Lanterns Episode 3 Writer Explains Significance Of Hal Jordan & John Stewart's First-Ever Meeting

Published Aug 30, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT As a graduate of Columbia University in New York City, Tatiana studied theater and comparative literature. She has been passionate about all manner of storytelling from Jane Austen adaptations to anime. Aside from writing for Screen Rant, she co-hosts podcasts: The Flash Podcast and Ladies With Gumption. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Lanterns episode 3 shone a spotlight on John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), taking audiences through a tour of his childhood and military background by way of an extensive interview for the role of Green Lantern. In addition to the longest look at John's backstory yet, flashbacks to his question-and-answer session with an interested Guardian (played by Laura Linney) revealed that he was explicitly chosen to replace Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) rather than act as his backup. But perhaps the most surprising reveal was that John's mother, Bernadette (Jasmine Cephas Jones), singlehandedly took control of her son's "fearlessness" training after John Sr. (J. Alphonse Nicholson) was passed over for Green Lantern by the Guardians. She may appear as a harsh taskmaster at first glance, but Lanterns makes it clear that the Stewart family acted out of love to do what they thought best. On August 26, several members of the press and other tastemakers attended a special screening of episode 3 at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by HBO Max. The event also included a panel discussion with Nicholson and Jones, alongside episode 3 writer and series producer Vanessa Baden Kelly, who gave insight into the storylines. To cap off the night, an afterparty offered exciting photo opportunities and Green Lantern rings for all worthy guests. In addition, ScreenRant had the chance to speak to the Lanterns trio separately about how differently John Sr. and Bernadette processed their brush with the Guardians, and what the show's writers hoped to establish in John and Hal's first meeting. Behind The Scenes With The Stewart Family In Lanterns Episode 3 ScreenRant: We know that John Sr. is severely changed by the fact that he didn't get the lantern. Why does that affect him so much, and what is he going through when we see him in the flashbacks? J. Alphonse Nicholson: I think John Sr. is devastated by the fact that he wasn't able to obtain this opportunity, but I also believe he is suffering extreme PTSD from being abducted and put into this green bubble. Being a Black man in America, he's filled with fear immediately, not knowing what's going to happen and not having the tools to be able to register what's happening for himself. I think we found him in a really dark place, but I love the fact that we're able to see him come out of that dark place to a certain extent. I feel like this trauma sits with him for a long time, and he wants to make sure that his son doesn't experience that same trauma. So, he's following his wife's lead and training him the best way he can. ScreenRant: Vanessa, when you're crafting this episode, what does it mean to you to be fearless, and why is John the representative of that fearlessness? Vanessa Baden Kelly: When we're thinking about Green Lantern lore, we're not only thinking about being fearless, but about what the Lanterns say: feeling fear and having the willpower to overcome it. I think for John Sr., the fear of leaving his family and his wife and everything that they worked so hard for was not something he could overcome. For anybody who loves their children and who loves the people around them, the very last thing they would ever do is leave them. So, in some ways, it's that very thing that makes John Sr. one of the bravest characters in our show. Obviously, the Stewarts [may be] the people who are able to raise the next great Green Lantern [due to] the fact that they do experience fear and know where to put up some boundaries and say, "No, I'm never going to do that because my family means more to me." For us, what we wanted to craft when we were crafting John Stewart is a Green Lantern who is deciding to do things a little bit differently because he recognizes that the way the ring picks [people] - what it decides is fear, and what it decides isn't - is actually kind of bull crap. Having those emotions, having those things that guide you on what you should and shouldn't do, feeling humanity, and feeling emotions actually make you more apt for the job than lacking them. ScreenRant: Jasmine, Bernadette is really taking the lead in training John. What makes her so capable of instilling that fearlessness in John? Jasmine Cephas Jones: She's extremely nuanced, and she's one of the most determined characters I've ever played in my life. I think watching her husband go through such a traumatic thing at the beginning of the episode really affects her. That scene with Laura [Linney], she says basically, "My family is broken. I don't care about this diamond. I want to fix my family. I care about my family so much." I think her determination in training John is also a way to heal. She uses that to heal, and she still does it with love and still explains to her child that it's a very human feeling to not want to hurt the people that you love. So, even though I'm putting you through this very hardcore training for your destiny, it's still really important for me to tell you that I love you and explain why we're doing it. That's a really important thing to her and her family, I think. ScreenRant: Vanessa, we get the first real meeting between Hal and John in this episode. How much fun was it getting to do that, and what did you want to establish there? Vanessa Baden Kelly: The thing that was fun about writing Hal in general was the fact that he was so self-assured, because there was nothing ever telling him anything to the contrary. He doesn't realize that he - I don't want to say stole, but he wasn't the only person who was initially chosen for this ring. He doesn't realize that John's entire military career was derailed because of his recklessness. And here again, in what should be an emotional moment - the culmination of nearly 30 years of training - he just robs John of it once again. For us, it was really exciting to put into text what it would look like if John Stewart and the Stewart family had the opportunity to come face to face with Hal, the person who has literally completely changed the outcome of their lives. If they could say something to him, what would they say and how would they handle it? What we felt was that, in those moments, it would just be a lot of looks back and forth like, "This motherf--ker..." They're not really saying anything because they understand that the real win is on the other side of it. And for us, it was fun, of course. You can put anything you want in Hal's mouth, but the real fun was all the nonverbal communication that happened between the family. Like, "Just hold on a second, because [the ring] is going to be taken off of his dead body." ScreenRant: Hopefully, we're going to have more Stewart family scenes this season, or perhaps in season 2. What aspects of your characters' lives or personalities would you like to see explored? J. Alphonse Nicholson: Yeah, Lanterns season 2! Putting it out there. I know it's coming. Come on, 9.3 million in three days? We've got to get a season 2. But I believe that I would just love to see more of John Sr.'s redemption story, and to see how he shows up in the world. I would love to see his relationship with a teenage John, what that might be like, where the training continued to go, and how it went further. And also, how does he get over that hump? How is he able to have a conversation with Hal the next time he sees him, whenever that may be? Because I just thought about that. Hal robs him twice, and it's really like, "Man, that's crazy." Where does that go? Is there any animosity there? Jasmine Cephas Jones: In one of [episode 3's] scenes, she takes the gun from John Sr. and immediately unloads it with little John strapped to her. I just want to know how she got there and was able to do that because she's just a force. She's just a force from the bat. Even when she first meets the Guardian, she says, "Prove it." And she says it to her son, "Prove it." There's something inside her that is like a raging fire. She's so fiery, and I'd love to explore more of that and see more of that. I love to see that in women characters. So, just a little bit more of that side and where that comes from. New episodes of Lanterns air Sundays at 6pm PT/9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max. Release Date August 16, 2026 Network HBO Showrunner Chris Mundy Cast Aaron Pierre John Stewart A modern Green Lantern update, Lanterns sees intergalactic law enforcers John Stewart and Hal Jordan unite, defending Earth while they investigate a murder mystery set in the American heartland.