Does ‘Lanterns’ Hate Green Lanterns?

The following post contains SPOILERS for Lanterns Episode 3.I like the TV show Lanterns. I also like DC’s Green Lantern comics, and have ever since I was a kid. (Ron Marz and Darryl Banks’ Green Lantern was the second DC book that I obsessively collected, after Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo’s Flash.) But I’m not sure I like the Green Lanterns on Lanterns — and, more to the point, I’m not sure the creators of Lanterns like their Green Lanterns either. With each passing week, the show feels less like a superhero adventure and more like a deconstruction of this beloved concept.The series’ latest episode paused its ongoing murder mystery to fill in the backstory of Green Lantern trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Lanterns’ version of the character is essentially the understudy of longtime Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). Episode 3 is structured around John’s job interview for the role of backup Green Lantern; as he answers questions from a Guardian of the Universe (Laura Linney), Lanterns flashes back to John’s childhood, where we learn he was groomed by his parents since he was very young to replace Hal Jordan.HBO MaxHBO MaxREAD MORE: Who Is the Secret Manhunter on Lanterns?In fact...