Pilot (Lanterns)
Episode of Lanterns
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Pilot" is the series premiere of the American superhero television series Lanterns, set in the DC Universe. The episode was written by series creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, and directed by executive producer James Hawes. It was first broadcast on HBO in the United States on August 16, 2026, and also was available on Max on the same date.
- Chris Mundy
- Damon Lindelof
- Tom King
| "Pilot" | |
|---|---|
| Lanterns episode | |
| Episode no. | Episode 1 |
| Directed by | James Hawes |
| Written by |
|
| Cinematography by | Florian Hoffmeister |
| Editing by | Vikash Patel |
| Original air date | August 16, 2026 |
| Running time | 56 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
The series follows experienced Lantern Hal Jordan and new recruit John Stewart as they investigate a murder in Rushville, Nebraska, which Jordan believes is an extraterrestrial incident and leads them to darker mysteries and reckonings.
The series premiere received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, characters and production values.
Plot
In 1996, Air Force veteran and test pilot Hal Jordan is Earth's first member of the Green Lantern Corps. A young John Stewart admires Hal, who conducts a 60 Minutes interview after revealing his existence to the public while intercepting a meteor over Victoria Falls. John lives in Coast City with his Marine father, John Sr., enduring physical and emotional abuse meant to prove he has no fear.
In 2016, an adult John is being trained as a reserve Lantern and expresses annoyance at not yet wearing the ring. Hal jumps out of the car he is driving, forcing John to wear Hal's ring to save himself. On his way to meet him, the ring releases a "backup consciousness" of Hal, recorded in case of his death, which has not been updated in ten years. The consciousness sends Hal a message: "There's hail in Rushville, Nebraska." This prompts Hal to fly to Rushville, forcing John to make his own way there without help.
In Rushville, Hal and John discover the aftermath of a mass shooting at a high school football game, but local Sheriff Kerry Kane asks them not to intervene. John spots a suspect at the scene, and the man is arrested, but Kerry refuses to let Hal interrogate him. At a bar, Hal recounts the day thirty years ago when he became a Green Lantern, taking the ring from a dying Abin Sur and accepting responsibility for Sector 2814. Hal picks a fight with a bar patron, hoping to get arrested so he can get close to the suspect. Instead, Kerry locks him in the station's broom closet. John flirts with an older woman at the bar, and they end up having sex in his car.
At his hearing, Hal is defended by lawyer Billy Macon, Kerry's husband. Hal is released on bail by Billy's father, William, but is instructed not to leave town. William asks to meet Hal and John at a local ranch. William is taking care of the ranch for an undisclosed client and believes Hal should interrogate the jailed suspect using his connection to Kerry. John finds the woman at the ranch and learns she is Zoe Macon, William's wife.
The following day, Hal interrogates the suspect, Waylon Sanders, who he believes may be an alien. Waylon confirms Hal's suspicions, taunting and angering him by reciting his oath, then activates an explosive device in his body. Hal quickly throws him to the ground and puts up a force field with his ring, containing the explosion and saving Rushville.
In 2026, John returns to Rushville, reuniting with Kerry. They arrive at the football field and discover Hal's frozen corpse in the bleachers, not wearing his ring.
Production
Development
The episode was written by series creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, and directed by executive producer James Hawes.[1]
Writing
Aaron Pierre said that the episode's focus on the relationship between Hal and John was essential to establish the stakes. He said that it was important to make a good impression with Kyle Chandler, "When we met for the first time, it was I think a relief for both of us, and a feeling of being energized and excited about developing this friendship that we now have."[2]
Regarding the episode's ending, wherein Hal Jordan's corpse is found without his ring, Lindelof said that this was done to emphasize their view that the series is about John, "although the show is called Lanterns and it is a buddy-cop construct, when you leave these episodes you're going to be leaving them with John Stewart. We want you to get your brains around that. We want you to know it coming in."[3] Mundy admitted that the decision was "kind of big and scary", but "the fact that they had confidence or, really, faith in us at least to do it and treat it with the level of care that we hopefully gave it, we felt really lucky."[4]
King added, "this is a show that we're trying to make as close to reality, and sometimes you lose the things you love, and sometimes the stakes are that high in reality, and they're supposed to be that high in our show."[5] Chandler admitted surprise when he was given the script, but also felt "Oh, that's going to be a good show."[6] He also expressed admiration for the concept, "The whole search is to find out what happened to him. I like the fact that the show is non-linear and they've layered it like that."[7]
Reception
Viewers
Critical reviews
"Pilot" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "With the DCU suddenly on shaky ground following the disastrous reception to Supergirl, it's reassuring to see Lanterns get off to such a strong start. It proves that there's indeed room for superhero stories in this cinematic universe that aren't all cut from the James Gunn cloth. While the central murder mystery in Episode 1 is more serviceable than actively intriguing, the characters and their uneasy dynamics more than justify giving the show a watch. Chandler's Hal Jordan and Pierre's John Stewart make for a mighty but very dysfunctional Dynamic Duo, and the prospect of spending seven more hours with them is exciting indeed."[8]
William Hughes of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "Lanterns cites procedural heavy hitters like True Detective (Mundy was a producer) and Slow Horses (the pilot's directed by that series' James Hawes) as inspirations, and those are some prestige heights for a superhero show to aim for. But the integration of those two dramatic spheres here feels well structured and deliberate. And Lanterns has Chandler, Macdonald, and Pierre, a formidable core clearly prepared to reveal some depths. As the DCU continues its fascinatingly diverse rollout, Lanterns suggests there's plenty of exciting new territory to color."[9]
Siddhant Adlakha of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The result is a gritty saga that, although it starts off somewhat grounded, sets the stage for a cosmic mystery through entertaining twists and turns and has a gruff texture that isn’t limited to its heroes' frequent F-bombs."[10]
Joe George of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "If Lanterns can continue to give space for Chandler and Pierre to show off their skills and let Hal and John play off one another, keeping the sci-fi stuff present but not overwhelming, then the show can shine brighter than any other adaptation of the comic. But if the showrunners show fear and lean too hard into True Detective grittiness or comic book wackiness, well, it's going to be just one more superhero show that crashes and burns."[11] Michael John Petty of Collider gave the episode a 8 out of 10 rating and wrote, "Rather than the usual intergalactic adventures, the series is a slow-burn take on the Green Lantern mythos that has been aptly described as akin to both True Detective and Training Day, with longtime superhero Hal Jordan showing newcomer John Stewart the ropes. It's an oddball take, to be sure, but there's certainly potential."[12]
Erik Kain of Forbes wrote, "It's a bit of a messy opener for this new DC show. Not bad, necessarily, but not super great either."[13] Eric Francisco of Esquire wrote, "Chandler and Pierre are still aces, and their corrosive relationship is what will hopefully beckon audiences back to Lanterns next week. Certainly, the circumstances behind the episode's shocking final image — Hal Jordan frozen dead on the same football bleachers just 10 years later — is enough to make the show appointment viewing. I'm just not sure what kind of TV show we'll be watching by the finale."[14]
Sean T. Collins of Decider wrote, "Other than these unfortunate bum notes, Lanterns is a cleverly written show, engagingly acted by people I like watching. I'll render my final verdict the happy moment I see a giant green boxing glove, but until then, these space cops are still worth a ride-along."[15] Chris Gallardo of Telltale TV gave the episode a 3.7 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Not only does that explosive climax at the end work, but it creates a satisfying setup of this mystery that Hal and John have to solve. Overall, Lanterns Season 1 Episode 1 is a confident introduction to this earthly mystery and Hal and John's messy mentorship dynamic."[16]
Noel Murray of The New York Times wrote, "The pilot episode does a lot of heavy lifting without ever seeming laborious. In addition to introducing the main characters and the central plot — involving mysterious murders in the tiny town of Rushville, Neb. — the first episode hints at the larger scope of the story, which stretches across several decades and raises questions about who really deserves to be a Green Lantern."[17] Denis Kimathi of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 3.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The premiere tests my patience a bit because it feels like it's trying to do too much at once. This is a common problem with many pilot episodes where they don't just let things breathe. However, it successfully creates a lot of interest in seeing how things play out."[18]