The second episode of HBO's new series Lanterns, titled Trust Fall, has introduced the iconic DC villain Sinestro in a surprise reveal just before the credits roll. The moment was inspired by the Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs, according to the show's creators.
The adaptation of the DC comic books Green Lantern has already impressed critics and fans, with some describing it as the best new entry based on a DC franchise since Robert Pattinson's The Batman. The first episode drew more than nine million viewers, making it one of the biggest premieres ever for the network.
New instalments air each Sunday night in the US and in the early hours of Monday morning for UK audiences. The second episode is streaming now on HBO Max, NOW and Sky.
Who is Sinestro?
Thaal Sinestro is one of the most iconic villains in the original comics. According to his biography on DC.com, he went from one of the greatest Green Lanterns to the Corps' greatest enemy. He made his first appearance in 1961 and was Green Lantern of Sector 1417, which included his home planet Krougar.
Sinestro becomes a Lantern in a similar way to Hal Jordan, but with one crucial difference. A Green Lantern crash lands on his planet, severely injured. Sinestro uses their ring to fight off their attacker, but refuses to return it and allows his predecessor to die. He then claims that the ring chose him as a replacement.
His determination for peace and order leads him to behave more like a dictator than a protector, using complete control and doing anything necessary to achieve it, including conquering his own planet. After Hal joins the Corps as his trainee, he learns of Sinestro's methods and reports them to the Guardians of the Universe, leading to Sinestro's expulsion. He later forms his own Sinestro Corps, harnessing the yellow energy of fear to fight and attempt to take over the Green Lanterns.
Sinestro's role in Lanterns
Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen, previously seen in Fringe, The Blacklist and The New Pope, plays the role in the new series. In Lanterns, Sinestro is described as Hal's mentor, though the full details of their falling out are not yet revealed.
Viewers see Hal don his suit to travel far into space to a prison planet where Sinestro is being held for his crimes. Once there, Hal demands to know about the Manhunters.
Showrunner Chris Mundy told Entertainment Weekly: "As big of a trope as it is to go visit Hannibal Lecter in the prison or Loki, this is tried and true. The idea that Sinestro is out there is really, really important to understanding who Hal is. No one is going to be able to poke at Hal’s reluctance to cede the ring more than Sinestro will."
Mark Strong previously played the character in the 2011 film opposite Ryan Reynolds, with a mid-credits scene teasing his turn to villainy.
