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Lanterns Writer Kelly "Super Nervous" Before S01E03: "OutKast" Aired

Lanterns S01E03: "OutKast" writer Vanessa Baden Kelly discusses how she felt going into and after the episode aired, online critics, and more.

Even with a new episode of Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King's Aaron Pierre (John Stewart) and Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan)-starring Lanterns set to hit Sunday night, a lot of folks are still talking about S01E03: "OutKast." We're talking about 10 million viewers over the first three days of its run. Not only did co-executive producer and writer Vanessa Baden Kelly's script offer a strikingly insightful and layered look at John's "origin story, " but it also left us questioning much of what we assumed up to that point – while leaving us wondering just how much we can trust moving forward. Checking in with The Hollywood Reporter, Kelly opened up about how she felt going into and after the episode aired, the advice she received from Lindelof on dealing with social media hate, her thoughts on online critics, and how John Stewart's story is far from over.

Kelly on Being "Super Nervous" Leading up to S01E03: "OutKast" Premiere: "The week leading up to it, I was having heart palpitations. I was super nervous, just worried that the things we were hoping were going to land would, and that we would do the character justice."

Kelly on Lindelof's Advice When "Woke" Rumblings Began: "About two days beforehand, I started seeing some of the 'woke' commentary, and that started making my stomach turn a little bit. But Damon [Lindelof], who had been through this for The Watchmen, has been such a resource. He was like, 'Hey, here's this guy on TikTok that helps me breathe.' I attempted to do that, and then the night of, I tried my best to stay off socials as much as I could. But, of course, I would keep taking peeks and get like an anxiety attack."

Kelly Is Feeling "Overwhelmingly Positive" Now That S01E03: "OutKast" Aired: "Now it feels overwhelmingly positive. It feels like people took from it the things they were supposed to take from it. It feels like it moves people in all the right ways. It feels like the debates around whether the Stewarts were abusive or not were the exact debates we were hoping to have."

Kelly Wants Those Criticizing S01E03: "OutKast" to Stay Tuned: "There is still a contingent that's really angry about it. They are mad and they're loud and they're saying mean things, but that kind of just comes with the territory," Kelly shared, adding later in the interview, "I am really sad that there are comic book fans that feel like we ruined it. I would caution anybody who feels like they know where the John Stewart story ends, based on episode three, to really make it through to the end. Because not only is he a Black man, he also goes through the very human experience of what it feels like to make your own decisions about the life that you've been given."

Lanterns Season 1 Episode 4: "The Weenie" Preview

Lanterns Season 1 Episode 4: "The Weenie" – Written by Justin Britt-Gibson and Damon Lindelof, here's a look at the image gallery and episode trailer that were released:

We had a pretty good idea heading into the third episode of Lanterns that we would be learning a whole lot about John Stewart's origin story. And we definitely did, with J. Alphonse Nicholson (John Stewart Sr.) and Jasmine Cephas Jones (Bernadette Stewart) offering amazing performances as parents making the hard decisions to do right by their son. In terms of the Green Lantern universe and the overall DCU, there were definitely some interesting pieces of intel that we want to pass along.

During his interview to be the next Green Lantern, John asks why the Guardians are recruiting and not allowing the rings to select. Linney's Guardian responds that the selection process was changed after Sinestro turned, killing a Guardian (who are blue and pretty tall, by the way – at least Linney's Guardian).

We learn that John's father was offered the ring but was denied when he said he was afraid. Linney's Guardian returns to speak with Bernadette and apologizes for the "extreme turmoil" caused by the ring invites (which were also offered to others). It's during their conversation that the idea of raising John to be fearless comes into play, essentially training him with the hope that the Guardians approve.

Linney's Guardian also addressed that Sinestro was Hal Jordan's mentor, and that they found their connection/bond "troubling."

As if being raised to believe that Jordan didn't earn the ring and that his fearlessness came from his privilege, we learned that John had another reason to resent Jordan. It seems John spent nine months on a special operation, only for Jordan to swoop in, apprehend the guy that John was sent to kill, and leave a political/counterintelligence mess in his wake. As the fallout from Jordan's actions grew, John was made the scapegoat and dishonorably discharged.

Meanwhile, the trailer for the next episode is dropping a ten-ton hint that Hal and Sinestro have something planned that may not bode well for John (of course, it could also be some interesting editing on the show's part to throw us off the scent). Let the Yellow Lanterns speculation start in 5… 4… 3…:

Sinestro: "Is he fearless?"

Hal Jordan: "He may be."

Sinestro: "Well, then he can be controlled. Then he will be arrogant. Thus, blindly oblivious to your true intent."

Sinestro: "You really will need to kill John Stewart."

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