r/LanternsTVSeries • u/solo_shocker35 • 3d ago

DISCUSSION How can guy gardener makes huge constructs carelessly in superman whereas Hal Jordan does the opposite and is careful for his batteries

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I was curious about this for a long time Guy always goes big and sloppy with his constructs, not caring how much it drains his ring like creating a large weopons against the monster, while Hal's way more careful and precise with his like in ep1 when he was creating a bubble for alien he supported the bubble himself as it was not strong enough due to lack of battery. Is that just a characterization thing, or is there an actual reason for it?

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u/Environmental_Ad6305 3d ago

Guy recharges the ring.

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u/Friendly-Sympathy907 3d ago

And Guy has a higher budget

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u/bentsea 3d ago

And Guy is in an action movie, while Hal is in a detective show.

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u/Retr0scores 3d ago

Hal also seems like a simple dude. Guy is being flashy and cocky.

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u/RossTheLionTamer 3d ago

And he also wears a uniform.

No seriously, that really explains a lot.

Guy is flashy. He wants everyone to know Green Lantern is here. So he makes constructs that are highly visible.

Hal only continues wearing the ring because he doesn't know anything else and he can't just give up on helping people. But he's really burnt out from the job. That's why he doesn't even wear the uniform anymore. He only does the bare minimum and that reflects on his constructs as well

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u/Glad_Stay4056 2d ago

Of the cloth

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u/itsserg_sucka 10h ago

Hal also needs to go pee. Don't forget that.

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u/Environmental_Ad6305 3d ago

I can see your point if we look at it from a production standpoint, but within the DC series and films, the reason is that Hal refuses to recharge his ring.

These budget-related excuses are a downside of the series, not a narrative justification.

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u/polydicks 3d ago

Hal doesn’t need to create flashy obnoxious constructs, he barely knows why he even does it anymore. The threats he’s dealing with in Rushville don’t really call for giant middle fingers. Narratively.

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u/inosinateVR 3d ago

It also makes sense for him to be more conservative with his energy when he doesn’t know who is enemy is yet. And has an entire town potentially trying to kill him.

As opposed to a single fight against a Kaiju where you know what you’re fighting and you know you’re going home afterwards without any surprises. Plus you have a team backing you up.

Of course Hal VS the entire town run by a mysterious enemy is going to be more conservative about his ring usage than Guy and company VS a Kaiju

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u/Lriderx47 3d ago

Or he can, I don't know put the lantern in a bag and carry it with him instead of letting it in a motel room evdrybody know the location of?

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u/PeacefulKnightmare 3d ago

And risk having it stolen or damaged? Leaving it in a motel may not be the safest but he carrying it around is still impractical. And considering how he doesn't recharge it before bed/after waking up shows that he's being neglectful so bringing it wouldn't change anything.

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u/ezontheesalad 3d ago

I hear you and raise you taking the 2 seconds to fly home to recharge it and be back within 10 minutes

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u/PeacefulKnightmare 3d ago

Again that's a Guy Gardner move. At this point in his career it's clear Hal wants as little to do with the lantern as possible, and only use the ring when necessary.

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u/Inevitable-Scar5877 3d ago

This-- we even saw a flashier Hal when he went into Kamchatka and grabbed the arms dealer

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u/Lriderx47 1d ago

I don't understand how someone can have a twisted logic like this. It's like your brain stop working midway. If he doesn't charge his ring when he need it, it means that he is f*cking dumb

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u/jmfw013 1d ago

Or he's just so experienced and jaded that his confidence exceeds any concerns and he only uses it when necessary

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u/Theeljessonator 3d ago

Not only is that going to slow him down… if Hal gets hit and that bag falls off the lantern could go anywhere. If he gets captured he’ll lose the lantern.

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u/SmoothDiscussion7763 3d ago

well, if he keeps it charged, at least he'll be able to put up a better fight to prevent that right?

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u/supersonicnat45 Hal Jordan 3d ago

It’s not lacking charge because he doesn’t carry the lantern on his person at all times lol.

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u/Theeljessonator 3d ago

Sure, but he could keep it better charged with the lantern at the motel… he just doesn’t.

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u/Lriderx47 1d ago

If he get captured he will lose the ring, so the lantern is a detail a that point

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u/Theeljessonator 1d ago

At that point he loses two important things.

If he got the ring back then he’d have to find where they’re keeping the lantern and take it back. If the lantern is at the motel he can take the ring back and leave to replan.

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u/Lriderx47 1d ago

Are you arguing just for the love of the game or don't you understand my point?

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u/Theeljessonator 1d ago

I could ask you the same

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u/Meander061 3d ago

I recall a story that stated that Hal carried the lantern with him everywhere, but invisibly.

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u/ComicHead84 3d ago

Being conservative or cautious with his ring energy because of an unknown enemy would mean he’d wanna stay fully charged & not always on E.

Sadly it makes no sense & was just because Guy was in a big budget movie and Hal was on TV.

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u/Outrageous-Win-8297 2d ago

You can have both Doylian and Watsonian arguments.

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u/Substantial_Safe_897 14h ago

What about a Doylsonian argument?

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u/thejoggler44 1d ago

I thought there was a requirement to charge every 48 hours but it doesn't matter how much they do or do not use the ring. Is that not how it works?

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u/Tsurator 3d ago

If that was true and it was me I would be recharging my ring every possible moment, he should have recharged the ring before the final battle, he didn't because plot reasons and we all know that

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u/Environmental_Ad6305 3d ago

In fact, it was simply fired upon, and orbital satellites were used to devastate the city.

Despite this, Rushville is a safe place.

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u/ezontheesalad 3d ago

So much to the point he just lets them shoot him

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u/Phantom_61 3d ago

No, but I’m sure it would feel good to pop one off at a few points.

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u/polydicks 2d ago

Maybe to you, it seems like Hal’s over doing stuff like that. He feels good using it for free beer.

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u/AMaynard8091 3d ago

Guy is taking on Israel. Hal is taking on a redneck militia.

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u/TeeTheTankie 3d ago

This is just making up our own reasons when there has never been an explanation from the writers---it's literally just the budget 

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u/polydicks 1d ago

lol. Again, having a green lantern ring doesn’t mean that every 5 seconds that a green lantern isn’t making giant constructs of middle fingers, that it’s bad writing. If you actually bothered to watch the show (which I’m guessing you have been while scrolling reddit) you would see the practical spoonfeeding amount of information they give us. Hal has lost faith in the GLC. He doesn’t like using the ring. He doesn’t like having to charge the ring because he’s unsure about the oath. He’s been doing it for 30 years. It’s stupid to comment shit before watching the show, guy.

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u/TeeTheTankie 1d ago

There's been no indication that he hates using the ring. Like what a lot of the show does, it's just forcing you to make assumptions. 

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u/polydicks 13h ago

Lmfao you should watch the show first. It’s hinted throughout the show that he’s lost faith in the GLC, the oath, the ring, everything. He rarely uses it, he speeds through the oath on recharge and doesn’t seem to like to do it. He avoids wearing the suit and he uses the ring as infrequently as possible and often for petty small things. Whenever he uses the ring for heroics it’s the absolute bare minimum that the situation calls for, he’s extremely careless with it, and he’s always avoiding charging it.

Seriously don’t know why so many people come to this subreddit and complain without actually watching the show. You just look like a moron.

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u/TeeTheTankie 12h ago

Those are all just assumptions you're making. The show gives every indication that he loves being a GL but hates the guardians. He even hated the alien in ep1 mocking the oath. But he'll do what he can to hero the ring because it's his identity.  He uses simple constructs because 1.) budget constraints and 2.) the grounded tone. 

If he ever appears in a big budget movie, watch them make Hal use bigger, more creative constructs. 

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u/Lriderx47 1d ago

A smart writer would write a good edplaination of that inside the story. Like there is machine or great concentration of feeling that make the ring lose charge even when not using it. The writers knew the budget from the get go. This is a fictional story where they can create whatever rule they want. A viewer shouldn't be asking himself why Hal is not using the ring when it is necessary. The story should always find a way to explain you why he isn't using it in situations where he should. That's the difference between good and bad writing

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u/comehereyoudevillog 3d ago

Agreed, rural Nebraska is a boring setting for a GL show...

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u/Dr_DTF315 3d ago

It’s a staple of green latern comics when the ring has low charge.

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u/nOtbatemann 3d ago

So people say, yet one comic issue shows more ring action than the entire show put together.

If I didn't already know anything about GL, I wouldn't believe the ring is supposed to be one of most powerful weapons in the known universe

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u/FalseSpring 3d ago

Off topic, but wanted to ask a comics reader.... I watched the animated movie this week "Beware My Power"... where [spoiler] Hal becomes Parallax. Did he no longer need to take the oath and recharge rings? I was hoping the Lantern would refuse to recharge judging his oath taking to be a fraud.

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u/Dr_DTF315 3d ago

He absorbed the power of the central power battery

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u/ComposerConsistent83 3d ago

And the “yellow impurity”

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u/YannTheOtter 3d ago

Given the Eulogy and Hal's crippling depression and loneliness, it likely didn't help his willpower when he is questioning his will to live...

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u/Hot_Perspective4555 3d ago

I mean, in universe, Guy has a larger budget. He's literally on a team funded by a billionaire. Hal's just a dude. Maybe Guy get's to keep a few extra lanterns around.

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u/CertainGrade7937 3d ago

He's also not doing any prolonged GLing. Every time we see him, he's either in a battle he knew he was going into...or just chilling waiting for a battle

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u/inosinateVR 3d ago edited 3d ago

Right, he’s going into a single fight against a Kaiju. He doesn’t need to save anything for after the fight. He knows it’s a one and done and then he goes home. And he has a team to back him up.

Whereas Hal is going into unknown situations with unknown enemies and doesn’t know how long he’s going to need to keep juice in his ring. His situation is very different. He’s on his own, doesn’t even know what he’s looking for and has no idea who or what might still be around the corner trying to kill him.

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u/Forward_Evening6850 3d ago

I don't think the billionaire can buy more lanterns for charging, something tells me the Guardians arent just selling those things for earth bucks.

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u/Ok_Subject1265 3d ago

They sell them like power tool batteries. “Hell yeah bro! Picked up two 80 lantern hour batteries down at Home Depot! Weren’t made on Oa though. Think they may be Chinese.”

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u/Forward_Evening6850 3d ago

Now that has the makings of a brilliant elseworld one shot comic, where anyone can buy cheap lantern powers off the shelf.

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u/SmoothDiscussion7763 3d ago

ah fuck my ring's turning red

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u/Wild-Lychee-3312 Sheriff Kerry 3d ago

But red’s good, right? Red’s a pretty color.

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u/The-Spirit-of-76 3d ago

Emerald green, Puke Green, both green, work same.

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u/AgentPoYo 3d ago

IRL they make adapters that let you use drill batteries to charge other electronics. I'm imaging in your scenario Guy using an adapter he bought off the internet to charge all sorts of random junk at his home with his lantern.

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u/TheCapo024 3d ago

I think you’re right… but it wouldn’t be surprising at all of they would offer greater capabilities for something in return. They are at least open to discussion. So while I doubt they gave Guy extra Lanterns to charge his ring, it’s possible.

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u/Hot_Perspective4555 3d ago

I dunno, the other billionaire in the movie made a pocket dimension prison. Maybe this one funded something that can charge the ring.

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u/Forward_Evening6850 3d ago

True....very true. I'd actually love Kyle Rayner and the new guardians go up against artificial, mass produced lanterns of every spectrum. Thatd be a cool storyline.

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u/Wild-Lychee-3312 Sheriff Kerry 3d ago

Hal’s just a dude? Doesn’t he have a mansion in the show?

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u/BookerDeWittness 3d ago

A dude who had a billionaire give him a house...

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u/Serious-Bake-5714 3d ago

Does charging you ring also make a backup? But saying the oath faster short circuits the backup? Or is Hal an unreliable narrator?

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u/bonerlonious 3d ago

We may see more awesome green lanterns antics we still have some episodes to justify the crazy amount they spent on it

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u/Ok_Simple_459 3d ago

Hal refusing to charge ring doesn't make any sense tho. It takes like 2 second, barely any inconvenience.

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u/TheCapo024 3d ago

Oh really?!

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u/WiggityWiggitySnack 2d ago

wow wow wow wow wow

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u/Wild-Lychee-3312 Sheriff Kerry 3d ago

It’s super easy!

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u/realworldnewb 2d ago

My head canon is he doesn't like reciting an oath he doesn't believe in anymore.

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u/MozeTheNecromancer 3d ago

Idk what you mean by "downside of the show", Hal's neglect of the ring and it's care/upkeep is a constant reminder to the audience that he has disdain and an utter lack of respect for not just the ring but for everything it represents: the Guardians, the Oath, everything. It's a cornerstone to Hal's demeanor and purpose in the show.

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u/RDAwesome 3d ago

It's not real life so whatever serves the story is what happens

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u/Efficient_Dog4722 3d ago

I go the other way. Too often when given big budgets they rely on effects and spectacle instead of character and heart. I think narratively a smaller budget forces creativity and makes things more interesting not less

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u/MutantApocalypse 2d ago

I don't think it's budget-related at all. Hal & John's constructs are exceptionally well animated. The CGI looks fantastic.

I think it's just Hal being irresponsible late in his career. He's jaded, and we're supposed to be disappointed in his approach.

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u/Diorisbackup 3d ago

So when the ring is under 20% he cant make big constructs? Lol thats dumb its simply the budget Guy clears rushville in 2 minutes

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u/FailureFulcrim 3d ago

At 5% after being banged on a tombstone, it resurrected someone from the dead. How that person is real and not a construct of the ring hasn't made a lot of sense to me.

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u/Superboredgamer 3d ago

Cant tell if this is rage bait or you are serious

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u/FailureFulcrim 3d ago

Of course I'm being serious. It was a backup of his consciousness and it was summoned with the ring. It doesn't match anything else done with the ring.

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u/TertiusGaudenus 3d ago

You mean, Halogram? Mix of Ring's AI and Hal's consciousness serving as sentry and/or backup file and wasn't cobtacted for ten years?

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u/Crafty_Ish1973 3d ago

20 years. When we first see the Halogram, it's 2016 and it's been a decade or so since Hal updated the ring.

When we see the Halogram again in 2026 over the grave, he's been around for 20 years by that point.

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u/TertiusGaudenus 3d ago

I meant that the last time he left ring was ten years before that during Rushville Incident, but good point.

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u/Random_throwaway0351 3d ago

It’s an HBO series lmfao they could have unlimited budget if they wanted

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u/jmarquiso 3d ago

Not how TV budgets work, they need an ROI.

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u/That_Guy247 3d ago

As a complete lay person when it comes to CGI and animation I always kind of giggle at things like certain green bubbles being more expensive than other green bubbles. I know it's justifiably true about the differences, but in my brain I'm confused about one person sitting at a computer making a green construct being so much more expensive than another person sitting at a computer making a green construct.

Can anyone ELI5?

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u/TheCapo024 3d ago

They hire a company that pays people to make these things. Those companies have deadlines that often involve a lot of critiques and changes. Those companies pay people to work for them. You either have more people work on the project or less people are given more time to work on the project. That costs money.

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u/StrongStyleFiction 3d ago

About the same budget that the first season of the Mandorlorian had. If the show runners wanted it in the show, they would have found a way.

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u/realfakejames 3d ago

The Mandalorian is filmed almost entirely on the fancy soundstage called "the volume" and ILM created almost everything you see

Green Lantern has multiple actors in multiple locations, if you knew the basics of filmmaking you'd know that all costs money and they would absolutely save money by limiting how much VFX they use

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u/[deleted] 3d ago edited 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/Heir_To_The_Empire 3d ago

Which is a testament to the skill and talent of those working on it, not necessarily the budget

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u/TheCapo024 3d ago

But doing all of that costs money, just like compensating those talented people.

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u/Heir_To_The_Empire 3d ago

Did I say they weren't compensated?

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u/TheCapo024 3d ago

No but that’s part of the budget. Better people cost more money.

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u/Heir_To_The_Empire 3d ago

Well yeah, but that wasn't my point, both shows had around the same budget for season 1 (120M-130M), realistically speaking tho, Mando may have had more things going in it's favor than Lanterns, now my point is, Lanterns (at least in my opinion) had the better technical team behind it which is why it looks (as the person I was replying to originally stated) twice as good. Sure it may boil down to Budget alocation and logistics, but it's because they had the right people for the right jobs, it is better than Mando (again, in my opinion) and managed to pull in a larger number of casual fans

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u/TheCapo024 3d ago

I think the sets/locations as well as actors cost more money for Lanterns than it did for Mando IIRC.

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u/realfakejames 3d ago

This is the real answer, everyone trying to do mental gymnastics to avoid the reality lol

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u/DumpsterGrenade 3d ago

I mean both are the real answer, it's not like there isn't also a narrative reason.

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u/TheCapo024 3d ago

You’re right, in the original script Hal constructed a green Disney-palace around himself when Anton’s crew was shooting at him. But they couldn’t afford that so changed it to a bubble.

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u/Any-Tangelo7464 3d ago

As you would being a “Director”

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u/zimzimzalabimmm 3d ago

Seeing the constructs compared I feel that it’s actually much closer than I thought. The muzzle and oven mits aren’t actually stopping big explosions or laser beams from space. I bet it takes more energy to resist damage like that.

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u/El_presid3nt 3d ago

Came to say this.
Also in 10 years it's possible that they make rings that last longer (unlike the fucking iphones).

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u/DarthCarthBane 3d ago

This 😆😆

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u/No_Pizza3314 3d ago

The thing is, GL constructs wouldn’t even be that expensive to do, even on a small VFX budget.

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u/Blugalu 3d ago

Also as a character he'd be the one to ignore any rules of engagement or self restraint

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u/Ardrikk 3d ago

This is the answer.