Lanterns Episode 5 Completely Changes John Stewart's Green Lantern Story

John Johnson/HBO

Ever since "Lanterns" Episode 1 delivered its twist ending, it's been clear the show is not telling a traditional Green Lantern story. The HBO series began by killing off Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan, upsetting many fans in the process and delighting many others who were intrigued by where this new take on the source material was going. Now, we have yet another divergence from the comic books. In Episode 5, Aaron Pierre's John Stewart rejects the opportunity to become Earth's Green Lantern — which, for a show which was ostensibly about Stewart training to take on that very mantle, is tantamount to a major twist.

So far, "Lanterns" has otherwise raised more questions than it's answered. Episode 1, for instance, had many fans wondering why John wasn't wearing the Power Ring when he discovered Hal's body. After all, he was supposed to be Hal's successor. Now, Episode 5 has provided some clarity on that point.

After coming to blows with Hal while the city of Rushville, Nebraska crumbles around them, John kills Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan). Zoe was the Manhunter — a member of a robotic race of galactic police that went rogue and were mostly wiped out. After killing her and removing her heart to prove she was, in fact, the Manhunter, John meets Laura Linney's Guardian of the Universe, Lianna, in a bar and delivers Zoe's heart, referring to it as "your sins, and consequences." That's a reference to the fact the Guardians created the Manhunters in the first place, and are essentially responsible for all the damage they wrought. He then turns his back on Linney and the Green Lantern mantle, literally leaving the Power Ring on the table. It's yet another big surprise for fans of Green Lantern lore.

HBO

The "Lanterns" writers drew inspiration from "True Detective" in order to create a grounded crime thriller based on the Green Lantern characters. In that sense, "Lanterns" was never going to be a traditional take on the source material, especially with Tom King — who's stirred up trouble before with his comic book storylines — guiding the narrative.

To that end, Episode 5 delivers what has to be one of the show's biggest surprises with John Stewart's refusal of the Green Lantern mantle. The first four episodes of this series established that he'd been training his entire life to become Earth's Green Lantern, starting when he was just a child and his parents were encouraged by Lianna to mold their son into a fearless hero. When John leaves the Power Ring on the table in Episode 5, then, it's surprising to say the least.

It's even more shocking given the context of the show as a whole. "Lanterns" was a series touted as a buddy cop crime drama in which Hal Jordan trains John Stewart to become the next Green Lantern. What's more, fans have been waiting for a live-action version of Stewart for some time. For those raised on the DC Animated Universe and comic books of the late 1980s and beyond, Stewart is the Green Lantern. To discover that "Lanterns" is not a show featuring a live-action John Stewart Green Lantern, and is actually a show about John refusing to become the title character is a major twist.

Warner Bros. Pictures

John Stewart first appeared in "Green Lantern" (Volume 2) #87 in December 1971. Initially, he's merely a backup Lantern for Hal Jordan, chosen for the role due to his sense of justice and standing up for the little guy. As the comic books continued, John became Earth's main Green Lantern and one of the most powerful Green Lanterns in the history of the corps. At no point, however, did he outright reject the identity of Green Lantern. On numerous occasions he has pushed back against the Guardians of the Universe, and his anti-authority ethos in general has led to many clashes. He also famously refused to wear a mask when he first became Green Lantern. But not once has he turned his back on the Power Ring due to being conflicted over the principles of its creators. 

With only three episodes to go in "Lanterns" Season 1, clearly we're not going to see much of John Stewart as Green Lantern, which for many fans will surely be a disappointment. What's more, we've already flashed forward to 2026, where John is seen without a Power Ring. It seems, then, that from 2016 when John walks away from Lianna and the ring, until 2026 when he finds Hal's body, the DC Universe's John Stewart does not become Green Lantern. 

Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner appears to be Earth's Green Lantern in 2025's "Superman," suggesting that John doesn't take on the mantle until after the events of that movie. Is "Lanterns" merely setting up John's debut as Earth's Lantern in the upcoming "Superman" sequel "Man of Tomorrow?" Either way, it's yet another unexpected turn from a show that's as determined to shake up the status quo as John Stewart himself.