‘Lanterns’ Trailer for the Penultimate Episode Arrives, and Fans Think a Big Reveal Is Coming
Every good murder mystery hits a moment where the pieces start to fall into place. For HBO’s ‘Lanterns‘, that moment is drawing near, and the network has just released a fresh look at what comes next. With only 2 episodes left in the season, fans are studying every frame for clues.
The series follows two intergalactic cops, the new recruit John Stewart and the Lantern legend Hal Jordan. Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler star, and the story sends them into a dark, Earth-based mystery in the American heartland. Kelly Macdonald plays Sheriff Kerry, who is less than charmed by Hal’s dry wit.
The show is part of the DC Universe’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, and it was created by Chris Mundy, with Damon Lindelof and Tom King among its writers. One of its co-showrunners has described it as much a buddy cop show as a superhero one. That blend of genres has helped it stand out from other comic-book adaptations.
Now the next chapter has arrived in trailer form. The trailer for ‘Lanterns’ Episode 7 is out, with the episode premiering September 27 on HBO Max. The 32-second clip has drawn 466.1K views, 3K likes, and 238 reposts.
The trailer for ‘LANTERNS’ Episode 7 has arrived! Premieres September 27 on HBO Max. https://t.co/29VKRBR8Gd
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) September 21, 2026
The new promo builds on a midseason preview that HBO released on September 17. It shows a ghostly version of Hal, known as a Halogram, pushing John to investigate his apparent murder in Rushville, Nebraska. John responds with blunt skepticism, and Hal fires back that being murdered allows for a little paranoia.
The midseason trailer added several other threads. Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner visits John behind bars and says he cannot help solve the murder because of bad optics, while Ulrich Thomsen’s Sinestro appears with a cryptic tease. It also shows the 2026 version of Hal waking up as a prisoner before his body turns up frozen.
No evil shall escape their sight.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 24, 2026
Watch the official trailer now. #Lanterns arrives August 16 on @hbomax. pic.twitter.com/PQdkto9G2R
Recent events have also raised the stakes. Episode 6, which aired on September 20, revealed that Hal took the fall for John after the 2016 Rushville disaster. He then spent the following decade dealing with the consequences, a twist that reframes the friendship at the show’s core.
Reaction online has been a mix of excitement and frustration. One fan noted that the trailer barely showed anything but said there is clearly some huge stuff coming in the next episode. Another replied that the hooded figure in the footage is definitely Sinestro, though that is fan speculation rather than anything confirmed.
Guessing games are part of the fun for a mystery series. Viewers have been debating who is responsible for Hal’s death and how the flashbacks connect to the present-day storyline. The trailer’s short runtime leaves plenty of room for theories.
The schedule is now clear. Episode 7 airs Sunday, September 27 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, and the 8-episode season closes with its finale on October 4. That leaves just 2 more Sundays of answers.
For a series that has leaned on slow-burn tension, the closing stretch is where everything is expected to click together. The buddy-cop dynamic of Hal and John will face its biggest test, and the mysteries of Rushville should finally start to clear. It is a promising setup for a first season of DC’s new TV era.
What are you most excited to see in the next episode of Lanterns?
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