{"id":89940,"date":"2026-10-03T16:40:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T08:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=89940"},"modified":"2026-10-03T16:40:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T08:40:58","slug":"who-killed-hal-jordan-and-more-of-our-biggest-questions-heading-into-the-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=89940","title":{"rendered":"Who Killed Hal Jordan and More of Our Biggest Questions Heading Into the Finale"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><strong>Spoilers follow for <\/strong><u><strong>Lanterns<\/strong><\/u><strong> Episodes 1-7.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Lanterns, am I right? While the HBO series set in James Gunn\u2019s DC Universe was divisive among some fans at the outset \u2013 what with the whole <u>killing off Hal Jordan<\/u> in the first episode situation \u2013 it has become increasingly buzzy with each passing week, with showrunner Chris Mundy and his fellow creators Damon Lindelof and Tom King building mystery upon mystery over the course of the first season.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">And now, as we head into the season finale this weekend, there are a ton of questions that need to be answered. We\u2019re breaking down the biggest ones we have right here, but please comment below and let us know what other questions you might have regarding Lanterns Season 1\u2026 and the possible answers and theories you have as well!<\/p>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\" data-cy=\"article-slideshow\"><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Lanterns Images<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" decoding=\"async\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2277167929 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"\/><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/output><\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Who Killed Hal Jordan?<\/h2>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Assuming, of course, <u>Hal (Kyle Chandler) even is dead<\/u> (see below for more on that), there are obviously several possibilities as to who could\u2019ve put a bullet in the ex-Green Lantern\u2019s head in the 2026 time period. The chief suspects seem to be:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>John Stewart<\/li>\n<li>Sheriff Kerry Kane<\/li>\n<li>Noah Macon<\/li>\n<li>Hal himself<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img alt=\"null\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"\/><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">The Halogram and John Stewart stand at Hal&#8217;s grave.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/output><\/p>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-3517023867\">John Stewart<\/h3>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Taking these one at a time, it seems pretty unlikely that John (Aaron Pierre) would\u2019ve killed Hal. For starters, he\u2019s one of our two lead characters, and while both of these Lanterns can be sort of assholes \u2013 especially to each other \u2013 they\u2019re still ultimately meant to be figures who we sympathize with and want to cheer on. But even beyond that, it doesn\u2019t make much story sense for John to have done this; he essentially already \u201cbeat\u201d Hal during the events of <u>Episode 5<\/u>, leaving him a broken man without the ring and only the consequences of his own actions left to face up to. By the time we catch up with John, now an architect and businessman, in 2026, he clearly still harbors a lot of <em>feelings <\/em>about his past as a Lantern, but needing to kill Hal is not one of them.<\/p>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-3517023867\">Sheriff Kerry Kane<\/h3>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Kerry (Kelly Macdonald) on the other hand, well\u2026 as much as we love her, the good sheriff has been known to keep secrets from our heroes in the past. And while I buy that she and the post-prison, repentant Hal had a thing going, as well as that she is truly gutted by his death, that doesn\u2019t mean that their relationship would\u2019ve kept her from doing the deed if it was necessary for a greater cause. Let\u2019s not forget, Kerry was saved by Zoe Macon the Manhunter (Poorna Jagannathan) back when she first arrived in Rushville while on the run from Gotham City. And it was during that encounter that she essentially swore her allegiance to Zoe. So if there is still some contingency plan in place for Zoe, even though John killed the Manhunter in 2016, there\u2019s every reason to believe that Kerry would still be instrumental in keeping that plan on track\u2026<\/p>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img alt=\"null\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"\/><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/output><\/p>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-3517023867\">Noah Macon<\/h3>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Which brings us to Kerry\u2019s son, Noah (Shea Pritchard). There sure seems to be something fishy with this kid \u2013 the dude went and copped out on the college hat ceremony after the whole town showed up for it with bated breath! He also, you know, had a grandmother (step-grandmother, but still) who was a Manhunter. We\u2019ll talk more about him below, but he\u2019s high on the list of suspects.<\/p>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-3517023867\">Hal Himself<\/h3>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Look, Kerry told John how, after he got out of prison, Hal was on a relentless mission in Rushville to make up for the disastrous events that landed him behind bars in the first place, knocking on doors and offering his help and such. Is it out of the realm of possibility to think that in order to keep the town safe this time \u2013 or maybe even to make up for what happened to the town 10 years ago in 2016 \u2013 that he would take his own life if need be?<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">That is, assuming he actually did die\u2026<\/p>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\" data-cy=\"article-video\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Wait, But Is Hal Really Dead?<\/h2>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">I\u2019ve already <u>talked about this before<\/u>, but it\u2019s very much not out of the realm of possibility that Hal isn\u2019t even dead. Maybe he\u2019s just \u201cdead-ish\u201d even? We already know that the show is full of aliens who walk around posing as humans, which means that the body we\u2019ve seen could just be an alien that took Hal\u2019s form. It\u2019s also possible that Hal is regenerating from the wounds that killed him. Yes, it\u2019s a crazy sci-fi concept, but John previously got a total skin graft after Zoe let him burn in that car fire and, as many eagle-eyed fans have pointed out, the trailer for the season finale shows a similar circular mark on Hal\u2019s inner arm that John had after that Manhunter Miracle Medicine. Zoe explained to John that basically her tech required a skin sample (pulled from that spot on his arm) in order to repair\/replace his burned skin, so perhaps the same methodology is being used to fix Hal\u2026 albeit it would have to unscramble his shot-up brains in this case. Or maybe the dead body was just a clone spawned from that same technology?<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Why Can John Stewart Create Constructs Without the Ring?<\/h2>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Remember in <u>Episode 2<\/u> when John tried to fly, but instead he created a cute little green bird construct? And the bird still existed and followed him around, even when he didn\u2019t have the ring on? This was the first \u2013 but not last \u2013 indication that John has some kind of, well, <em>super <\/em>superpower that other Green Lanterns don\u2019t. The Halogram is very impressed by this ability in <u>Episode 7<\/u>, when John summons him without the ring, saying \u201cBravo\u2026 it\u2019s goddamned incredible!\u201d It\u2019s nice to get compliments from your seemingly dead mentor\u2019s hologram.<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-title jsx-684634384 jsx-2659527929 quote-container\" data-cy=\"quoteBox\">&#8216;Bravo\u2026 it\u2019s goddamned incredible!&#8217; -The Halogram<span class=\"stack jsx-2959124702 jsx-326843967\"><span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">But that still doesn\u2019t answer how he\u2019s able to do it. Presumably, John\u2019s extraordinary ability to Green Lantern without a Green Lantern ring is tied to his extreme potential and the frankly insane training during his childhood by his we-need-a-new-word-for-helicopter-parents parents. Don\u2019t forget, Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) told Hal from Space Azkaban that the second greatest threat Hal was facing was the Manhunter, with the implication being that the greatest threat was John. And what could be more powerful than a Green Lantern who doesn\u2019t need the ring\u2026 or the Guardians for that matter?<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Is Noah Macon Part Manhunter?<\/h2>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Again, this perfect Rushville all-state quarterback has got to have something going on beyond being a perfect Rushville all-state quarterback. The hat ceremony thing, which I previously mentioned, was just weird (and also rude), but also, with such a short season, why would the show\u2019s writers introduce the aged-up version of Noah in Episode 6 if he wasn\u2019t going to be important in some way? In Episode 5, his step-grandmother\/Manhunter Zoe tells the young Noah (Cary Christopher) to remember what she taught him\u2026 and that\u2019s the same episode where everything goes to hell in a handbasket in town. We know Zoe meticulously planned her own protection by essentially drafting half the town to work for her, including Noah\u2019s mom, so it only makes sense that she would have Tony Soprano\/Batman-style contingency plans upon plans upon plans, including what would happen if she was killed. But then again, are we sure it was even Zoe who actually died in Episode 5? Could Noah <em>be <\/em>Zoe!?<\/p>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><img alt=\"null\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"\/><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/output><\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">What\u2019s the Deal With Sinestro on That Dead Planet?<\/h2>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Man, speaking of really holding your fire until the end of a short season. Sinestro, discussed here or there and seen briefly in Episodes 2 and 4, finally shows up at the end of Episode 7, seemingly stranded on the dead world that John and the Halogram have traveled to via portal\u2026 but apparently meant to be an important part of the season finale. Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) had previously said that someone broke Sinestro out of the Guardians\u2019 prison, and that Hal was a likely suspect if not for the fact that he was also in (Earth) prison. (And by the way, the timeline here is a little wonky because Guy tells John this info in an almost whispery, gossipy way, as if it\u2019s breaking news, but meanwhile we know Hal has been out of prison for about a year \u2013 and is believed to be dead \u2013 at that point. Which would mean Sinestro must\u2019ve broken out of Space Azkaban at least a year ago.)<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">So how does Sinestro popping up on that alien planet connect to everything? This is the same world that Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) and his people hailed from, a race that was virtually wiped out by the Manhunters. It\u2019s also the world that Hal left a portal to in his storage unit, which he apparently wanted John to find. Did Hal want Sinestro and John to team up for some reason? Neither is a particular fan of the Guardians, so could Hal perhaps be orchestrating some kind of Oan revolution from beyond the grave\u2026 one last \u201cf you\u201d to the powers that be?<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">What Did Kerry Get Up to in Gotham That Was So Bad?<\/h2>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">We saw in flashback how Kerry would\u2019ve been killed by a pair of scary dudes who had tracked her from Gotham City to Rushville, if not for the timely intervention of Zoe. After being saved by Zoe, she essentially began a new life in the town and eventually became sheriff (and a secret surrogate of Zoe\u2019s). As IGN\u2019s Jesse Schedeen has previously pointed out, <u>Kerry\u2019s name is also a big Batman clue<\/u>: the Kane family are related to Bruce Wayne, as Martha Wayne was originally Martha Kane. Kathy Kane and Kate Kane, depending on when you were reading comics or watching CW shows, were both also Batwoman. So assuming the name of this character is not an accident \u2013 and not much on this show is \u2013 we\u2019ve gotta wonder how a high-falutin\u2019 member of the Kane family could fall in with such a rough element that she would\u2019ve been killed if not for a Manhunter. It seems unlikely that Lanterns Season 1 will have time to dig further into this topic, but if the show moves forward with a Season 2, perhaps we\u2019ll learn more about Kerry\u2019s history\u2026 and maybe even any rich, famous, orphaned, dressed-in-black cousins she might have back home?<\/p>\n<p><span data-cy=\"poll-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<section class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Remind Me: What Exactly Has Been the Order of Succession for Earth\u2019s Green Lanterns?<\/h2>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">This one\u2019s easy! In 1986, Abin Sur crashed on Earth, and his ring almost went to John Stewart\u2019s father, but Stewart Sr. couldn\u2019t cut it, so instead Hal Jordan inherited the Green Lantern mantle. Hal was Earth\u2019s Lantern for the next 20 years, until the disaster in Rushville when John took the ring from him. But he rejected the Guardians\u2019 offer to become the new Green Lantern. It was around this same time that the gym teacher named Guy Gardner became the new Green Lantern, and continues to be through 2026. (Also, for comics fans, it seems that Alan Scott \u2013 the Golden Age Green Lantern \u2013 never took the mantle\u2026 in this timeline anyway.)<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>What questions do you have heading into the Lanterns finale? Let\u2019s discuss below!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\" data-cy=\"author-sign-off\"><\/p>\n<section class=\"author-sign-off\" data-cy=\"author-sign-off\"><span class=\"stack jsx-59817748 jsx-1927875859\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-444076027 jsx-1730475047 profile-thumb jsx-2141281959 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-1-1\"><img alt=\"Scott Collura Avatar\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"progressive-image profile-thumb-img jsx-249361588 jsx-2338608387 expand\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/assets-prd.ignimgs.com\/avatars\/4ec75358e4b0ca04b5b0656c\/avatar-new-1587681016602.jpg?crop=1%3A1&amp;width=56&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=80 1x, https:\/\/assets-prd.ignimgs.com\/avatars\/4ec75358e4b0ca04b5b0656c\/avatar-new-1587681016602.jpg?crop=1%3A1&amp;width=56&amp;dpr=2&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=80 2x\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"\/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-2509706801 jsx-3630940851\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"interface jsx-1132626198 sign-off-text\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Talk to Scott Collura <\/em><em>@scottcollura.bsky.social<\/em><em>, or listen to his <\/em><em>Star Trek podcast, Transporter Room 3<\/em><em>. Or do both!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/section>\n<p><\/output><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/lanterns-who-killed-hal-jordan-and-more-of-our-biggest-questions-heading-into-the-finale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spoilers follow for Lanterns Episodes 1-7. Lanterns, am I right? While the HBO series set in James Gunn\u2019s DC Universe was divisive among some fans&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[978,2737,8436,1434,14920,3268,922],"class_list":["post-89940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-gadgets-reviews","tag-biggest","tag-finale","tag-hal","tag-heading","tag-jordan","tag-killed","tag-questions","wpcat-32-id"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=89940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/89941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=89940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=89940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=89940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}