TV Is Good TV Is Good

Does Lanterns want to be a comic book show?

Aug 17, 2026 · 1h 2m

Summary

TV critics Alan Sepinwall and Katherine O’Donnell discuss HBO’s *Lanterns*, praising Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre while critiquing the show’s tonal confusion and repetitive exposition. They also review the cult classic *The Middleman* and share personal updates, including Sepinwall’s audiobook recording struggles and O’Donnell’s European travels. The episode concludes by announcing *Party Down* as the winner of their Patreon poll for an upcoming workplace comedy episode.

Topics discussed

Introduction to TV is Good podcast Patreon poll results and upcoming topics Carrie Coon comparison and host's voice issues Recording audiobooks and European TV watching Watching Bones in German and a firefighter reality show Promoting The Bluey Years book and pre-orders Lanterns: Green Lantern lore and show creators Lanterns: Tone confusion and underused powers Lanterns: Comparisons to Superman and other DC shows Lanterns: Pacing, exposition, and character dynamics Lanterns: Guy Gardner, audience split, and final thoughts The Middleman: Premise and ABC Family context The Middleman: Comic book style and fast pacing The Middleman: Robot Penny and musical gags The Middleman: Natalie Morales and Matt Keeslar Next week's topic and closing credits
Listen ad-free on Castria