Lanterns Season 1 Finale Review: Fear Is Power

Originally published October 6, 2026. This article reviews the season 1 finale of DC’s Lanterns TV series.

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It’s hard to believe that DC’s Lanterns season 1 is over. The season finale, “Dirt and Stars,” is a solid conclusion to an epic inaugural season, bolstered by wonderful character work, enthralling performances, exciting plot twists, and an intriguing setup for a potential second season. I sure hope we get a season 2 – I need more of John Stewart and Hal Jordan (and my favorite carnivorous alien plant, Earl) on my screen.

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“In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night…”

This has been a John Stewart origin story from the get-go. Lanterns shows us how John starts as Hal’s trainee (much to Hal’s annoyance) before coming into his own. There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching John become a Green Lantern on his terms. For decades, John has been carrying out the will of others, as it were, catering to their wishes and adopting them as his.

In the penultimate episode, the poisonous waters on Antaan’s planet make John hallucinate. He sees his younger self with the apple on his head, exclaiming that John never wanted to be a Green Lantern. It really speaks to what happens when we let everyone else steer us on our path. From birth, John was led to believe his destiny was to protect Earth from extraterrestrial forces. He followed his parents’ orders to a tee as he trained to be a Lantern. Then, he joined the military, where he had to follow more orders.

Lanterns teaches John to color outside the lines. The way his story unfolds within the larger narrative is so organic. It makes sense that the John of episode 1 versus the John of episode 8 are completely different people, and not because there are 10 years between them. In the season finale, John creates his own Green Lantern oath with his ring and the lantern that Sinestro originally made for Noah. He tells Guy Gardner, everyone’s favorite gym teacher with a gold tooth and ridiculous bowl cut, that his domain is Earth, leaving the “stars” in that sector to Guy.

There’s a fearlessness to John here. For much of the season, we see John trying to suppress his fear, but it’s very clear that he’s afraid. The Guardians believe fear is a weakness, but, as Sinestro puts it, if harnessed correctly, fear is actually pure, unadulterated strength. John channels his fears productively, proving he’s more powerful than your run-of-the-mill Green Lantern. He’s a force to be reckoned with. His newfound sense of agency will certainly rub the Guardians the wrong way.

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Soulful Performances

The whole cast brings their A-game in the Lanterns season 1 finale. Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler’s chemistry is the beating heart of this series. It’s fun watching a new dynamic unfold between John and the Halogram. While there’s still this serrated-edge, acid-tongued vibe, there’s also an undercurrent of love that was missing from the earlier episodes. Strip away the barbs, and you see that John and Hal really love each other, and Chandler and Pierre convey that well. That last moment before Halogram vanishes, when he says, “I love you too, Junior,” really tugs at the heartstrings.

Pierre deftly portrays John’s deep-seated intergenerational trauma and his carefully curated, steely composure. Episode 8 chips away at that composure, and Pierre delivers beautiful work here as John embarks on a new chapter of his own making. Chandler is charming as always, portraying two versions of Hal. Halogram, in his wisdom, reminds John that Hal’s supposed “fearlessness” and bravado were masking unimaginable pain, and, like Pierre, Chandler knows how to tap into the intricacies of Hal’s brokenness.

Kelly Macdonald steals the show in episode 8, though, with her gripping performance. You see Kerry fall apart at the seams in the finale as John uncovers the mystery behind Hal’s murder. Halogram suspects that Kerry shot Hal in episode 7, but I didn’t think the writers would actually go there. It’s a fantastic plot twist. Of course, Macdonald navigates two bombshell reveals – Kerry being the murderer and her giving birth to Manhunter Noah – like the pro she is. Her acting has so much soul and depth. I could watch her all day.

Shea Pritchard, who plays Noah, also delivers great work. I’ve never seen Pritchard before, so he was a pleasant surprise. You can tell that Noah was influenced by his Earth upbringing, having been born on the planet and guided by Kerry’s steady hand. Pritchard showcases Noah’s internal struggle with grace and tenderness.

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“You Don’t Think I Can Overcome My Programming?”

This quote stood out to me while watching the Lanterns finale. John mentions “programming” several times, while Noah asks John the above question. There’s a lot of sincerity behind said question. It’s one of the thematic cruxes of this season: How do we overcome intergenerational trauma or our environment? The series also cleverly explores toxic masculinity, men’s mental health, and the nuances of father/son relationships.

John and Noah’s stories run parallel to each other in episode 8, in particular. John doesn’t want to live a life preordained by his parents and the Guardians. Noah doesn’t want to succumb to his alien “programming” and conquer Earth and fights those intrinsic Manhunter urges to do just that. As John gains autonomy at the end of the episode, Noah chooses to cast aside his ancestry in favor of living a life of his choosing.

The deeply human story at Lanterns’ center subverts comic book show tropes and expectations for a series of this nature. It’s more of a character study than a Green Lantern series, and that’s not a bad thing.

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A More Grounded Approach to Super Hero Fare

Lanterns has always felt like True Detective set in the DCU, and it maintains that grounded, gritty approach throughout the series. There aren’t a lot of “beat ’em up” moments or big, showy comic-book fight sequences (save that incredible fifth episode, of course). The season finale is more character-driven and propelled by narrative plot twists than action-oriented.

Because this is about John’s origins, Lanterns season 1 feels like the prelude to a larger story, one that’ll inevitably take him off-world as a Lantern. We don’t need a ton of action to establish John as a formidable figure. Fight scenes are used sparingly but to great effect in this show, and we see enough of John throwing punches to know he’s not to be trifled with.

Again, Lanterns turns everything you’re used to when watching super hero fare on its head. It’s a great way to keep things fresh. You don’t always need wall-to-wall combat sequences and explosions and blasts of magic to tell a good story.

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What’s on the Horizon for John and Hal?

Well, Guy will undoubtedly inform the Guardians about John’s decision to be an “independent contractor.” That’ll probably not go over well. While we’re meant to believe that the Halogram is gone for good, there’s no way the Powers That Be don’t bring Kyle Chandler back for season 2. The rapport between him and Aaron Pierre is too electrifying to cast aside. I would capitalize on that, but I’m not a writer for a hit DCU series.

John and the Halogram left Sinestro alive on Antaan’s homeworld, so he’ll most likely return in season 2. Sinestro offering to make the Halogram a body feels too weighted to ignore, so I can see that coming into play. John and Hal are in a much better place by the season’s end, so perhaps John will take Sinestro up on his offer to give the Halogram a human vessel. Hal needs to reunite with Earl, after all.

I can picture season 2 being about John establishing himself as a proper Lantern while keeping the Guardians at bay. The writers could expand on the show’s scope, taking us beyond Earth to the other planets and aliens in this universe. I’d love to see more of Oa.
Regardless, I trust the creative team to deliver a stellar sophomore season. I can’t wait to see what’s on the horizon.

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What did you think about the Lanterns season finale?

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