That's it. Mystery solved. The Lanterns season 1 ending delivered from all angles, finally wrapping up the whodunnit in Rushville, as well as slowly setting the stage for the DCU's future.
If you need some more light shining on what just went down in Lanterns, we have a complete Lanterns episode 8 recap. We also answer any burning questions you may have as John Stewart takes centre stage.
So, in brightest day and darkest night, no detail about the Lanterns season 1 ending will escape our sight. That's my oath, anyway, and I'm sticking by it. For more on the wider DCU picture, check out all the latest on DCU Chapter One.
Lanterns season 1 ending recap
Lanterns episode 8 kicked off with an extended cold open that charted Hal's post-Rushville journey. He accepts his fate in going to prison in 2016. 10 years later, he is picked up at the gates by Sheriff Kane.
After being given a frosty reception back in town, Hal's home is firebombed. He only survives thanks to the good graces (and alien technology) of Noah, the sheriff's son. Surprise: he's a secret Manhunter.
Back in 2026 on Antaan's planet, John Stewart has Sinestro tied up. The disgraced Lantern tells John that he created a new ring for Noah (who helped him escape) using the gas and water on the ruined planet. He even has his own yellow lantern, which John takes alongside the ring. Sinestro, though, is left on the planet.
John stepping back through the portal doesn't go as planned, however. He is quickly met by Noah. After a physical confrontation, the two share a heart-to-heart, with Noah asking John to kill him. After all, his Manhunter nature craves power over his more tender human side.
Then, the answer: we rewind slightly to Hal's final moments in the football stadium's stands. There, he is met by Kerry, who explains that she became pregnant with Noah after Zoe restored her finger. With Hal confirming he knows about Noah's secret, Kerry shoots him in a panic, killing him.
Back in the present, after the confession, John says he won't hurt Noah.
The Lanterns season 1 episode wraps up with John reuniting with his family but not before meeting Guy Gardner, issuing a coded threat to the Guardians that he knows about their creation of the Manhunters. John then says he will be the Green Lantern of Earth while Guy can patrol space in Sector 2814.
Then, the 'Halogram' appears to impart some words of wisdom to John. Hal asks what his final words were. When John replies, 'I love you', Hal replies, 'I love you too, Junior,' and disappears. John then flies into the night sky, with the Lantern Signal shining.
Who killed Hal Jordan?
It was a question we had been waiting weeks to be answered. In the end, it turns out Sheriff Kane killed Hal, shooting him through the head after he told her his plans to run away from Rushville because Hal knew about Noah's identity.
There was also a twist earlier in the episode, with Noah saying he killed Hal. That, of course, turned out not to be true, and could be explained away as Noah wanting to protect his mother. Sinestro, the Guardians, John, and other suspects in Hal's murder were all incorrect. Sorry if that blew up your well-crafted theories.
Is John Stewart a Green Lantern?
In John's words, he is currently an 'independent contractor', but that makes him no less of a Green Lantern in our eyes.
In fact, his veiled warning to Guy Gardner to stay out of his way while John protects Earth neatly sets him up as the DCU's main Green Lantern moving forward. His decision to fly solo instead of joining the Green Lantern Corps also mirrors the arc of Alan Scott in DC's comics, who went on a similar – and more individual – path.
What is John's Lantern?
John Stewart's new Lantern isn't your bog-standard Lantern from Oa. Instead, it's a customized Lantern forged by Sinestro, using yellow-hued cracks of fear as its energy source.
Speaking at a press conference (via Polygon), Lanterns writer Tom King explained it as such: "He has a Lantern that has a bit of yellow in it. He has a bit of fear in it. It's an unsanctioned Lantern. So he's not saying the same oath as every other Green Lantern because he's not like every other Green Lantern. This is an utterly unique creation that has not been given to him, that he is not chosen for, but that he chose for himself."
Can Sinestro bring Hal back from the dead?
"If we have your ring, I could bring you back to life," Sinestro tells the Halogram on the alien planet. Mind games? Or something more?
The answer might lie in the comics, with Hal's ring eventually getting 'infected' by yellow fear, causing him to be reborn as the cosmic entity Parallax. There have also been other ways Hal has returned from the dead, including as the Spectre, an otherworldly being who craves vengeance over all else.
So, there appears to be some way to bring Hal back to life. Whether Sinestro wants to, or to achieve his own goals, remains to be seen. With the ex-Lantern, there always appears to be a caveat.
Why did John leave Noah alive?
Perhaps one of the puzzling loose ends in the Lanterns season 1 finale is that Noah is still alive and kicking (and playing college ball) despite John knowing about his Manhunter origins.
What gives? Well, we know John is someone who preaches mercy. For Zoe, that meant killing her. For Noah, that means allowing him to go and make his own choices, hopefully safe in the knowledge that his 'nurture' will win out over his nature. John also likely sees a bit of himself in Noah, especially given how both were destined for tremendous power when they were young. John made the best of it, so why can't Noah? Let's hope it's not a fatally bad decision that could come back to haunt him.
How does the Lanterns season 1 ending set up Man of Tomorrow?
Where there is no direct setup for Man of Tomorrow (and according to the writers, that's very much deliberate), we can still parse that John Stewart and Guy Gardner will be at loggerheads over who the true Earth Green Lantern is in the Superman sequel.
In better news for Superman, he has now likely gained a powerful ally in John. His origin story is out of the way, and he can arrive in Man of Tomorrow fully-formed, with his architect brain likely forging some outlandish constructs to help in the fight against Brainiac.
What is the new Lantern Oath?
John carefully crafted his own oath, which is slightly different to what is usually uttered by Green Lanterns.
It reads: "In brightest day, in darkest night, I embrace my fear, I’ll do what’s right. I choose this ring, I choose this fight – in service to this lantern’s light."
What could that mean? In service to this lantern's light is telling: with the power of fear held within, there's every chance John (and his ring) could slowly be corrupted by its Sinestro-tainted powers. If that happens, John could not only become one of the most powerful forces in the universe, but a real danger to heroes on Earth by the time of a potential Lanterns season 2.
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