Category: TV

Lanterns “Dirt and Stars” Review

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “Dirt and Stars.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “The Jordan Boys Legacy,” here’s a link to that review. “Dirt and Stars” tidied up most of Lanterns‘ loose ends. Did it tie up those ends in the best way. Maybe, maybe not. But the show’s finale does what Lanterns has been doing this entire season, keeping the narrative focused on its characters.

I loved the moment in the car between John Stewart and Noah (Kerry’s son and the Manhunter’s grandson). Lanterns has explored upbringing and the concept of nature versus nurture this entire season. Kudos to Lanterns for doing that. Did I like the reveal of Noah as the last remaining Manhunter. Yeah. It was good. It tied into the events of Rushville. Having a Manhunter as the “final boss” (so to say) was better than trying to shoehorn Parallax into the final three episodes. Did I like the fake out of Kerry being the one who killed Hal? Not as much. It made sense for her character, but Kerry loses something as a character when she impulsively shoots Hal after Hal talks about moving Noah. Clearly, Hal doesn’t want to harm Noah; he wouldn’t have suggested moving. Kerry may be a mother, but she’s also a sheriff. While I could see Kerry shooting Hal in defense, I don’t know if this scene sold why she’d do so.

Again, the acting was phenomenal. You couldn’t have asked for a better cast. I love all of the main cast here. Lanterns (from a writing a direction standpoint) did a fantastic job of conveying these characters. Most of them are flawed and that makes them compelling. Sure, I took Lanterns to task for adding full episodes of backstory for its characters. This caused the show to mark time and not propel its narrative forward. Most creative writing instructors would advise against taking this action. But the characters are so intriguing that I didn’t mind. I wanted to know more about John and Hal’s upbringing. And I think setting Lanterns on Earth was a good move. Would I like to see interstellar Green Lantern stories in the future? Of course. Setting Lanterns on Earth reduces budget costs. I can see the DCU containing its live-action television series to Earth, while its movies explore the cosmos.

Despite grounding the characters (on Earth), Lanterns does a good enough job of adapting the Green Lantern from the comics. I don’t read too many other reviewers’ posts until after I finished reviewing a movie or show myself, but I can imagine a lot of reviewers and specifically reviewers who are comic book readers, complaining that Lanterns should’ve been set in the cosmos. If you plan to make a Green Lantern television series, that series needs to be set in space. I agree with that to some extent, but Green Lantern has had terrestrial stories as well. I remind you of the groundbreaking Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic book series of the 1970s by Dennis O’Neal and Neal Adams. Lanterns made more than one reference to this series, most notably the scene between the Guardian and John’s mother. So good.

Arguing about how Lanterns does or does not adapt the comics plays out like a windshield wiper. It doesn’t work because of this, but it does work because of that. And so on. I return to the characters. Kyle Chandler does a phenomenal job as a broken Hal Jordan. While Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart borrows a few elements from another Green Lantern (Kyle Raynor’s artist abilities), Lanterns does a great job of weaving those elements into John’s character. I’m always down for more Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and I can’t wait to see if Gardner gets his red power ring. From the main cast to recurring characters and supporting characters, most, if not all, the actors do a great job. I enjoyed this show. Is it a perfect representation of Green Lantern from the comics. Not exactly. But I draw your attention to DC Comics’ Elseworlds. It’s the multiverse without the interconnection. The characters are close enough to their comic book counterparts.

John Stewart was a military veteran and had an odd upbringing. Guy Gardner always had a chip on his shoulder and suffered from an inferiority complex. While he spent most of his life as a hero, Hal Jordan did become a villain. It’s the online chatter about Jordan that makes me laugh.

In the comics, Hal Jordan killed all but one Guardian (in Lanterns, Jordan’s mentor Sinestro killed a single Guardian), and then Hal began killing every Green Lantern and claiming their rings for himself. That’s where we get the iconic image above. Fans became so outraged, claiming Hal would never do those heinous acts. This isn’t my Hal. Hal’s a hero. He isn’t broken. The complaints became so loud that DC Comics backtracked the story. Instead of Hal becoming Parallax, they made Hal possessed by Parallax. It wasn’t Hal’s fault. It was someone else’s. LOL Lanterns had shades of Hal as Parallax, and Green Lantern fans are doing the same thing online in 2026 as they did in the 1990s. My time machine works. It’s the 1990s again.

See what I mean? We can go on for hours like a windshield wiper with Lanterns being a “good adaptation” of Green Lantern. Most points have counterpoints. I will add that Lanterns did set up the concepts of the emotional spectrum (what each color of power ring represents) in subtle ways. I can’t wait to see how Lanterns explores the emotional spectrum in the future (if it gets renewed for a second season, that is). I mentioned Guy gaining a red power ring. Red power rings are fueled by rage. He’s a list of DC Comics’ Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum:

Red/Rage
Orange/Avarice
Yellow/Fear
Green/Will
Blue/Hope
Indigo/Compassion
Violet/Love
Grey/Sorrow
Black/Death
White/Life

The lantern John uses to power up his ring has yellow streaks: fear. Sinestro mentions that fear can be the most powerful force in the universe. Of course he’d say that, he’s the most famous wearer of a yellow power ring. While in bed, Hal says to Kerry that he “wills” her to stay. This is a great nod to what powers the green power ring; it’s another great moment of Hal trying to reclaim his hero status after his fall. And I mentioned in previous reviews that Parallax (DC Comics’ living embodiment of fear) was hinted at more than once in Lanterns. The show eases viewers into this concept. An emotional spectrum is odd, but I can’t wait to see what the DCU has in store for the emotional spectrum’s future.

Yes. Guy gains a red power ring, but he may be the one character who has worn the most unique color of power rings. I’d like to see the DCU explore Guy’s character arc with these various rings. I’d also love to see the DCU adapt Supergirl gaining a red power ring. This dovetails into 2026’s Supergirl. So many people derided Supergirl because the main character was too angry. During a comic book event when most DC characters gained a power ring, Supergirl gets a red power ring. Buried under the weight of expectations (superhero, member of the House of El, part of the Superman family, and various gender roles as a woman), Supergirl embraced the red power ring by saying “F#@% this S#!t.” It was a joy to see an unleashed Supergirl.

I enjoyed Lanterns season one. The show had flaws. I mentioned several weeks ago that I couldn’t see how Lanterns could regain its momentum after the events of Rushville (episode five), and the show struggled to do just that. The momentum slowed to a crawl. I’d say the first five episode of this season were fantastic. I’d gladly rewatch them. The last three episodes leave a little to be desired, but overall, Lanterns season one held my interest.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “Dirt and Stars” and the show as a whole. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “The Jordan Boys Legacy” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “The Jordan Boys Legacy.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “Bad Optics,” here’s a link to that review. “The Jordan Boys Legacy” had some great callbacks. That’s good, sometimes even great. And this week’s episode did some things to progress Lanterns season one’s plot, but I’m afraid it may not have done enough. The season finale has a ton of work. As the episode’s title implies, “The Jordan Boys Legacy” dives into Hal Jordan’s backstory. That may not sound like it’s a bad thing, but remember, Hal’s gone. Any longform story with Hal is backtracking when the finale is next week. And this episode builds up the idea of Hal unaliving himself. Can I use the S-word here? You know what, I will. This episode suggests Hal may have committed suicide, but I think this is a red herring.

Before we get any further, spoiler warnings are in effect. You’ve been warned. If Hal committed suicide, it’ll be because he was under the influence of the fear toxins John Stewart encountered in this week’s episode, and that fear toxin originates from Parallax and/or the Sinestro Corps. Lanterns hasn’t done enough to build up these threats. We’ve physically seen Sinestro himself in a couple of episodes, but he’s been imprisoned. I should take a moment and acknowledge that this week’s episode of Lanterns did answer one of the questions I had from last week. Hal Jordan must’ve “freed” Sinestro. More precisely, Hal relocated Sinestro from one prison to another. This answer leads to more questions:

How did Hal know which planet to imprison Sinestro? Antaan implanted John Stewart with the memories of his people, not Hal.

Was Hal involved with Antaan’s people getting massacred or did he clean up the mess? Maybe.

Was Sinestro somehow involved? Probably.

When did Hal imprison Sinestro? I’m guessing during 2016 because his ring must’ve been decommissioned after the events at Rushville, but Lanterns made it sound as if Hal “freed” Sinestro in the past few years. Someone with the ability to fly through the cosmos “freed” Sinestro. Hal couldn’t do that without a power ring. Could he?

Was Hal possessed by Parallax? Ah! That may be what Lanterns is building toward. I mentioned Parallax last week. It’s the embodiment of fear in the DC Comics Universe, and Parallax has a history in the comics of poisoning Hal Jordan. Heck, Parallax was first introduced in DC Comics with the being possessing Hal Jordan. Okay. Technically, Green Lantern writers wanted Hal to fall from grace; fan outcry led to the writers inventing Parallax (it wasn’t Hal; it was Parallax). The story was still a compelling one even if it got retconned. While a Parallax possession would explain Hal’s demeanor during Rushville, why he would mess with Sinestro, and even why he would commit suicide, I would’ve liked Lanterns to mention Parallax as a concept or by name before the season finale.

Sure, Lanterns season one has played around with the concept of fear. Fear was why John’s father wasn’t chosen as Earth’s Green Lantern. John must prove he has no fear. Antaan’s people massacred each other out of fear. During “The Jordan Boys Legacy” episode, John asks old Hal (the construct from the ring) to ask him if he’s afraid, and John has a fearful moment in the middle of the poisoned lake–more on that wonderful scene later–but Lanterns revealing Parallax as the big bad could backfire.

It’s a risky move. One that would be difficult to pull off without the twist sounding like a gotcha moment. One that only comic book readers would know. If Parallax is the big bad, it could read a lot like the CW’s Flash season two. Zoom was the big bad. Several characters were presented as compelling candidates for Zoom. Flash chose to stick to a comic book accurate Hunter Zolomon, who barely appeared in the season prior to his name drop. Geekly covered that series as it aired nine years ago. Has it really been nine years? Yikes! I face palmed when I heard the Hunter Zolomon name drop and pleaded for Zolomon not to be Zoom. He was the least interesting option as Zoom. I’m not quite there with Lanterns and Parallax, but it’s close. Like I said, it’s risky.

Hal as Parallax only adds more questions that need to be answered, and Lanterns has one hour to answer the above questions, the four or five remaining questions from last week, and these new questions. The Lanterns season finale has a mountain of work. If Hal is Parallax or possessed by Parallax, here are some additional questions:

Was Parallax in control of Hal the entire time or did it influence Hal? My guess is influencing Hal because I don’t think Hal could fall in love with Sheriff Kerry if Parallax took full control of him, and we return to the timing of Sinestro leaving space prison. Does Parallax float in and out of Hal’s consciousness? How does it work? Or is someone or something else behind Sinestro’s relocation?

If Hal (possessed by Parallax) broke Sinestro out of space prison in the last couple of years, did Parallax grant Hal the ability to fly to space prison? Maybe. But that would sound convenient.

Why would Parallax want Sinestro imprisoned on this other planet? Sinestro serves Parallax’s ends. Why keep him imprisoned?

Antaan wanted The Manhunter dead in 2016. Was The Manhunter in cahoots with Parallax? If so, how did that work?

Parallax can work as Lanterns season one’s big bad villain. It also functions a lot like The King in Yellow, who influenced the first season of True Detective. Lanterns‘ showrunners cite the first season of True Detective as an influence. I don’t mind this comparison. R. W. Chambers’ The King in Yellow is one of the most influential weird fiction creations. I highly recommend reading this collection of short stories.

While many creators focus on the first several stories in this collection (the play that bears The King in Yellow’s name drives people insane when they read the second act), fewer creators explore the second half of The King in Yellow. The characters presented in these stories (the romances) avoid the King in Yellow’s influence. In large part, they overcome the King in Yellow because they overcome their fears. That sounds a lot like Parallax. This is why I still have hope for Lanterns season one finale.

Lanterns has kept its focus on its core characters. I appreciate that. The scene with John Stewart facing his past on the poisoned lake works because we know his past. Old Hal helps John through this moment and after doing so, shares his past (his father committing suicide) with John. If Parallax took control of (or influenced) Hal, it makes sense if it did so through Hal’s fear of becoming his father. Even though “The Jordan Boys Legacy” didn’t progress the story as much as it could in preparation of Lanterns season finale, I’m still withholding final judgement until the finale.

I prefer if the show resolves most–if not all–of the questions it poses. This week’s episode left a lot of questions unanswered, presented new questions with the one it did, and the potential big bad may present even more questions. Parallax is a compelling villain if done well. Lanterns “The Jordan Boys Legacy” left a lot of work for the season’s final episode. Seriously, I double checked to see if there was a planned ninth episode. If the show sticks the landing (a tall order for sure), you know I’ll be rewatching this series more than once. Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “The Jordan Boys Legacy.” Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Bad Optics” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “Bad Optics.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “Lights Out,” here’s a link to that review. This week’s episode of Lanterns marks Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner’s first appearance. Oh! Spoiler alert is in effect for the rest of this post. “Bad Optics” does a lot of heavy lifting, as in a ton of playing catch up between the 2016 storyline and 2026 (which was hinted at in the series’ pilot). It’s a tall order, but “Bad Optics” does a decent job playing catch up. I still question Lanterns‘ ability to finish strong.

Let’s start with Lanterns “Bad Optics'” playing catch up. In the ten years after the Manhunter (2016), Hal Jordan goes to jail, Hal serves almost ten years in prison, Rushville’s sheriff gets a divorce, Hal and the sheriff get together, John Stewart mends fences with one of his brothers (Marcus), the two Stewart brothers launch an architect firm (that constructs panic rooms), John’s other brother (Aaron) still resents him but gladly accepts John’s financial support to start a music business, John and his mother are estranged, John’s father is in assisted living, Hal’s ring gets decommissioned, the Guardians forge a new ring, Sinestro flees prison, and Guy Gardner becomes Earth’s new Green Lantern. And that’s an abridged list. A lot has happened in a decade.

“Bad Optics” features plenty of talking during meals. Oh! One thing I missed was John’s mother having a relationship with Hal behind John’s back. She lies and says Hal wants to apologize for the Manhunter debacle. One of the meals was when John meets Hal at Rushville’s diner. When Hal doesn’t give John the apology he’s looking for, John punches him in the face. I vaguely remembered Hal’s nose bleeding in the closing minutes of the Lanterns‘ pilot. Like I said, there’s a lot that’s happened in ten years. Whenever someone writes a story like this, they risk info dumping (unloading a ton of information all at once with the characters doing little but talking). This happens a lot in “Bad Optics.”

But the show sprinkles in some action, breaking up these long stretches of info dumping. I especially liked the moment when John makes multiple phone calls while driving. Despite a lot of info dumping occurring, this gave the scene some forward momentum. All the issues (Aaron refusing to deal with their dad, Marcus pleading with John to come home, and the call between John and the nursing home) built on each other. John was halfway on his way home when he runs into a Rushville resident extorting him for money. (John didn’t tell the sheriff he met Hal before he died.) This latest development forces John to stay in Rushville. That and John wants Hal’s ring. He wants the ring bad enough to dig up Hal’s grave and retrieve it. And that’s where we leave Lanterns this week. John has the ring. He summons Hal’s projected self. My guess is John will use the projection to open Hal’s voice-locked safe.

Lanterns is looking a lot like Luke Cage season one, which I mentioned last week. We’re seeing it play out in this episode. The show takes a step back to set up the final confrontation (and a second villain). The Manhunter wasn’t the final confrontation. The show only has three episodes to piece together a compelling villain. I don’t know if it has enough time.

One of our commentors from last week’s post (about “Lights Out”) mentioned that they grow tired of mystery box storytelling. Fair. Lost popularized mystery box storytelling. The failures of Lost stem from the show not resolving most of its story threads, asking more questions than it ever answered. That’s the danger of mystery box storytelling. This storytelling method works like the trick I played on my spouse one Christmas. I bought them a ring and placed the ring’s small box inside four or five bigger boxes. The multiple boxes my spouse had to open served as mystery boxes. Mystery box storytelling can be fun. It fails when you open all the boxes and don’t find a gift. You want more than an empty box.

Lanterns has time to turn this around, but not much. Momentum has all but died with “Bad Optics.” The story threads I would like answered before Lanterns wraps up its first season are the following:

Who freed Sinestro?
Who killed Hal?
How does John and/or Guy deal with this threat?
How will John and/or Guy deal with Sinestro?
What happens to Hal’s spare ring that John now wears?
What happens to John?

The being who freed Sinestro and killed Hal could be, and probably is, the same being. John and/or Guy dealing with this threat could, and should, occur in the season finale. And personally, I’d like to see two Green Lanterns from Earth, but I could see the Guardians going in a different direction. Lianna (the Guardian who recruited John Stewart) could be behind some or all of the machinations, but it is a bit of a stretch. In the comics, Guardians have gone rogue. Lanterns hasn’t shown us too many characters who could’ve freed Sinestro and killed Hal Jordan. Bernadette (John’s mother) could’ve killed Hal. But why would she frame her son for murder?

I could be missing something, but Lanterns doesn’t have a lot of options (for who’s behind this) that won’t sound like it came out of nowhere. Parallax could be the one behind everything. Parallax is a huge villain in the DC Comics Universe, but they haven’t been set up in Lanterns. Fine. Sinestro wields the yellow power ring (which we have yet to see in the show), yellow power rings are fueled by fear, and Parallax is DC Comics’ embodiment of fear, but the show hasn’t developed Parallax as a concept. Yet. Introducing Parallax in the final two episodes could feel like a gotcha moment.

Notice how I didn’t say John and/or Guy defeat Sinestro (or even the other threat). They just need to deal with him in some manner. I wouldn’t mind Lanterns season one pulling a page from Star Wars: A New Hope. The Deathstar is destroyed, and Darth Vader’s Tie-Fighter careens into space. Vader isn’t confirmed dead. It makes sense for him to return in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Down but not out. I expect Sinestro to return in Lanterns season two, but this season needs a satisfying ending. We need that ring inside the multiple empty boxes. Wait. I just realized my analogy involved a ring. I even gave my spouse an emerald ring. Is my spouse a Green Lantern? They are fearless.

I’ve enjoyed most of Lanterns season one. “Outkast” (John’s backstory) and this week’s “Bad Optics” marked time because of the season’s construction and trying to backfill years of character development. Despite the inclusion of Fillion’s Guy Gardner, “Bad Optics” didn’t fair as well as “Outkast.” I love me some Nathan Fillion. I’d like to see more of Guy Gardner. But we have several questions that need answered before Lanterns season one wraps. Lanterns has armed John with an item he can use to unearth who killed Hal. Quick Note: I like how Hal’s ring has a limited charge; too often, storytellers make things too easy for their protagonists and give them exactly what they need with few to no limitations.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “Bad Optics.” Let us know yours in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Lights Out” Review

Published on by Kyra3 Comments

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “Lights Out.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “The Weenie,” here’s a link to that review. I was pleasantly surprised when Lanterns ended its 2016 storyline this week. It ends about as well as one might imagine (not well at all), but before we get into my thoughts on “Lights Out,” let’s get the spoiler warning out of the way. There’s little chance of me discussing this episode without spoiling the story. You’ve been warned. Without further ado, let’s talk about Lanterns “Lights Out.”

To say everything came to a head in Lanterns’s 2016 storyline would be an understatement. Hal Jordan gets disgraced, John Stewart doesn’t keep the ring, the Manhunter gets killed, and half of Rushville gets blown up. Yikes! There’s a lot going on in this episode, but the fact that this happens during Lantern’s fifth episode with three more remaining this season, gets me excited. Like I said, I was pleasantly surprised by Lanterns ending its 2016 storyline this week. This should mean that most of the remaining episodes will fill in the gaps between 2016 and 2026, and more importantly, move the story along. Hal Jordan died at the end of the pilot episode. That was a promise that Lanterns season one won’t end in 2016 and will explore the events following Hal’s death (and who has the ring); the final three episodes should make good on that promise.

I’ll be upfront and say that I was wrong about John Stewart taking the ring from Hal Jordan. Technically, he does. I didn’t think that he would take the ring and not claim it as his own. The events of “Lights Out” lead to Hal Jordan losing the ring (maybe, the Guardians have it right now, so who knows?) and John Stewart losing his desire for the ring. Lanterns attempted to make the reason why John wouldn’t want the ring because he had to kill the Manhunter, and he’s in love with the Manhunter. This felt rushed and forced. Sure, it’s physically there, but I never quite bought John’s relationship with the Manhunter. I could buy John not wanting the ring because the Guardians wouldn’t give him the ring; he had to take it from Hal. Again, this is in the show’s dialogue and plays a factor, but Lanterns offers both options and doesn’t commit to either one. That may be why I didn’t buy John and the Manhunter’s relationship.

For a show that does a great job with characterization, I was disappointed with Lanterns‘ choose your own reason why John doesn’t want the ring. Regardless of the reason, John returns the ring to the Guardians. Will we see Guy Gardner in the sixth episode of the season? Lanterns keeps using Fillion’s Guy Gardner as its thumbnail. It’s been at least three weeks. It would make sense if the ring passes from Hal to Guy Gardner. The show would also earn its name of Lanterns. We aren’t talking about one or even two of Earth’s Green Lanterns. Here’s a third. And I’d like to see the Sinestro Corps. play a role in the upcoming episodes. With Hal incapacitated, Sinestro could wreck some havoc. Ending the main story thread (what happened in Rushville in 2016) with three episodes remaining means Lanterns will need another great threat. The Sinestro Corps. could fill that role well.

But some of that is conjecture, let’s return to the Rushville story. With the exception of John giving back the ring, the story played out like I thought it would. And that’s a great thing. Lanterns introduced concepts in the first four episodes and did a fantastic job with callbacks in “Lights Out.” The odd anti-Green Lantern smoke returns. The kamikaze aliens. The bizarre red lasers that explode folks. John’s artwork. The Manhunter’s crystal heart. And the reverse white laser that can heal (explaining how no one in Rushville gets sick). It all works. It’s chef’s kiss good. But there are three episodes remaining. The final episodes concern me, to some extent. Lanterns did such a great job of setting up all of these threads, and for the most part, it tied up those lose ends during “Lights Out’s” runtime. There isn’t a lot of time remaining to set up another entire story arc.

Switching from one major threat in a single season to another reminds me of what happened in the first season of Netflix’s Luke Cage. The first half (or just over first half) of that show was excellent, and then the show lost momentum changing gears to another big threat. That’s the other reason why I think Lanterns will turn to Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps.. The show has already introduced Sinestro. It hasn’t set up any other villain, except for maybe Parallax. Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps. use yellow power rings, charged by fear. Parallax is the living embodiment of fear in the DC Universe. The fact that the Green Lantern Corps.’s most persistent enemy uses Fear Rings is why Lanterns included the idea of the green power ring asking if humans were afraid when choosing a human to be Green Lantern. You can’t have fear (the main enemy’s strength) when wielding a Green Lantern power ring.

Earlier in this series, I mentioned how Lanterns did little with Green Lantern’s powers, and the audience seldom say Green Lantern’s uniform. That still happens in the show, but I like that we’ve seen more of Green Lantern’s powers as the season’s progressed. Rushville’s story made me forget about the reduction of costumes and powers. Now that Rushville’s story has concluded, I’m going to want to see some awesome Green Lantern constructs and more of the costume. Guy Gardner doesn’t mind wearing the costume. We’ll see if there’s a massive row between Green Lantern and Sinestro or Green Lantern and Parallax.

Lanterns has managed to ground Green Lantern, introduced intriguing characters, and deliver on several promises posed at the beginning of the season. After the season airs, I may binge the entire season. Knowing the sheriff’s past may heighten some of those earlier scenes. This is a show that drops plenty of bread crumbs as well as Easter eggs. Those are my thoughts on this week’s episode of Lanterns (“Lights Out”). Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

5 Comic Book Villains Who Could Be The Main Character

5 Comic Book Villains Who Can Be the Main Character

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another list of five. Today’s Top 5 list centers around comic book villains who could be the main character in a television series or movie. The DCU and DCEU have been better showcasing their villains. Penguin, Black Adam, Joker, Clayface, and even Harley Quinn have all had television shows or movies featuring them as the main characters. Marvel has been less prolific. This may be a Marvel-heavy list of five, but I’ll try to sprinkle in some DC Comics characters who haven’t yet seen the limelight. Let’s get started with our list of Comic Book Villains who can be the main character in a movie or television series.

Honorable Mentions

We have multiple characters who could claim an honorable mention spot, so we’ll run through a few here. Darkseid can and should get the Thanos (in Avengers: Infinity War) treatment, and Kingpin could have his own series akin to HBO Max’s Penguin. None of them make this list because this is more of an inevitability. While we won’t shy away from obvious choices (more on that with our top spots), we don’t want to include characters who are all but assured a movie or show. With that said, we’ll give a shout-out to anti-hero and sometimes villain Lobo. I’m writing this post early and haven’t yet watched Supergirl, but if Lobo captures fans’ hearts, he could easily get his own movie or show. Consider this the Penguin effect. Fans loved Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the character and demanded a show.

5: Vermin

Vermin is a strange choice, especially when he’s the only Spider-Man villain who made this list, but his inclusion makes some sense. I’d love to see a Marvel show, film, or special presentation of the Spider-Man story, “The Child Within.” Vermin is the main character in that story. Geekly has mentioned “The Child Within” in the past, but we’ll give you a quick breakdown. Vermin encounters a nine or ten-year-old child in the sewer. The child asks Vermin to help take him home. Vermin reluctantly agrees. He leads the child to a mansion (his home), but the boy is too scared to enter. We learn the child is Vermin’s inner child. This mansion is his family’s home.

“The Child Within” tells Vermin’s backstory. Vermin is one of Marvel’s most tragic villains, so what this show portrays may not be for everyone. But “The Child Within” explores identity and the power of acceptance. Both of these topics have a strong pull in today’s climate. This story is long overdue for a live-action telling. Make it happen, Marvel.

4: Poison Ivy and Bane

My head tells me Bane should take this spot. My heart insists Poison Ivy claims the fourth spot. I went with both. Let’s begin with Bane.

Bane seldom gets a fair shake on the big screen. Ironically, he was little more than Poison Ivy’s mindless pawn in Batman and Robin, and he served as an underboss in The Dark Knight Rises. Neither one of these versions does Bane justice. Heck. Bane often gets sidelined in his own stories. “Knightfall,” the storyline where Bane builds a Gotham empire, breaks Batman’s back, and arguably Bane’s most well-known story, pushes Bane aside to focus on Azrael (the replacement Batman), midway through its arc. Not everyone likes Tom King’s run on Batman, but I thought it did a great job showing Bane at his conniving best. “City of Bane” could showcase this underrated villain like no other big screen project has.

Simply put, Poison Ivy is a fan favorite. She co-stars in the Harley Quinn Animated Series, but has rarely seen the limelight on the big screen. Poison Ivy is more of a sure thing. I could easily see her featured in a future movie or show.

3: Atrocitus

Wonder Woman and Superman villains don’t lend themselves to solo movies too well. I can’t really see Lex Luthor outside the context of a Superman movie. I’d love to see that, but I question if it could work. I also didn’t want to include multiple Batman villains on this list, and Flash hasn’t landed as a big-screen superhero…yet. That leaves Green Lantern villains. Several could’ve made this list. Star Sapphire is more of a hero at this point. Nekron and Black Hand could certainly headline a film, but we may need to wait several years for the DCU to set up those characters. Sinestro is Green Lantern’s longest-running foe, but Atrocitus serves a specific purpose in Green Lantern lore. The Guardians of the Universe (the ones behind the Green Lanterns) make mistakes and can commit atrocities.

Hey! Atrocitus sounds close to atrocities. Coincidence? I think not. The Guardians destroyed Atrocitus’s home world and murdered his people. He gains the red power ring, fueled by rage (part of the emotional spectrum, with green meaning will and yellow fear), and goes on a revenge tour. Atrocitus has a clear goal. Fans could even root for him to succeed. This can make Atrocitus as compelling a villain as Thanos for a solo movie. Sure, Sinestro recruits his army of yellow lanterns, but his goals reek of selfishness. Atrocitus believes in a righteous cause. And I like the idea of the Guardians owning a checkered past.

2: Apocalypse

Ever since his first appearance forty years ago (1986), Apocalypse has been one of the X-Men’s most consistent villains. As the oldest known mutant, Apocalypse’s origin stretches back to Ancient Egypt. He has a simple philosophy: Survival of the Fittest. Apocalypse embodies this philosophy. And it’s this philosophy that makes Apocalypse a great villain with which to focus a movie or show. Funny how having clear goals makes a villain a good candidate as a main character. While I could see several Apocalypse storylines translated to the big screen, “Age of Apocalypse” may be the most fun.

“Age of Apocalypse” asks what would happen if Apocalypse got his way, where only the strong survive. This storyline contains some of the bleakest storylines in X-Men lore. There are too many to count, but believe me, they can tug at one’s heartstrings. And “Age of Apocalypse” hasn’t graced the big screen in earnest. I’d love to see A Pair of Lips, I mean, Apocalypse headline a Marvel movie or show.

1: Doctor Doom and Magneto

Doctor Doom and Magneto had to top this list. They’re the obvious ones. They’re two of the most recognizable villains in comic book history. They have compelling backstories, and I don’t believe Marvel has plans to give either one their own movie or show–at this time. Sure, Avengers: Doomsday includes Doctor Doom’s name in its title, but this team-up movie will include so many characters I can’t imagine Doctor Doom will get significant screen time. We need a Doctor Doom and Magneto story like Avengers: Infinity War had with Thanos. These are two of the most complicated villains in comic books. Both could single-handedly carry a movie.

That’s our list of comic book villains who could be a movie or show’s main character. Which comic book villain would you like see get their own movie or show? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “The Weenie” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another reaction/review of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “The Weenie.” If you’d like to see our thoughts on last week’s episode “OutKast,” check it out here. This post will only cover “The Weenie.” “The Weenie” goes back to the 2016 timeline, and while the episode is entertaining (Lanterns is a bingeable show), “The Weenie” illustrates why stories shouldn’t feature too many flashbacks: knowing the future (to some extent) can lessen a story’s tension.

I’ll get right to it. Spoiler warning is in effect. Again, I don’t know why someone who hasn’t seen Lanterns at all would want to read a reaction/review of the show’s fourth episode, but hey, you do you. And you’ve been warned about spoilers.

Lanterns‘ pilot ends in 2026 with Hal Jordan dead, and John Stewart checking Hal’s hand for the power ring. Much of “The Weenie’s” main tension exists between Hal and John. Sinestro insists Hal call John by what John really is: Hal’s replacement. The guardian we met last week (during John’s flashback episode) returns this week (in 2016) and tasks John with taking the power ring from Hal. But we (the audience) already know that John didn’t recite the oath and take the ring away from Hal. Why would John check Hal’s hand for a power ring in 2026 (Hal’s death) if he took the ring from Hal in 2016? I wanted the tension to build a lot more than it did. That’s the danger of too many flashbacks or a flashback within a flashback.

I’m done picking at that nit. Despite the reduced tension (from what I would’ve liked), “The Weenie” manages to recapture Lanterns‘ momentum. Losing momentum can also occur with more flashbacks. “The Weenie” onboards viewers into the action. Continuing Hal’s conversation with Sinestro (from episode two, “Trust Fall”) helped. It served as a brief recap. We gain context for John missing his payphone call from his parents; the call was really from the Guardians. And I love Lanterns‘ ability to contrast Hal and John’s personalities. During this episode, John said that everyone, including him, was lying. Lanterns accomplishes this with great dialogue. Most characters give half-truths or at least obfuscate their true intentions.

That last element adds to Lanterns‘ intrigue. The identity of the Manhunter (the killing machine the Guardians created before forming the Green Lantern Corps.) was revealed. I had an inkling as to the Manhunter’s identity. “The Weenie” removed all doubt. I liked how Lanterns executed the reveal. The show let the characters’ nature do the work. Centering one’s narrative with its main characters is always a great choice. Kudos!

And I have to hand it to Lanterns. While the show continues to dodge Green Lantern’s costume, it showed the biggest Lantern construct to date (John’s digging device). Sure, Hal wears the costume during his brief scene with Sinestro, but for the most part, Lanterns doesn’t like to show the character in costume. Getting back to John’s digging device, its inclusion makes me excited for more Lantern constructs in future episodes. Lanterns kept its special effects budget low during the first half of its first season, but the second half of the season should splurge a little.

The town of Rushville continues to be a great setting, almost its own character. “The Weenie” reveals that the Manhunter prevents people in Rushville from getting sick or dying. That explains the hospital’s unpacked equipment and the fact that Hal was the only patient to sign the log. This will cause some future tension between the city of Rushville and the aliens who want to hunt down the Manhunter. The aliens plan to blow up Rushville if Hal and John don’t deliver the Manhunter to them, but the Manhunter means a lot to the town of Rushville. It’s a lose-lose situation, and we do see some demolished buildings in Rushville during John Stewart’s return to the town (in 2026). Something explodes, but what? How? Unlike John’s refusal to take the ring from Hal, we know less about Rushville’s fate.

We didn’t see much of Rushville in 2026. The sheriff talks to John as if life continued for the town of Rushville…in some capacity. I like that Lanterns is using Manhunters as its chief villain for its first season. Teasing Sinestro is a great touch. Something tells me we’ll see the Sinestro Corps. before the season finale. I’m still waiting for Guy Gardner to make an appearance. Lanterns continues to use Fillion’s Gardner as its thumbnail. The big teasers. Does this mean Gardner got the ring before Stewart? Was he the one who took the ring from Hal? Who knows? Lanterns has done a great job setting up these mysteries. Time will tell if the show sticks the landing.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “The Weenie.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “OutKast” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Happy Friday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle with a review/reaction of this week’s Lanterns episode, “OutKast.” If you’d like to see our review of last week’s Lanterns episode “Trust Fall,” check it out here. I have mixed feelings about Lanterns “OutKast.” I watched the episode three times and went back and forth with how I read this flashback episode, and “OutKast” is a flashback episode, and this episodes use of the chosen one cliche. Let’s start this discussion with “OutKast’s” use of flashbacks.

I figured Lanterns “OutKast” would feature plenty of flashbacks. The pilot took place in 2016, showed glimpses of the Nineties, and ended with Hal Jordan dying in 2026. Oh! Spoiler alert is in effect. I don’t know why anyone reading a review/reaction of the third episode in a television series would not have seen the show’s pilot, but I’m sorry to the one or two readers who haven’t yet seen Lanterns “Pilot.” This review will contain spoilers. Consider yourself warned. While last week’s episode “Trust Fall” continues the 2016 storyline, “OutKast” recounts John Stewart’s past. While watching “OutKast” the first time, I kept hearing my writing instructors in my ear. No! Not a flashback episode. If you need to write a flashback episode, it probably means you didn’t start your story where it should’ve started.

But I enjoyed “OutKast.” After I pushed away those critical voices in my head, the episode explored themes I hoped the episode (and the show as a whole) would explore. John Stewart’s upbringing fascinated me. You could tell there was a lot going on behind the scenes during the show’s pilot. The fact that John’s father was a Green Lantern candidate with Hal Jordan added some nice depth. The scenes between John’s parents (specifically his mother) and a Guardian harkened to classic Green Arrow-Green Lantern comic book storylines. I love the following interaction:

Bernadette (Johan’s Mother): Do you understand how unfair it is to ask a Black man in America if he’s afraid?

Lianna (Guardian): By “Black,” you mean… brown skin?

Bernadette: We are terrified daily of persecution and still show up, sometimes better, than everyone around us. Did you know that?

Lianna: I did not.

Bernadette: Even in space, y’all don’t consider us.

I can’t help but make a connection between this scene, and the one found in Green Lantern (Vol 2) #76, where a black man confronts Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern:

I been readin’ about you…how you work for the blue skins…and how on a planet someplace you helped out the orange skins…and you done considerable for the purple skins! Only there’s skins you never bothered with! The Black skins! I want to know how come?! Answer me that, Mr. Green Lantern.

Ah! I don’t care that scene is a little hokey by today’s standards, but I love it. That scene is one of the first images that pops into my head when I think about Green Lantern (Hal Jordan). As soon as I heard Lanterns would include Hal Jordan and John Stewart, I hoped the show would lean in, at least a little bit, to some of those classic 1960s Green Arrow-Green Lantern issues. The scene between Bernadette and Lianna paid homage to this classic Green Lantern comic book scene, but it took it in an interesting direction. Bernadette directly tells a Guardian. This causes the Guardian (and by extension, the audience) to recontextualize fear. I love the idea of Hal Jordan not having fear because he was a white man, and John Stewart Senior had fear because of his race, but he overcomes that fear.

Ultimately, I’m of two minds in regard to “OutKast’s” use of flashbacks. Yes, Lanterns could’ve woven these flashbacks throughout the rest of the season. Conventional storytelling teaches writers to do that. But Lanterns only has a handful of episodes remaining. A flashback-heavy episode was bound to happen. You might as well have one flashback episode in full instead of multiple episodes littered with flashbacks. Funnily enough, “OutKast” had a flashback (John’s past) inside of a flashback (John meeting with a Guardian), which was a flashback to the flashback (the events of 2016 with Hal and John). Wait. I’m confused. Despite a lot of flashbacks, “OutKast” was easy to follow and a fun ride. I love John Stewart’s backstory in Lanterns.

And we get to the chosen one cliche. I mentioned it in the opening, and I have to deliver here. Again, I’m of two minds. Using an unkind reading of the story, “OutKast” is guilty of using the chosen one cliche. Lianna (the Guardian) mentions that John Stewart (Senior) was chosen for a reason and his “worthiness” could be inherited, and she mentions that John’s mother (Bernadette) was formidable in her own right. One could easily read the chosen one cliche from this interaction. I certainly did the first time I watched Lanterns “OutKast.” But John Stewart (Junior) corrects Lianna by saying that humans aren’t programmed, they’re raised. A kind reading of this story leans toward a battle between nurture versus nature.

I go back and forth with Lanterns “OutKast.” On one watch, I may view the episode through an unkind reading. On another, I switch to a kinder reading. Regardless, Lanterns has been surprisingly rewatchable. I’d still like to see more costumes and powers, but the show holds my interest. On a completely different note, I love the reference to Atlanta Hip Hop stars OutKast. And I love the closing track, “Gasoline Dreams.” Ah! So good and it fits.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “OutKast.” Let me know yours in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Trust Fall” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle with a review/reaction of this week’s Lanterns episode, “Trust Fall.” If you’d like to see our review of last week’s Lanterns episode “Pilot,” check it out here. “Trust Fall” builds on “Pilot’s” great foundation. Like I said in the previous review, Lanterns “Pilot” does almost everything you’d want a first episode to do. And my concern of Lanterns avoiding the superhero genre expectations (costumes and powers) has waned. Again, I can see why Lanterns doesn’t want to blow its entire effects budget in the first episode or two, and “Trust Fall” shows us more of Hal Jordan and John Stewart in action.

If you haven’t yet watched Lanterns “Trust Fall” and you don’t want any spoilers, you may want to watch the show first and then return to this review/reaction to see what you agree or–most likely–disagree with in this post. I’ll wait. Are you done? Great! Let the spoilers commence. I mentioned it in the opening paragraph, but I like how Lanterns is easing the audience and its budget with the Green Lantern’s larger universe. Hal Jordan dons the uniform, travels to the Planet Oa (The Guardians’ home planet), and even meets with Sinestro. And of course, all this happens in the final five minutes of “Trust Fall’s” runtime. But it counts. I don’t need much, just a taste of Green Lantern goodness, and Lanterns‘ second episode delivers on some of these promises.

After watching this episode (twice), I have hope for the rest of the season/series. I meant what I said last week. Lanterns is a fantastic show. I enjoyed every minute of the pilot episode, but last week’s episode could’ve been the pilot for a show set outside the DCU. “Trust Fall” made the show feel as if it belonged in the DCU. I love Hal Jordan and John Stewart’s relationship. Sinestro hints that John may be more of a danger to Hal than the big bad alien threat developed during this episode (more on the Manhunters later). This rings true. It would make sense if Hal was nervous about John becoming Green Lantern soon. Jordan did say in the pilot that the Green Lantern job was his until the day he died. And Hal Jordan has been cagey about The Guardians. When John Stewart asks what The Guardians thought about what’s happening in Rushville, Hal Jordan dodges the question. It’s obvious Hal and The Guardians aren’t on speaking terms.

Through two episodes, Lanterns has done an excellent job of answering some questions but posing more. During “Trust Fall,” the name Manhunters gets introduced. Ah! The Manhunters are one of Jack “King” Kirby’s DC Comics creations. Kirby is best known for cocreating the Marvel Comic Book Universe, but he had several gems with DC Comics. Kirby had a knack for science fiction themed stories. His work on Fantastic Four is iconic, but Kirby also created Darkseid and The New Gods. It made sense for Kirby to build on Green Lantern’s lore. The Manhunters were the android precursors to the Lantern Corps. I won’t spoil too much of The Manhunters’ backstory here, just in case Lanterns uses a healthy dose of this comic book lore, but John Stewart has a history with The Manhunters, and I like the direction Lanterns is taking its first season. A Manhunter makes for a fantastic first season villain.

“Trust Fall” splits the two lanterns into separate stories. Hal Jordan continues his investigation of Rushville, Nebraska. Turns out, a Manhunter may be behind the odd goings on in the town. The town knows aliens exist, and they’ve rigged their metal detectors to spot alien lifeforms. Yeah, Macon’s benefactor may be The Manhunter causing mayhem. But this town has layers. The hospital has equipment that’s barely used. Heck, the hospital itself is a lot larger than one you would find in most rural Nebraska towns in the Sandhills. There’s a lot happening under the surface. Oh, yeah. Macon has one of his goons shoot Hal in the shoulder (a warning shot). Seriously, I love this town and it’s seedy underbelly. The two lanterns spilt up because Hal sends John to retrieve his lantern.

Yes! We physically see a Green Lantern’s lantern. Hal keeps it in a pocket dimension (classic), and we even meet Earl, an alien man-eating plant. Like I said, Lanterns “Trust Fall” sprinkles in enough Green Lantern goodness. I even like how members of the same alien race (who infiltrated Rushville, Nebraska) abduct John Stewart. These aliens implant memories of their home world getting destroyed and family members being killed by The Manhunters. And this does play out in a John Stewart Green Lantern story. Great inclusion here. And the introduction of Sinestro to the greater story could lead to a ton of fun.

Ah, Sinestro. Seeing him in all his pink-skinned glory made me smile, and so do the layers to the town of Rushville, Nebraska. I was on the fence about grounding Lanterns to the planet Earth. When one thinks of Green Lantern stories, one pictures planet hopping and exotic locales. Lanterns following Supergirl, which had a muted color palette and a lack of planet hopping (in relation to the source material, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) gave me pause. The show isn’t in the clear yet, but I like a slow introduction to Green Lantern’s larger universe. If Lanterns continues introducing more sci-fi elements at the rate it did from episode one to two, I’d call that a good escalation. And the largest use of a Green Lantern ring (John Stewart producing a bird) was adorable and showed how John and Hal differ as Green Lanterns.

One random observation: a picture Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner graced Lanterns “Trust Fall” banner in my HBO Max app. Was Guy Gardner in this episode? Was he supposed to be at one point? Not gonna lie, I saw the pic and got a little excited to see Fillion’s Gardner again. We may need to wait for episode three.

Lanterns continues its solid start with this week’s episode, “Trust Fall.” I can’t wait for the next episode, and my fingers are crossed for a second season. No word on that…yet. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Pilot” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! The Lanterns pilot episode released this past week, and I’ve had some time to watch the show a few times. I’ve got some thoughts and if Season’s watched the episode, she may have thoughts as well. It’s time for another Geekly review/reaction of Lanterns “Pilot” episode. Before we begin, I’ll warn everyone that there will be spoilers for Lanterns “Pilot.” Okay, that’s out of the way. Let’s get into the show.

Kyra’s Take

Lanterns “Pilot” does everything a pilot episode should do for a series. It does a great job showing us the main characters (Hal Jordan and John Stewart) and their relationship, it creates intrigue (the question that must be answered by the end of the season), and the small town in western Nebraska even becomes its own character. Great work. If Lanterns wasn’t part of the DCU or based on the Green Lantern property, I’d probably give the episode a near perfect score. It is that good. But Lanterns has yet to follow through with two simple and easy genre expectations for a superhero show/movie: costumes and powers.

And this is on the heels of Supergirl (review here if you want to read it), which also featured a superhero who refused to wear her costume for three-quarters of the movie’s runtime. But at least Supergirl used her powers. Lanterns barely shows Hal Jordan using his ring, and John Stewart recounts what he does with the ring to the audience. Bubble wrap would’ve been nice to see. Superhero stories don’t have too many genre expectations, but not meeting either one (costumes or powers) is a little concerning. I’m concerned about Lanterns; we haven’t reached gripe levels yet. I could see saving money on special effects (powers), but you made the Green Lantern costume. Why not show Hal in the costume for more than fifteen seconds? I know. I know. Character reasons, but the DCU already did that with Supergirl. Will this become a trend? But I meant what I said. Lanterns “Pilot” is almost pitch-perfect.

I’m putting the costume/power concerns on the backburner. Lanterns comes out with a bang. The audience can tell Jon and Hal have a long history. I love their opening scene in the car. “Why do your ‘sirs’ sound like f*** yous?” Classic. Both men come from broken homes. Hal’s father died in a plane crash, and we don’t see John’s mother. The two react differently to their circumstances and this shines through their character choices. Jon using the ring for bubble wrap meant he totaled Hal’s car. Something Hal takes offense to. We do hear why Hal no longer wears his costume. Fair. He could’ve worn the costume under a bomber jacket and jeans. Just saying. And that’s where the show shifts to western Nebraska. Like I said, the little town becomes a character, an engaging character.

I like how Hal navigates the small town politics. Again, it’s obvious this isn’t the first time Hal has visited this Nebraskan town. He even mentions that the town is close to where he gained his Green Lantern ring. This town is more than it seems. The sheriff (portrayed by brilliant character actor, Kelly Macdonald) may try to deny it, but aliens regularly visit this Nebraska town. An alien entity has infiltrated this town, and the sheriff’s father-in-law builds a militia to fend Earth from the aliens he believes will colonize the planet. Lanterns has a lot to say about the world’s current climate. Xenophobia runs rampant in parts of the United States, especially parts like rural Nebraska. I can’t wait to see more of this town and its citizens. Lanterns does a great job of creating a fascinating web.

And that’s before we talk about the alien Hal and John encounter. Extraterrestrials do want to infiltrate this Nebraska town. It’s for the power ring. It’s gotta be for the power ring. A conversation between Hal and John in a bar all but confirms these aliens’ intent. And I love the bar scene from Lanterns “Pilot.” Again, we see how these two Green Lanterns tick. John shows far more patience than his mentor. Despite Hal giving John his ring for safe keeping, John refuses to put on the ring. He believes it’s a test. And knowing what little we do about this version of Hal Jordan, it may be a test. But my favorite moment was when Hal counterfeits a $20 to flood the bar’s jukebox with Melanie’s “Brand New Key.” He pisses off the bar regulars, and they fight him. All of this was a ploy to get arrested so he could interrogate the alien the town’s sheriff has in custody. Everyone, including John Stewart, dubs this a stupid plan. So good.

How this little town works could be its own show. Aliens and Green Lanterns are just a bonus. This may be where my disconnect derives. Lanterns “Pilot” is a great episode, but is it a story unique to Green Lantern? We’ll see. Hal’s bizarre behavior deserves more exploration. He frequents this Nebraska town, and the episode ends with his passing and missing his power ring. Uh oh! Again, brilliant way to open a series. I see a handful of flashbacks in the future while John Stewart unearths who has Hal’s ring, because it’s obvious John doesn’t. When he examines Hal’s body, John looks for Hal’s ring and doesn’t find it. Lanterns “Pilot” lays down a stellar opening for the series. This episode leaves us with plenty of questions and some characters that require more digging.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “Pilot” episode. Let us know yours in the comments. Looks like I’m on my own this week. Season may catch up for next week’s episode of Lanterns. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “Survival of the Fittest” Review

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Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with a review/reaction of X-Men ’97’s season two finale, “Survival of the Fittest.” If you want to read our view of last week’s episode “The Dead Man’s Hand,” check out this link. We’ll only discuss this week’s episode, “Survival of the Fittest.” I’ll kick off this review with my thoughts.

Kyra’s Take

“Survival of the Fittest” does a great job of tying up enough major story threads for X-Men ’97 season two and introducing new threads to explore next season–and next season looks to be another doozy. Obviously, we’ll have spoilers for “Survival of the Fittest.” You’ve been warned. If I’m being honest, I nodded along with the first half of “Survival of the Fittest.” The episode played out like a checklist of the story threads that needed to be concluded. “Survival of the Fittest” began like a workman episode. But X-Men ’97 season two’s finale hit its stride with its second half. Raising the stakes (Rogue striking a deal with the same Celestial that gave Apocalypse his power and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice) made all the difference.

Before I commit to jumping to “Survival of the Fittest’s” second half, let’s discuss the episode’s first half. I like the symmetry to X-Men -97’s second season. The season began with Apocalypse and the Celestial, and it ended with Apocalypse and the Celestial. Clean and tidy. X-Force and X-Factor joined forces and fought against the X-Men. This made sense. The two groups’ goals aligned, and underneath this partnership, one could see the American government distrust Charles Xavier and his X-Men–something that will rear its head during “Survival of the Fittest’s” mid-credit scene (more on that in a bit). The audience was even treated to a Gambit-X-Men reunion before Cable shoots Gambit, allowing Apocalypse to take over Remy. This felt inevitable.

Honestly, I could see this outcome a mile away, but that’s a good thing. “Survival of the Fittest” did a great job of setting up this ending. Once Gambit loses consciousness and Apocalypse assumes complete control, X-Men ’97 hints at The Huntsman storyline I mentioned a few weeks ago. Again, this was expected but in a good way. I’d wager most of the audience hasn’t read The Huntsman/Weapon XII. For those of us who have, X-Men ’97 did a good job adapting elements of this story to the second season’s finale. My favorite moments during “Survival of the Fittest’s” first half were the reveal of the Celestial ship, and Cable fighting his parents, uttering the line “Have you met my parents?” Priceless.

I didn’t know how X-Men ’97 season 2 could top Magneto’s death in the middle of this season. The middle of this season? Wow! Magento’s been out of commission for half a season. Nothing could beat the shock of Apocalypse disintegrating the Master of Magnetism. And “Survival of the Fittest” didn’t try to match that moment. Rogue and Gambit are star-crossed lovers. “Survival of the Fittest” set up a scenario where Rogue would have to sacrifice herself for Gambit. The story demanded it. It looked as if the episode delivered on this promise, but after Rogue saved Gambit, she didn’t die. X-Men ’97 had one more trick up its sleeve. Nightcrawler substituted himself for his sister. Brilliant and heartbreaking. I should’ve seen this coming, but that’s what makes X-Men ’97 such a good series. It takes risks, it lulls viewers into one reality, and subverts expectations.

Season won’t take this ending well; she’s a self-proclaimed Nightcrawler fangirl. But this move makes sense for Nightcrawler’s story arc and character. X-Men ’97 has been building Rogue and Nightcrawler’s sibling relationship over two seasons. Nightcrawler would sacrifice himself so his sister could have a chance at love. This sacrifice is what makes Nightcrawler who he is. This sacrifice is what makes someone like Season a Nightcrawler fangirl. He’s awesome. We all know it. And I didn’t prepare Season before she watched “Survival of the Fittest.” I just told her to have the tissues ready. After Magneto’s death, she was ready for anything. Anything except this. Again, I love how X-Men ’97 keeps viewers on their toes.

Season three looks to be another banger. The mid-credits scene shows Graydon Creed becoming President of the United States. Yes, the same Graydon Creed reintroduced during “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Mystique’s other son, Graydon Creed. And we catch a glimpse of Mystique grabbing her file during this scene. I didn’t realize we hadn’t seen Mystique in an X-Men ’97 episode. Two seasons of the show, and this is the first time we meet her. This goes to show the X-Men ’97 cast’s depth. Season Two featured a fair amount of Summers’ family drama. I’m down for Season Three featuring Mystique-Rogue-Graydon Creed drama. After all, The X-Men’s greatest enemy may be humanity.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Survival of the Fittest.” Season hasn’t yet watched “Survival of the Fittest.” I’m sure she’ll have thoughts and may write down her take in a future post. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.