Lanterns episode 2 unleashes Sinestro and the Manhunters as major threats
HBO's 'Lanterns' has fully unveiled its first season villains, and they're heavy hitters from the comics. As reported by TheWrap, the second episode ends with Hal Jordan visiting a space prison and confronting Sinestro, played by Ulrich Thomsen. The show establishes Sinestro as a former Green Lantern who attempted a coup against the Guardians and was imprisoned by Hal.
Earlier in the episode, John Stewart is abducted by the alien Antaan, per TheWrap's reporting. Antaan reveals that he and his disguised crew are on Earth hunting a Manhunter, a rogue robotic peacekeeper created by the Guardians before the Green Lantern Corps. He claims a Manhunter destroyed his homeworld and is now hiding in Rushville, threatening to detonate his team if John doesn't identify the target within 48 hours.
According to TheWrap's analysis, Antaan's backstory of planetary destruction by Manhunters is very similar to that of the classic Green Lantern villain Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns. Showrunner Chris Mundy acknowledged the parallel, telling TheWrap they aimed to make the cosmic threat feel personal.
Collider's review notes the episode splits up Hal and John, allowing their separate storylines to build. Hal investigates alien detectors in Rushville and steals alien corpses, while John retrieves Hal's power battery and is subsequently kidnapped. The episode culminates with Hal suiting up and seeking information from his imprisoned former ally, Sinestro, setting the stage for a major conflict.
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