Lanterns Episode 3: Filler or everything we could have asked for?

No its not, it is not filler, glad we solved that problem.

So what is it then?

Well it is definitely a deviation from the main plot of the show, after the previous two episodes focusing mainly on the conspiracy involving the alien deaths in Rushville Nebraska and how it connects to the Manhunter apparently in hiding there, but this episode chooses to segue into John's history.

For people following this episode by episode this kinda fell from the sky, in fact, the episode begins with John falling from the sky straight into an abandoned mall.

But it is as it turns out, pretty important.

We finally for once learn exactly why John is the way he is, ad why he does what he does.

The thing about this show is that everything in here is fucking complicated, and of course the less intelligent side of the internet is trying to boil everything down to black and white.

Ad that is not an unintentional choice of words I just made, because this episode has a line.

Now, I understand that on the surface this feels very woe is me unless you consider the fact that this was probably at the latest in the 1990s and at earliest in the late seventies, for people paying attention that is the civil rights era.

These people lived through the Jim Crow laws, the last of which was lifted in the year 2000(from what I know), so like... it's not exactly out of the blue that she says this.

John Senior getting that ring test actually fucked their lives, and the fact that he went on to see the very same thing being bestowed on a random guy elsewhere, doesn't really help.

Bernadette in the show does go a bit further and assumes that the only reason Hal got the ring is because he is white.

Now the shit critics of the internet did what they do and immediately assumed that that is what the show is saying....

I just want to ask a thing.

When is it the case that a show is simply presenting an opinion and not endorsing it?

This is the Falcon and the winter Soldier all over again isn't it?

Well except some of us have really grown since that time. And don't fall for that shit anymore.

You know, if you have followed the comics, you would know that Hal and John have a mutual respect for one another, something that this show is probably going to respect.

I also feel that what Hal did is going to be contextualized later on.

You know you can't really fault a show for supporting wrong opinions when the show itself is calling out the people saying those opinions for being wrong now can you?

John's parents built him for one thing and one thing only, fearlessness, making him perfect for being a Green Lantern but bad at being a Human.

They lied to him about birds and he makes one of them exist without a ring.

After each shooting they gave him a cheese burger and now he doesn't eat meat.

He is very open about all of this to the Guardian interviewing him and yet doesn't hold much resentment to his family.

This is epic writing.

Especially because they did not show us Bernadette until now so we are left wondering if she survives this.

We are also recontextualized as to who the crazy parent is.

He will hate us, so be it.

I also have to concede that I was in fact wrong about the manhunter, this is the Guardian.

Leanna?

Isn't she related to Ganthet?

In terms of stories I mean.

Ad we are greeted once again by how a story set in the DCU where Meta Humans are a known thing does the whole "Aliens among us" thing better than Disclosure day.