Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't yet watched Lanterns' sixth episode on HBO or via HBO Max subscription.Holy live-action bat-confirmations, John Stewart! The sixth episode of Lanterns' first season, titled "Bad Optics," delivered some huge comic book references for fans to delight in, as well as the arrival of Nathan Fillion's DCU-connecting superdork Guy Gardner. As well, the events of the episode tried pretty hard to convince me that Hal Jordan is really dead, despite my previous theory that the corpse Kerry and John saw wasn't actually Hal. I'm gonna need to keep thinking about that one. But for now, let's nerd out on how the episode delivered not just a Batman reference (and a possible Hawkman nod), but also one of the most important human characters in Green Lantern canon. (Image credit: HBO)Batman Finally Got Some Live-Action Love In The DCUI prefer to think it wasn't a coincidence that, during the same weekend where Matt Reeves shared a new look at The Batman: Part II to celebrate Batman Day, that Lanterns made its own direct reference to the DCU's Dark Knight. When Hal and John are talking uncomforably in the diner early on, Hal half-derisively brings up Guy Gardner's Green Lantern antics, and notes the beacon that was installed in the middle of Rushville. As he put it:Ripped off that Bat guy over in Gotham, too. Put a beacon right in the middle of the fuckin’ town here so people can summon him.Unlike the Bat Signal that was installed atop the Gotham City Police Department, away from the destructive hands of angry citizens, Guy had the Lantern beacon put right there on the ground in a place that more or less overshadowed the town's tribute to everyone who died during the events in Episode 5. Total prick move, and it's no surprise that turning the thing on immediately riles up those who stayed in town. It sadly doesn't tell us much about what to expect when the Caped Crusader is introduced in the DCU, and is somewhat in line with the brief shots of his Bat-silhouette in Creature Commandos. But it's something! It's at least an on-the-nose nod, even if Hal didn't say Batman outright. When John is giving his underground ark presentation before returning to Rushville, he notes that they're in Midway City, which is a major location in the comics. For one, it's one spot where Hawkman and Hawkwoman called home. And the city's downtown area is where the Doom Patrol were headquartered. Bring on Elasti-Girl and Robotman!(Image credit: HBO)OMG, It's Carol Ferris!When Lanterns revealed Laura Linney as a cast member, the go-to assumption was that she'd be playing Carol Ferris, who's arguably the most important person in Hal Jordan's life in many comic stories, both for better and for worse. However, it quickly became clear that Linney was not playing a human, much less Carol. So I kind of thought the trio of co-creators decided to put Carol on the back-burner while telling this particular story. So it figures that Episode 6 threw that assumption in my face by bringing in Mountainhead and The Last Day actress Amie Mackenzie to play Carol. And I'm hoping this isn't the only time we see her this season, considering she dropped in for his funeral, specifically to pass along the hilarious, self-written eulogy Hal prepared at one point. (The assumptions that the President and scores of other respect-oozing people would be present would be depressing if it didn't stem form Hal's overblown ego.) She confirms that she was contacted by Kerry because of her history with Hal, but we sadly didn't get any elaboration beyond that. So yeah, I'm gonna need Mackenzie to return in Episode 7 for a lengthier look back at Hal's earlier years, even if it doesn't seem like that those flashbacks would offer that much to this story. We need to see them together where neither of the characters are corpses. And I don't just want to see her with the Hal-ogram, either. Lanterns has just two episodes left, and will presumably end in a way that makes it clear why John Stewart will be joining Guy Gardner in James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow.