Series guide
- Superhero
- Drama
- Mystery
- Science fiction
- Neo-Western
Veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and new recruit John Stewart come to Earth to investigate a killing in a small Nebraska town.
- Creators
- Chris Mundy · Damon Lindelof · Tom King
- Stars
- Kyle Chandler · Aaron Pierre · Kelly Macdonald
Images: HBO Max / TVmaze
Streaming Lanterns: HBO Max and HBO
Lanterns streams on HBO Max in the US, with each new episode arriving Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, the same moment it airs on the HBO channel. Every HBO Max plan includes it, from $10.99 a month with ads, and so does the Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max bundle. No digital purchase or disc release has been announced.
HBO MaxSeason 1 · new episodes Sundays, all plansSubscription
HBOLive Sundays 9 p.m. ET via cable, satellite or live-TV appsLive TV
Streaming options in the United States, updated Sep 15, 2026. More from hbomax.com, deadline.com. Service logos are trademarks of their owners.
- Episodes aired
- 5 of 8
- Episodes
- 8
- Finale
- Oct 4, 2026
- Rated
- TV-MA
- Based on
- DC Comics
Lanterns episodes 8
Lanterns season 1 has eight episodes, released weekly from August 16 to the October 4 finale. Premises below are spoiler-free; plot details for aired episodes live in our reviews.
Season 1 · 8 episodes · 5 aired · Aug 16, 2026 to Oct 4, 2026
-
S1.E1 ·
Pilot
Veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and new recruit John Stewart head to a small Nebraska town to prove that a deadly shooting there was no ordinary crime.
Directed by James Hawes · Written by Chris Mundy & Damon Lindelof & Tom King
-
S1.E2 ·
Trust Fall
John is sent on an errand away from town while Hal's pushy questioning makes him unwelcome with Rushville's most powerful family.
Directed by James Hawes · Written by Vanessa Baden Kelly & Chris Mundy
-
S1.E3 ·
OutKast
A John Stewart-focused hour that traces the lifetime of preparation leading up to his interview with the Guardians.
Directed by Stephen Williams · Written by Vanessa Baden Kelly
-
S1.E4 ·
The Weenie
Hal and John try a new approach to the case without the sheriff's knowledge, while one of Hal's earlier choices starts to catch up with him.
Directed by Geeta Vasant Patel · Written by Justin Britt-Gibson & Damon Lindelof
-
S1.E5 ·
Lights Out
Picks up straight from episode 4's cliffhanger as the partners' investigation in Rushville comes to a head.
Directed by Geeta Vasant Patel · Written by Breannah Gibson
-
S1.E6 · · Up next
Title not announced
Written by Damon Lindelof & Tom King
-
S1.E7 ·
Title not announced
Written by Justin Britt-Gibson
-
S1.E8 ·
Title not announced
Written by Chris Mundy & Damon Lindelof & Tom King
HBO hasn’t announced titles for episodes 6 to 8 yet.
Videos 3
How to catch up on Lanterns before the finale
Five of the eight episodes have aired as of September 15, 2026, so catching up means about five hours on HBO Max before episode 6 arrives on Sunday, September 20. Episodes run close to an hour each, and the finale follows on October 4.
If you only have time for one episode, make it episode 3, “OutKast.” It steps away from the Nebraska case to build John Stewart’s backstory, and it drew the show’s biggest audience so far, according to Deadline. Our episode reviews, linked in the guide above, cover what each hour changes from the comics.
For the full release calendar with US times, see our Lanterns episode schedule; for plan prices and every way to get HBO Max, see where to watch Lanterns.
Lanterns cast 15
-
-
Aaron PierreJohn Stewart / Green LanternMain -
Kelly MacdonaldSheriff Kerry KaneMain -
Garret DillahuntWilliam "Will" MaconMain -
Poorna JagannathanZoe MaconMain -
Ulrich ThomsenThaal SinestroMain -
Nathan FillionGuy Gardner / Green LanternMain -
Jason RitterBilly MaconRecurring
-
Laura LinneyLianna, a Guardian of the UniverseRecurring -
J. Alphonse NicholsonJohn Stewart Sr. (younger, flashbacks)Recurring -
Sherman AugustusJohn Stewart Sr. (present day)Recurring -
Jasmine Cephas JonesBernadette Stewart (younger, flashbacks)Recurring -
Nicole Ari ParkerBernadette Stewart (present day)Recurring -
Paul Ben-VictorAntaanRecurring -
Cary ChristopherNoah MaconRecurring
- Showrunner
- Chris Mundy
- Directors
- James Hawes, Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel
- Executive producers
- James Gunn, Peter Safran, Damon Lindelof, Tom King
- Music
- Stephanie Economou
- Studios
- DC Studios, Warner Bros. Television
Photos via Wikimedia Commons. Kyle Chandler: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0; Aaron Pierre: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0; Kelly Macdonald: KellyMacdonaldOct07.jpg : Mark Rabinowitz at http://www.rabbireport.com, CC BY-SA 3.0; Garret Dillahunt: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0; Poorna Jagannathan: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0; Ulrich Thomsen: Siebbi, CC BY 3.0; Nathan Fillion: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0; Laura Linney: Maximilian Bühn, CC BY-SA 4.0; J. Alphonse Nicholson: LaShawnda Jones, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sherman Augustus: Third Person, CC BY 3.0; Jasmine Cephas Jones: Lauren Desberg, CC0; Nicole Ari Parker: Angela George at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/, CC BY-SA 3.0; Paul Ben-Victor: UltimatePowerPlay, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lanterns trivia 10
- Production
The Nebraska town of Rushville is actually Piru, California, whose main street doubled for downtown Rushville. The show also filmed in Los Angeles and at Warner Bros. Studios Burbank under the working title 'Latitude'. Source
- Production
Production was first planned for Atlanta, but DC Studios moved it to Los Angeles after securing tax credits and studio deals; cameras rolled the week of February 17, 2025. Source
- Production
Lanterns replaced a very different Green Lantern project: Greg Berlanti's 10-episode HBO Max series, announced in 2019 and built around Alan Scott and Guy Gardner, which was redeveloped once DC Studios took over. Source
- Production
The writers partly modelled Hal Jordan on Sam Shepard's performance as Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff (1983). Source
- Comics connection
John Stewart first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2 #87 (Dec 1971/Jan 1972), created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, as a Detroit architect. His Marine background came decades later, from the 2001 Justice League animated series. Source
- Comics connection
Hal Jordan debuted in 1959 as a Ferris Aircraft test pilot. The show's older, grey-streaked Hal borrows his look from the 1990s Green Lantern comics drawn by Pat Broderick. Source
- Comics connection
Spoilers Comics history that may hint where the season is going
The show's central story echoes Emerald Twilight (1994) and The Final Night (1996), the comics in which Hal Jordan fell and died, leaving other Lanterns to carry the name for roughly a decade. Source
- Casting
Josh Brolin was offered the role of Hal Jordan in 2024 but passed. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre were confirmed together on October 9, 2024, after screen tests. Source
- Casting
James Gunn nearly cast Aaron Pierre as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Pierre had already played a DC character, Dev-Em, in the series Krypton. Source
- Reception
Episode 3 set a series high of 10 million global viewers (7 million in the US) in its first three days, per Warner Bros. Discovery figures reported September 4, 2026. The premiere's 9.3 million was the biggest for any DC Studios series on HBO Max. Source
The comics behind Lanterns
Lanterns draws on six decades of Green Lantern comics. These Codex records cite every power, appearance and correction to the issue it comes from.
- Character in the CodexHal Jordan137 cited records
Open the record › - Character in the CodexJohn Stewart24 cited records
Open the record › - Character in the CodexSinestro24 cited records
Open the record › - Person in the CodexKyle Chandler8 cited records
Open the record ›
What people get wrongJohn Stewart is a replacement Green Lantern.
What the comics showHe was selected as a full Lantern in his own right and has served longer than most. His constructs are precise and structurally sound because he is a trained architect, which distinguishes his ring use from Hal Jordan's improvisation. Green Lantern
What people get wrongSinestro was always a villain.
What the comics showHe was the greatest Green Lantern in the Corps and Hal Jordan's mentor. His turn is a disagreement about method — he believes order should be imposed through fear — which is why he remains dangerous rather than merely evil. Green Lantern
More Lanterns coverage
Watch GuidesLanterns Guide: Cast, Every Episode, Trivia and the Comics Behind It
Comic Book CoLanterns Season 2 Isn’t a Sure Thing Yet, Despite HBO’s Best DC Ratings Ever
TVLanterns Episode 4 Review: The Weenie Reveals Its Manhunter, Then Doubts Itself
Comic Book CoHBO’s Lanterns Hits a Series-High 10 Million Viewers Ahead of Tonight’s Episode 4
TV NewsLanterns Episode 4: HBO Releases First Images Ahead of the September 6 Premiere
TVLanterns Episode 3 Review: OutKast Rewrites John Stewart
Rate Lanterns season 1
Sign in to rate it and earn Hero Pass progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is in the cast of Lanterns?
Kyle Chandler plays Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre plays John Stewart, with Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry Kane, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner.
Is Lanterns based on a comic?
Yes. It draws on DC’s Green Lantern comics, built around Hal Jordan, who debuted in 1959, and John Stewart, who first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2 #87 in 1971.
How many episodes are in Lanterns season 1?
Eight. The season premiered August 16, 2026, and the finale airs October 4, 2026.
When is the next episode of Lanterns?
Episode 6 airs Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, followed by episode 7 on September 27 and the finale on October 4.
Can I watch Lanterns without HBO Max?
Yes, through the HBO channel on a cable, satellite or live-TV provider, or through the Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max bundle, which includes HBO Max. No purchase or disc release has been announced.
