8.0/10
93%
82%
72%
81%
We’re still in Rushville, Nebraska and in the wake of the exploding alien destroying half of the police station, tensions amongst the residents are understandably high.
Gate crashing a town meeting, Hal finds that Sheriff Kerry has had just about as much from him as she’s going to take. She knows that Hal has a reputation as a Superhero but she needs to be able to keep control of the town on her own terms, especially as her Father-in-Law Will Macon’s intentions start to become clearer.
Hal’s lawyer (and Kerry’s husband and part-time sleazebag) Billy Macon tells Hal the judge has dropped assault charges the against him and he’s free to leave town and luckily for Hal he doesn’t require payment! Hal knows that there’s no such thing as a free lunch and that Billy’s Dad Will has arranged it to get Hal out of the picture.
Meanwhile, Hal has been trying to teach his protégé John Stewart how to use the Green Lantern ring to enable him to fly. Instead of soaring into the sky, John instead conjures up a small bird which persists even when he takes the ring off — something that a beginner shouldn’t be able to do.
With the ring’s power depleting, Hal sends John to his home to pick up the Lantern so he can charge the ring. John knows this is just a side quest to keep him away from Hal’s investigation of the alien presence in Rushville but knows he has to accept.
On his way back to Nebraska, John’s attacked and kidnapped by a band of aliens hell bent on revenge after a “Manhunter” murdered thousands on their planet. They believe that the Manhunter is hiding in Rushville, placed there for safety by the Green Lanterns and Hal might be in on protecting him.
John knows that Hal isn’t being forthright with him: Hal’s been holding back his training and hasn’t told John what he thinks is really happening in Rushville.
The question now is does John place his trust in Hal in the hopes his mentor will start to open up to him, let him help in the investigation and, most importantly, actually train him in the ways of the Lanterns? Or will John choose to side with the mysterious group determined to finding the Manhunter at any cost?
What Did I Think?
🟢Warning: Slight Spoilers for the episode ahead — you have been warned!🟢
As I said in my review of Lanterns S01E01 — The Pilot, I have no real idea of the Green Lantern lore but again the episode didn’t require me to have any knowledge from the comics or the prior movie, you can pick up what’s going on and who is who.
I was extremely surprised how quickly this episode flew by! I was merrily watching away and the next thing I knew the credits were rolling which just goes to show that the editing, plot and direction all clipped along at a great pace.
The mystery around Will Macon, his militia, ranch and what he’s hiding is growing and he’s certainly looking like one of the bad guys of the series — or at the very least a good guy with very misguided intentions. While it looked like he might have wanted to recruit Hal in the first episode, he’s doing everything he can to keep Hal away from his ranch now so there must be something dodgy he’s hiding there.
As well as Will Macon acting very suspicious, his wife’s actions are telegraphing “I am up to something.”
I’m wondering if her hooking up with James in the first episode and now her blossoming friendship with him isn’t because she just wants an escape from her alien hunting weirdo husband but more of a way to keep John on side. This might be because she wants to know what he knows, steer the direction of his investigation or — and bear with me on this — what if she is the Manhunter and this is just a clever ruse.
Why do I think that? We we’ve not seen her anywhere near where those alien metal detectors are, and what better place to hide than right under your pursuers nose?
“Ah! Katy!” I hear you say, “She’s had a child!” Yes, but Antaan explicitly told John that the Manhunter can be killed as it’s taken human form, doesn’t that mean it could also have other biologically human traits like childbirth? Of course, Billy could always be adopted.
I really enjoyed this episode. While we’re no closer to unveiling who the Big Bad is, we’re getting subtle clues dropped here and there but the mystery has deepened with the introduction of a new evil character.
The action sequences were also fantastic — some of it appeared in the trailer so it’s not a massive spoiler — and the highway car crash scene was fantastically done, especially for a television programme. It looked like a lot of it was done with practical effects rather than CGI which is a rare novelty these days.
As well as looking good, the sequence served to highlight that John is a strong character in his own right without the need for the ring
The begrudging relationship between Hal and John is also being fleshed out nicely. You can see that Hal knows John is his replacement — Hal is getting older and fighting evil supervillains is a young mans game after all — but we’re still no closer to understanding why John was chosen or his Apple-Shooting Dad’s involvement in the process. I hope that’s something that is explained a bit more and not just a thread from the pilot that’s left hanging.
I’m looking forward to next week’s episode to see what information Hal has cleaned from his off-world visit and whether he’ll now share that with John or still keep his cards close to his chest.
Anyway, that’s my current “out there” theory and thoughts on this week’s episode!
What do you think? Am I wide of the mark? Overthinking? Seeing things that aren’t there? Let me know in the comments, and let me know which resident of Rushville you think is the Manhunter.
HBO Max Amazon ChannelHBO Max
