The latest episode of HBO's "Lanterns" delves deeper into the fraught training dynamic between Hal Jordan and John Stewart, while introducing a galaxy-spanning threat with roots in Earth's past. Episode 2, titled "It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green," continues to portray Hal Jordan as a demanding and dismissive mentor to John Stewart, who is being groomed as the next Green Lantern.
Stewart endures constant belittlement and is often kept in the dark about crucial information. His tasks are frequently demeaning or dangerous with little apparent connection to his role as a Green Lantern. In one instance, Jordan wakes Stewart by dousing him with cold water and then instructs him on flying without providing clear guidance. Stewart manages to manifest an emerald-green bird construct that follows him even after he removes Jordan's ring.
Stewart's primary assignment in this episode involves retrieving Jordan's physical Green Lantern from his mansion in Coast City. The artifact is stored in a vault containing a pocket dimension. Jordan also keeps a carnivorous extraterrestrial plant, which he instructs Stewart to feed without revealing its nature.
During this task, Stewart is attacked by a gang of aliens, the same group encountered previously in Rushville, Nebraska. Their leader explains that they are searching for a Manhunter, an ancient synthetic precursor to the Green Lanterns known for their extreme methods of enforcing justice. The aliens reveal that Manhunters infiltrated and wiped out entire civilizations, including their own, by perfectly mimicking inhabitants. To convey the gravity of the situation, they project the "holocaust" of their planet directly into Stewart's mind.
The aliens suspect that the Guardians of the Universe, the Green Lanterns' superiors, may have hidden the Manhunter responsible for their planet's destruction. Stewart deduces that Abin Sur, the Green Lantern whose ring passed to him, might have been transporting this Manhunter to Earth when his ship crashed. Now, the Manhunter is in Rushville, aware of the aliens' pursuit. The aliens warn Stewart that if he and Jordan do not find and stop the Manhunter, they will destroy a significant portion of Nebraska to eliminate it, fearing its potential for further destruction.
Meanwhile, Hal Jordan's own investigation in Rushville leads him to question William Macon, the father-in-law of Sheriff Kerry. Jordan discovers that metal detectors installed at the local football stadium were designed by Macon's father-in-law to detect aliens, not metal, explaining how targets were identified. Confronting Macon about this advanced technology and a mysterious benefactor, Jordan is shot in the shoulder.
After recuperating, Stewart returns to Jordan, providing not only the ring-recharging Lantern but also the Green Lantern uniform. He confesses his alien abduction and reveals the pursuit of the Manhunter, mentioning the aliens' suspicion that Jordan might be involved. He demonstrates his developing abilities by effortlessly crushing his sophisticated bird construct.
Jordan then dons his uniform and travels to a pocket-dimension prison to confront Sinestro, a rogue Green Lantern previously defeated by Jordan. When questioned about Manhunters, Sinestro describes them as the second-greatest threat Jordan faces and inquires about John Stewart.
The episode highlights the compelling chemistry between the main cast, including Kyle Chandler as Jordan, Aaron Pierre as Stewart, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, and Poorna Jagannathan. The dynamic between Jordan and Stewart is particularly noted, with their relationship evolving as Jordan tests Stewart's limits.