Lanterns Season 1 Review: A Grounded, Character-Driven Beginning for the DC Universe
Superhero shows have become so common that simply having a famous comic-book character is no longer enough to make a series interesting. What matters now is what the writers actually do with those characters. Lanterns understands that very well.
Instead of rushing into a huge cosmic adventure filled with aliens, planets and endless CGI battles, Season 1 takes a surprisingly grounded approach. At its heart, Lanterns is a mystery drama, a character study and, at times, a buddy-cop story set inside the larger world of the Green Lantern Corps.
The series follows veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, and newcomer John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, as their paths come together around a mysterious investigation in rural America. The result is a show that feels quite different from what I initially expected from a Green Lantern adaptation.
And honestly, that difference is one of its biggest strengths.
A Different Kind of Superhero Series
The first thing that stands out about Lanterns is its atmosphere.
This isn’t a series that constantly reminds you that you’re watching a superhero show. There are powers, rings, extraterrestrial elements and plenty of connections to the wider Green Lantern mythology, but the storytelling is often much more grounded.
The mystery at the center of the season gives the show a crime-drama quality. Small-town locations, personal relationships, investigations and uncomfortable conversations sometimes feel more important than superhero spectacle. That approach gives the series room to breathe.
Instead of introducing ten different cosmic threats in the first few episodes, the story spends considerable time developing its characters. That makes the eventual supernatural elements feel more impactful because viewers have already become invested in the people experiencing them.
For longtime DC fans, there is plenty of Green Lantern mythology to enjoy. For someone who isn’t deeply familiar with the comics, however, the show remains relatively accessible. That balance is difficult to achieve, and Lanterns handles it surprisingly well.
Hal Jordan: A Veteran Carrying More Than Experience
Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan is probably one of the biggest surprises of the series.
This isn’t simply the confident, fearless superhero who arrives whenever the world needs saving. Hal is experienced, sarcastic, stubborn and sometimes frustrating, but there is a sense that his confidence is partly a shield for things he doesn’t necessarily want to confront.
Chandler brings a certain roughness to the character that works extremely well.
His Hal Jordan has the attitude of someone who has been doing this job for a very long time. He knows the rules, but he also knows when to bend them. He can be reckless, dismissive and occasionally arrogant, yet there is still a strong sense of responsibility underneath all of it. That contradiction makes him interesting.
What I particularly liked about Hal is that the series doesn’t treat experience as the same thing as wisdom. He has spent years being a Green Lantern, but that doesn’t mean he always understands people or knows how to handle every situation. His relationship with John Stewart becomes an important part of that realization.
John Stewart: The Heart of the Season
If Hal represents experience, John Stewart represents potential.
Aaron Pierre gives John a quiet intensity that makes even his smallest reactions meaningful. He doesn’t need to deliver a dramatic speech every few minutes to show what he is feeling. A look, a pause or a change in his expression often tells us more.
John enters this world with his own expectations and personal history, and becoming a Green Lantern isn’t treated as a simple promotion or superhero fantasy.
There is pressure attached to it. There are expectations. And most importantly, there is the question of whether John is ready to carry the responsibility that comes with the ring.
His journey throughout Season 1 is therefore much more than learning how to use Green Lantern abilities. It is about understanding himself, questioning the people who are supposed to guide him and figuring out what kind of hero he actually wants to become. That makes John one of the most compelling characters in the series.
Hal Jordan and John Stewart: The Real Reason to Watch
For me, the best part of Lanterns is the relationship between Hal Jordan and John Stewart.
On paper, they shouldn’t work particularly well together. Hal is experienced, sarcastic and instinctive. John is disciplined, serious and analytical. Hal tends to trust his instincts. John wants answers. Hal has already spent years inside the Green Lantern world. John is still trying to understand where he fits into it. Their differences naturally create friction, but that’s exactly what makes their scenes so enjoyable.
The relationship doesn’t immediately become a warm mentor-and-student friendship. There is tension between them, and the series allows that tension to develop naturally. Sometimes they’re funny together. Sometimes they’re frustrating. Sometimes they clearly understand each other without actually saying what they’re thinking.
The best thing is that neither character completely changes to accommodate the other. Instead, they gradually begin to influence each other.
Hal starts to see some things differently because of John, while John learns that experience—despite all of Hal’s flaws—has value. Their arc feels less like “old hero trains new hero” and more like two very different people being forced to confront parts of themselves through one another.
Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre deserve enormous credit for making that dynamic work. Their chemistry is easily one of the strongest elements of Season 1.
Kerry Brings Another Layer to the Story
Kelly Macdonald’s Kerry is another important part of the series.
As a local sheriff, Kerry initially appears to belong to the grounded crime-drama side of Lanterns, but her character becomes increasingly important to the emotional and investigative side of the story.
Macdonald brings a natural realism to the role. She doesn’t play Kerry like a stereotypical television sheriff. There is history, frustration and personal responsibility behind her actions.
Her interactions with Hal and John also help connect the cosmic side of the story with the ordinary people living in the community. That connection is important because it prevents the series from becoming too detached from its human characters.
The Macon Family Adds More Mystery
The Macon family is another interesting part of the ensemble.
Garret Dillahunt’s William Macon brings a complicated presence to the story, while Jason Ritter’s Billy Macon adds another dimension to the family.
Their involvement gives the investigation a personal quality rather than making it feel like another random superhero case. The series does a good job of making viewers wonder how these seemingly ordinary people fit into the larger picture without constantly spelling everything out.
John Stewart's Family and His Personal History
One of the more effective aspects of John’s storyline is the attention given to his family.
Bernadette Stewart, played by Nicole Ari Parker, and John Stewart Sr., played by Sherman Augustus, help us understand where John comes from and why he carries certain expectations with him.
J. Alphonse Nicholson and Jasmine Cephas Jones also contribute to John’s personal story through the series’ exploration of his background.
These characters are important because they remind us that John Stewart existed as a person before he became a Green Lantern. That may sound obvious, but it’s something superhero stories sometimes forget. A hero becomes more interesting when we understand the person underneath the costume.
Guy Gardner Brings Some Much-Needed Chaos
Then there is Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion.
Whenever Guy appears, the tone immediately becomes a little more unpredictable.
Fillion clearly understands the personality of the character and brings a confident, slightly irritating energy that works surprisingly well. Guy’s interactions with John are particularly entertaining because their personalities don’t exactly complement each other.
He also provides some lighter moments in a series that can become quite serious. His presence doesn’t dominate the story, but it adds another layer to the Green Lantern world and gives fans a glimpse of how the wider Corps may eventually fit into this universe.
Sinestro and the Larger Green Lantern Mythology
Thaal Sinestro, played by Ulrich Thomsen, is another name that will immediately catch the attention of comic-book fans.
The series doesn’t treat the Green Lantern mythology as simple background material. There is a clear attempt to establish a larger world around these characters.
The Guardians of the Universe, the Green Lantern Corps and other elements of the mythology are introduced without completely overwhelming the central story.
That’s important because Lanterns is clearly trying to accomplish two things at once: tell a satisfying story on Earth while opening the door to a much larger DC universe.
For me, the restraint is appreciated. The show doesn’t need to show everything immediately. Sometimes leaving parts of the mythology unexplored creates more excitement for what could come next.
The Mystery Keeps the Season Moving
The central investigation is another major strength. Rather than using action every few minutes to maintain attention, Lanterns relies heavily on questions.
What happened?
Who can be trusted?
How are the different characters connected?
What is really happening beneath the surface?
The writing encourages viewers to pay attention to conversations and small details. That makes the show feel closer to a detective thriller than a traditional superhero series.
There are moments when the pacing slows down, and I can understand why some viewers might find that frustrating. But personally, I appreciated the willingness to let scenes develop rather than rushing from one major event to another.
The Visual Style Fits the Story
Visually, Lanterns has a distinctive identity.
The rural American setting gives the series a very different atmosphere from the colourful cosmic worlds normally associated with Green Lantern. The cinematography often feels moody and restrained, particularly during investigative scenes.
When the supernatural and science-fiction elements finally enter the picture, they stand out more because the world around them feels relatively realistic. That contrast works beautifully.
The series doesn’t need to make every scene visually spectacular. Instead, it saves its larger moments for situations where they actually matter.
Not Perfect, But Refreshingly Different
Lanterns does have its weaknesses.
The slower pacing won’t appeal to everyone, particularly viewers expecting a traditional superhero action series. Some supporting characters feel as though they could have received more development.
There are also moments when the series tries to balance too many ideas at once—crime drama, superhero mythology, family relationships, social themes and cosmic mystery. But even when it doesn’t completely stick the landing, I appreciated the ambition. At least Lanterns is trying to be something more than another superhero show.
Final Verdict: Gritty & Brilliant
After finishing Season 1, my biggest takeaway is that Lanterns works because it understands that Hal Jordan and John Stewart are more interesting as people than simply as superheroes.
Kyle Chandler brings a wonderfully flawed, experienced and occasionally irritating Hal Jordan to life, while Aaron Pierre gives John Stewart a quiet strength and emotional depth that makes him an excellent focal point for the series.
Around them, characters like Kerry, William Macon, Billy Macon, Guy Gardner, Sinestro, Bernadette Stewart, John Stewart Sr., and the wider Green Lantern mythology give the series enough depth to feel like the beginning of something much bigger.
What makes the first season particularly enjoyable is its patience. It doesn’t throw everything at the audience immediately. It allows Hal and John to develop, allows the mystery to unfold and gives the world around them time to feel real.
Rating:
Perhaps that’s the biggest compliment I can give Lanterns: even though it is based on one of DC’s most fantastical heroes, it often feels surprisingly human.
If you’re expecting nonstop superhero action, this may not be exactly what you’re looking for. But if you enjoy character-driven mysteries, strong performances, slow-burn storytelling and superhero mythology with a grounded edge, Lanterns is absolutely worth watching.
For me, Season 1 feels less like the final destination and more like the foundation of something much larger—and after spending time with Hal Jordan and John Stewart, I’m genuinely interested in seeing where this Lantern journey goes next.
To know where Lanterns Season 1 is streaming click here. And for more reviews, movie breakdowns and hot takes, keep checking The Watchlist Diaries.
Amit Mitra
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