In brightest day, in blackest night…no episode of Green Lantern shall escape our sight.
One of DC Comics’ first Black superheroes finally has his own show, and The Black Watch is digging into John Stewart’s long-overdue time to shine and his problematic partnership with Hal Jordan.
On the latest episode of The Black Watch, BOSSIP and Cassius’ editorial-led series that examines notable film and television projects through thoughtful discussion and cultural commentary, the panel unpacked HBO Max’s Lanterns.
BOSSIP’s Managing Editor Dani Canada was joined by comedian Richard T. Jones, Tiffany Burke, and iOne Men’s Director of Content Alvin Blanco to discuss Aaron Pierre’s portrayal of John Stewart, Kyle Chandler’s take on longtime Green Lantern Hal Jordan, the tension between the two characters and the show’s decision to trade nonstop cosmic combat for a slow-burning murder mystery.
Lanterns follows Stewart, a new recruit to the Green Lantern Corps, as he’s paired with veteran Lantern Jordan to investigate a murder in Nebraska.
For Richard, a longtime fan of the Green Lantern mythology, the detective-driven direction wasn’t a surprise.
“I kind of went into it knowing that the people that created True Detective were part of the creative team,” he said. “So I went into it knowing that it would have that mystery element to it, and that is exactly what the show ended up being.”
“It’s basically True Detective, just with a power ring.”
Tiffany, another longtime fan, was excited to see the series finally put John Stewart at the center of the story.
“Long overdue,” she said of Stewart getting his own spotlight.
Richard noted that for an entire generation of viewers, John Stewart was their introduction to Green Lantern thanks to the animated Justice League universe.
“For a lot of people, John Stewart was their introduction to the character Green Lantern because of the Justice League Unlimited cartoon,” he said.
He recalled people being genuinely confused when Ryan Reynolds starred as Hal Jordan in 2011’s Green Lantern.
“You would not believe how many phone calls I got,” Richard said. “They were like, ‘Wait a minute. Why is Green Lantern a white dude? I don’t understand.’”
“Giving John Stewart his shine is long, long overdue.”
Dani agreed that the latest live-action take on Green Lantern is already working considerably better for her than the Reynolds film.
“This is so much better than the Ryan Reynolds version,” she said. “No shade to my guy.”
“It was trash,” Alvin quipped.
Hal & John’s Partnership Has The Black Watch Ready To Run Fades
While the panel was pleased to see John Stewart take center stage, his increasingly contentious partnership with Hal Jordan sparked a different conversation.
From the beginning, the two have had a prickly relationship that quickly moves beyond tough-love training into outright hostility.
“It was the microaggressions that really made me mad,” Tiffany said.
She specifically pointed to Hal going to John’s parents before he could get there himself, as well as his decision to refer to John as “Junior” and “boy.”
“I was like, ‘Oh, this is where we at,’” Tiffany said.
Richard also took issue with Hal disrespecting John and his family.
“You talk about my mama, we gotta step outside,” he joked.
The tension eventually turns physical, and Dani admitted she wasn’t exactly upset to see it happen.
“It was very satisfying to see John beat his a**,” she joked.
For Dani, the relationship also highlights the intentional differences between the two Lanterns.
“You have this perfect candidate to be a Green Lantern,” she said of John, pointing to his military background and upbringing. “Literally been trained and abused by his parents to be fearless to do this, and then you have a mediocre white man who comes in, and he just gets the ring, and it drops in his lap.”
She also pointed to the visual differences between Pierre’s polished, disciplined John and Chandler’s considerably more disheveled Hal.
“You see John being so well put together, great shape. Hal? He’s a little disheveled,” Dani said. “This jacket, the arms are too long. It’s just showing you the difference between them.”
“That man looks like he smelled like mildew, wet dog, and like a week’s worth of Mentos,” added Richard.
Lanterns Puts A Black Family At The Center Of Its Superhero Story
Pierre’s John Stewart isn’t the only person of color commanding attention in Lanterns.
The series features an ensemble that includes Jasmine Cephas Jones, Sherman Augustus, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Poorna Jagannathan, while much of the story’s emotional core is rooted in John’s family and the history that shaped him.
Rather than immediately sending John into space for intergalactic battles, Lanterns spends considerable time examining the man behind the ring, his relationships and the experiences that made him who he is.
That focus is especially notable considering how long fans have waited to see John Stewart receive this kind of live-action treatment.
Damson Idris, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Moten were also considered for the role before Pierre was cast.
Is Lanterns’ Slow Burn Enough To Keep Viewers Invested?
Despite the power rings and superhero pedigree, Lanterns hasn’t been overflowing with cosmic battles.
Instead, the series has leaned into mystery, character development, and detective drama, with True Detective serving as an inspiration for the show.
That led The Black Watch to debate whether the slow-burn approach is working, how long the show can remain grounded before leaning further into Green Lantern mythology, and what keeps viewers who aren’t familiar with the comics invested.
The panel also looked ahead to where John Stewart’s story could go as his family history continues to unfold.
For fans who grew up knowing John Stewart as the Green Lantern, however, seeing the character finally get his shine has already been a long time coming.
Watch The Black Watch discuss Lanterns below!
