Lanterns Episode 3 Reveals John Stewart’s Origin Story
- HBO's Lanterns expands its comic book adaptation with Season 1, Episode 3, titled "OutKast." Written by Vanessa Baden Kelly, the episode unearths the intricate origin story of co-lead...
- He was approached by the Guardians of the Universe to become a Green Lantern before Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler.
- An unnamed Guardian played by Laura Linney eventually arrives to apologize to Bernadette for the emotional turmoil caused by the Lantern initiation process.
HBO’s Lanterns expands its comic book adaptation with Season 1, Episode 3, titled “OutKast.” Written by Vanessa Baden Kelly, the episode unearths the intricate origin story of co-lead John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre. The former U.S. Marine and Green Lantern-in-training carries heavy emotional baggage. The narrative reveals how his life was shaped by intense racial pressures and calculated parental conditioning.
Unearthing the Past in “OutKast”
The Father Who Almost Wore the Ring
Alphonse Nicholson. He was approached by the Guardians of the Universe to become a Green Lantern before Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler. An extraterrestrial presence kidnapped John Sr. in a green bubble. The entity asked him if he was afraid. John Sr. answered honestly in the affirmative. That truthful response ended the possibility of selection. Everyone around him dismissed his claims of an alien abduction as delusion. Even his wife Bernadette, played by Jasmine Cephas Jones, doubted him—a disbelief that ultimately led to his mental decline.
A Reckoning with Cosmic Oversight
An unnamed Guardian played by Laura Linney eventually arrives to apologize to Bernadette for the emotional turmoil caused by the Lantern initiation process.
Bernadette responds to the Guardian by pointing out the systemic unfairness of the question, stating, We are terrified daily of persecution and still show up, sometimes better than everyone around us. Did you know that?
When the Guardian admits she did not know, Bernadette quips, Even in space y’all don’t consider us.
Forged Through Rigorous Conditioning
The Guardian hints that John’s child could be a candidate for the role in the future. This prompt drove Bernadette and John Sr. to condition their youngest son to handle fear. The rigorous preparation included training John as a sniper. It required him to stand still while his father shot apples off his head, and making him do the same to his parents. To harden him further, John was made to sleep away from his older brothers and walk home alone from dangerous neighborhoods as a teenager.
Sacrifice and the Illusion of Ambition
John sacrificed his interest in drawing, his relationships with his siblings, and his emotional expression to prepare for the Green Lantern role. The harsh conditioning aimed to prove that Black people should not be excluded from power and renown. However, the narrative later reveals this ambition as a sham. John faces a dishonorably discharged Marine career due to a mistake he did not commit, followed swiftly by orders from the Guardians to simply follow instructions.