Spoiler alert: This article reveals major details from the penultimate episode of HBO’s “Lanterns.”

“Lanterns” turned its focus squarely toward the pain beneath Hal Jordan’s hardened exterior in Sunday night’s episode, giving John Stewart — and viewers — a clearer understanding of the man behind the power ring.

The penultimate installment of the DC series reaches back to 1975, opening with a young Hal getting into trouble with his baseball coach after refusing to give the ball to his teammates. The moment foreshadows the stubbornness and isolation that have shaped the adult Hal, played by Kyle Chandler.

In the present, John, played by Aaron Pierre, exhumes Hal’s body and recovers the decommissioned power ring. That activates the Halogram, which John needs to unlock a box kept inside a storage unit. The plan succeeds, but what they find is no ordinary cache: The lockbox contains a dark matter manhole leading to another planet.

The discovery reunites the combative partners in an unexpected form, with Hal continuing to help John even after his death.

Pierre compared their volatile connection to “two dogs who lived in the same household” that might fight each other at home but immediately become a united front when confronted by an outsider.

“They become dangerous when they’re together,” Pierre said. “The dynamic is unbreakable, and as soon as they’re on their own, they’re tearing each other down and apart.”

John’s Hal Jordan Puzzle

After crossing through the dark matter opening, John and the Halogram arrive on a deserted world that appears to have been completely devastated. John determines that it is Anton’s planet. Anton, played by Paul Ben-Victor, had previously described a world systematically wiped out by the Manhunter.

The trip only deepens John’s frustration. The Halogram is missing a decade of memories and context, leaving this version of Hal unable to explain or account for everything that happened between them.

John had returned to Rushville after his mother told him Hal was prepared to apologize for what he had done. Hal was already dead when John arrived, and the Halogram does not even know what the apology was supposed to address.

The pair also face a more immediate threat when John is exposed to the same gas that drove Anton’s people to kill themselves. Despite the lingering anger and unanswered questions between them, the Halogram becomes the only thing capable of saving John.

For Pierre, John’s view of Hal has been continually revised as the series has unfolded. He described the process as assembling a 1,000-piece puzzle, with each new section potentially contradicting what John thought he already understood.

“I think his understanding of who Hal is certainly evolves over the course of the series,” Pierre said, explaining that John repeatedly believes he has figured Hal out before another discovery changes the picture.

The Trauma Behind Hal’s Fearlessness

The most revealing piece arrives through Hal’s childhood story. The 1975 flashback explores his difficult relationship with his father and establishes a history of mental health struggles within the family.

Hal reveals that his father, who was a test pilot, died by suicide. He left behind a note telling Hal that his son would be better off without him, but the death instead created lasting trauma. The episode presents that pain as a cycle repeated across generations of Hal’s family — the legacy of the Jordan boys.

“I’m not fearless because I’m brave. I’m fearless because I’m broken,” the Halogram tells John.

Chandler called the exchange a “heartfelt moment,” and it sharply reframes Hal’s behavior. He said such detailed story points are designed to pull viewers more deeply into the narrative while also giving actors something substantial to build their performances around.

Another insight into Hal arrives through Kerry, played by Kelly Macdonald. She tells John that Hal once compared his trainee to someone’s favorite football team: impossible to root against, yet intensely frustrating to remain loyal to.

Those revelations move John closer to understanding Hal at his core, even if he can never know every part of him. Pierre said that as the story approaches its conclusion, John develops “immense respect and appreciation” for Hal.

“You don’t always need to love each other” to trust one another with their lives, Pierre said. At the same time, he believes a sincere respect and “mutual brotherly love” exists between the two men. John ultimately finds peace with their turbulent history by recognizing Hal’s fundamental character, rather than resolving every mystery surrounding him.

What Happens Next?

The episode closes with another major confrontation waiting for Hal and John. Sinestro is revealed to have been hiding on the ruined planet, setting up the final chapter of the season.

Pierre did not disclose how the story ends, but his comments point to Hal and John reaching a place of profound mutual trust despite all the conflict, losses and unanswered questions between them.

“Lanterns” concludes next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.