‘Lanterns’ Episode 3 Photos Introduce Laura Linney’s Guardian

The first official photos from HBO‘s Lanterns Episode, titled “OutKast,” is here, as Laura Linney’s Guardian arrives and we get a better look at John Stewart’s (Aaron Pierre) parents.

Let’s start with Linney, who you can see in the photo at the top of the article. We don’t know much about her, or what she’s doing in a cluttered office, but we do know she’s not a little blue guy like in the comics. Then there’s John, all dressed up in his Marine uniform, meaning this is likely a flashback to his time in the service.

The rest of the stills are reserved for John’s parents, Bernadette (Jasmine Cephas Jones) and John Stewart Sr. (J. Alphonse Nicholson). These are by far the most interesting ones, not least of which because we haven’t met Bernadette yet. In the first one, she’s cradling a baby (perhaps John?) and talking to a woman who sure looks like Laura Linney’s Guardian:

Then there’s John Sr, getting his drunk on and looking way worse for the wear. Could this be tied to whatever the Guardian is talking to Bernadette about?

…And finally, John Sr. and Bernadette talking to someone, with an extremely green piece of fabric in the foreground. Is it a Starbucks uniform? Yeah, that’s probably what it is.

We’ll know more when a new episode of Lanterns premieres this Sunday.

Lanterns Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:

New episodes of Lanterns premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET. Here’s what we expect from the full list of episodes in Lanterns with premiere dates.

• Sunday, August 16, 2026: Lanterns, Episode 1: “Pilot”
• Sunday, August 23, 2026: Lanterns, Episode 2: “Trust Fall”
• Sunday, August 30, 2026: Lanterns, Episode 3: “OutKast”
• Sunday, September 6, 2026: Lanterns, Episode 4
• Sunday, September 13, 2026: Lanterns, Episode 5
• Sunday, September 20, 2026: Lanterns, Episode 6
• Sunday, September 27, 2026: Lanterns, Episode 7
• Sunday, October 4, 2026: Lanterns, Episode 8 *Season Finale*

Where To Watch Lanterns

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