Synopsis: In ‘Bad Optics’, John partners with brother Marcus to land a major investor for his panic room innovation, but an unexpected call pulls him back to Rushville and his past.
The Story
Having closed the book on the 2016 portion of the story, which concerned Hal Jordan and John Stewart finding the Manhunter and eliminating the threat, this episode—set in 2026—begins pulling on the threads of the aftermath.
The episode begins with John and his brother Marcus pitching their latest innovation—a huge network of panic rooms—during a business meeting. All goes well, and the two are invited to pitch the idea to a top military official.
John, who chose not to keep Hal’s ring, then receives a call from his mother asking him to return to Rushville for a meeting with Hal. Having recently been released from prison for his crimes, Hal apparently wants to make amends and apologise to John.
John drives to Rushville and takes the meeting, but it doesn’t go well. He punches Hal in the face and leaves. Just before he goes, however, Hal beseeches him not to tell anyone about their meeting.
No sooner has John returned home than he receives a call from Sheriff Kerry Kane, who tells him that Hal Jordan is dead. We then return to the scene shown earlier in the series, in which John and Kerry examine the circumstances of Hal’s death. He has been shot through the head at close range, thus beginning another mystery: Who killed Hal Jordan?
Determined to get to the bottom of it, John abandons the project with his brother to investigate Hal’s murder. In doing so, he begins stirring up the town’s lingering resentment towards the Green Lanterns. The damage caused by the battle in 2016 has permanently affected Rushville and its economy, as many people left in the aftermath.
John calls upon the current Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, to help him recover Hal’s ring and costume under the pretence that Hal should be buried as a Lantern. This sparks some of the locals into action, and they attack John. The group is led by Kerry’s ex-husband, Billy Macon.
John is subsequently jailed for disturbing the peace but manages to secure bail after his brother wires him the money from their business operation. By the close of the episode, John digs up Hal’s grave, retrieves the Green Lantern ring and taps it to activate Hal’s holographic avatar, which he hopes may provide some answers as to why Hal was killed.
Acting
‘Bad Optics’ is very much led by Aaron Pierre in the role of John Stewart, who wants to get to the bottom of what happened to Hal. His determination is driven by his conflicted feelings of hero worship and the knowledge that he could once have replaced Hal as Green Lantern. John chose not to take on the mantle due to the messy politics surrounding it, which is how Guy Gardner ended up with the job.
Kelly Macdonald puts in a strong performance as Kerry, who is grieving the loss of Hal. She had developed romantic feelings for him despite the fact that he could be something of a jerk.
We also get a fun guest appearance from Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, who meets with John to discuss recovering Hal’s old Green Lantern costume and ring. Guy says that he cannot be seen to be complicit because it would be bad optics. However, John reminds him that had he not turned down the mantle of Green Lantern, Guy would still be a gym teacher of little significance. In short, Guy owes John.
Overall
This was a solid episode that explored the complexity of John’s situation while also examining the lasting trauma caused by the events of 2016. Ten years on, Rushville has never fully recovered from the destruction caused by the Lanterns during their mission to find and stop the Manhunter. Most of the town’s businesses and residents have since moved elsewhere, leaving its economy in ruins.
In short, John and Hal are almost universally disliked by the people who remain in Rushville, adding another layer to the mystery surrounding Hal’s murder. Was he killed by a Rushville resident who held a grudge against him, or by an alien enemy he encountered during his time as a Green Lantern? Adding even more intrigue is the revelation that Sinestro, who became a Red Lantern, has escaped from prison.
- Story8.0
- Acting9.5
- CGI & Stunts9.7
- Incidental Music9.0
Nathan Fillion did a live stage reading of a classic Star Trek episode recently where he played Captain Kirk. I hope this starts to become a thing (sci-fi actors doing readings of famous sci-fi episodes). Good review Ian.