The fifth episode of Lanterns, titled “Lights Out,” is the moment the series stops holding back. After four episodes of quiet tension and careful mystery, this chapter turns Rushville into a war zone and forces every major character to make a final choice.
Written by Justin Britt-Gibson and directed by Geeta Vasant Patel, the episode runs just over 50 minutes and delivers more action and major story turns than the entire first half of the season combined.
Table of Contents
The Opening Flashback
The episode begins in 2007. A younger Kerry Kane is on the run from Gotham criminals connected to her father’s past. Two men confront her inside the Rushville diner. Zoe intervenes, kills one of them, and forces the other to leave with a severed finger as proof that Kerry is dead. In exchange, Kerry agrees to protect Zoe when the time comes. This scene establishes why Kerry has always been loyal to Zoe and why the town protects her.
The 2016 Timeline Explodes
The story picks up directly from the end of Episode 4. Hal Jordan deliberately crashes the car with John Stewart still inside and leaves him trapped. Hal tells John he needs him “off the game board” so he can handle the Manhunter alone.
Zoe finds the badly burned John and uses Manhunter technology to heal him completely. In return, she asks him to help eliminate Hal and lie to the Guardians. John accepts the healing but does not fully accept the deal.
Meanwhile, Antaan and his forces arrive in Rushville searching for the Manhunter. Hal lies and tells them Will Macon is the target. This leads Antaan’s group straight to the Macon ranch. Antaan kills Will Macon and cuts out his heart. When the heart does not crystallize, Antaan realizes Macon was never the Manhunter.
Zoe activates the orbital laser satellite and begins destroying large parts of the town. Militia members and civilians are killed in the crossfire. The water tower that held Zoe’s darkness technology is hit, creating a blackout zone where the Green Lantern ring has almost no power.
Hal fights through the chaos. He uses night-vision goggles and creates a green tornado construct that lifts Antaan into the air, where Antaan’s internal explosive device detonates and kills him.
The Final Confrontation
Hal and John meet again inside a motel room. The two men fight each other with months of built-up anger. During the fight, one of Zoe’s satellite strikes destroys most of the motel. Hal uses the last of his ring’s power to create a protective shield that saves both of them.
John leaves Hal in the rubble as bait. When Zoe arrives to kill Hal, John shoots her in the head with a sniper rifle from a distance. He then cuts out her heart. The heart crystallizes, confirming she was the last Manhunter.
John removes the Green Lantern ring from Hal’s finger. Hal asks him, “Was it worth it?” John does not answer. He puts the ring on, then later walks to Guardian Lianna. He hands her Zoe’s crystallized heart and the ring. He tells her that when he finally wore the ring, he felt empty. He refuses to take the oath and walks away.
By the end of the episode, Will Macon is dead, Antaan is dead, Zoe is dead, Rushville is largely destroyed, Hal Jordan is no longer Earth’s Green Lantern, and John Stewart has chosen not to become the next one.
What Works
The episode finally delivers large-scale action. The fight sequences, the orbital laser attacks, and Hal’s constructs are more frequent and more visible than in previous episodes. The long-building conflict between Hal and John reaches a clear breaking point. The performances by Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, and Poorna Jagannathan stay grounded even during the biggest set pieces.
The 2016 storyline is brought to a complete close. The identity of the Manhunter is confirmed, the alien hunters are eliminated, and the town’s secret is finished. This clears the way for the remaining three episodes to focus fully on the present-day mystery introduced in the series premiere.
Final Verdict
“Lights Out” is the strongest and most eventful episode of Lanterns so far. It keeps every major plot thread from the first four episodes and brings them to a decisive end without leaving major questions hanging from the 2016 timeline.
The action is bigger, the character confrontations are direct, and the ending is clear: the ring is no longer on Hal’s finger, and John has chosen not to keep it.
MovieAnimeX Rating: 9/10
Rushville is gone. The Manhunter is gone. The ring is free. The story now moves forward.
