DC veteran Grant Morrison has shared their criticisms of the recent Lanterns finale, deeming its conclusion "morally and legally incoherent." Morrison, known for their extensive work on DC properties such as The Green Lantern, expressed their complex feelings about the show in a post on their Substack.
While Morrison acknowledged that Lanterns "worked" overall, primarily due to the performances of Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, the finale's resolution proved problematic. "I didn't really like the ending, even if it was all neatly put together," Morrison stated. Their main contention lies with the reveal of Sheriff Kerry, played by Kelly Macdonald, as Hal Jordan's killer. Morrison found it difficult to accept that the characters and the narrative seemed to move past this violent act without significant repercussions.
"There should probably have been some response to that, because otherwise it makes it really hard for the audience to work out what makes the Green Lantern Corps an intergalactic law enforcement agency at all," Morrison explained. The writer questioned the implications for the Guardians of the Universe and the Corps' operational integrity if operatives can be murdered and perpetrators allowed to go free.
Morrison contrasted the show's approach with the fundamental premise of the Green Lantern Corps as an intergalactic judiciary system. They felt that allowing Kerry to kill Hal Jordan out of personal grievance, and John Stewart to let a Manhunter escape, undermined the show's grounding in space police work and its own established narrative implications.
Despite these criticisms of the finale, Morrison praised the chemistry and charisma of the two leads, suggesting that this dynamic was key to the show's success and its comparisons to True Detective. Although rumors of a second season are circulating, Morrison expressed skepticism about its potential impact without the core dynamic that made the first season compelling.
In parallel with their commentary on Lanterns, Morrison is also embarking on a new project outside of DC Comics, set to pen a James Bond series for IDW Publishing.