HBO's 'Lanterns' Is Redefining Hal Jordan in a Way No DC Fan Saw Coming

Published Sep 28, 2026, 11:28 AM EDT

Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, and conducts interviews. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His novella, The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain, was released in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Lanterns Episode 7.

From the get-go, Lanterns subverts traditional Green Lantern lore by flipping the script on several key aspects of these characters and their complex mythologies. Whether you've been down for the new take on the DC Comics heroes or left frustrated by the lack of comic book-feeling material, most people can agree that Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan is perhaps the biggest highlight. But this former Emerald Knight is something of a subversion himself, one the HBO series is willing to subvert even further with the inclusion of the "Halogram" — who may just become everyone's favorite character.

'Lanterns' Episode 7 Juxtaposes Hal Jordan With His Past Self

From the moment John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) first got into the car with Hal, Lanterns has been slowly deconstructing the Green Lantern. Instead of a carefree hero with a heart of gold, this version of Hal is more of a beat-down old soldier fighting to keep any ounce of exceptionalism left. We don't know what broke Hal or why he's allowed himself to get so jaded over the years — going so far as to barely wear the uniform. Lanterns implies that the betrayal of his mentor, Thaal Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), is ultimately at the root of it, and the questionable behavior of the Guardians of Oa has certainly given Hal reason to be paranoid. After decades of protecting Sector 2814, Hal has become weary and cynical, and, frankly, it’s a bit exhausting. However, Lanterns seems to acknowledge this. A warped, frustrated Hal Jordan isn't the version of the hero most fans are interested in, so the show juxtaposes Hal with his younger self — the more optimistic, down-to-earth hero Hal once was.

The Halogram is explained as a "backup" of Hal's consciousness uploaded to the ring in the early 2000s. The pressure of the power ring hasn't quite gotten to him yet, and although he maintains that carefree Jordan charm, it’s backed with an earnestness and sincerity that the present Hal lost a long time ago. In some respects, the Halogram backup is a more appropriate representation of the hero in DC Comics, not to mention the version of Hal Jordan brought to life in the fan-favorite Green Lantern: The Animated Series. This is a version of Hal who not only enjoys John Stewart's company, but works far better with his would-be successor than his other self did.

On one hand, it’s a shame the Halogram is a past version of Hal Jordan. Hal has been killed in 2026 by some unknown force at work in Rushville, likely another remnant of the Manhunters or some angry townsfolk with an axe to grind after what happened in 2016. As far as we can tell, there's no resurrection in sight — though, after all the off-screen character development he supposedly had, wouldn't that be great? Instead, Lanterns revives the Halogram in its penultimate episode as a more-than-worthy replacement willing to do the job and work with John the way the real Hal couldn't. In this way, Lanterns subverts its own subversion, emphasizing Hal Jordan at his best through a nostalgic look back at his finer years rather than simply embracing the tired, old, and frustrated version of the character. Here, the HBO drama takes a daring swing, reminding viewers that heroes are at their best when they’re, well, heroes, rather than beat-down space cops with too many years on the job.

The Halogram Is the Best Part of HBO's 'Lanterns'

Ironically, had Lanterns offered this portrayal of Hal throughout the series — turning the HBO series into a Lethal Weapon-style buddy cop show, rather than True Detective-lite — folks from every side of the comic book aisle would've lined up for more. As it stands, Hal Jordan may have no future in the DC Universe. Perhaps Hal will continue to live on in the future through the Halogram, especially if John finally embraces the ring and becomes Earth's second Green Lantern alongside Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner. It would be great to see Hal and John maintaining some kind of camaraderie going forward.

Lanterns initially attempted to shock its audience by killing off the grumpy Hal Jordan it first introduced, only to replace him with a shiny-eyed younger version who deserved his own movie trilogy years ago — take that, Ryan Reynolds! With a single episode left, how will John and this Hal backup fare against Sinestro and whatever new threat lies ahead?