Lanterns concluded its eight-episode run this week as the finale, titled "Dirt and Stars", aired on HBO. The 57-minute-long episode ties up all the loose ends in the center of the DCU HBO series. Apart from revealing the identity of Hal Jordan's killer, the show sets up John Stewart's role in next July's Man of Tomorrow and the DCU going forward.It seems that John Stewart will not be a traditional Green Lantern in the DCU moving forward. Moreover, John Stewart, who will take care of Earth, will be a heroic Yellow Lantern going forward. John describes his role as a "consultant" rather than a member of a Lantern Corps.Meanwhile, Guy Gardner could continue being part of the Green Lanterns, and he can continue taking care of the space threats.What happens in the Lanterns finale? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe opening scenes of the finale set up Kerry and Hal's relationship so that we can feel for their doomed romance. After the title card, the scene cuts to the immediate aftermath of John encountering Sinestro, Hal's mentor turned enemy. Sinestro reveals that Noah is a Manhunter who broke him out of incarceration and further reveals a lantern, which is powered by fear.John takes the lantern with him, but he is reluctant to charge Hal's ring using it because it could corrupt the Green Lantern ring. Upon returning, Noah attacks John, and the young boy forcefully takes the ring, much like how Hal and John had fought in the motel room in 2016.But Noah doesn't run after attacking John, and the two drive to the young boy's game. This drive serves as a turning point in the episode, as we learn that Noah is struggling with his human and Manhunter sides. Upon reaching the stadium, Noah surprisingly takes off the ring and requests that John kill him after playing the game. Noah also reveals that he killed Hal, as the former Lantern discovered his secret.A distraught John goes and stands next to Kerry Kane while watching the game, and John reveals that he knows about Noah's secret. John further reveals that he knows Noah did not kill Hal. Kerry confirms to John that she killed Hal in the stadium as John offers to protect her, Noah, and himself by moving somewhere else.Kerry experienced an emotional breakdown, unintentionally shot Hal, and called John to determine if she was raising a monster. John tells her that Noah is not a monster, and John also reveals that Noah lied to him to protect Kerry. Kerry even offers to surrender, but John tells her that Hal would not have wanted her to surrender, and he prepares to leave Rushville before paying Maggie the blackmail money.But before leaving Rushville forever, John lights up the Green Lantern signal to summon Guy Gardner. Gardner arrives, and this is where the Lanterns finale sets up John's arc going forward. John reveals that he is wearing Hal's old ring, much to the chagrin of Guy.John asks Guy to tell the Guardians that while Guy will continue being the Green Lantern of Sector 2814, John will be a "consultant", meaning he is not answerable to the Guardians or anyone else. This arrangement suggests that John Stewart is like Alan Scott, the first human Green Lantern in the comics. Then, John finally charges the ring using the Yellow Lantern that Sinestro created.John's customized oath in the Lanterns finale goes like this:“In brightest day, in darkest night, I embrace my fear, I’ll do what’s right. I choose this ring, I choose this fight, in service to this lantern’s light.”Considering that John charged his ring using the Yellow Lantern, Hal Jordan's old ring is exposed to the yellow "impurity", which symbolizes fear. Lanterns co-showrunner and comic book writer Tom King addressed this situation in a virtual press conference:"John is not 100% a Green Lantern anymore. He has a Lantern that has a bit of yellow in it. He has a bit of fear in it. It's an unsanctioned Lantern. So he's not saying the same oath as every other Green Lantern because he's not like every other Green Lantern."King continued:"This is an utterly unique creation that has not been given to him, that he is not chosen for, but that he chose for himself. He gets his own unique oath which seems to line up very much with the lore and where we're going from here."This scene finally reveals why James Gunn used the Green Lantern: Earth One comic cover while announcing Lanterns back in 2023. In those comics, John becomes a Yellow Lantern instead of a Green Lantern. But he is still a hero in those comics.Will John Stewart be a villain in Man of Tomorrow? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostSimply put, no. Green Lantern comics in recent years have made a point of introducing some heroic Yellow Lanterns as well. Therefore, Stewart is expected to be one of the heroes on Superman's side as Brainiac attacks the DCU Earth in next year's Man of Tomorrow.All eight episodes of Lanterns are streaming on HBO Max. Binge them all before Man of Tomorrow releases next year.