'Lanterns' Officially Picks Up Speed as Hal and John Hunt the Manhunter | Review

Published Sep 6, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT

Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, and conducts interviews. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His novella, The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain, was released in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.

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Editor's note: The below recap contains spoilers for Lanterns Episode 4.

After last week's detour into John Stewart's (Aaron Pierre) psyche, Lanterns returns to 2016 as Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) dons the Green Lantern uniform to confront none other than Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen). The Manhunter threat is real, and as Antaan's (Paul Ben-Victor) forces start closing in, this episode narrows its focus on uncovering the truth behind what's happening in Rushville. In a town full of secrets and lies, only Hal and John stand between the Nebraskan heartland and total annihilation — the question is, will they finally learn to trust one another? Episode 4 suggests that trust may be harder to come by than power rings.

'Lanterns' Episode 4 Returns to Hal and Sinestro

Continuing from where Episode 2 left off, "The Weenie" picks up with that momentous reunion between Hal and Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) — if by momentous we really mean short-lived. Hal wonders how Sinestro heard about John in the first place, but the villain dodges the question entirely. “You don't really think he's your backup, do you, Hal?” he asks. Of course, Hal knows better and finally admits the truth that John is meant to be his replacement. Sinestro attempts to convince him to kill John, but Hal isn't some evil psychopath. So, Sinestro instead tells Hal what he needs to know about Manhunters, but not before suggesting the Green Lantern of Earth learn to control John Stewart so as not to make the same mistake that he (Hal) did with him (Sinestro) previously.

Back in Rushville, John ducks a call from his father and goes in search of a scope. The man behind the counter resists at first due to John's connection to Green Lantern (they can't stand that guy), but he eventually purchases what he's looking for and holds up in the nearby water tower, peering into the Macon ranch. Hal promptly shows up, and John informs him that Macon has a hidden building on the compound. He calls this particular structure a “weenie” in reference to an architectural term coined by Walt Disney meant to subconsciously attract the attention of Disneyland guests. Yes, this is why the episode is titled "The Weenie." Moving on, John notes that a mysterious payload has been dropped off inside, but before they can investigate, Hal has a promise to keep.

The Lanterns meet up with Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) and give her the lowdown on the Manhunter: Antaan's crew plans to kill the Manhunter or annihilate Rushville in the process. “What does this thing want?” Kerry asks, but, of course, they don't really know. Although the sheriff suggests using the alien detectors to uncover the truth behind the Manhunter's identity, that wouldn't quite work because the Manhunter isn't, well, alien. It's technically a machine, albeit a sentient one, so it's pretty difficult to tell for sure — although, as Hal reveals later in the episode, Manhunters' hearts crystallize when removed. Not that that helps this trio all too much. Kerry wonders why she isn’t a suspect in Hal's eyes, but the Green Lantern informs her that 1) it would have to be someone who has been here since Abin Sur crashed all those years ago and 2) her previously explained Gotham backstory checks out. The best that they can do now is hit the ranch to see who William Macon's (Garret Dillahunt) mystery "benefactor" is — and what he's hiding in the compound.

Back at the motel, John continues to dodge his father's call. However, the Guardian Lianna (Laura Linney) shows up and demands to know why he hasn't checked in. She informs John about Hal's apparently oath-breaking visit to Sinestro (can Green Lanterns not interrogate prisoners?), noting that his actions have moved up the Guardians' timetable for his replacement. So, now John has new orders: next time Hal gives him the ring, he should recite the oath and become the official Green Lantern for Sector 2814. John pushes back, wondering why the Guardians won't install him themselves, but Lianna plays his emotional fiddle the same way his parents did, wondering aloud if his weakness is to be trusted. John insists that Hal doesn't deserve the ring, that he has worked hard to earn it — all Hal is doing is keeping it warm.

'Lanterns' Episode 4 Puts Hal and John in the Manhunter's Crosshairs

Image via HBO

That evening, John knocks on Hal's motel door and suggests tunneling into Macon's compound from underground. He even comes up with designs for the type of device he's imagined for the job. So, when they arrive at the edge of the ranch, Hal gives John the ring and has him create the excavating machine he drew. John does just that, and though he thinks about reciting the oath then and there, he instead follows Hal’s orders. Here we get some real camaraderie between these two. John shares a bit about his backstory (and his interest in art), while Hal reveals that his mother died of cancer. The conversation drifts into the story of his father's death and Hal's belief that his father's supposed "fearlessness" was all an act. Before he can elaborate, they arrive at the weenie and crawl to the structure. Inside, they discover an arsenal of high-tech alien weapons and equipment. Hal believes that Macon's benefactor must be the Manhunter, but before John can give the ring back, Hal steps on a pressure mine, setting off an alarm which brings in a whole unit. The militia uses a weapon that creates darkness, preventing John from effectively using the ring in time.

The Lanterns are taken to Macon, who strips down in front of them as John draws him on the spot — all while making Zoe (Poorna Jagannathan) stay to watch. Hal points out that the whole thing is super weird, and, frankly, that's an understatement. Hal breaks the awkwardness by noting that the darkness guns seem "tailor-made for disabling Green Lanterns," which Macon doesn't deny. In fact, he goes even further by revealing to the GL that his benefactor (who he now calls his "boss") actually cured his cancer. “You talk about him like he’s a god,” Hal remarks, but Macon notes that everything changed when he showed up. Rushville's crops now thrive, and the world is much better off — nobody gets sick here, hence the empty hospital that Hal clocked a few episodes ago — so long as they protect the Manhunter. Hal, however, refuses to leave. Thankfully for the alien detectives, Kerry arrives and removes them from the situation in just the nick of time. Frustrated, Kerry tells them that if Zoe hadn't called her, they would've been in trouble. She tells the pair that she's close to finding out who the benefactor is, but they need to stay in their motel and not get in the way. Kerry gives Hal back his ring and hands John a weapon, knowing that Macon will likely retaliate.

In his motel room, John laments to his mother over the phone that the Guardians aren't going to give him the ring; they're making him take it from Hal by force. But before long, Zoe arrives at John's doorstep. He wonders what she's doing there, holding her at gunpoint, but doesn’t get an answer. Instead, they sleep together again before Zoe tells him it has to be the last time. “Your choices are pretty much leave town or get killed,” she tells him. John can’t leave, though. He knows that everyone in town (Zoe included) has been lying to him, admitting that he knows because that's exactly what he is doing. Zoe tells him that if she tells him what she knows, everything will change. It turns out that she is the one who saved Macon’s life, and now she’s trying to save John's, too. That said, when Zoe leaves his room and drives off, she is immediately blown into oblivion by an energy weapon from space. Hal flies into the atmosphere to discover where it came from and returns promptly with a weaponized satellite.

Generating a giant green shield over the motel, Hal and John meet with a distraught Kerry, who tracks down Macon's NDA to three possible companies. John recovers a serial number, and they discover that Atlas Inc. is the brand behind this device. Atlas is owned by a man named Hector Hammond, a name that both longtime DC Comics fans and casual viewers who watched Green Lantern back in 2011 will recognize. However, John thinks this is all too easy. He rightly wonders why they're still alive, why Zoe was killed and not them. Killing Zoe wasn't just a threat; it was an invitation. Hal and John drive to Hammond's place, and Hal asks John how he's doing in the wake of his "girlfriend's" death. “I'm handling it,” the former Marine replies. Hal tells him that people dying is part of the job, and that avoiding real relationships is the best thing for him from here on out. “You ever talk with the other Lanterns?” John asks, but Hal notes that the rest of the Corps basically want nothing to do with him. Oh, and John tries to get Hal to give him the ring as a "decoy," but the GL denies the request.

'Lanterns' Episode 4 Concludes With Another Car Crash

Image via HBO

Upon arriving at Atlas' high-tech slaughterhouse, the place is like a ghost town haunted by zombie-like employees who pay them no mind. It’s an eerie scene that feels lifted from some brand of sci-fi horror movie, especially once the pair wind up in an all-white room playing soft jazz. A portal opens in front of them (not unlike the one that the Guardians used to send John to the abandoned mall in the last episode), and they watch as a cow is obliterated by lasers. “That's why I'm vegan,” John jokes, a reminder that Lanterns seems to have finally hit its stride in the Hal/John dynamic department. Unfortunately, things get rocky again for these two almost immediately after it gets good. The two stumble upon Atlas frontman Hector Hammond, who claims to be the Manhunter and threatens to use his satellites to kill John's parents in their home if he doesn't cave to his demands. He then shares John's phone conversation with his mother about Hal, which doesn't put the trainee in a good light.

But Hal uses the whole situation to his advantage. Threatening Hector with the removal of his heart, he puts the Stewarts' lives on the line (to John's complete dismay) and forces Hector to come clean. Aaron Pierre kills it in this scene, with John fearing for his parents more than he ever has before. Fortunately, Hal gets Hector to turn off the orbital laser, and he reveals that his name isn't "Hector Hammond" at all (a silly ruse that will, no doubt, frustrate some) but Hector Gutiérrez. He also tells the pair that Macon is the Manhunter, and always has been. Despite the news, the ride home is rockier than things have been since the "Pilot." John tries to convince Hal that he always planned to give the ring back, and that he just wanted to show him what he was capable of. However, Hal knows that the complaints John voiced to his mother weren't all untrue. He warns John not to trust everything the Guardians say, noting that Sinestro told him that the Manhunters are attracted to power and like to spread fear.

John feigns agreement that the Manhunter must be Macon, despite what Zoe told him earlier. Hal pulls over and tells John to call Antaan to meet them (or at least him) at the café just outside of town. However, Hal has once more outsmarted his trainee, as he has put two and two together about the Manhunter himself. Wondering how long John has known the truth about Zoe, Hal realizes he can't fully trust the ex-Marine and jumps out of the car, letting it crash into a telephone pole with John inside. John should never have let Hal get behind that wheel...

New episodes of Lanterns air Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.

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  Hal Jordan

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  Aaron Pierre

  John Stewart

Pros & Cons

• We can finally see a real partnership forming between Hal and John.
• John's struggle over deciding whether to take the ring is possibly the first time he has shown any real personal agency, which is really great to see.

• Hasn't the show already done the "I can't trust you" thing between Hal and John?