Damon Lindelof has co-created *Lanterns*, a new HBO Max series based on DC's Green Lantern comics, which critics suggest may finally offer a successor to his acclaimed series *Lost*. The show follows John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) training to replace Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as Earth's ring-bearer, and it blends Lindelof's signature flashback-driven, mythology-heavy storytelling with the tone of a gritty detective drama such as *True Detective*. Its arrival has generated debate among fans, partly because the premise implies one of the two Lanterns must ultimately be written out.

The series is set in Rushville, Nebraska, where Stewart and Jordan, despite a tense and jealousy-laden relationship, are forced to team up after several aliens are found dead at a local football game. Their investigation uncovers a wider conspiracy involving an anti-alien militia and the appearance of a formidable Manhunter, hinting at a bigger threat to Earth. Hal Jordan's arc reportedly takes a dramatic turn by the end of the first episode, though given Lindelof's history of narrative twists, further surprises are expected as the show combines faithful comic-book roots with an original mystery plot.