Weak writing or tragic end? Decoding the Hal Jordan twist in Lanterns

The Lanterns finale has surprisingly divided the internet, with most of the complaints targeting the situation leading to Hal Jordan's murder. The finale reveals that Sheriff Kerry Kane shot Hal Jordan. Kerry killed Hal after the couple argued about Noah being a Manhunter.

The major criticism directed at this finale was that it did not contain anything surprising. Noah being a Manhunter was theorized ever since the fifth episode. In that episode, Kerry tells Hal that Zoe gave her a "miracle" without revealing anything further. But it wasn't until the finale that it was confirmed that Noah is indeed a part-Manhunter.

Reaction to the Lanterns finale explained:

The situation leading to Hal Jordan's death was revealed in the second act of the episode. Hal headed to the football stadium; his body was ultimately discovered in the first episode. There, Kerry is decorating the stand, as Hal interrupts her. Hal tells her that he knows that Noah is part Manhunter.

Hal offers to take Noah and her to safety. Hal even suggests that the three leave Earth for a more habitable alien planet. But Kerry Kane experienced an emotional breakdown as Hal suggested they leave Rushville, and she fatally shot Jordan. ScreenRant described the revelation as the "weak spot", saying:

"Sure, Hal's suggestion about moving and the general rambling at the moment might have been overwhelming for the character. However, there was not a moment in Lanterns season 1 that made it seem like Kerry would ever get that distressed that she would just shoot Hal in the head as a spur-of-the-moment decision. Given how the episode finally allowed viewers to watch Hal and Kerry living what felt like their happily ever after, with the Sheriff even standing up for Hal in front of Rushville residents, it all ended on the bleakest note possible."

Other than this revelation, some fans are even confused about how Noah was planning to act on his plan, or whether he intended to put his Manhunter plan into action. It wasn't until Noah's chance encounter with John Stewart that he even got to hold a Green Lantern ring. Noah was not the one who summoned Guy Gardner, nor did he suggest John call the current Green Lantern.

It was Kerry Kane who called John Stewart, and it was ultimately the sheriff of Rushville who shot Hal spontaneously to protect her son. The majority of fan theories suggested that everything was planned, but the only surprising thing about the Lanterns finale was that Hal's death was spontaneous. While the scene itself was shot and acted incredibly well, there are some doubts.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Please be advised.

The Soap Central view on the DCU series finale?

While the twists and turns were shocking, we would agree with some of the fan criticism. We would also like to say that one of the more disappointing aspects of the second half of Lanterns is that a lot of important scenes take place off-screen. For instance, the sixth episode reveals that Sinestro has been broken out of prison.

The finale revealed that Noah broke Sinestro out of prison, but we never saw how he managed to achieve it. Similarly, we never saw how Sinestro created the Lantern on Antaan's destroyed planet. He created it off-screen. A lot of major developments in this series take place off-screen, giving the impression that the series did not have a huge budget to work with.

However, the second season of Lanterns, if it is officially greenlit, has a chance to address these criticisms.

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All eight episodes of the DCU show are available to stream on HBO Max.

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