Lanterns wrapped its first season with “Dirt and Stars,” and my mentions turned into a war zone. Half the timeline loved it. The other half said it ruined Green Lantern.
Here’s my position, plain and simple: Lanterns was a solid series. Not perfect, not the greatest superhero show ever. Solid. I liked it. Let me explain why, and answer the takes I kept seeing.
What I actually said
By Episode 2 I was thinking, “oh, this is Reacher with Lantern stuff,” and I mean that as a compliment. A grounded mystery in small-town Nebraska, two Lanterns, a murder, and a slow burn into cosmic stuff. I was entertained, pleasantly surprised, and never bored.
@yaboyrocklee Can I AXE you why you think this show was a good representation of Green Lanterns?
— You Should Know Me! (@u_should_knowme) October 10, 2026
Post by @u_should_knowme (You Should Know Me!): https://x.com/u_should_knowme/status/2108809734266700266
My reply:
I didnt say it was a good representation of Green Lanterns. I said it was a solid series.
By episode 2 I was like “oh this Reacher with lantern shit”.
I was entertained, pleasantly surprised, I was never bored.
Therefore it’s a solid series to me.
I didn’t say it was perfect or great.
Solid. I liked it.
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 10, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2108890081251426434
That’s the bar for me. Did it keep me engaged for eight episodes? Yes. So it’s a solid series.
And I wasn’t alone:
After sitting with it, overall Lanterns is a 9/10 for me personally. I’m accepting the fact that Hal Jordan is probably won’t be coming back and that’s okay imo. But John Stewart character arc in this season was one of the best arcs I seen in a comic book tv show.
#Lanterns https://t.co/Tk8sp1wGfg
— mark (@justmark_____) October 7, 2026
Post by @justmark_____ (mark): https://x.com/justmark_____/status/2107778799261937939
My quote post:
This person gets it
Lanterns was a great series. It carried depth. https://t.co/A7MJUlLV7X
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 8, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2107991652455584140
Why didn’t Guy just fight John?
This was the big complaint about the finale. Guy Gardner squared up with Superman, so why would he let John walk off with Earth?
Guy Gardner was willing to square up with the strongest metahuman on Earth to protect the planet, but then he lets a rookie Lantern snatch his chain and take his planet without putting up a fight?
The real Guy Gardner would NEVER take this BS from anyone. He wouldn’t just let John talk to him that way.
The show got this completely wrong among many other things.
— Samuel omuru (@omurusamuel22) October 7, 2026
Post by @omurusamuel22 (Samuel omuru): https://x.com/omurusamuel22/status/2107848306042769660
My reply:
You said it though. He was willing to go against Superman to defend the planet as he just got hit with propaganda.
He doesn’t perceive John as someone to defend the planet against, only his career, which he only has because John didn’t accept.
Now he’s back, with a ring for his original post and only wants earth
This is actually a Gaurdian call, now it’s up to Guy to talk to the guardians and go from there
If John was in the middle of destroying the world or about to guy would definitely step up.
The nature of the conflict is not the same as Superman
Now….
Nobody has to like it. But it does make “sense”
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 8, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2108184943750721716
The answer is in the question. Guy was willing to go against Superman to defend the planet. He’d just been hit with propaganda and thought Earth was in danger. He doesn’t see John as someone he needs to defend the planet from. John’s a threat to his career, and Guy only has that career because John turned the ring down.
Now John’s back with a ring for his old post, and all he wants is Earth. That’s a call for the Guardians. It’s on Guy to take it to them and go from there. If John were trying to destroy the world, Guy would step up. The conflict just isn’t the same as Superman. Nobody has to like it, but it makes sense.
Guy owes John, and he knows it
“Guy could’ve easily beat John’s a*s he’s more experienced with the ring.”
True, but Guy is clearly intimidated by John. In an average scenario an aging former gym teacher probably wouldn’t want to fight an Ex-Marine. https://t.co/LORQ7fhDeh
— 👑 (@RoyalMaj3sty) October 6, 2026
Post by @RoyalMaj3sty (👑): https://x.com/RoyalMaj3sty/status/2107524695746879669
My reply:
Ultimately… Guy should actually talk to the guardians first. John said all the right shyt to guy. lol
Folks not listening to his choice of words and I think Guy has a small hint of respect because Guy is ONLY a lantern cuz John said no.
Guy basically…owes John depends on the optics.
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 7, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2107637209214210326
Guy should talk to the Guardians first. John said all the right things to him. People aren’t paying attention to his choice of words, and I think Guy has a little respect for him because Guy is only a Lantern since John said no.
Somebody else broke it down even better than I did:
It’s not fear. Guy has an inferiority complex when it comes to John. Deep down, he knows he’s only a Green Lantern because John turned the position down.
On top of that, the writing has established this kind of toxic gratitude between John and Guy. When John was in custody, Guy felt indebted to him, and that creates a real psychological hold John has over Guy.
So their dynamic isn’t really about Guy being afraid of John — it’s about insecurity, indebtedness, and the fact that Guy knows John was the first choice.
— Captain Morpheus (@Geekol0gy) October 7, 2026
Post by @Geekol0gy (Captain Morpheus): https://x.com/Geekol0gy/status/2107879758969352416
My reply:
@Geekol0gy @omurusamuel22 You have a rational point with people are made up their mind, man I think this as well said
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 8, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2108160666859434211
“Aaron Pierre is wooden”
@yaboyrocklee This scene is more wooden than a plank of wood, but that's what you should expect from a character who's acting could be summed up as a block of wood…
— Dan (@illidanisdead2) October 10, 2026
Post by @illidanisdead2 (Dan): https://x.com/illidanisdead2/status/2108821833781002716
My reply:
@illidanisdead2 The man acted just fine. I would not expect much different based on the Jon Stuart from justice league and justice league unlimited
You just don’t like the persona he had and that’s ok.
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 10, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2108890608194768974
I don’t agree. He acted just fine, and it lines up with the John Stewart a lot of us grew up with from Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Calm, disciplined, a former Marine. You might not like that persona, and that’s okay. But that’s a character choice, not bad acting.
My one real complaint: the flying scene
I’ll give the haters this one.
So you're telling me y'all waited 8 episode for this f*****g s**t CW level fly scene? https://t.co/UJbeogpURb
— Kishan (@KishanNavadiya4) October 5, 2026
Post by @KishanNavadiya4 (Kishan): https://x.com/KishanNavadiya4/status/2106989245160358287
My quote post:
I’m not gonna lie. This is my only complaint about the show.
Otherwise, I don’t agree with the BS people were talking about. I think lantern was a solid series. https://t.co/Q1UuigoAm9
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 9, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2108523683639656823
That’s honestly my only real complaint about the show. The rest of the stuff people were saying, I just don’t agree with. And to be clear, you can have plenty of valid criticisms that I don’t share. That doesn’t make them invalid.
@yaboyrocklee I feel you, there are extremes on both sides. for me, the show was really lacking on a whole lot more than just this flying scene.
— Aft3r th3 br3ak (@PedroCa03300179) October 9, 2026
Post by @PedroCa03300179 (Aft3r th3 br3ak): https://x.com/PedroCa03300179/status/2108553345640140962
My reply:
@PedroCa03300179 I don’t think it’s a perfect series and I don’t have a problem with the criticism in general. It’s really the people who have nothing but visceral negativity that has me responding like this
.
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 9, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2108557040880619654
What gets me isn’t criticism. It’s the people who have nothing but visceral negativity, who show up to hate and never say what would have made it better. I’d rather vent in my own space than fight strangers, so consider this post my venting.
@yaboyrocklee Yea that makes a lot of sense. Criticism is pretty opinion reliant so
— Wayde(SkyHighCFC)🇧🇧 (@HaynesWayde) October 9, 2026
Post by @HaynesWayde (Wayde(SkyHighCFC)🇧🇧): https://x.com/HaynesWayde/status/2108554624550522999
My reply:
@HaynesWayde Yea exactly man.
I’m not really gonna be combative with strangers or my following.
So if I read something, I vent openly rather than engage people directly often times.
That way , I’m peaceful sharing my opinions in ”my own space”
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 9, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2108627257917124716
Who actually “stole” the ring?
The other big argument was who broke the rules first. Somebody came at John for “stealing” the ring:
@Harsikomide First black lantern gets the job by stealing the ring, go figure
— zain (@FecalExcrement) October 9, 2026
Post by @FecalExcrement (zain): https://x.com/FecalExcrement/status/2108361771103002930
My reply:
Jon broke into Oa to get the ring WITHOUT permission or was it Guy? (Guy was trusted by the guardians and stole it under their nose)
It was Guy
It was offered to Jon originally and he said na
Hal (construct) has co-signed him
But yeah. Guy and Jon are essentially accomplices in this
— Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur (@yaboyrocklee) October 9, 2026
Post by @yaboyrocklee (Yaboyrocklee | Content Creator & Entrepreneur): https://x.com/yaboyrocklee/status/2108522611072258283
My read: Guy and John are basically accomplices. John was offered the ring originally and said no. Guy was trusted by the Guardians and ended up being the way it got taken. Hal’s hologram co-signs John. Neither one has clean hands, and that’s what makes the ending interesting going into whatever DC does next.
Watch the reactions
Watch it on YouTube: This Was EPIC!!
Watch it on YouTube: Only a Lantern can kill a LANTERN
So, solid series or overhyped? And would Guy have fought John in the comics? Let me know in the comments.
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