This article contains SPOILERS for ‘Lanterns’ Episode 5 “Lights Out.”Lanterns’ fifth episode was an epic hour of television. An all-out war broke out in the streets of Rushville as various plotlines converged on the town in an attempt to apprehend the Manhunter. By the episode’s end, the Manhunter is defeated, and various characters are off the board. This raises the question of what remains for the season’s final three episodes.
The series now appears to be moving from the Manhunter mystery set in 2016 to the 2026 case centered on the murder of Hal Jordan. With how much happened in that action-packed hour of television, we’ve answered the biggest questions from Lanterns Episode 5, “Lights Out.”
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Who Are the Men Who Follow Kerry?
In the episode’s prologue, two criminals confront Kerry in the Rushville diner in 2007. They appear to be Gotham criminals who have been following Kerry and are working for someone in Gotham. The criminal boss is not identified, so it is unclear whether they work for a traditional crime boss or one of Gotham’s many supervillains. It could be Rupert Thorne, the crime boss seen in Creature Commandos, who is killed by Doctor Phosphorus in roughly 2009.
Who Is Kerry’s Father?
Kerry Kane is an original character for Lanterns, so her father is not a previously established DC Comics character. The surname Kane has led some fans to speculate that Kerry could be connected to Kate Kane, aka Batwoman, Bruce Wayne’s cousin. Given her background and her father’s history working with Gotham criminals, they don’t appear to be connected to the Wayne family.
Why Does Hal Leave John in the Car to Burn?
Hal Jordan leaves John Stewart in the crashed car because he wants his potential replacement out of the way so he can capture Zoe on his own and bring her back to the Guardians, get back in their favor, and show he doesn’t need a replacement. Even though the car catches on fire long after Hal leaves, as indicated by the change in the sky from night to day, Hal Jordan still put his desire to wield the ring above what was right. In that moment, he forsakes his oath as a Green Lantern.
Why Zoe Lets John Burn (& Tries to Recruit Him)
Zoe left John in the car to burn so he would be weak enough to listen to her plan and be put into a position to accept her help. Despite John Stewart being a potential Green Lantern recruit and an enemy of the Manhunters, Zoe wants John on her side because she seems to have developed an attachment to him. She even tells him, “You are the only one who really sees me.”
What Antaan & the Aliens Want
Antaan and the other aliens invading Rushville want revenge on the Manhunter after it had killed most of the species in a brutal genocide after having lived undercover on the planet. However, the episode reveals Antaan’s motivations were more personal. It appears that during the Manhunter’s time on Antaan’s planet, they fell in love and tried to start a family together, only to figure out they couldn’t conceive.
Is Hal Jordan Gay?
In the comics, Hal Jordan is heterosexual. The DCU version appears to be as well, with him only saying he hooked up with a Manhunter in a male disguise to keep up his ruse to Antaan that the Manhunter was William Macon and throw them off the scent of Zoe so he could take her in. Yet Hal Jordan’s comment about his years meeting and working alongside aliens might suggest that Hal Jordan is pansexual and can be sexually attracted to anyone regardless of sex, gender, or even if they are the same species.
Why Zoe Killed Abin Sur
Earlier in the season, it was established that Hal Jordan found Abin Sur in Rushville, Nebraska, which is where he inherited the Green Lantern ring from the dying alien. Now, we know how Abin Sur died.
It appears Abin Sur was one of the few Green Lanterns who felt some empathy for the Manhunter. He actually let her go to Earth to live her life in peace. Ultimately, Zoe killed Abin Sur to protect herself, out of the fear he might one day slip up and tell the Guardians of the Universe she was still alive and where to find her.
Why Antaan Tears William Macon’s Heart Out
After confronting William Macon, Antaan shoots the cattle rancher and begins to rip his heart out. He does this because Manhunters can be identified by their hearts, which freeze over when they are ripped out of the body. They can replicate human composition almost perfectly, but the heart is their primary giveaway. When Antaan sees that William Macon’s heart doesn’t, it confirms he’s human and that Hal Jordan deceived him.
Did John Actually Kill the Manhunter?
After shooting Zoe in the head with his sniper rifle, John Stewart rips out her heart, and it freezes over. This confirms Zoe was the Manhunter, and she is dead. But the episode also confirms that Zoe’s killing wound matches the one found on Hal Jordan in the 2026 flash-forward. This doesn’t suggest Zoe is alive and actually the one in Hal Jordan’s place, but it does suggest that someone killed Hal as retaliation for Zoe’s death.
Are Antaan and the Aliens Gone for Good?
Antaan and at least two of his fellow aliens blow themselves up with their self-destruct systems, confirming they are killed. However, not all the aliens blew up, and it is unclear if they were all shot and killed by William Macon’s men. Any alien that didn’t blow up could still be alive and return, possibly in the 2026-set story.
