One of the producers of HBO’s “Lanterns” series has branded the power rings ‘sexist’ in an interesting new interview about the “Green Lantern”-inspired DC series.
There has been plenty of discussion about the show, from complaints about a creative decision regarding one character in the first episode to others where there have been big lore changes.
Executive producer Damon Lindelof found himself under fire when he dubbed the “Green” in Green Lantern “stupid” a while back. Now, writer and co-executive producer Vanessa Baden Kelly has made some surprise admissions in an interview with Collider.
First up, she revealed that having comics writer Tom King in the room was very helpful, and conversations were “really robust because many of us were more casual Green Lantern fans. Some didn’t know anything about Green Lantern.”
It was up to King to point out where certain things couldn’t be changed or broken from the comics, all to make sure the series offered a take that was “respectful to the canon while simultaneously being a fresh take and a more human, grounded version of who this character is.”
One interesting point came up in the interview when Kelly explained why the ring, which chose John Stewart Sr. before settling for Hal, seemingly ignored John Jr.’s mother Bernadette despite the character being one of the strongest of the series:
“The thing that I would always say in the room is that if the ring wasn’t sexist, Bernadette would have been chosen, because she really is just the most fearless of everybody. For me personally, as a writer, and I feel like most of the writers’ room would probably agree, this idea of willpower and overcoming fear is so different depending on where you stand.
So, what Bernadette was pointing out to them is, ‘You guys don’t take any care in learning the differences of the people that you’re asking for this. So, yes, you got a s–t face for this job, and it’s clear you don’t like him, but here’s why you don’t like who you got — because you’re actually not picking the bravest people. You’re picking the people dumb enough to not be scared.'”
The comments have generated discussion on social media, especially among those who’re still arguing over the show’s creative take on Hal Jordan.
The series still has five more episodes left to air, with the showrunners previously making clear that people should wait and see the full story before jumping to conclusions.
Reviews and early numbers for the show have been quite strong so far. The network announced yesterday that last Sunday’s third episode has averaged 10 million viewers globally and 7 million viewers in the U.S. after three days of viewership. The title has managed week-to-week growth since its premiere.
