In Brief:
- HBO's "Lanterns" Season 1 finale reveals Sheriff Kerry Kane killed Hal Jordan, while John Stewart becomes Earth's Green Lantern.
- Noah Macon, a Manhunter and Kerry's son, freed Sinestro, who forged a yellow-streaked lantern on Antaan's planet.
- HBO has not announced Season 2, but Aaron Pierre returns in "Man of Tomorrow" on July 9, 2027.
Spoiler warning: This article discusses major plot points from the Season 1 finale of "Lanterns."
Kerry Kane: The "Lanterns" Season 1 finale on HBO answers the biggest mysteries of the season.
It reveals who killed Hal Jordan. It explains how Sinestro got out of prison.
It also shows John Stewart claiming his place as Earth's Green Lantern.
Kerry Kane Killed Hal Jordan
Sheriff Kerry Kane, played by Kelly Macdonald, shot Hal. Her son Noah is not the culprit.
Hal had confronted her about Noah's true nature. He urged her to get away from the boy before Noah could carry out his plan. Kerry fired on him instead.
The reveal follows a stretch of the finale that highlights Hal and Kerry's close bond. Macdonald's performance drew particular attention in the scene.
Kerry later tells John why she disclosed the truth. She believed he deserved to know.
She also wanted him to meet Noah and judge for himself. Kerry wanted to know whether she had raised a monster.
How Sinestro Got Out of Prison
Earlier in the season, John and Hal's Halogram traveled to the last alien world destroyed by Manhunter Zoe Macon.
They found Sinestro there, played by Ulrich Thomsen. He had last been seen in a high-security space prison.
The finale explains his presence. Noah Macon, played by Shea Pritchard, freed him.
Noah is a high school football star and Kerry's son. He is also a Manhunter.
Sinestro was working in a forge on Antaan's dead planet. He had built a new lantern.
It has yellow streaks that come from fear residue left in the planet's air and water.
Sinestro says the lantern will work like any other. Longtime fans will notice the color, though.
Yellow is linked to fear, the Sinestro Corps and the cosmic parasite Parallax. The detail may point to future villains.
How Noah Became a Manhunter
Noah is the show's second secret Manhunter reveal. Zoe was believed to be the last.
An earlier conversation between Antaan and William Macon also suggested Manhunters could not reproduce.
Kerry explains what happened. Zoe was supposed to regrow the finger Kerry had cut off to escape her pursuers from Gotham.
Instead, Kerry became pregnant, though she had not been with anyone for months.
Zoe had apparently used Manhunter technology and a sample of Kerry's body to create a new Manhunter.
Kerry raised Noah and tried to steer him away from his programming. He still learned what he was.
He also learned how to reach Antaan's planet from Zoe, who visited now and then.
Noah feared the Guardians. He turned to Sinestro, the only person known to have killed one.
Noah freed him and had him forge the lantern as a safety measure.
Hal discovered Noah's secret when Noah rescued him from a burning house. Hal agreed to keep it from Kerry.
He later went through Noah's portal anyway. John believed that decision led to Hal's death.
Noah's path remains uncertain. His interest in politics, including the president, hints at a darker direction.
His kindness toward teammates points the other way. He even delayed his college decision so more scouts could watch them play.
John Spares Noah
John sees his own past in Noah. His parents controlled his childhood and planned each step of his life.
He spent years wondering what was truly him and what was just training.
Noah faces a similar question. John takes Noah's struggle as a sign he is on the right path.
When Noah asks John to kill him as an act of mercy, John refuses.
John also sees echoes of his mother, Bernadette, played by Jasmine Cephas Jones, in Kerry.
He retaliates against neither. He believes Hal would have wanted that.
Noah later commits to play football at Nebraska.
John Takes Over as Earth's Green Lantern
John then summons Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion, to Rushville. He tells Guy that Earth is now his territory.
Guy keeps the rest of Sector 2814. Guy is angry. John also mocks him, gold tooth included.
Once Guy leaves, John is alone with his ring, the new lantern and Hal's Halogram.
Charging the ring from the lantern will end the Halogram. Hal and John say a tearful goodbye. Hal tells him, "I love you too, Junior."
Hal's final advice is "Don't be afraid to be afraid." It echoes John's arc.
He was trained not to feel fear and ultimately learned to accept it. The yellow-streaked lantern reflects that growth.
John then recites the Green Lantern oath in his own words.
His version replaces the traditional language with a pledge to embrace fear and do what is right.
He flies for the first time. The finale closes with John reuniting with his family and hugging his mother.
Will There Be a Season 2?
HBO has not announced a second season of "Lanterns." John Stewart will appear again regardless.
Aaron Pierre is set to reprise the role in "Man of Tomorrow," the Superman sequel arriving July 9, 2027.
A second season would have plenty to build on. Sinestro remains chained on a desolate planet, but he has already escaped one prison.
The yellow lantern also opens the door to the Sinestro Corps or Parallax.
"Lanterns" is now streaming on HBO Max.
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