Major spoilers ahead for Lanterns episode 7. Content warning for discussion of suicide.
The Bold and the Beautiful fans know Henry Samiri as Douglas Forrester, but DCU fans will come to know him as Lanterns‘ Young Hal Jordan. Samiri plays the fallen hero as a child just before Hal’s dad dies in a plane accident. The role reveals a secret about the Green Lantern’s past that defined him as a person and may have contributed to his own death.
Key Takeaways
- Who Hal was as a kid.
- The decision Hal’s father made that changed how he saw the world.
Young Hal Jordan Stands His Ground
Lanterns episode 7 introduces Hal (Samiri) as a little league baseball player in trouble for costing his teammates the game. However, he didn’t do so because he didn’t play well. Hal was standing on principle. As the pitcher, he only needed a couple more outs before they’d win the game, and his coach wanted to take him off the mound.
Hal refused to give up the ball to the next pitcher. He didn’t think he was a good player, and he thought they’d lose the game. In response, his teammates punched him. Still, he wouldn’t give up the ball. His father, Martin, defended him to his coach and even got into a tussle of his own with the overbearing man.
The scene not only showed that Hal’s been a fighter from a young age. But that he also hasn’t let the opinions of others stop him from doing what he feels is right. It’s a character trait that gets him in trouble, but it suits him just fine. So does needing to be the hero and the one that saves the day.
Hal Jordan’s Father Burdens His Son with a Painful Legacy
Hal’s ability to withstand even the toughest of situations seems to be the reason why his father gives him the key to his fail-safe. The pair is spending time together in an Air Force hangar when it happens. Martin opens up to his son about the key his own father had given him. In his fail-safe, he’d left Martin a note that affected him for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, Martin did the same thing to Hal. While the rest of the world, including Hal’s mother, believed Martin died in a plane accident, Martin had actually taken his own life. His note told Hal about the sadness that men in their family lived with. A sadness that, over time, would become unbearable and result in death.
Hal’s father called it the “Jordan Boys Legacy,” cementing the idea in Hal’s head that he was broken just like his own father and his father before him. Lanterns episode 7 sees Henry Samiri embody the pain Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan has carried most of his life. Samiri’s Hal goes from being a stubborn kid with a chip on his shoulder to being a stoic child forced to carry a burden no one, let alone a young boy, should have to carry.
While the working theory in episode 7 is that Hal was murdered in 2026, there’s an implication that he may have committed suicide. This is based on the note his father left in 1975, and the key Hal left his trainee, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), in the present day.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day. There is always help available via text, chat, or talk.
