Lanterns: Review: The Jordan Boys Legacy
When you look at this new series called Lanterns, especially the seventh episode titled The Jordan Boys Legacy, it takes me back to those conversations about fathers and sons. This episode is the penultimate one, meaning it is the final step before the grand finale, and it focuses heavily on what we leave behind for our children. It reminds me of how my own father handed me his old tools when I finished high school, telling me that a man must carry his own weight. In this story, John Stewart and a holographic version of Hal Jordan are digging through the past to solve a murder.
The writers did something very bold from the start of this series by killing off Hal Jordan, who is supposed to be the legendary hero. In this episode, John and the hologram finally get inside Hal’s secret vault in a place called Rushville. Instead of finding a chest full of gold or alien technology, they find a satchel with a canteen, a poncho, a pistol, and a strange ball of dark matter that acts like a wormhole. It makes you realize that even the most powerful men are often just hiding their basic fears and survival gear in the dark.
What really struck a chord in my heart was the revelation about the Jordan family history. We always heard that Hal was completely fearless because his father died in a tragic test pilot accident. But the hologram reveals a much darker truth, showing that his father actually chose to end his own life, just like the grandfather did before him. That hit me hard because mental burdens are a quiet inheritance that many families pass down without ever speaking about them aloud. Far from making Hal fearless, that family legacy haunted him every single day of his life.
As a man who has watched how families operate for over forty years, I find this psychological depth to be the strongest part of the show. Aaron Pierre plays John Stewart with a heavy, grounded presence that feels very real to me. Kyle Chandler plays the hologram of Hal, and together they create a dynamic that feels like two old detectives trying to make sense of a broken world. They step through that dark matter portal and end up on a devastated planet, which raises the stakes right before the end.
The slow pacing of the episode might bother people who just want to see a bunch of green laser beams and comic book action. Some viewers on the internet are complaining that the show is too dark or that it lacks the colorful space opera feel you expect from superheroes. I disagree with that complaint completely because I prefer a story that takes its time to explore human grief and generational pain. The washed out colors actually match the somber mood of a town full of secrets and a family history built on tragedy.
However, the episode is not entirely perfect because the plot gets a bit tangled with too many mystery boxes. The show drops a lot of heavy exposition about alien robots called Manhunters and distant planets, which might confuse someone who does not know the original comic books. When you pile too many secrets inside other secrets, it can start to feel like an endless puzzle rather than a natural story. I think they could have spent a little less time explaining the mechanics of the universe and more time on the immediate mystery of who pulled the trigger.
There is a side plot involving Sheriff Kerry Kane throwing a party for her son Noah, who is trying to decide on a college football career. This part of the episode felt a bit like a distraction designed to keep her away from the main investigation. Still, it provides a nice contrast to the heavy sci fi elements by showing normal people dealing with regular life decisions. It reminds us that while cosmic forces are clashing in the background, a mother is still just trying to protect her child’s future.
The ending leaves us with some very intriguing theories about how the green ring actually functions. There is a hint that John Stewart might have a special trait that allows him to power the ring using his own internal energy without a traditional lantern. That concept is beautiful to me because it implies that true strength comes from within the person, not from an external tool. It sets up the finale perfectly, making you wonder how John will face the ultimate threat alone.
In the end, this penultimate episode earns a solid four out of five stars in my book. It chooses to look directly into the eyes of family trauma and the weight of the past rather than just offering cheap excitement. It treats the audience with respect by delivering an intelligent, emotionally mature detective story. As I sit back and think about where this journey will conclude next week, I am grateful for a show that understands that the greatest mysteries are the ones we carry inside ourselves.