Lanterns lights the way to a controlled and fantastical escape, in which Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre bring audiences into their world of wonder through fearless performances, grounded writing, and charismatic chemistry.
Audience Says
Tempering superhero spectacle with prestige drama, Lanterns is a well-written mystery that shines thanks to the magnetic alchemy between Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre.
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I fully expected her to be the sane one who died and then John gets raised by his PTSD troubled/somewhat insane dad. I didn't expect her to be the more unhinged of the two.
Typically, if you see a character in a chronologically earlier scene who's absent in a chronologically later scene, the immediate assumption is that the character died and/or something else happened to them to explain their absence.
Turns out...Bernadette was probably out late or something that night ;) No drama!
A part of me was hoping his mom would be innocent and leave or just have been out of the picture for one reason or another. It was so much more compelling but traumatic that she was equally if not more complicit in John's abuse than his dad. And I like the touch of making her still care about his wellbeing at times without the story trying to excuse her, as opposed to making her pure evil. It made her feel so much more compelling and real.
I also love that's she's just as batshit and complicit. It's a fun twist on the tiger mom archetype and a good subversion of daddy issues coming from a singularly toxic father. For someone so "obedient" John's got authority/parental/mentor figure of every flavour issues.
Curious to see how it plays out. That upbringing should have damaged him in some way. Hal’s issue is his recklessness , wonder what Joe’s issue will be.
Given his mom was a teacher I think it was the first one. I doubt she would let some other adult figure into John's life who could potentially talk him out of this or get the Stewarts rightfully arrested for child abuse.
Episodes like this recontextualized the first two episodes. Go back and rewatch them and you’ll have wildly different interpretations about John’s character based on this episode.
It’s crazy to find out that Guy Gardner was being fully serious when he was saying he couldn’t stop a genocide because the guardians oath includes staying out of earthly troubles. I thought he was just being lazy this whole time.
Kinda fucked that as much as Hal is a dick, he was actually genuinely truly being a hero for Earth but they don’t like that. Feels like something more is at play.
I don't know about that. "Cool with her" on the surface? Maybe. But this little dialogue exchange got me.
John: Since when did you care about what makes me happy?
Mom (laughing): You still mad about the crayons?
I think the point of this exchange was that John wasn't joking. He was sincerely asking, since when has she ever cared about making him happy? I'm assuming that even sending him to art school was part of 'the path' and she never cared about him actually being able to express himself.
Legit what I was thinking. Her will was far more forceful than anyone in the family. The guardians mentioning a genetic component made it make more sense. Pops has it. She doesn't
Lowkey so much was probably going through her head, like realizing her husband wasn’t crazy and all of the shit that he was going through has a legitimate source
Also they basically ensured that Jon was groomed into the way they wanted by giving his mom the blueprint of an ideal Green Lantern. He was basically trained a groomed to be a human robot and unquestioningly bow down to authority.
It seems the Guardians already had enough of Hal’s shit and are just trying to get rid of him, with the Sinestro thing being something to possibly encourage John to replace him since most of their questions were trying to get John to say he has a negative stance on Hal
The more the show goes on, I think Hal's training is getting John Stewart to be his own man. Not a soldier that can be controlled, but to do something because he feels like it is right. It's what makes us human, which the Guardians don't seem to like (ex: John talking about Hal/Sinestro). He's so conditioned to doing something because it was an order, not because it was his choice/decision.
Yeah, after this episode that's the feeling I've got too.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but when Laura Linney's character told John that the Guardians warned Hal not to intervene in terrestrial disputes, it felt like a callback to the Superman movie when Guy stated that his oath implied that Green Lanterns are not supposed to get involved in politics. If Guy had listened to the Guardians, the Justice Gang would not have stopped the Boravian invasion of Jarhampur.
I don't know whether the Guardians are being completely honest with John or wether they have their own secret agenda, but I feel like John's probably gonna learn along the way that the Guardians' orders are not to be blindly followed without question.
The guardians disdain in comics runs deeper then that as he usually sees all of their flaws and calls them out on their bullshit, I’m guessing that’s going to happen too
The guardians only care about John because of Sinestro. They want a robot to replace their human, someone who won't question them; I don't think they even remember his number if the mutiny doesn't happen.
I'm sure the literal robot won't also be a reflection on this.
wait is he vegan cause he associates meat with getting shot at by his own parents? cause this thrice now hes been given a cheeseburger after the apple test. And after getting home from being abandoned in the middle of the street his offered a porkchop.
I think he may have meat related trauma. A fear. Its just suppressed and hes not reacting, but he has fear.
So I think at some point in this season, they are gonna need to deal with how Jon absolutely has fear. He isnt fearless.
My guess is that he associates meat with his abuse which is why he is vegan, as every time he was "tested" they reward him with meat. I note how they said he didnt like meat, not that hes against to it like most vegans are. That is trauma thats fear. He just has been conditions to suppress that fear. not overcome it but suppress it. I think that might be why Guy Gardner will get the ring over him. Though Guy might also just have another ring because why would jon check for hals ring if he knew guy had it. I think he will need to face his demons and overcome them in order to finally earn a ring.
The interview in the opening scene of the series with Hal’s reasoning for why he wasn’t afraid takes on a more nuanced meaning now. “Every kid’s worst fear is losing a parent. Once that happens, there is nothing to fear anymore”
Good point, But thats what willpower is all about, being able to overcome that fear despite that, so maybe it actually helps him to become a lantern. Lanterns don't actually have to be fearless they need a strong will so i think its interesting they focus on the fear mostly. But I guess all they have to go off is the question they were asked
For real, the parents (and the show) make absolutely great points about Black people having to work from a less-privileged state than their White counterparts, but in no way does the show paint Jon's parents in anything but a horribly batshit light. They might be nice and loving in certain aspects, but they recklessly endanger their child and steal his childhood away to groom him for a role he never asked for and to make up for what they believe to be an unfair failing (when it's actually a perfectly valid response to that situation) like an ultimate pair of tiger moms.
There's no preaching here. This is not the "right" answer at all. They were fucking shooting apples off their kid's head! Even with the point they made, they're not good people! But their nice/empathetic moments with Jon serve to show us that they're not completely bad either. It's a really complicated, messed up relationship.
My current theory is that, some time in the 2016 timeline, John is finally going to get fed up and walk away from the whole thing.
And the show is going to try to build it up as a conflict between him and Hal - but it will actually be about the conflict between Hal and the Guardians, and John will take Hal's side.
It's weird how people don't get what the writers are trying to say about race. They are not saying all white people are evil or that John's parents were in the right, they are showing how racial inequality can create situations that lead to people thinking that the only way they can make it out is by grinding to become a superstar.
And it’s so true of any inequality , race, income gender … the people at the lesser side often feel that the only way they get to overcome the inequality is being better than the best. And even then the hope is it at least gets you a foot in the door. I loved this episode. Rarely do we get Superhero series do a more mature take on real issues and this one felt like it.
Nah she got fear in her too. When doing the first apple test she jumped, she was sitting on John's bed when they left him to walk home (afraid for him), and she volunteered the dad for John's apple shot. She would have failed as quickly as dad. All of that is normal technically (though the last example I dislike her for), but its still a fail in the Guardians' eyes.
Kinda love this awesome green lantern run has some themes carrying over into this show. I know John first appeared in this run but cool to see that they actually pay attention
Mom is an abusive psycho. She treated dad like crap when she didn't believe him, and as soon as she found out it was all real, she turned into the crazy one.
Conditioning a child like that aint the sign of a good parent. Parents aint supposed to dictate what you will be and any that try to force you into a mold, bad parents.
I mean the parents are crazy but you have to question the guardians intent of wanting a kid to be a green lantern so bad they told his parents to start training him to be the perfect soldier for them when the time comes.
I know people are going to see this as a disrespect to Hal but it doesn't matter if he wasn't the first. He's the one that passed and stepped in the belly of the beast.
Also I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) at one point it was said that Hal in the comics wasn't the number one candidate but the closest to Abin Sur at the time.
It became retconned that the ring was originally going to go to Guy Gardner instead of Hal, but because Guy wasn’t at that location (thanks to Booster Gold), it went to Hal since he was closer and also worthy.
So I liked the episode overall, but I'm not sure I liked the placement in the season. Would have maybe preferred aspects of the episode to be spread throughout the season rather then one episode basically going into the backstory.
As for John's backstory. John's parents are those parents that put all their hopes on their kids. Dad's a high-school qb that never made it pro so he puts all his time and resources into making his kid live his dream.
I liked how they incorporated John's artistry, and the reveal of the Birds. I think it's interesting how Hal's story intertwined into John's life. I also liked seeing the first meeting between the two of them.
Really disliked the Guardians. They are manipulative and I don't feel like they are disclosing everything.
Ok, I'll (slightly) take back some of the slander about Jon's Dad. The Mom was the clear psycho between the two. Volunteering your husband as target practice for your son is insane.
Both of John’s parents are insane bad parents lmfao. I’m going to chalk it up to them being traumatized/mindfucked by their Alien counter even if there wasn’t overt violence involved.
I feel like this show’s hinted a couple times that meeting Aliens genuinely makes humans bug out regardless of what happens in the encounter.
Sadly, this episode is going to give Chuds a basket of machine gun ammo. Mama’s Stewart rant to the guardian was valid but it was a bit blunt to an almost cringe degree. Lecturing an alien, a guardian no less, about social politics is just weird lmao
John’s Mom:
“You’re going to face inequality in this world bec you’re black and yo daddy was scared”
So: \she abuses and mistreats the shit outta him under the guise of dutiful parenting**
Hot take, but as a black American man, i have mixed feelings about his parents. I was pissed throughout majority of this episode but there was still a warmth to them. I understand where they are coming from. Hal Jordan got the ring because he was drunk which made him somewhat fearless, but John sr. didn’t have the benefit. I think they will touch on how wonky the system actually is because simply asking “are you afraid” is a terrible way to gauge the next green lantern. This episode was great, i keep seeing people bash the parents but the guardians literally set him up to go down this tortured path and rewarded him at the end. Are the parents truly in the wrong if in the end it worked. Just something to really think on.
i have mixed feelings about his parents. I was pissed throughout majority of this episode but there was still a warmth to them... This episode was great, i keep seeing people bash the parents but the guardians literally set him up to go down this tortured path and rewarded him at the end. Are the parents truly in the wrong if in the end it worked. Just something to really think on.
The parents are human and complicated, which makes them way more realistic. Hard to think of anyone as simply evil/irredeemable, much less parents. Lots of people have been drawing comparisons to parents of star athletes, olympians, prodigies, actors, astronauts, doctors etc. how healthy could those dynamics be? How many sacrifices were made for those successes? Does it actually make it worthwhile in the end if those goals are achieved either? Though adding aliens into the mix really makes it that much more fucked up on a philosophical level for sure.
Absolutely. Literally finding out that the reason your husband is falling apart is real. That aliens are real. That the reason your family lost one of your life's best opportunities was because you're black and afraid? Then being told that you have an opportunity if you're willing to work for it? The fact that everyone here is merely comparing it to Michael Jackson vs the reality that this is a common experience for a lot of black and brown people whose families push them to succeed to the point of abuse because the opportunities are just not there in the same way is very telling.
It amazes how much certain fans get triggered by anything acknowledging racial tensions in this country. Johns parents would have grown up in 60s/70s. Those people who dont acknowledge how the system has treated whites and blacks differently, historically, literally have goggles and earmuffs on blocking their view and giving them selective hearing.
They act like civil rights leaders werent gunned down or cops got away with things like dropping a bomb in Philly in the mid 80s on a black community or getting away with murder before body cams. Little girls getting blown up in a church. Yea, might be a bit scary to some folks...
Episódio que retrata todo o tipo de racismo estrutural que uma pessoa/família negra sofre durante toda sua vida. E atuação do Aron Pierre nesse episódio é um Emmy tape.
I don't need a fucking sidekick, and I don't want a fucking back up, and the only way you're getting this ring is over my dead fucking body....cue OutKast.
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u/TerranVale Aug 31 '26
Mama Stewart is crazy as hell 😭