Lanterns is about to turn its attention squarely toward John Stewart.
HBO has released the promo and first-look photos for Lanterns Season 1 Episode 3, “OutKast,” premiering Sunday, August 30 at 9:00 PM ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max. The new episode appears poised to dig much deeper into John’s childhood, his relationship with his family and the mystery surrounding why he was chosen by the Green Lantern Corps.
The photos also introduce Laura Linney’s Guardian, finally putting a face to one of the beings responsible for overseeing the Corps — and perhaps giving John answers he hasn’t been getting from Hal Jordan.
Watch The Lanterns Episode 3 Promo
The Episode 3 preview immediately shifts the spotlight toward Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart, including flashes of a much younger John and a tense look at his upbringing.
One striking moment shows John’s father reacting violently to televised news about a masked Green Lantern, while another shows John meeting Linney’s Guardian and being asked whether he’s ever wondered why he was chosen.
John’s response?
He believes he already knows.
That alone makes “OutKast” look like the episode where Lanterns begins filling in some major pieces of his history.
Lanterns Episode 3 Photos Introduce Laura Linney’s Guardian
The new Episode 3 gallery gives us our first substantial look at Laura Linney in the series as one of the Guardians of the Universe.
In DC mythology, the Guardians are the ancient beings who created and oversee the Green Lantern Corps, making Linney’s arrival much more than a simple guest appearance.
The timing is especially important for John.
Hal has spent the opening episodes reluctant to fully embrace his role as John’s mentor, while Sinestro has already begun manipulating that tension from afar. Episode 3 appears ready to give John access to someone much higher up the Corps’ chain of command.
And based on the promo, that conversation may reveal that John’s recruitment wasn’t nearly as random as he thought.
John Stewart’s Past Takes Center Stage
The first two episodes established John as the Green Lantern Corps’ newest recruit, but “OutKast” appears ready to explore exactly what shaped him long before the ring arrived.
The promo includes flashbacks to John’s childhood and heavily suggests that his family history may be connected to his eventual destiny as a Lantern.
That possibility becomes even more intriguing when combined with the Guardian’s interest in him.
Was John simply selected because he was the best candidate available?
Or has the Corps been watching him — or his family — for much longer than he realizes?
The episode doesn’t appear ready to give away every answer, but the imagery is clearly pushing John’s history into the foreground.
The Manhunter Mystery Is Still Growing
Episode 2 also dramatically expanded the central case.
Hal and John learned that the alien activity surrounding Rushville is connected to a Manhunter, one of the ancient synthetic beings created by the Guardians before the Green Lantern Corps existed.
The Manhunters eventually became dangerously corrupted and were supposedly dismantled, but at least one appears to have survived — and may now be hiding somewhere on Earth.
That’s where “OutKast” becomes especially interesting.
If the Guardian is appearing now, while Hal and John investigate a rogue Manhunter, her arrival could be directly connected to the Corps’ oldest failure.
And John may find himself learning a lot more about the history of the Green Lanterns than Hal intended.
Sinestro Is Already In Hal’s Head
Episode 2 also introduced Ulrich Thomsen’s Sinestro, currently imprisoned but still more than capable of getting inside Hal’s head.
Sinestro immediately challenged Hal’s confidence in John and suggested that his new partner might pose a bigger threat to the Green Lantern legacy than the Manhunter itself.
That makes Episode 3’s John-focused storyline particularly well timed.
Hal is questioning his new partner.
John is questioning why he was chosen.
And the Guardian may be about to tell him something neither man is prepared to hear.
When Does Lanterns Episode 3 Premiere?
Lanterns Season 1 Episode 3, “OutKast,” premieres Sunday, August 30 at 9:00 PM ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max.
The first season consists of eight episodes, with new episodes arriving weekly on Sundays.
If “OutKast” delivers on what the promo is teasing, we may be about to learn that John Stewart’s connection to the Green Lantern Corps started long before he ever put on the ring.
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Thomas Miller is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Seat42F, covering television, movies and streaming entertainment. He launched Seat42F in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades covering the entertainment industry.
