Lanterns has been a present that is filled with thriller, and a few of these reveals (up to now) haven’t labored out the best way followers predicted. Episode 4 appeared to ship at the very least one massive reveal: the identification of the Manhunter who has been hiding out on Earth. Nevertheless, rather a lot was happening in “The Weenie”, in addition to Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) confirming that Zoe Macon (Pooma Jagannathan) is a Manhunter and that his “trainee” John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) has recognized it for a while. Loads of strikes and countermoves had been made by competing gamers, together with Thaal Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) planting seeds of doubt (concern) in Hal, whereas each John and Hal had been turned towards each other, resulting in a literal automotive wreck of a partnership.
Nevertheless, Episode 4 of Lanterns additionally fastidiously peppered in a subplot that the majority viewers could not have picked up on. It has been effervescent for some time, and it principally boils down to at least one main character within the present having been an imposter all the time – and I’m not speaking concerning the Manhunter.
Lanterns Concept: Lianna Isn’t Actually One of many Guardians
Lianna (Laura Linney) is one in every of two main X-factors in Lanterns‘ story – the opposite being Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) and his vengeful gang of aliens. Nevertheless, Lianna’s presence goes again a lot additional, as she first made contact with the Stewart household when John Jr. was only a child. It was Lianna who set issues in movement for John (Aaron Pierre) to coach as a candidate for the Inexperienced Lantern Corps from infancy, and is now returning to evaluate the return on that funding. Nevertheless, there are more and more shady circumstances surrounding Lianna and her agenda, and Episode 4 actually presses that time in a single key scene.
When John has a secret meet-up with Lianna, she coerces him into hijacking the Energy Ring and the title of Inexperienced Lantern for himself. When John’s delight and sense of entitlement make him query the tactic, Lianna’s temper and tone shift significantly. She accuses John of being flawed like his father and purposefully stokes his ire for Hal Jordan to start out a battle between them. Loads of viewers unfamiliar with DC lore imagine that that is merely how god-like cosmic beings just like the Guardians would take care of a lifeform they take into account primitive (like people); nevertheless, some longtime DC followers aren’t so sure about that.
One principle is that Lianna may very well be a Manhunter (or the Manhunter). The timing works out, too: If Abin Sur crashed on Earth with the Manhunter as a passenger, then Lianna displaying up quickly after the ring rejected John Sr. and selected Hal is smart. The opposite principle is that the Manhunter is only a minor boss (the henchman) on this superhero story, and that Lianna is the massive boss, the mastermind. That might both imply she is a pacesetter of the Manhunters, or a rogue member of the Guardians who’s pursuing her personal agenda, seemingly towards her former brethren and their Inexperienced Lanterns.
Both means, listed below are some more and more conspicuous clues that Lianna isn’t precisely who she claims to be:
- She solely seems to a really choose group of individuals (the Stewart household) and all the time alone. We by no means see her within the firm of different Guardians or Inexperienced Lanterns, and she or he appears to be making some extent to steer clear of Hal Jordan, somebody who may instantly verify or deny her story. She’s very a lot a lone wolf.
- There’s a extremely questionable goal behind her choice to deal with John Stewart as a home-grown human Inexperienced Lantern. John’s overriding high quality is his obedience and willingness to comply with orders with out hesitation (concern). It may very well be the coaching for an elite-level Inexperienced Lantern, or it may very well be a means for a scheming villain to create a ring-bearer highly effective sufficient to oppose the Corps.
- Lianna’s odd conduct and mannerisms have been offered to us as a Guardian attempting to behave human; it may simply be an artificial being like a Manhunter attempting to do the identical. A Manhunter would additionally have the ability to shapeshift into each a Guardian and a human type to idiot John’s mother, Bernadette.
- Some followers assume the diamond Lianna affords Bernadette wasn’t a diamond the Guardians made, however an attractive bribe utilizing the crystallized coronary heart of a Manhunter (as Sinestro described).
That’s loads of circumstantial proof piling up, and if it pans out, Hal and John are already caught up in severe, world-threatening hazard that’s gathering within the shadows (pun) lengthy earlier than Superman and the remainder of the DCU heroes are round to thwart it.
Why Lianna Would Be A Harmful Huge Dangerous for the DCU
Whether or not she’s a Manhunter or a rogue Guardian (or one thing else), Lianna stands out as the one who fed Sinestro details about John Stewart whereas putting a take care of the fallen Lantern. She may very well be the “benefactor” who helps the Manhunter fortify the city of Rushville; she may have created the “Hector Hammond” facade and likewise pointed Antaan and his crew on the city of Rushville. That will be a number of lanes of intergalactic battle being stirred on Earth by a single particular person – precisely the type of infiltration, espionage, and deception we’ve heard Manhunters excel at. It’s plausible that Lanterns solves the principle battle of saving Rushville and exposing the Manhunter hiding there, however Lianna stays undiscovered till Hal Jordan lastly spots her because the risk in 2026 (and dies for it). That may very well be the make-or-break second the place John Stewart completes an arc of changing into a Inexperienced Lantern in Hal’s mildew, after realizing how Lianna manipulated him.
Then there’s the query of the bigger aim right here. Destabilizing the construction and order the Guardians have set in place (even inside their very own peacekeeping power) appears to be the tactic, however to what finish? DC comedian readers know that these sorts of tensions result in a lot greater conflicts just like the “Battle of Gentle” and its subsequent fallout, the “Blackest Evening.” If this principle is correct, Lianna may very well be the primary actual massive unhealthy the DCU franchise has revealed, and figuring out it will be Laura Linney solely makes it that significantly better.
Lanterns is airing on HBO and streaming on HBO Max. Drop your theories on the ComicBook Discussion board!