"You can’t hold onto it forever."
Warning: This review contains full spoilers for Lanterns Season 1, Episode 7!
The worst part about the HBO and DC series Lanterns finally diving headfirst into the 2026 storyline first teased back in its pilot episode is that it firmly forces the audience into a post-Hal Jordan reality. So much of the early appeal and magnetic energy of the series rested squarely on the prickly, sour dynamic between Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart. There is an undeniable spark missing from the narrative without the veteran Lantern in play. Thankfully, the show’s writers found a clever workaround in the form of the Halogram backup system. Season 1, Episode 7, titled "The Jordan Boys Legacy," exploits that technological loophole for all it is worth, resulting in a gripping new installment that digs far much deeper into Hal’s troubled psyche and his dark family legacy.
Fittingly, this week’s chapter kicks off with a revealing flashback to Hal’s childhood, where viewers finally get to meet Martin Jordan, played by Jake B. Miller, in the flesh. This opening sequence offers some valuable, long-overdue insight into Hal’s character and foundational psychology. On screen, we can clearly see how Martin casually fostered the same sort of reckless fearlessness in his young son that the Stewarts would later mercilessly drill into John. Moreover, the sequence gives audiences a distinct taste of the deep-seated, suicidal depression that is clearly an inescapable generational legacy within Hal’s family tree.
Jake B. Miller really shines during his brief time in the spotlight, expertly conveying Martin’s outward bravado and inner pain in equal, devastating measure. One cannot help but notice the Sinestro-esque mustache sported by the character, which feels entirely intentional—a subtle, heartbreaking reminder of how much the orphaned Hal would eventually come to look toward his future Green Lantern mentor as a surrogate father figure.
From there, the narrative shifts abruptly back to 2026, as the Halogram reacts to being unceremoniously dug up and reactivated after another ten-year hiatus. Once again, the series makes the absolute most of its clever storytelling device to work around Hal’s mysterious murder. Fans are treated to the return of that all-important Hal and John banter, but with a fascinating twist that comes from interacting with a slightly younger, less cynical version of Hal. It remains endlessly entertaining to watch the two heroes interact, particularly as the Halogram begins to voice some of the complicated truths and vulnerabilities that his flesh-and-blood self could never bring himself to admit.
Viewers are also treated to a terrific, emotionally charged scene involving Sheriff Kerry, played by Kelly Macdonald, reuniting with the "Hal" backup. This particular sequence features arguably Macdonald’s strongest and most resonant performance in the series to date. While it is far too early to completely discount the lingering fan theory that she might have been Hal’s killer—especially if her actions ultimately involved protecting her own son—her grief over the loss feels entirely raw and genuine regardless of her ultimate secrets.
However, "The Jordan Boys Legacy" does share one notable structural flaw with the previous week’s outing: the local drama involving the other residents of Rushville simply fails to generate much compelling momentum. Granted, this episode does not suffer nearly as much in that regard because it maintains a much tighter, sharper focus on Hal and John’s high-stakes investigation. Even so, there are still a handful of scenes dedicated to these less engaging subplots that threaten to slow the pacing down. It is hard, for instance, to bring oneself to truly care about the petty blackmail conflict brewing between John and Maggie, played by Hannah Christine Shetler. So John is out $315,000 and a fancy Richard Mille watch—why does any of that material actually matter in the grander, cosmic scheme of John Stewart’s unfolding Green Lantern origin story?
It is equally difficult to know precisely what to make of the ongoing Noah subplot, portrayed by Shea Pritchard. On the surface, his little Hat Day runaround does not offer much narrative substance or urgency. Yet, it is abundantly clear that something much deeper and more sinister is at work beneath the surface with the character. One fully suspects that the upcoming season finale will reveal Noah to be some sort of human-Manhunter hybrid who stands directly at the heart of Hal’s murder—assuming, of course, that Hal is genuinely dead to begin with, which remains an open question the series continues to toy with. At the very least, viewers can take comfort in the fact that the season is rapidly running out of room to prolong that particular mystery.
The emotional and narrative peak of Episode 7 arrives in its final moments, as John bravely steps foot onto an alien world for the very first time. It is quickly discovered that Hal quietly bequeathed a portal leading directly to Antaan’s home planet, voiced and brought to life by Paul Ben-Victor, offering a stark and sobering glimpse of the absolute devastation that rogue Manhunters can wreak across the cosmos. It makes for a wonderfully refreshing change of pace to finally experience a setting far away from Earth, even if the flat, featureless desert landscape does not necessarily make for the most visually memorable backdrop. Instead, it is Stephanie Economou’s eerie, discordant musical score that truly does the heavy lifting, making the alien setting feel genuinely hostile, isolating, and deeply otherworldly.
Following a tense, psychological fear gas sequence and several more poignant heart-to-heart moments shared between Hal and John, the episode delivers a proper, long-awaited payoff to the entire sequence with the surprise return of Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro. Naturally, finding him marooned and isolated on a dead, desolate world rather than safely locked away in a sci-fi prison cell on Oa raises significantly more questions than it answers. Even so, it is a thrilling visual reward simply to see the iconic character back in play. One can only hope that Episode 8 has enough narrative breathing room to address these many lingering mysteries while still managing to wrap up John’s season-long character arc in a deeply satisfying manner. There is still a tremendous amount of ground left to cover before the credits roll on Season 1.
Verdict
Lanterns successfully rebuilds its lost momentum in the penultimate chapter of Season 1. This episode makes full, brilliant use of the Halogram mechanism to restore the essential Hal-and-John dynamic that was largely missing from Episode 6. It also provides compelling, much-needed insight into Hal’s complex character, revealing how Earth’s very first Lantern was motivated less by fearless bravado than by a crushing, deep-seated sense of depression. There is still a staggering amount of ground for the series to navigate in the upcoming finale, but things are undeniably looking up right now.
