That Wild ‘Lanterns’ Finale Twist Upends the DCU’s Future - Esquire

Throughout John Stewart’s life, his parents raised him to have no fear. But in the finale of Lanterns, Stewart (Aaron Pierre) concludes that they were operating out of their own fears all along. You can say, then, that fear is essential to John’s being. He isn’t a man without fear; he’s a man shaped by it. At the end of Lanterns episode 8, “Dirt and Stars,” John Stewart finally becomes the Lantern he’s meant to be. But I don’t think he’s becoming a Green Lantern. Stewart may have just become something else entirely—and who else but James Gunn might have spoiled this whole outcome two years ago? One of the shows of the summer, Lanterns is now over after eight legitimately great episodes. But the final moments of its first season suggest that Lanterns, like John himself, is morphing into a new entity. We might see this new show in season 2, if it’s slated at all. (It’s currently up in the air right now.) Let’s break it down. Spoilers for Lanterns episode 8, “Dirt and Stars”—the season finale—are below. First, here’s what we still don’t know about Lanterns even when the credits roll.