Oh, NOW I understand this version of Hal Jordan. After spending most of this season digging into John Stewart, his childhood, his family, his anger, his ambitions and ultimately his complicated relationship with the Green Lantern Corps, Episode 7, “The Jordan Boys’ Legacy,” finally turns its attention toward Hal. And I loved it. This episode doesn't excuse everything Hal has done. Instead, it helps us understand why he became the man we've been watching all season.

I really should have seen this coming. After the absolute batshit insanity that was “Lights Out,” I was so caught up in the excitement that I apparently forgot one important rule of storytelling: eventually, you have to let the audience breathe. That is essentially what Lanterns Episode 6, “Bad Optics,” does. It's not a bad episode. Far from it. It's actually a pretty solid episode with some great character moments and an intriguing shift in the central mystery.

Seriously. Lanterns Episode 5, “Lights Out,” just threw a grenade into everything the series has been building and then stood back to admire the explosion. And I absolutely loved it. We are only five episodes into this season, yet “Lights Out” feels like the kind of episode most shows would save for their finale. Alliances crumble, secrets come spilling out, people die, people stop being dead, and the war brewing beneath Rushville, Nebraska, finally erupts into the open.

Hal and John are essentially playing several hands of poker at once. They’re investigating the case together, trying to figure each other out, and simultaneously receiving information designed to make them distrust one another. For a while, it actually feels like they’re beginning to trust each other. Then the backstabbing comes to light and everything starts falling apart.

Now THIS Is the Green Lantern Show I Was Waiting For! After having some very mixed feelings about the premiere of HBO’s Lanterns, Episode 2, “Trust Fall,” did exactly what I needed it to do. It made me excited about this show. And I am officially invested. Unfortunately, the premiere almost lost me right out of the gate. The opening flashback to 1996 worked for me. I liked the atmosphere, the mystery, and especially the first interview with Hal Jordan.

Now THIS Is the Green Lantern Show I Was Waiting For! After having some very mixed feelings about the premiere of HBO’s Lanterns, Episode 2, “Trust Fall,” did exactly what I needed it to do. It made me excited about this show. And I am officially invested. Unfortunately, the premiere almost lost me right out of the gate. The opening flashback to 1996 worked for me. I liked the atmosphere, the mystery, and especially the first interview with Hal Jordan.

I went into HBO's Lanterns wanting to like it. Green Lantern is a corner of the DC Universe that has so much potential, and putting Hal Jordan and John Stewart at the center of a grounded mystery sounded like a great way to approach the material. Unfortunately, the premiere almost lost me right out of the gate. The opening flashback to 1996 worked for me. I liked the atmosphere, the mystery, and especially the first interview with Hal Jordan.