Did HBO’s Lanterns just unmask the mysterious Manhunter hiding out in Rushville? And more importantly, is the reveal pointing to the suspect fans had in mind — or someone far more unexpected?
**Spoilers for Lanterns Episode 4 “The Weenie,” now streaming on HBO Max**
For several weeks, Lanterns has been building toward one unsettling truth: a Manhunter has been quietly living in America’s heartland ever since Ebin Sur’s ship went down and the Green Lantern ring selected Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). In DC lore, the Manhunters are artificial beings engineered by the Guardians to defend innocent life across the universe. But their mission took a dark turn when these powerful, shape-shifting protectors became violent, prompting the Guardians to destroy them and replace them with the Green Lantern Corps. At least, that was the plan. One Manhunter apparently survived — and Episode 4 strongly suggests that hidden fugitive has been living as Poorna Jagannathan’s Zoe.
Of course, that twist raises some major questions. How can Zoe be the Manhunter when John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) watches her explode right in front of him after their forbidden encounter? And what does the sudden appearance of “Hector Hammond” — a classic Green Lantern villain from the comics — mean for the ongoing Manhunter investigation in Lanterns Episode 4?
Here’s the essential breakdown of the Manhunter reveal in Lanterns Episode 4, “The Weenie,” and why it may change everything about the HBO series’ central mystery.
Lanterns Episode 4 Ending Explained: Is Zoe the Manhunter?
Yes, DECIDER can confirm that Zoe, the beguiling character played by Poorna Jagannathan, has been the Manhunter on Lanterns the whole time!
We can also reveal that Poorna Jagannathan didn’t know she was playing the Manhunter until she got the Episode 4 script!
“Did I know that was happening?” Jagannathan asked aloud. “I don’t think when I was shooting Episode 1, I don’t think we had the writing for Episode 4.”
Apparently this was news for her costar (and onscreen husband) Garret Dillahunt. “I’m shocked that I never knew that she didn’t know she was the Manhunter until episode 4 or something,” he said.
“Until I read it, I had no idea!” Jagannathan said.
“No, no one told me they kept it from her,” Dillahunt said.
“Yeah, they kept it from me,” she said. “I mean, you know, those kind of scenes are…”
“They don’t trust you,” Dillahunt teased.
But, yes, Zoe is the Manhunter, and we will learn way more about her history with the other characters in Rushville — and with the aliens on her tail — in next week’s Lanterns.
Naturally, though, Lanterns went out of its way to make the reveal that Zoe is the Manhunter as complicated as possible, going so far as to throw in a Hector Hammond red herring!
Who is Hector Hammond in HBO’s Lanterns?
After Zoe’s car is destroyed by a space laser, Hal and John track down the owner of the satellite and discover he is a major cattle rancher named Hector Hammond. They go to his creepy cattle ranch and discover it’s powered by all sorts of insane alien technology. When they finally confront the guy, he plays it cool. However, they soon figure out he’s just a front for the Manhunter.
“Hector Hammond” reveals he’s just a guy named Hector Guiterrez. William Macon (Garret Dillahunt) offered him the tech to pretend he was the Manhunter. Why did William Macon do that? To protect his wife, Zoe, the real Manhunter — who did NOT die in the car explosion! (Dun-dun-dun!!!)
Hector Hammond is one of the original Green Lantern villains from the comics, known for his mental powers. He’s a genius with telepathic and telekinetic powers. Oh, and Peter Sarsgaard played him in the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie.