Poorna Jagannathan's character Zoe on HBO's Lanterns is revealed to be the secret Manhunter in episode 4 "The Weenie", despite initial confusion over her fate after a previous explosion. Jagannathan herself didn't know she was playing the Manhunter until receiving the script for episode 4, and her co-star Garret Dillahunt claimed he also wasn't aware of this twist. The reveal is complicated by the introduction of Hector Hammond, a Green Lantern villain from the comics, who turns out to be a red herring.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Lanterns, a new HBO drama, is a gritty take on the Green Lanterns comics. The show follows John Stewart, a Green Lantern who has been tapped by the Guardians to replace Hal Jordan. In episode 4, "The Weenie", it was revealed that the secret Manhunter, a synthetic being created by the Guardians, is actually Zoe, played by Poorna Jagannathan. However, this revelation raises questions about how Zoe survived a previous explosion in front of John Stewart's eyes. The arrival of Hector Hammond, a Green Lantern villain from the comics, also complicates the situation and adds to the tension between John and Hal. Lanterns is available on HBO and HBO Max.
Written for “Lanterns' TV Show Release Dates” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Lanterns finally reveal the true identity of the secret Manhunter holed up in Rushville?
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Lanterns → reveal → Rushville
And is it the person you thought it would be??
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it → think → ?
**Spoilers for Lanterns Episode 4 “The Weenie,” now streaming on HBO Max**
We’ve known for a few weeks now that a Manhunter has been laying low in the middle of America since the night that Ebin Sur’s ship crashed and the Lantern ring chose Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler).
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ring → stream → Jordan
Manhunters are synthetic beings who were created by the Guardians to protect the innocents of the universe.
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who → create → universe
However, when these shapeshifting, super-powered protectors decided to get violent, the Guardians eliminated them in favor of creating the Lantern Corps.
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Guardians → decide → Corps
Well, they thought they eliminated all of the Manhunters.
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they → think → Manhunters
One Manhunter slipped through their fingers and that Manhunter has been living life as… Poorna Jagannathan‘s Zoe???
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Manhunter → slip → Zoe
Wait, how can the Manhunter be Zoe if Zoe literally blows up in front of John Stewart’s (Aaron Pierre) eyes after they have an illicit rendezvous?
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they → wait → rendezvous
And how does the arrival of “Hector Hammond,” a Green Lantern villain from the comics complicate the Manhunter “man hunt” on Lanterns Episode 4?
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arrival → complicate → Episode
Here’s what you need to know about the Manhunter reveal in Lanterns Episode 4 “The Weenie”…
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you → ’ → Episode
Lanterns Episode 4 Ending Explained: Is Zoe the Manhunter?
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Zoe → explain → ?
Yes, DECIDER can confirm that Zoe, the beguiling character played by Poorna Jagannathan, has been the Manhunter on Lanterns the whole time!
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Zoe → confirm → Lanterns
We can also reveal that Poorna Jagannathan didn’t know she was playing the Manhunter until she got the Episode 4 script!
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she → reveal → script
“Did I know that was happening?” Jagannathan asked aloud.
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Jagannathan → know → ?
“I don’t think when I was shooting Episode 1, I don’t think we had the writing for Episode 4.”
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we → think → Episode
“I’m shocked that I never knew that she didn’t know she was the Manhunter until episode 4 or something,” he said.
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he → ’m → episode
“Until I read it, I had no idea!” Jagannathan said.
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Jagannathan → read → idea
“No, no one told me they kept it from her,” Dillahunt said.
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Dillahunt → tell → her
“Yeah, they kept it from me,” she said.
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she → keep → me
“I mean, you know, those kind of scenes are…”
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kind → mean → scenes
“They don’t trust you,” Dillahunt teased.
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Dillahunt → trust → you
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.
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we → learn → 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?
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Hammond → go → 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.
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he → destroy → satellite
They go to his creepy cattle ranch and discover it’s powered by all sorts of insane alien technology.
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it → go → technology
When they finally confront the guy, he plays it cool.
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he → confront → it
However, they soon figure out he’s just a front for the Manhunter.
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he → figure → Manhunter
“Hector Hammond” reveals he’s just a guy named Hector Guiterrez.
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he → reveal → ?
William Macon (Garret Dillahunt) offered him the tech to pretend he was the Manhunter.
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he → offer → tech
Why did William Macon do that?
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Macon → do → that
To protect his wife, Zoe, the real Manhunter — who did NOT die in the car explosion! (Dun-dun-dun!!!)
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who → protect → explosion
Hector Hammond is one of the original Green Lantern villains from the comics, known for his mental powers.
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Hammond → know → powers
He’s a genius with telepathic and telekinetic powers.
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He → ’ → powers
Oh, and Peter Sarsgaard played him in the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie.
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Sarsgaard → play → movie
