Lanterns has ended its first season, or what we hope is just its first season. As of now, HBO Max has not officially announced a season two. But between the ratings and the critical buzz, all signs point to Lanterns getting another season. And we are certainly amped for that, because the end of season one certainly left a few questions up in the air that we still await answers to. Here are the top things we hope Lanterns season two address which the first season left unanswered. As always, spoilers for the whole season abound below.
What Happens to Sinestro?
The season ends with Thaal Sinestro (Ulrick Thomsen), the former Green Lantern who went rogue and killed a Guardian, busted out of prison by the Manhunter, Noah Macon. He’s retreated to the planet where, untold centuries ago, Manhunter Zoe once committed genocide with her fear toxin. John and the Halogram find him in a strange foundry there in the middle of a body of water, where Sinestro confesses to having forged a new lantern battery. Only this lantern was forged using elements found on that planet.
By the episode’s end, John Stewart leaves him on that little island on that barren world with no way out. He can’t swim across the water because the ocean is toxic. So what happens next? We can’t imagine that’s the end of Sinestro, as he’s such a major character in the Green Lantern mythology. Will he forge his yellow ring, and start up his own Sinestro Corps, just as in the comics? The ultimate fate of Sinestro has us the most curious about what season two might cover. He’s just too big a character to be “left for dead” on some remote planet.
Can Sinestro Really Bring Hal Jordan Back to Life For Real?
Speaking of Sinestro, when John Stewart is interrogating him, he suggests to the Halogram that if he can be freed and allowed to forge a new lantern, he can “Bring him back, for real.” Sinestro later says that once John charges his ring on the new lantern, Hal’s consciousness will be lost, and he won’t be able to bring Hal back. Of course, by the episode’s end, John does charge the ring. But we highly doubt the writers would leave that comment by Sinestro for no reason. Not unless it was something he could really do, or something they had plans to address. It’s also possible that Sinestro means he could bring Hal back as an undead Black Lantern. We don’t think that’s the plan, but season two must explain just what Sinestro meant by this. We all want more Kyle Chandler as Hal, so they better follow that up.
Will Noah Macon Succumb to His Manhunter Programming?
At the end of the season, John essentially made the judgment call to not kill Noah Macon (Shea Pritchard), whom he now knows is a human-born Manhunter agent. He believes his human upbringing can counter any ancient programming the Guardians of the Universe instilled in his DNA. But it seems that Noah has a clear course for success in life. College sports parlayed into fame, parlayed into politics, then parlayed into eventually becoming President. James Gunn has said that the events of Lanterns would have larger ramifications on the DCU. Could it be they’re setting up Noah Macon as the DCU’s “Big Bad?” And if so, what does that mean for John, who could have ended this potential threat? We hope Lanterns season two at least touches on this possibility.
Will the Guardians Retaliate Against John Stewart For Taking Hal’s Ring?
At the end of the episode, John tells Guy Gardner to tell the Guardians of the Universe he’s “Earth’s Green Lantern.” John tells Guy to tell them his bosses he won’t be following their orders. He’s essentially daring them to come after him and take the ring away, which he strongly suspects they won’t do. After all, he knows Guardian Lianna’s dirty little secret about the Manhunters. But there is more than one Guardian of the Universe out there. We don’t think John’s declaration as a rogue “independent contractor” Green Lantern likely sits well with all of that immortal race. And if that’s the case, we need to find out what kind of response they’ll have. Maybe we’ll actually see some other Lanterns show up in response.
Will John’s New Lantern Forged with Fear Water and Air Matter?
By season’s end, John Stewart’s is using the lantern battery that Sinestro forged on that lost planet. A lantern that John noticed had yellow cracks in it, because Sinestro forged it on a world where fear toxin infused the air and water. Now, in the comics, this is how the fear entity Parallax took over the mind and body of Hal Jordan. This is not something that ever happened to John Stewart. But could Lanterns be flipping the script, setting up John for a Parallax turn? We don’t think they’ll veer that far from the known mythology. But there’s something up with John’s Sinestro-forged lantern, and we need to know what it’s all about.
Will We Ever See Aliens on this Green Lantern-Based Series?
Look, we love Lanterns. It’s one of the best character dramas of the year, and one of television’s best mysteries of the year as well. But aside from Sinestro, a dude in pinkish makeup, we didn’t see a single alien on this show. We might have had mentions of Mogo and Ch’p, but not a sign of anything non-human. Now that HBO has the normies hooked with Lanterns, we really hope we see some actual aliens on this series. We’re not saying the show needs to take place in outer space, but they’ve got to give us something in this regard.
All of Lanterns season one is now streaming on HBO Max.