Green Lantern Corps: The New Recruits (Seasons 4 and 5)

***Green Lantern Corps: The New Recruits* (Seasons 4 and 5)** were planned seasons by Geoff Johns and Ronald D. Moore for the show had it not been cancelled.

## Overview

Similar to the two preceding Green Lantern series, *The New Recruits* was intended to have 5 seasons. Despite Johns wanting to showcase his creations of Baz and Cruz, he wanted Hal Jordan to have redemption just like in the story he wrote entitled Green Lantern: Rebirth. The treatments were written, and even the first couple of scripts for season 4 were written fully. However, due to the higher budget, the initial mixed reviews, and HBO being sick of Johns' antics, they ultimately decided to cancel the series after 3 seasons. Johns did state that the ending didn't change as it was ironically a good ending point, despite it ending prematurely.

## Plot

The fourth season was all about Hal Jordan becoming a "new recruit" himself and learning from Cruz and Baz on how to become a Green Lantern again. It would showcase how the differing personalities of Cruz and Baz would help Jordan learn the different aspects of becoming a Green Lantern again, as well as how they overcome fear. As well as Jordan mentoring them on the technical side of being a Green Lantern like making constructs and whatnot. Cruz and Jordan would have had a closer relationship as both dealt with loss. At the end of the season, it would be revealed that Parallax was actually not a name that Jordan chose to call himself, but was actually the name of the entity that possessed him, which was the embodiment of fear. Stewart and Gardner would not have been showcased at all, and only have some cameo appearances towards the end of the season. Rayner would pop up once and a while as a B-plot on the different planets in Sector 2814.

The fifth season would have Jordan fully becoming a Green Lantern again, and would showcase various missions on Earth of him doing various heroics. However, the focus would once again shift back to Cruz and Baz and their adventures together, and their friendship becoming even greater. Parallax was going to be the main villain, and the looming threat of the season with all 6 Earth Green Lanterns eventually defeating him in the final episode. It would then have Hal retire as a Green Lantern, seeing the willpower showcased from all of them coming to realize that they don't need him anymore. Stewart, Gardner, and Rayner would have been featured a bit more this season, but still not as much.

## Cast

The cast would have been the same, and many villains who have appeared before would have been showcased here. Johns stated that the last two seasons would have been "more personal and character driven" so he didn't want to include any new or big villains to be showcased.

## *The Return of Hal Jordan*

After the last two seasons got cancelled, Johns worked with Moore to rework the final two seasons into a mini-series called *The Return of Hal Jordan*, where the 20 episodes of two seasons would've been reduced to one 16 episode season. Johns was actually very proud of it and stated it would've "cut out all the fat" and streamline the narrative into a more concise and cohesive piece. He pitched it to higher ups for a run on HBO Max, but they didn't want to greenlight it because "the time of Green Lanterns had come and gone" as well as Johns' shaky track record. It was also eventually cancelled.

## Legacy

Johns and Moore went on to publish the two seasons as novels, entitled Green Lantern Corps: The Return of Hal Jordan and Green Lantern Corps: The Demise of Parallax. Both received very positive reviews from fans but stated it would've been better if HBO hadn't cancelled the series.

## Reception

Specifically, Johns and Moore's treatments for both seasons got posted by Moore after the novels were released stating that this is what they would've had in store if the series hasn't been cancelled. The treatments received universal acclaim from fans who thought these were not only better than the novels but could've been the "best seasons of any Green Lantern show, period". However, fans were still happy that it somewhat got realized in some form with the novels.