Lanterns Episode 4 Review: The Manhunter Is Revealed in “The Weenie”

Lanterns continues to impress with Episode 4, “The Weenie,” which might be my favorite episode so far. This episode gives us more answers, more questions, some great character moments, and just enough humor to keep the story from becoming too heavy. The chemistry between Hal and John continues to be one of the best parts of the show, and this episode really starts pushing both characters toward the bigger mystery surrounding the Manhunter.

We start with Hal meeting with Sinestro, who wants to know about John. More importantly, he wants Hal to admit that John is his replacement. Sinestro clearly knows a lot about John and knows exactly how to push his buttons. He knows John is a stickler for the rules, which is apparently one of the reasons the Guardians want him. Sinestro also reveals that he wanted Hal to kill him, but Hal refused. He basically admits that he fooled Hal by hiding his true intentions the entire time.

Meanwhile, John gets a call from his father while he's at the hotel. His dad is disappointed that John doesn't want to talk, and when he says he'll put his mother on the phone, John hangs up once he realizes Hal is gone. That moment tells us a lot about where John's head is at.

John later goes to a local shop to buy a scope, but the people there clearly don't want anything to do with him. Aaron provides some hilarious comedic moments during the scene, and the humor continues when Hal and John meet on the water tower overlooking the ranch. That's where we get the explanation behind the episode's title, “The Weenie,” along with some Walt Disney lore. Then Kyle and Aaron give us even more funny banter. I honestly love how this show balances the serious detective story with moments like these.

They bring Sheriff Kane into the plan, and she's clearly nervous about the possibility that the Manhunter has been hiding in plain sight. They believe the Manhunter could be Macon's benefactor, making her way into the investigation.

Things get even more interesting when Lianna comes to see John after he misses his check-in. She's playing him like a fiddle, using his insecurities about Hal and his father against him. John gets heated and goes to Hal, giving him the map he drew. John proudly reminds him, “I'm creative.” Hal then gives John the ring and tells him to manifest a drill so they can dig into the “weenie.” The construct is awesome, and the conversation during the dig gives us some much-needed information about Hal's parents and John's time at art school.

I'm also glad John doesn't say the oath the way the Guardian wanted him to. Something about her still doesn't sit right with me. Eventually, they discover an armory filled with alien technology, but Hal trips a pressure alarm. John creates a weight for Hal, supposedly weighing 185 pounds, but even that doesn't work. The guards arrive and use literal darkness against them. John fails to use the ring properly, and both men are captured. We then learn that the rings were specifically designed to stop Lanterns.

Their capture leads them straight to Macon, who immediately starts acting like a complete weirdo by stripping naked and asking John to draw him. Zoey is there too, and Macon forces her to stay. We learn that the benefactor cured Macon's cancer, which is how he met Zoey. The benefactor is also apparently responsible for the hospital being empty and nobody getting sick.

The situation gets heated, and Hal and John are threatened with death until Sheriff Macon suddenly shows up pretending to arrest them. Thanks to a call from Zoey, they get out, and she gives Hal his ring while handing John a shotgun.

Then John calls his mother, and she tells him to take the ring from Hal. That's when John realizes they're all being played.

After seeing someone approaching the hotel, John realizes it's Zoey, but he still doesn't know if he can trust her. They end up sleeping together, but Zoey tells him this has to be the last time because he needs to leave town. John tells her he can't leave because he feels like everyone is lying to him, while admitting that he's doing the same thing. Then everything changes.

Zoey leaves, and her car is suddenly blown up by lasers. Hal immediately flies toward where the attack came from and discovers a satellite. John watches everything happen, standing there with tears in his eyes. It's one of the episode's strongest emotional moments.

The investigation eventually leads them toward Hector Hammond. Hal and John take a drive, and Hal opens up about why he doesn't let people get close to him. Being a Lantern is lonely. He tells John that he's the only human Lantern and that everyone else is an alien, even a squirrel.

They eventually arrive at a high-tech slaughterhouse while searching for Hector. The employees completely ignore them, and things get even stranger when they enter one of the slaughter rooms. A black portal opens, a cow walks through, and lasers immediately slice it apart. It's bizarre, creepy, and completely fitting for the strange world this show has created.

They finally find Hector, who has a dead-man switch connected to John's parents' house. He only wants to talk to John because he's been recording everything happening at the hotel. He plays the recording of John's conversation with the Guardian, which obviously pisses John and Hal off. But instead of panicking, Hal starts grilling Hector.

And then comes the big reveal: , the supposed Manhunter, is actually Will Macon. And Hector Gutierrez is this guy's real name! On the way back, Hal and John have another great conversation. Hal isn't even that angry with John because, in his mind, John wasn't completely wrong. He also admits that he went to see Sinestro, once again proving that Lianna was lying to John about Hal.

Hal then tells John to call Antaan and have them meet at the cafe. But Hal has clearly figured out what's really happening. He tells John that Zoey is the Manhunter. John was already thinking this which hal knew, and Hal apologizes for the rental before slamming the car into a pole and jumping out, leaving John behind. What an ending.

“The Weenie” takes everything this show has been building and turns the mystery up another level. The twists are coming fast, but the character development is what makes them work. Hal and John are becoming a genuinely great duo, and the show continues to mix detective mystery, superhero mythology, weird science fiction, comedy, and character drama in a way that feels different from most superhero shows.

I'm completely locked in at this point. I love this show.

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