HBO’s Sci-Fi Detective Series ‘Lanterns’ Almost Made a Huge Mistake With Its Premiere

HBO might have found its next hit series in Lanterns. Not only is the series a critical hit, but it's also become one of the biggest premieres in HBO Max's history, racking up an impressive 9.3 million views. Part of Lanterns's draw lies in the dynamic between Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his partner, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre); Jordan has been operating for nearly 30 years as the Green Lantern and isn't too happy that Stewart has been chosen as his successor. There's also the fact that Lanterns blends the neo-noir vibes of True Detective with DC Comics lore, as Stewart and Jordan investigate an alien conspiracy in Rushville, Nebraska. The pilot's ending has audiences buzzing, though it could have gone in a radically different direction.

At the end of Lanterns' pilot, Stewart is called back to Rushville in the present day, where he discovers Jordan's seemingly dead body. It's a genuine shock to the audience, but the original plan was for Rushville's sheriff, Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald), to be the murder victim, according to Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy. Mundy told Entertainment Weekly that he and producer Damon Lindelof chose Jordan, as killing off Kane after one episode would be a major mistake.

"You felt that it’s been done and it was gonna be a disservice to her...I think just Damon basically said the most meaningful thing that could happen would be if Hal had died. What else do we care about more than that? And then it instantly felt like that would be incredible to get to try to write to, if the powers that be were willing to let us write to it."

Mundy and Lindelof made the right decision, as Macdonald's performance as Kerry is one of the highlights of Lanterns' pilot. As a foil to Jordan, it's intriguing to watch the crackling chemistry between Macdonald and Chandler. Storywise, Kerry is tied to a major piece of the conspiracy Jordan and Stewart are investigating. Avoiding her death not only fleshes out a compelling character, but also avoids the "fridging" trope that's plagued superhero fiction for years.

'Lanterns' Avoids a Tired Superhero Cliché That Ironically Started in Green Lantern Comics

The trope of "fridging," or "women in refrigerators," was coined by comic book writer Gail Simone. Simone wrote up a list of 100 female characters that had suffered horrific deaths or assaults in order to motivate a male hero. The most infamous example comes from Green Lantern #54 by Ron Marz and Darryl Banks, where Green Lantern Kyle Rayner discovers the horrific sight of his girlfriend, Alex DeWitt, mutilated and placed in a refrigerator by the supervillain Major Force. Other writers have noted that this trope recurs in superhero fiction, with the site "Dead Men Defrosting" pointing out that male heroes who die tend to come back to life more oftenthan female heroes.

Given the history of fridging, it's a miracle that Lanterns' showrunners realized they had almost steered into a problematic trope and decided to course-correct. It makes for a more interesting story, as Kane and Stewart will probably be working together to solve Jordan's death. Viewers will also get the chance to learn more about Kane, particularly her connection to her father-in-law, William Macon (Garret Dillahunt). She doesn't seem particularly excited to be around him, and encourages Jordan and Stewart to leave town as soon as they can. That raises plenty of intriguing questions that wouldn't be brought up if Kane had been murdered in the pilot episode.

The Major Death in 'Lanterns' Is The Series' Biggest Draw

While Jordan's death might have divided fans, it fuels the story of Lanterns. What happened to his power ring? Who would have the motive to kill him? One of the trailers may have hinted at an explanation, revealing that Jordan and Stewart will eventually encounter the murderous machines known as the Manhunters. The Manhunters can change shape and remain undetected by humans; one of them may have killed Jordan and taken his ring, or the body Stewart and Kane found is a Manhunter in disguise. Jordan's comic history also hints that this isn't the end of his story, as he could potentially return as the ghostly Spectre.

While most comic book fans want their favorite stories faithfully translated to the page, some elements of those stories are outdated. Fridging is a cliché that needs to go away, and thankfully, Lanterns realizes this.

New episodes of Lanterns premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.