Kyle Chandler Has Zero Sympathy for Zoe After LANTERNS Episode 5: “The Hell With Her”

Episode 5 of Lanterns forced Hal Jordan and John Stewart to make one hell of a choice, and Kyle Chandlerhas made it pretty clear where he stands on the fate of Rushville’s resident Manhunter, Zoe.

In the recent episode, Hal sets out to bring Zoe to justice, regardless of what it takes. He’s still trying to prove himself to the Guardians of the Universe and keep his Green Lantern ring, which certainly complicates his motives.

By the end of the episode, however, it’s John who makes the final call, putting a bullet in Zoe’s head and seemingly killing the Manhunter. The question is whether John did the right thing.

Zoe’s existence in Rushville wasn’t entirely horrific on the surface. After assimilating into the Nebraska community, she made sure its residents didn’t get sick. She cured William Macon’s cancer and, based on what “Lights Out” suggested, may have even given Sheriff Kerry her son.

Of course, those gifts came with some pretty nasty strings attached. Rushville’s residents were indebted to Zoe, and she was perfectly willing to murder them while trying to drain Hal’s Green Lantern ring.

Speaking with Radio Times, Chandler explained why he views Zoe’s relationship with the town as something far more sinister than mutually beneficial.

“I saw the description as not a symbiotic relationship with her in that town. I think of it more parasitically,” he explained. “The only reason she's doing what she's doing is so she can keep her safety. She's still a threat and she's still a danger.”

Chandler had an even more colorful way of describing Zoe’s arrangement with Rushville, saying: “It's like a really bad guy settling in, saying, 'Hey, I'm gonna hang out here. Don't tell anyone, and until I leave, I'll let you have free dinners.'

“Once she's gone, she's not gonna care about whether [Rushville's citizens] starve or not. So I say the hell with her, and I'm glad she's gone! As a person, I love Poorna – she's great. But as a character, nah, I could care less [for Zoe]. I did my job.”

Kelly Macdonald, who plays Sheriff Kerry, sees things a little differently. She explained that Kerry’s mother-in-law, like many people, isn’t necessarily “ever truly one thing or another.”

Macdonald added, “Zoe has really made my character a life. I think she's found a safe haven. But there was something a bit Stepford Wives about it. This little town has a bubble around it and protection. It all comes at a cost.”

That cost became much clearer in Episode 5. We learn that the Manhunter is programmed to force her way into a society and gradually find ways to bring its people under her control. Rushville was following that pattern.

Zoe’s relationship with John was part of it as well. She seduced him to get him on her side and was willing to let him burn until he agreed to serve her in exchange for being healed. Whatever good she brought to Rushville, it ultimately served her own survival and control over the community.

Aaron Pierre, who plays John Stewart, didn’t offer a firm judgment on whether killing Zoe was the right decision. Instead, he pointed to how Lanterns allows viewers to wrestle with these questions themselves.

“At no point do you ever feel as though you're being lectured,” he shared. “You feel like you're being invited to have a conversation as an audience member, and I think that's where the best moments exist.”

That’s what makes the whole Zoe situation interesting. She helped Rushville and changed people’s lives for the better, but none of that erases what she really was doing there. Her generosity was another method of control.

Hal may have his own reasons for wanting the Manhunter eliminated, but after everything Episode 5 reveals, his assessment of Zoe looks pretty damn accurate. John ultimately reached the same conclusion. The difference was that John was the one who pulled the trigger.