Is John Stewart really becoming Green Lantern? ‘Lanterns’ Episode 5 ending delivers surprising ring twist
‘Lanterns’ Episode 5, titled ‘Lights Out,’ aired on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, September 13. This episode reveals one of the series’ central mysteries: what would John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) do with Hal Jordan’s (Kyle Chandler) ring if it ever became his. As a reminder, at the end of Episode 4, Hal jumped out of a moving vehicle to reach a lead before John could get there, causing the latter to be injured in the crash. In Episode 5, the story continues from the point where John wakes up after Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan) saves him using Manhunter technology. It immediately becomes clear that the satellite attack that killed Zoe earlier was faked and John already knew about her secret identity.
However, John and Zoe were not in on some joint plan to fake her death. She wanted to lure him into a trap by letting him burn. Zoe agrees to heal his burns if he saves her from the Guardians and lets Hal die. John agrees but has no intention of keeping his end of the bargain. Nevertheless, Zoe heals John with her blood and technology. Later, John uses Hal as bait to get to Zoe. Hal, on the other hand, is determined to retain the ring. Zoe has depleted Hal to a mere 5% of his strength by using orbital attacks over the city of Rushville. Eventually, Hal decides that it is best to return to his motel to recharge. This is where John is waiting for him.
What comes next is the showdown we have all been waiting for. John and Hal have their fight, and John wins. But it is not a straightforward fight. Zoe’s attack interrupts them, and Hal uses the ring’s remaining power to protect them both. The motel flies into dust, and Hal ends up buried in the rubble while John has the ring. Hal, almost unconscious, asks John whether it was worth it. John does not respond, as he walks away with the ring for a bigger purpose. He needs Hal to use him as bait to get to Zoe. And it works. John meets Zoe and shoots her, breaking his deal with her. John then takes out her heart, which turns into a crystal, confirming that she was the Manhunter. It is a big moment because John spent the episode trying to follow the Guardians’ orders, only to find out what the consequences have been. In the end, John takes Zoe’s heart, Hal’s ring, and the Lantern battery to Lianna (Laura Linney). This is when ‘Lanterns’ Episode 5 takes its biggest turn.
John tells Lianna that he spent his life imagining what it would be like to be a Green Lantern, thinking that when it happened, he would feel proud and grateful. Nevertheless, when he put the ring on, he felt nothing. John looked at what Hal had sacrificed to maintain the ring and decided he did not want to follow in his footsteps. This is the emotional part of Episode 5, and it is all about John getting precisely what he wanted from his life. John leaves the ring on the bar as he walks away. So John does not become Green Lantern in the episode. In particular, this could set up the plot hook for the 2025 movie ‘Superman,’ in which Guy Gardner turns out to be Earth’s Green Lantern.
Some of the reasoning behind his decision might have been made clear in Episode 3. His parents prepared him for a life as a Green Lantern, as they thought he would be chosen by the Guardians after his father failed the trial. John grew up with the idea that he was destined to become a Green Lantern. That is why refusing the ring in ‘Lanterns’ Episode 5 is such a huge deal. It does not mean John has ruled out becoming a Green Lantern altogether; it only means he has decided not to rush into becoming one just because the Guardians asked him to do so. With three episodes still left in the season, there’s plenty of time for that decision to change. ‘Lanterns’ next episode will air on Sunday, September 20, on HBO and HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
