Spoilers for Episode 6 of Lanterns follow.
Lanterns has spent the first half of its season making one thing very clear: don’t trust what you think you know about Hal Jordan. The HBO series introduced Kyle Chandler’s veteran Green Lantern as a complicated mentor, then seemingly killed him off. Episode 6, “Bad Optics,” doesn’t exactly undo that. But it does leave behind a pretty massive clue that Hal’s story might not be over.
Episode 6 jumps into the show’s 2026 timeline. Ten years after the events of the earlier episodes, John Stewart is no longer a Green Lantern. Hal, meanwhile, is dead, and Sheriff Kerry Kane is investigating his murder. Then we get Hal’s funeral. And the title of his eulogy? “The Brightest Day.”
Sure, that’s part of the Green Lantern oath. So on the surface, it makes perfect sense. It’s exactly the kind of phrase you’d expect to hear at a Green Lantern’s funeral. But comic fans know those words have another meaning. Brightest Day was also a major DC Comics storyline that followed Blackest Night and revolved around a number of dead characters returning to life. Suddenly, putting those words over Hal Jordan’s funeral feels a little less innocent. Not to mention, Batman has already been name-dropped in Lanterns.
That’s the big question. Lanterns has gone out of its way to make Hal’s death feel real. John believes he’s dead, the investigation treats it as a murder, and the funeral is very much presented as a final goodbye. But then there’s the Halogram. John eventually returns to Hal’s grave, takes his ring, and uses its remaining charge to summon the stored version of Hal. The Halogram looks directly into the coffin, and his reaction is simple. That’s a terrific cliffhanger. More importantly, it gives the audience another reason to question whether Hal Jordan’s story is really finished. A major villain has already been confirmed in earlier Lanterns episodes.
As if that wasn’t enough, Episode 6 also gives longtime fans another little treat: Carol Ferris is at Hal’s funeral. Carol is one of the most important characters in Hal’s comic-book history. She’s his longtime love interest and, eventually, becomes Star Sapphire, one of Green Lantern’s most recognizable villains and allies.
The episode doesn’t confirm that Carol will become Star Sapphire. There’s no violet ring or transformation. For now, she’s simply Carol Ferris. But that’s what makes it such a fun Easter egg. Maybe “The Brightest Day” is just an oath reference. Maybe it’s a wink toward Hal’s possible return. And maybe Carol’s appearance is simply there for the die-hards. We have already seen clues to 5 other Lanterns. Or maybe Lanterns is quietly telling us that some very important pieces of Green Lantern history are about to come back to life.
For now, Hal Jordan remains six feet under. But Lanterns may have left the door cracked open, and the light is still getting through. Between a “Brightest Day,” a Halogram, and Carol Ferris waiting in the wings, death suddenly feels less final than advertised. Maybe Hal’s story is over. Or maybe, in true Green Lantern fashion, it’s only just beginning.
