Wait, who is “her”? And how is it “a bit weird to turn it into a black/white thing” given that the character of John Stewart was explicitly created as an African-American man when first introduced in 1972? In other words, it’s always been a bit about race. And BTW, it reminded me a bit of the previous HBO series Watchmen, which also prominently featured racial issues.
The mom, the one who said it was privilege that let Hal not be afraid, when in fact every normal person would be afraid.
Just a mention, this is a Lindelof production, and often there’s something special in the 4th episode of (at least the first) season. Leftovers. Lost. Though I did find the third episode gripping, going a completely different way from previous ones. Wondering if the next one is a doozy, but fine if that one was the doozy.
Well, we are still waiting to find anything out about the damn first episode cliffhanger, so maybe that.
If you watched the creators previous Superhero series Watchmen the analysis of race wouldn’t be a surprise but either way it was 100% appropriate for her to respond that way because it is true.
Also the character Jon Stewart in the Comics was often used to analyze race in America over the years.
It is true that the reason John was afraid of an alien lifting him up in a green energy bubble was because he was black and Hal wasn’t was because he was white? I’m sorry but that is an utterly ridiculous take. John’s response was the normal default response of any normal reasonable HUMAN BEING of any color, Hal’s was the response of a psycho who doesn’t care about anything.
The point is that there is a very good reason it’s much less likely for a Black man to show no fear than a White man. And more than that, that a Black man has good reason to believe that he could be punished for showing no fear.
I disagree, the number of people who would not be afraid in that situation would be infinitesimal and not affected by race at all. Even John said “what person wouldn’t be scared in that situation?”, the answer is definitely not “a white person”.
John’s mother is just talking about her perspective. At no point did the show say “Black people would be scared and white people wouldn’t.” The Guardian said multiple candidates were tested and failed before Hal.
That doesn’t mean race couldn’t have had an impact. Maybe if John’s dad had been White, he would have been one of those tiny group of weirdos who could say “no”.
Not entirely sure I buy that. White men have less to fear in our society than anyone else.
We don’t get The Talk.
We don’t have codes for bartenders, we don’t have special ways to hold our stuff, RULES to follow for our safety.
Children who look like me haven’t been beaten to death for talking to the wrong woman while looking like me.
It’s also a statement about how the Guardians don’t understand humans or our society. They gave humans a test, handed enormous power to one of us based on the result of that test, and don’t get us at all.
While that is absolutely true, none of those things are applicable to this particular situation. You could just as easily argue that black people would be less afraid due to all the trauma they already go through, which would be backed up by the abuse they inflicted on John to make him fearless. If that is what makes you fearless then being black is an advantage.
I think she was talking more about their general attitude of treating all humans the same when black humans (often) have a different life experience.
The show doesn’t say whether it is true or not, only that his wife thought it was true, or at least that it played a part.
My opinion? On the one hand, she was crazy. On the other hand, she wasn’t entirely wrong
There appears to be a conversation about what black people would do in the modern day in this worlds US, versus the Lanterns point which would be around 1990s equivalent of LA (is it? I’m never sure about DCs equivalents given Gotham and Metropolis are both New York). Was there a DC 90s version of Rodney King or OJ? Crack Cocaine? I suspect there probably was.
I think the timeline is:
1986 - Abin Sur crashes on Earth, Hal takes up the ring.
1996 - Hal does the 60 minute interview
2006 - Hal backs up his consciousness for the last time.
2016 - The Guardians recruit John.
2025 - Guy Gardener has a ring.
2026 - Hal gets shot. John does not have a ring.
It’s not clear how much John needs the ring as in the show he’s demonstrated abilities without it.
True - I was just listed things that are currently known.
I should have added:
~1992 - John’s parents begin training him.
Any idea what supposed city in the DCU did John grow up in? Given that I’ve never read a GL comic.
Hal doesn’t have a ring either and John seems a little surprised by that.