In the final moments of Lanterns' first episode, a huge unexpected twist is seemingly revealed: Hal Jordan's body is discovered in 2026, but the series' time-jumping structure suggests his death may not be permanent.
Time Jumps and the Opening Scene
The HBO Max series, the latest entry in the DC Universe that began with Superman, is a new adaptation of the Green Lantern comic books. The show's premise sees the current hero Hal Jordan train a new protégé, John Stewart.
The pair come across a grisly crime in a small town that might be hiding even more secrets, including a conspiracy across space with huge implications for the universe. The first episode reveals that the show goes backwards and forwards in time, with the opening scene taking place in 1996.
The 2016 Training and the Hologram Message
In 1996, a young John Stewart watches television with his brothers, secretly tuning in to an exclusive interview with Hal Jordan. The story then jumps to 2016, with a grown-up John beginning his training with Hal, who uses unorthodox methods, including jumping out of his own car and leaving John behind as it crashes off a cliff.
John receives a message from a Hal hologram inside the ring, which is a back-up of Hal but is 10 years old despite the process being done weekly. Current Hal is told: "There's hail in Rushville, Nebraska," and flies straight there, kicking off the central mystery.
The 2026 Discovery and What It Means
Near the end of the episode, Hal interrogates a suspect and proves his theory about alien involvement. The final scene jumps to 2026, as John returns to Nebraska during a heavy snowstorm, summoned by Sheriff Kerry. She reveals they have discovered Hal's body in a familiar spot, with blood on his face and his ring missing.
The series is expected to continue jumping back and forth in time, meaning plenty of it will be set in 2006 where Hal is alive and well. His death might not be straightforward either, as Green Lantern characters have been resurrected in the comics, including as Black Lanterns fighting for a villain.
However, showrunner Chris Mundy told IGN that the decision to kill off Hal was "kind of big and scary just because it's a choice." The series should also show action in 2026, revealing Hal's ultimate fate, John Stewart possibly becoming Green Lantern, and how Guy Gardner, seen in the Superman film, fits in. Lanterns is streaming on HBO Max, NOW, and Sky TV.
