‘Lanterns’ Episode 6 Teaser Reveals Return to Hal Jordan’s Murder Investigation
For five episodes, ‘Lanterns‘ has urged its viewers to remain patient. HBO’s DC Studios drama has paired veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan with rookie John Stewart, spending much of its time in 2016, exploring a slow-burn mystery in the fictional town of Rushville, Nebraska, rather than rushing toward action-packed sequences.
This patience has sometimes tested fans who expected a superhero series but found themselves immersed in a prestige crime drama with cosmic elements. The series, crafted by a talented trio, has focused more on atmosphere and character development than on quick cosmic resolutions.
Now, it seems the wait is finally yielding results. A newly released teaser for episode 6 confirms that ‘Lanterns’ is returning to the central mystery that initiated the series: who killed Hal Jordan in 2026.
The clip was shared by entertainment outlet DiscussingFilm, which provided the first look at the upcoming episode along with a link to its review. The preview features John Stewart beginning to investigate the death of his former mentor, a storyline introduced in the premiere but largely set aside for the majority of the season.
First teaser for Episode 6 of ‘LANTERNS’.
Read our review: https://t.co/Q8gD40hnDk pic.twitter.com/7KSusB8jhH
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 14, 2026
Episode 5 concluded the lengthy Rushville storyline, paving the way for the series to shift back to the present day. This earlier episode also clarified why Guy Gardner, instead of Hal or John, is the Green Lantern seen safeguarding Earth during the events of ‘Superman’.
The teaser indicates that the show has completely moved on from 2016, focusing on John as he pieces together the events surrounding Hal’s death. Rushville itself is not left unscathed, as the town’s Lantern Signal appears vandalized with graffiti in the new footage, hinting that the community’s sentiment towards its Green Lantern visitors has soured.
Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is also set to return in this episode, continuing a role he first portrayed in this year’s ‘Superman’ before fully integrating into the HBO series. Fillion has openly discussed how different his live-action portrayal feels compared to his previous animated work as a Green Lantern.
Fillion described filming a scene for ‘Lanterns’ where his character comes off as smugly content, noting how different environments influence the character, as he told Entertainment Weekly. This kind of tonal flexibility aligns well with a show that has heavily relied on its ensemble cast, which includes Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Laura Linney, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
Titled “Bad Optics,” episode 6 is set to premiere on Sunday, September 20, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO, with a simultaneous stream available on HBO Max. This episode marks the sixth of eight in the first season, leaving only two installments before the show’s two-part finale.
With only two episodes remaining after this one, ‘Lanterns’ has limited time to resolve the questions it raised in its opening moments. The return to the murder investigation suggests that the latter half of the season aims to tighten its focus, drawing every loose thread from Rushville back to Hal Jordan’s death.
Whether the show can successfully conclude a mystery it has spent five hours circling remains uncertain, but the teaser at least indicates a shift in momentum. For a series that has built its identity on delayed gratification, episode 6 appears to be the moment ‘Lanterns’ begins to reward its audience.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments.