Lanterns can't quite make up its mind about aliens

As the HBO series Lanterns shifts focus away from its central manhunt/murder mystery, it delves into a world grappling with the existence of aliens and the insignificance of Earth's humans in their eyes. Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, explains to his partner John Stewart, portrayed by Aaron Pierre, that Earth is a backwater for most advanced beings in the universe.

Despite the sector of space encompassing Earth being meant to have a Green Lantern assigned, the role was unexpectedly filled by someone from Earth, and the Lantern's time here was supposed to be minimal. This setup, it turns out, is a ruse.

The wealthy rancher/militia leader, Will Macon, played by Garret Dillahunt, is initially portrayed as a xenophobe whose prepper philosophy hinges on the possibility of aliens eventually conquering Earth. He expresses no concern over the historical precedent of European and American descendants colonizing indigenous land, as long as he remains immune to the plunder.

However, this portrayal is a misdirection, as Macon is secretly in love with John Stewart and Hal's wife, Zoe (Poorna Jagannathan). Over three decades, Zoe has kept Rushville, Nebraska, running through small miracles and keeping the town thriving, even though she has some reservations about being a woman of color in this society.

She explains that starting behind can be the best way to understand and ultimately conquer a society.

While the alien metaphor serves as a compelling device, it also inadvertently validates the ideologies of characters who mirror real-life white supremacists. This approach, while intriguing, feels uneasy and borders on being too comforting. Lanterns' treatment of aliens as a metaphor is inconsistent, ranging from Will Macon's contradictory stance to Lianna (Laura Linney), the Guardian of the Universe overseeing Earth's affairs.

Lianna appears to be a poor guardian, more interested in controlling a Green Lantern than participating in any galactic peacekeeping effort. The Manhunters, the Guardians' initial attempts at Green Lantern Corps, were destroyed due to their brutal efficiency. Zoe, however, remains unaware of how or why she was spared this fate. It is conceivable that Lianna could ultimately emerge as Lanterns' main antagonist.

At present, she mostly serves as a vehicle for institutional frustration, manipulating and hiding behind bureaucracy to avoid providing clarity. In essence, her storyline is interwoven with different themes explored by Lanterns, but she is ultimately another alien that humans would be better off without.

The challenge of close reading and mystery-box storytelling is evident in Lanterns' execution. It is tempting to dismiss the question of "What do aliens signify in the context of Lanterns?" as classic overthinking, a failure to simply enjoy the sci-fi show. However, Lanterns strives to use the Green Lantern's power ring to grasp at something real by drawing parallels between the cosmic shenanigans of its DC Comics characters and very earthbound parallels.

The Green Lanterns are portrayed as just another agency arguing over jurisdictions with Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald), while the Guardians hold recruitment meetings in a mall, similar to the branch of the U.S. military with which John served. While intended to ground the show's narrative in real-world parallels, Lanterns ultimately remains confused, a disappointment for a series where the heroes' power is directly proportional to their understanding of how things work.