HBO's Lanterns is shaking up the DCU with a bold new episode that flips the script on everything we thought we knew about John Stewart. In "OutKast," the show steps away from the Rushville, Nebraska mystery to focus on the Green Lantern's origin story, revealing a family legacy that adds layers of resentment to his relationship with Hal Jordan.
During a tense interview with a Guardian of the Universe (Laura Linney), we learn that John's father, John Sr. (J. Alphonse Nicholson), was once considered for the Green Lantern ring but failed the test. This revelation hits hard, especially since it's not the first time a Stewart has been passed over in favor of Hal. It's a personal history that explains why John might harbor more than just professional rivalry with the man he's meant to learn from and eventually replace.
In a recent chat with Collider, writer and co-executive producer Vanessa Baden Kelly opened up about crafting this pivotal episode. She shared how the writers' room, which included comic book veteran Tom King and showrunner Damon Lindelof, worked to honor the character's comic book roots while giving him a fresh, grounded take. "We knew he was always going to be a serviceman," Kelly said, "and we wanted to keep him as an architect, showing he's a 360-degree human being—a precise Marine sniper and an incredibly precise artist."
The episode's non-linear structure, which weaves through John's childhood, his time as a sniper, and his art school days, was a deliberate choice to bring his backstory to life. "We had to show the backstory we crafted for John," Kelly explained. "It wasn't going to be done any justice if we just talked about it." The team brainstormed in what they call "The Garage," where they came up with the idea of using the sniper story as the inciting incident that sets John on his path.
Kelly also drew comparisons between the Stewart family dynamics and the film King Richard, highlighting the pressure and expectations placed on John from a young age. The episode's recurring bird imagery, she noted, symbolizes John's desire for freedom and his struggle to break free from the shadows of his father and Hal.
As the series heads back to Rushville, the final exchange between John and Hal sets up a tense dynamic that will likely simmer as the mystery deepens. Fans of the show are already buzzing about the implications, and with record-breaking viewership, it's clear this new take on the Green Lantern mythos is resonating.
For those eager to dive deeper into the lore, the episode also touches on the Manhunters, a deep-cut DC threat that was introduced in the previous episode. And if you're wondering how this compares to the 2011 film, some fans argue that movie still has an edge in one key way. But for now, Lanterns is proving that it's not afraid to take risks and redefine what a superhero origin story can be.
