HBO’s new series Lanterns arrived this weekend and it immediately subverted audience expectations. The premiere introduces Kyle Chandler as veteran Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as his trainee John Stewart. While the episode begins with a grounded investigation into a series of murders in Rushville, Nebraska, the final minutes shift the narrative timeline significantly.
The story jumps from 2016 to 2026. Viewers learn that Hal Jordan has died and the two characters have not communicated in a decade. This revelation forces the protagonist into a new reality where he must figure out the circumstances behind the death of his former mentor. The non-linear structure provides the foundation for the central mystery of the show.
Kyle Chandler describes the production process as complex. Because the show jumps between timelines, the actors must track emotional truths across different periods. He explains that seeing all the script pages taped to a wall allowed the cast to understand how to layer the story and plant clues for the audience.
With two distinct murder mysteries now running in parallel, the creators have established a narrative framework that relies on the connection between past events and the current investigation. New episodes of the series air on Sunday nights on HBO and are available simultaneously on the streaming platform.