Lanterns tied up a lot of loose ends in Episode 5, seemingly killing off a solid chunk of its supporting cast and main villains. That being said, audiences have been waiting for answers on one character’s fate since the premiere, and it looks like the rest of the series will zero in on that mystery. On top of that, the True Detective-inspired show is about to fully cross over with the rest of James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe.
If you are eager to see where the critically-acclaimed comic book show goes next, here is everything you need to know before Lanterns Episode 6 premieres:
When does Lanterns Episode 6 come out?
Season 1 Episode 6 will premiere on HBO at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 20. It will be available to stream on HBO Max at the same time. The episode, titled “Bad Optics,” is expected to have a runtime around 55 minutes.
Like The Penguin, House of the Dragon and most other major HBO titles, Lanterns will release one episode a week – all on Sunday nights. There will be eight episodes in Season 1, as there were for both seasons of Peacemaker and The Penguin. As a result, the finale will air on Sunday, October 4.
(Warning: Spoilers for Lanterns Episode 5, Superman, Peacemaker and Supergirl ahead.)
Who will show up this episode?
Lanterns spent the last few episodes grounded mostly in 2016, but the main plot will be jumping forward a decade from here on out. And yet, there are still bound to be some flashback sequences in the weeks ahead, plus some cameos and reintroductions to older and younger versions of characters we already know. Here is a look at who could appear in Episode 6:
- Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
- Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
- Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry Kane
- Jason Ritter as Billy Macon
- Shea Pritchard as Noah Macon
- Laura Linney as Lianna
- Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr.
- Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart
- Romeo Brown as Aaron Stewart
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
- Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro
- Jade Ramirez as Jessica Jordan
- Henry Samiri as Adolescent Hal Jordan
- Paula Patton as TBD
What to expect in Lanterns Episode 6?
While we might get additional flashbacks moving forward, it seems like the 2016 plot line has run its course. William Macon and Antaan are dead, as is the Manhunter – a.k.a. Zoe. And when given the chance to replace Hal, John turned it down and gave the ring back to the Guardians. Now it’s time to jump forward to the 2026 plot, which we haven’t checked in on since the very end of Episode 1.
Hal is dead now, too, leaving John to investigate what he was doing back in Rushville and who ultimately killed him. And since he opted not to join the Green Lantern Corps, John isn’t a superhero, either. Instead, Guy Gardner is Earth’s Green Lantern. Nathan Fillion will finally show up as Guy this week after previously appearing in Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, presumably filling in a key role in the story down the stretch.
Beyond his corpse, we could see Hal return as a projected backup consciousness from the ring, unless Guy overwrote him. Otherwise, John and Sheriff Kerry are pretty much on their own, since Billy Macon and the rest of the town don’t seem to friendly to Green Lanterns anymore. Maybe there’s another Manhunter out there, too, like Kerry or her son, Noah.
There is no official synopsis for this week’s episode, but there is the preview for Lanterns Episode 6:
Lanterns FAQs
When does Lanterns come out?
Lanterns Episode 6 will premiere at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 20. The next two episodes will drop once a week at the same time.
Where can I watch Lanterns?
Lanterns is available to stream on HBO Max. All other shows and movies in the newly-rebooted DC Universe are also available on the streaming service if you are looking to catch up, from Creature Commandos and Peacemaker to Superman. The franchise’s latest film, Supergirl, just hit HBO Max on September 10.
Will there be another season of Lanterns?
HBO has not publicly renewed Lanterns for a second season. However, according to a report from Jeff Sneider, the network has hired Halt and Catch Fire co-creator Christopher Cantwell to produce and write a potential Season 2.
When does the next DC project come out?
Following Lanterns‘ eight-week run on HBO, the next DC film or TV show will be Clayface. The horror-adjacent movie about the titular shape-shifting Batman villain will hit theaters on October 23, 2026.
