The Cast of HBO’s ‘Lanterns’ Breaks Down That Shocking Villain Twist
Episode 5 of HBO’s Lanterns, titled “Lights Out,” escalates the fallout from the fourth episode’s major revelation: the true identity of the Manhunter, a shapeshifting alien antagonist. Series stars Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan) and Aaron Pierre (John Stewart) navigate the consequences as chaos erupts in Rushville, Nebraska. The episode balances intense action sequences with quieter character moments that illuminate the Manhunter’s motivations and backstory.
A central plot thread involves Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor), an alien bent on killing the Manhunter to avenge a genocide committed against his species. When Hal meets with Antaan to reveal that John Stewart had been compromised by the Manhunter’s influence, the encounter raises fresh tensions and moral questions about the conflict. The cast sat down with Polygon to discuss the character work and emotional complexity underlying the villain twist, offering insight into what drives the mysterious antagonist and how the revelation reshapes the protagonists’ mission.