Lanterns: The Official Podcast | Episode 2, “Trust Fall” | HBO Max

What does it take to bring the Green Lantern mythos down to Earth? In Lanterns: The Official Podcast, Juju Green sits down with showrunner, executive producer, co-creator and writer Chris Mundy, writer and co-executive producer Vanessa Baden Kelly, and director and executive producer James Hawes to break down Episode 2, “Trust Fall.”

The creators discuss building the grounded world of Lanterns, separating John Stewart and Hal Jordan, designing their approach to flight, and crafting the episode’s massive car chase. They also reveal how Earl, Hal Jordan’s bizarre alien pet, went from a writers’ room idea to one of the episode’s most memorable characters.

Plus, the team discusses the 48-hour clock, John and Hal’s evolving trust, bringing the iconic villain Sinestro into the story, finding the right balance between comic book mythology and grounded drama, and the process of bringing Sinestro and the Green Lantern elements to life.

This is a spoiler discussion for Episode 2, “Trust Fall.”

Lanterns: The Official Podcast is hosted by Juju Green and presented by DC Studios. Stream new episodes of Lanterns on HBO Max and listen to the official podcast on HBO Max, the HBO Max YouTube channel, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode Highlights:

✅ Chris Mundy reveals where the title “Trust Fall” originally came from.
✅ Vanessa Baden Kelly explains how splitting up John Stewart and Hal Jordan actually brought them closer together.
✅ James Hawes breaks down the making of the episode’s intense car chase.
✅ The creators reveal how Earl, Hal Jordan’s alien pet, became a full-fledged part of the show.
✅ Chris, Vanessa, and James discuss bringing Sinestro into the series and balancing Green Lantern mythology with a grounded world.

Watch Lanterns, now streaming on HBO Max.

Subscribe for new weekly episodes of Lanterns: The Official Podcast and let us know in the comments what surprised you most about the pilot and which behind-the-scenes story was your favorite.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Produced by OBB Sound.

YouTube Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:28 Making “Trust Fall”
5:32 James Hawes on Joining Lanterns
5:59 Figuring Out How Green Lanterns Fly
7:30 Why John Stewart and Hal Jordan Are Separated
9:30 Hal’s Detective Work and John’s Car Chase
10:21 Meet Earl
10:38 Creating Hal Jordan’s Alien Pet
13:47 Building the Car Chase
15:16 Balancing Grounded Action and Alien Powers
18:29 The 48-Hour Clock
19:37 Making John and Hal a Team
20:23 Talking About Sinestro
20:58 Hal Jordan and Sinestro’s Coaching Tree
23:44 Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern Suit
26:41 Kyle Chandler and the Friday Night Lights Connection
27:27 Finding the Warmth in Hal Jordan
29:15 Paul Ben-Victor on Antaan
30:13 Aaron Pierre’s Performance
32:13 Outro

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