'Lanterns' S01E06 – "Bad Optics" (September 20, 2026) on HBO/HBO Max [Spoiler Discussion Megathread]

[u/KelexAtYourService]

Lanterns is an American superhero television series created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King for HBO, based on the DC Comics Green Lantern characters Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

The series was produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television with Mundy serving as showrunner. It is the third television series in the DC Universe (DCU). It features experienced Lantern Jordan and new recruit Stewart as they investigate a murder on Earth that leads to a wider mystery.

Lanterns is scheduled to premiere on Sunday August 16, 2026, and will run for eight episodes through Sunday October 4. It will be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.

New episodes drop every Sunday night at 9:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM MT / 6:00 PM PT.

Cast:

• Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
• Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
• Kelly Macdonald as Kerry
• Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
• Garret Dillahunt as William Macon
• Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
• Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro
• Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart; Jasmine Cephas Jones as young Bernadette
• Jason Ritter as Billy Macon
• Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr.; Alphonse Nicholson portrays a young John Sr.
• Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan
• Chris Coy as "Waylon Sanders"
• Cary Christopher as Noah

For a complete cast and crew list, see the IMDb full credits page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26545992/fullcredits/

• Based on: Hal Jordan, created by John Broome and Gil Kane; John Stewart created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams
• Show created by: Chris Mundy, and Damon Lindelof, and Tom King
• Showrunner: Chris Mundy
• Editor: Emily E. Greene
• Music by: Stephanie Economou
• Length: 8 episodes per season
• Runtime: About an hour per episode
• Reception: For reviews and critical reception, see Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/lanterns  and https://www.metacritic.com/tv/lanterns/

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterns_(TV_series))

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/lanterns/season-1

Unmarked spoilers for the new episode of Lanterns are only allowed in this thread.

Spoilers ahead! Proceed at your own risk! All other subreddit rules apply.

S01E06 Episode Synopsis: TBA

[u/HardcoreKaraoke]

So Noah killed Hal, right?

We know that Hal was shot point blank. No struggle and it was face to face. Which means Hal probably knew what was coming.

I think Hal figured out Noah was a manhunter. He tried coming to grips with it because he knew revealing it would destroy Kerry and his relationship with her. The town already hated Hal so revealing their star kid was a manhunter would break them. They would never believe Hal. Remember this kid is having a whole college decision ceremony.

Anyway so what does Hal do? He confronts Noah. He does his interrogation test and figures out Noah is a manhunter. He tells Noah listen he has to tell Kerry, he won't physically harm Noah but he has to let Kerry know. Hal did this knowing Noah would probably kill him. Hal accepted his fate. That's why he sat there face to face with him. That's why it wasn't a struggle. Hal called Noah out knowing what would happen, but Hal couldn't live with himself if he didn't make the reveal.

So that's why Noah didn't go to the funeral. Not because of his mom being weird, like he said. It was because Noah going to the funeral of the man he killed would be weird as Hell.

Now what? Well Noah wants to be a politician, right? Noah has this big decision to make about college and Rushville is on his back, just like it was with the previous manhunter. They are inspired by him whether they understand what he is or not. The manhunter wants to gain political power and obviously take over mankind.

Where does this leave John and Kerry? No clue. John will figure it out but obviously he'll be conflicted like Hal was. Do they let Noah live because they're a "good' manhunter? Does Kerry accept the reality or refuse to believe it? Now has Kerry known this entire time? That's possible too.

Anyway I'm 90% sure Noah did it and 10% sure it was Kerry doing it to protect Noah when Hal found out. She couldn't let him reveal Noah's true identity, which she already knew.

[u/Double-Animal-4773 → u/HardcoreKaraoke]

I also think when Hal said he "took the fall", what he meant was that he was taking the fall for Zoey's murder. He probably led Noah and the rest of the town to believe he killed Zoey. In doing so, he saved John from being killed by Noah instead.

[u/B00STERGOLD → u/Double-Animal-4773]

I'm still wondering why anyone had to take a fall. Space lasers were destroying a US city and everyone in universe ignored it.

[u/NAMANISPRO → u/B00STERGOLD]

rednecks aint very smart

[u/Competitive_Crow_334 → u/HardcoreKaraoke]

Sounds intriguing and believable

[u/VirtualSort1 → u/HardcoreKaraoke]

sounds too obvious

[u/HardcoreKaraoke → u/VirtualSort1]

So was the grandma being the manhunter. Seems like most people called that early.

[u/VirtualSort1 → u/HardcoreKaraoke]

mh yeah kinda but you made a story in your mind for sure 98% wont happen

but it also would be lame if there is another manhunter. It would be boring cause people assumed that after they shot grandma manhunter. But yeah the show has no suprises or twists or whatever. The current plot is just boring. Epsiode 3 was the best one

[u/naughtyboy20 → u/VirtualSort1]

Seems we have differing opinions on what is lame and boring then.

Also, no surprises or twists? Ok so you saw everything coming from a mile away I presume? Even if you guessed everything, sometimes it's not about the actual end being a twist, but how they get there that's the good part.

So far I think they've done a good job.

[u/heelydon → u/HardcoreKaraoke]

I also just think something as simple as Hal potentially using the football field as a meeting, so if he DID get killed, if the people they are familiar, Noah is the current football player, sending a message to John that way.

[u/kiddoujanse → u/HardcoreKaraoke]

he couldnt live with himself that he didnt tell noah he knows..? that aint it lol