Lanterns Episode 3 Ending, Explained: What Will be John Stewart's Green Lantern Fate?

We're three episodes into Lanterns, and if you were hoping to find out who killed Hal Jordan by now, you’d have been disappointed.

That being said, we do get a lot of other answers, but they’re all about Hal’s protege: John Stewart. This is because the third episode of Lanterns focuses on John's past.

The story is grounded in John’s much-discussed interview to become a Green Lantern with a Guardian (played by Laura Linney). As the interview progresses, John gives the Guardian an account of his life which, in the process, fills a lot of the gaps for the audience, too.

As the poet Phillip Larkin once wrote: “They fuck you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do.” The difference is, John’s parents definitely meant to, with the episode delving into the strange tactics they employed to ensure John grew up fearless, thus priming him to become the ideal Green Lantern candidate.

Here, we dive into Episode 3 of Lanterns, including its ending. Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead, so be warned.

Why Was John Raised To Be A Green Lantern?

In the first two episodes of the series, it is established that John is a little different from the other Green Lanterns. Typically, the ring chooses the wearer. This doesn’t happen with John. Instead, we know that he interviewed for the role with the Guardians, much to the chagrin of people like Hal. In Lanterns Episode 3, we also learn why he was essentially raised for this interview.

One night, John Stewart Sr. was awakened by a looming extraterrestrial creature asking if he was scared. As any reasonable person would be, he was. This became the biggest regret of his life, as it later transpired that it was a Guardian trying to recruit him to be a Green Lantern - a test that he failed. Up until the Guardian who interviewed John Jr. spoke to his mother, everybody believed he had lost his mind, and he ended up spiralling and drinking heavily. 

When the Guardian suggests to John’s mother that John, then a baby, could have what it takes to be a Green Lantern, his parents made it their lives’ purpose to train and raise him to live without fear. This led to an intense upbringing, involving dropping John off in scary streets, isolating him from his brothers, and, yes, having apples shot off his head, as shown in the series premiere. The thing is, the Guardian who'd approached his parents didn’t guarantee this, and despite what his parents told him, no Guardians were watching John disguised as birds. Still, failure wasn’t an option for John. This, as his parents told him, was his destiny.

So, John went through life fearless, stoic, and allergic to failure. He only failed once, in fact: during what would be his last mission as a Marine, he spent months waiting for the perfect moment to snipe a particular target, only for Hal to swoop in and deal with the suspect himself. Because of the potential international implications of Hal’s recklessness, John was essentially left with no choice but to accept a dishonourable discharge and take the fall.

For a while, it seemed like John’s mission to become a Green Lantern was over. But the Guardians threw one more curveball at John while he was at art school, which all led to the interview that grounded this episode. 

Lanterns Episode 3 Ending, Explained

Ultimately, we already know John was successful in this interview. But here’s the kicker: he wasn’t interviewing for the role of Hal Jordan’s protege. The Guardians, in actuality, wanted John to directly replace Hal as the Green Lantern. 

Along with Hal being Hal, there were concerns that he still harboured affection for Sinestro, his former mentor who ultimately went rogue and killed a Guardian. However, the Guardian who recruited John made it clear that Hal wasn’t to know the truth. Instead, John had to bide his time until the Guardians decided the time was right to essentially fire Hal. 

Even so, it seems like Hal had an inkling of what was going on. Or, it’s equally as likely that he’s so arrogant, he can’t cope with the idea of having to train another Green Lantern at all. Either way, he completely rains on John’s parade, beating him to the punch and telling his parents before making it clear that John would never, so long as he’s alive, get his hands on that ring. 

Because of what it foreshadows, Hal’s vow is incredibly intriguing. But that’s a mystery which, it seems, will be resolved another time in Lanterns.