. Sheriff Macon knows he’s the Green Lantern. She just doesn’t care and that’s a dynamic a show like this absolutely needs to develop depth of character.
Final Thought:
‘Lanterns’ in it’s first two episodes has been an absolute delight for fans, new and old. The cast and crew clearly have a love and respect for the source material, only slightly straying into the land of too much fan service. With, hopefully, many seasons to come, ‘Lantern’ is the latest ‘it’ show that everyone is going to continue to talk about.
