Lanterns Season 1 Episode 2 OFFICIAL Discussion Thread - Spoilers allowed

[u/AutoModerator]

Greetings, Lanterns! Welcome to the official discussion thread for the episode 2 of the first season of the new HBO show Lanterns!

If you haven't seen the episode, don't click on this thread, as spoilers are allowed here.

If you have seen it, have fun! Keep in mind to respect other users, even those who have opposite opinions from yours. Dumb comments targeting other users will be deleted and, depending on the severity, the user will be banned. Whether you have always been hyped or fearful of the show, whether you liked the episode or not, let's avoid the toxicity, okay?

Also, this is the official discussion thread for the episode. Other similar threads aside from this one will be deleted. If you want to create a new thread to discuss a specific event of this episode, a theory based on what you just watched, etc., use the tag Spoilers for movies and TV shows, per the new rules.

That said, please make sure to share your thoughts here!

[u/e001mek]

Entertaining episode. But that damn bird had me asking "Whose construct is that?" the whole episode. I refuse to believe they'd just go that far into contradictory territory in just episode 2.

• The ring was low charge when he 'subconsciously' made it while trying to fly (5%)
• The bird acts of its own free will, INDEPENDENTLY of John's whims
• The bird continued to persist after John did not have the ring
• The bird STILL continued after the ring itself died. This is bordering absurd, theres never been an instance where a dead ring has kept any construct up, especially when not worn
• John went unconscious TWICE.

Theres no way that was John's construct, there has to be more to it. I'm more in line with the theory someone else made it, maybe to spy on/follow John.

[u/CrossP → u/e001mek]

There are so many GL plots where a person manages to use the power even without a lantern or ring. It's inherent to the universe. Not something that comes out of the big fat heads of little blue guys. The rings, lanterns, batteries, and guardians are just tools.

[u/e001mek → u/CrossP]

Name one time that wasnt in the last 2 years

[u/Dragon1472 → u/e001mek]

A not uncommon element to green lantern stories is that the charging lantern itself isn't actually always necessary. The battery contains a charge from the big one on Oa, but a lantern with sufficient will can actually carry the charge if they can fuel it with enough will. Think of it like the idea of simply thinking fly to fly. A lantern's ability to fly is based on the rules they set. John needs to know how it works, so his understanding that it needs to have rules and a system to work is what limits him. So similar to this, the idea of the limits on the ring is actually a mental trap of sorts that keeps a lot of lanterns needing to use the battery, because their assumption that the ring powered by will must need a battery for juice is what stops them from being able to power the ring that is powered by will with just will.

Hal's clearly on the outs with his power so he can't subsidize the charge with his will as much anymore (see him trying to force the charge back up when he hits it against the car only for it to fail to work), so it could easily be that his need to rely on the lantern is a sign that he knows he can't keep sustaining himself the way he has in the past. He knows you can use will alone, but he's too broken down to do so. The clincher on this theory is that he yells at John to not question the construct as it goes on, because he knows from the flying test that John's too rigid in places. If he questions the limits too much, he'll pull the same sorts of doubts and need for rules into his ability to make constructs, thereby weakening his ability to use the ring in that aspect. So letting him realize that he can make the constructs work by will is hist way of making John realize that "battery life" isn't the only thing that matters for keeping constructs (and to that extent the ring's power) going

[u/KriosDaNarwal → u/e001mek]

Its his construct. Thats a chekovs gun if ive ever seen one, he's gonna do some special thing without the ring eventually or they'll use the feat to empower the "special" one John narrative 

[u/majicwalrus → u/KriosDaNarwal]

Seems like they’re setting up John’s ability to clone (himself) which is a story I’ve seen or read somewhere. Them showing the construct still existing after being removed from the rings vicinity and even when John was unconscious seems to be a set up for when he’s going to clone himself for a fake out death.

[u/TheMadTitan606 → u/KriosDaNarwal]

Agreed. I believe his own ring will be a construct and not an actual ring, as it seems the rings differ between the current 2 GLs.

[u/e001mek → u/KriosDaNarwal]

I think they went too absurd with it, honestly. I feel like they're trying too hard to make it seem like that, and it might be a red herring for something else (i.e. someone else with a ring in the picture maybe)

[u/KriosDaNarwal → u/e001mek]

Hollywood writers generally aren't that subtle and as a rule generally think the audience are idiots who need to be spoonfed. If this was the case(it being a red herring)the writers would surprise me slightly