‘Lanterns’ Finale Will End on a Cliffhanger, Sinestro Actor Ulrich Thomsen Teases
It has been a surprisingly successful run for ‘Lanterns‘, HBO’s grounded take on the Green Lantern mythos from Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King. The series premiered on August 16 and follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. The season finale, “Dirt and Stars”, airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
Critics and audiences have been largely on board. The show sits at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and its premiere drew 9.3M viewers, the biggest DC Studios debut in HBO Max history. The key mystery has been who killed Hal Jordan, and the finale is expected to answer it.
Sinestro has been the show’s wild card. Ulrich Thomsen, the Danish actor known for ‘Banshee’, first appeared in the episode 2 cliffhanger as a disgraced former Green Lantern imprisoned on Oa. Kyle Chandler has described the character as a father figure to Hal. Episode 6 revealed that someone had broken him out of prison, and episode 7 ended with John and the Hal-ogram finding him on Antaan’s destroyed homeworld, behind a hooded disguise.
Now Thomsen is teasing what comes next. In an interview with BlackTree TV, the actor said the finale will be “a great cliffhanger for sure”.
The finale has plenty to explain. Episode 7 did not reveal who freed Sinestro or how he reached the planet. It also left open why Hal kept a private portal to his hiding place before his death.
The season finale trailer centers on Sinestro, with John, the Hal-ogram and Sinestro face-to-face. A building on the island appears to be pumping poisonous gas into the planet’s atmosphere. Sinestro also appears to know more than Hal did about the Manhunters and the Guardians’ buried crimes.
Reviewers have noted that the show has used Sinestro sparingly and kept him offscreen for most of the season. The Hollywood Reporter called him underutilized. The finale, which is written by Mundy, Lindelof and King, is clearly meant to change that.
A cliffhanger means more when the future is uncertain. ‘Lanterns’ has not yet been officially renewed for season 2. A writers’ room has been working on possible stories, with Mundy returning as showrunner alongside Christopher Cantwell as co-showrunner.
The Ankler reported that HBO executives want to continue the show but are waiting on pitches from the writers’ room. James Gunn has confirmed that “Dirt and Stars” is the season finale rather than the show’s final episode. Variety reported the series averages nearly 19M viewers globally, so a renewal looks likely.
If Sinestro becomes a central villain, the comics offer a clear path. He eventually forms the Sinestro Corps, which harnesses the yellow power of fear to oppose the Green Lanterns. That would fit a show that has used fear as a recurring theme for both Hal and John.
The finale cast includes Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler and Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry Kane, along with Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner and Ulrich Thomsen. Jason Ritter, Nicole Ari Parker and Laura Linney are also listed among the stars. The episode runs about an hour.
The role is a notable one for Thomsen. Mark Strong played Sinestro in the 2011 ‘Green Lantern’ film, so this is a chance for the character to get a proper showcase on television. A cliffhanger would give the next chapter a strong place to start.
The trailer for the final episode of ‘LANTERNS’ has arrived! Premieres October 4 on HBO Max. https://t.co/N9zTdjrQnY
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) September 28, 2026
For now, fans will have to wait for the episode to find out what Thomsen means.
What are you expecting from the Lanterns season finale?
