This article contains spoilers for Lanterns episode one.
The HBO pilot closes on a flash-forward: in 2026, a decade after the episode’s main events, an older John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) finds Hal’s frozen body in the football bleachers at the site of the episode’s central crime. His ring is missing, and John does not have it either. The show runs on two timelines, 2016 and 2026, with the mystery starting from the body.
Why the Lanterns episode 1 ending has fans so upset
Hal is the DCU’s flagship Green Lantern, and the new universe has now introduced its most famous Lantern as a corpse.
“Officially done with Lanterns thanks to the ending, imagine starting the new DCU and you don’t have Hal Jordan. Pathetic on [James] Gunn’s part.”
a fan reacting to the ending, via IGN
Others called the new DCU a “garbage universe that disrespects the characters of DC”, and one said the ending explained “why no big star wanted to play Hal Jordan”.
Part of the complaint is the version of Hal the show has built. After 30 years as Earth’s Green Lantern he is older, cynical and an alcoholic, and some fans read that as a slight on the comics.
“This portrayal of Hal is terrible. And killing Hal in the first episode is stupid, even if it isn’t really him. He needs to be the focus; otherwise, this is not going to succeed. A buddy space cop show needs both buddies to work.”
a Green Lantern fan, via IGN
The creators say they saw this coming. Damon Lindelof, who created the show with Tom King and Chris Mundy, told DiscussingFilm he expected the backlash:
“The fans are going to hate us.”
Damon Lindelof, Lanterns co-creator
He defended the choice as the whole point of the show:
“We want audiences to feel sad, and we want them to feel mad, and we want them to feel confused. Because those are the feelings that people have when someone they care about dies.”
Damon Lindelof
Hal even warns John early on that the only way he gets the ring is by prying it from his cold, dead hand. The ending takes him at his word.
Not every reaction to the Lanterns episode 1 ending was negative. Some viewers found the twist a strong hook for a murder mystery, and showrunner Chris Mundy told IGN the death was designed to make the mystery matter:
“We needed whatever that mystery was to be as meaningful as possible and as emotional as possible for John, for Hal in a way, but also for the audience.”
Chris Mundy, Lanterns showrunner
Is Hal Jordan really dead in Lanterns?
The creators say yes: in the show’s 2026 timeline Hal is dead, and the mystery is how he got there. Fans have their doubts. The pilot introduces shapeshifting aliens and a hologram version of Hal — plenty of room for a comic-book resurrection — and Hal appears throughout the 2016 timeline regardless.
Lanterns streams on OSN+ in the UAE. For the full episode guide, see our Where to Watch Lanterns in the UAE piece, or how the series finally made it to air after seven years.
Has Hal Jordan died before in the comics?
Yes. Hal Jordan has a long history of dying and coming back — most famously in 1996’s The Final Night, after which he became the Spectre before his resurrection in Green Lantern: Rebirth (2004-05). The Lanterns creators insist his death in the show is real, but comic readers know the ring rarely stays off for long.
Who created Lanterns?
The series was created by Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers, Watchmen), Eisner Award-winning comic-book writer Tom King and Chris Mundy, who serves as showrunner. Kyle Chandler plays Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre plays John Stewart.
Where can I watch Lanterns in the UAE?
On OSN+, which carries HBO’s Lanterns in the UAE. The series premiered in August 2026 alongside its US debut on HBO.
