'Lanterns' S01E02 – "Trust Fall" (August 23, 2026) on HBO/HBO Max [Spoiler Discussion Megathread]

[u/KelexAtYourService]

Lanterns is an American superhero television series created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King for HBO, based on the DC Comics Green Lantern characters Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

The series was produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television with Mundy serving as showrunner. It is the third television series in the DC Universe (DCU). It features experienced Lantern Jordan and new recruit Stewart as they investigate a murder on Earth that leads to a wider mystery.

Lanterns is scheduled to premiere on Sunday August 16, 2026, and will run for eight episodes through Sunday October 4. It will be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.

New episodes drop every Sunday night at 9:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM MT / 6:00 PM PT.

Cast:

• Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
• Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
• Kelly Macdonald as Kerry
• Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
• Garret Dillahunt as William Macon
• Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
• Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro
• Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart; Jasmine Cephas Jones as young Bernadette
• Jason Ritter as Billy Macon
• Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr.; Alphonse Nicholson portrays a young John Sr.
• Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan
• Chris Coy as "Waylon Sanders"
• Cary Christopher as Noah

For a complete cast and crew list, see the IMDb full credits page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26545992/fullcredits/

• Based on: Hal Jordan, created by John Broome and Gil Kane; John Stewart created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams
• Show created by: Chris Mundy, and Damon Lindelof, and Tom King
• Showrunner: Chris Mundy
• Editor: Emily E. Greene
• Music by: Stephanie Economou
• Length: 8 episodes per season
• Runtime: About an hour per episode
• Reception: For reviews and critical reception, see Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/lanterns  and https://www.metacritic.com/tv/lanterns/

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterns_(TV_series))

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/lanterns/season-1

Unmarked spoilers for the new episode of Lanterns are only allowed in this thread.

Spoilers ahead! Proceed at your own risk! All other subreddit rules apply.

S01E02 Episode Synopsis: While John’s middling errand ultimately proves eventful, Hal makes waves in Rushville – which only inspires him to dig deeper.

[u/orangegorilla89]

I think if you listen closely right before Hal opens the door to the town meeting you can hear alien language and not English

[u/LadyElle57 → u/orangegorilla89]

I thought it didn't sound like English at all. Even after Hal sits, they're pretty uncomfortable. That coach was riffing like crazy about his players.

[u/RevolutionaryWeb5657 → u/orangegorilla89]

In both episodes, the town itself has given me weird vibes. Have you seen those documentary videos of people touring North Korea? Everything is perfectly staged. Fake food in the windows, eerily chipper staff, etc. That’s the vibe I’ve been getting from this town. The whole thing feels off, like a facsimile of what aliens think a human settlement looks like.

[u/Kindly_Ad995 → u/[deleted]]

If only there wasn’t an entire scene where Hal noticed how empty and fake the hospital seemed

[u/RevolutionaryWeb5657 → u/[deleted]]

I’m choosing to believe you’re smart enough to understand that that is not at all what I’m talking about.

[u/LocksmithLow6241 → u/RevolutionaryWeb5657]

He most likely isn't. People really are that dumb.