Blue Hope

Blue Hope is the 17th episode of the first season of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. It was originally arranged to air on October 20, 2012, but was rescheduled to debut on a later date in a last minute schedule change, by Cartoon Network, that preempted the entire schedule of October. It officially aired on January 12, 2013.

"You've come at an opportune time, as this is the day the battery becomes fully operational." - Ganthet

Overview
Hal, Kilowog, and Aya visit the Blue Lantern planet Odym to seek help in their battle against the Manhunters. Unfortunately, the power-boosting effect of the Blue Lanterns has an unexpected (and unwanted) side effect on their enemies…the Manhunters.

Synopsis
On Odym, Razer and Brother Warth are meditating with the guidance of Saint Walker. Focusing on clearing his mind, Razer is distracted by a gnat. Razer brushes aside his medition session and tries to squash the bug. Brother Warth stops Razer; Warth states that Razer must be able to live with nature, no matter the size.



The Blue Lanterns tell Razer to continue his training. The ground beneath them begins to rumble and a giant worm-like creature emerges from the surface. Razer deludes that the creature is hostile and beings to run, as it chases behind him. Razer is cornered by the creature until Saint Walker plays music from his lute, soothing the creature. Walker notes that the creature was trying to play with him, rather then attack him, showing that Razer judges too quickly. Saint Walker sends the creature off chasing a construct ball. The group brings their attention to the skies where the Interceptor roars through the air. Razer looks in surprise towards their presence, more specifically Aya's.

From out the haul of the ship, Hal Jordan, Aya and Kilowog appear. Ganthet greets the trio with a warm welcome and introduces Saint Walker and Brother Warth. Kilowog embraces Saint Walker and reminds Hal of the Maelstrom battle. Razer joins the assembled group—Aya is greatly happy to see him. Razer politely greet his friends, stating that he is happy to see them, even Kilowog. Kilowog proceeds comment on Razer's awkward kindness. Razer informs his friends about his reformation on Odym with the Blue Lanterns.

Hal cuts to their reason for being on Odym: For Ganthet to try an find a defective weakness within the Manhunters. Ganthet questions why Hal didn't bring the matter to the Guardian council. Hal exclaims that Ganthet is the only Guardian that he trust after a recent decline in his assurance in the council. Ganthet states he can pinpoint a weakness—but wants to show the Green Lanterns something.



Upon reaching their destination, Ganthet showcases the Blue Lantern Central Power Battery to the Green Lanterns. Ganthet proceeds to utilizing the device for the first time. Reciting the Blue Lantern oath into the battery, the device flashes out a wave of blue energy, supercharging the Green Lanterns; though also reactivating the salvaged Manhunter aboard the Interceptor. However the Manhunter attacks the group, though the Manhunter shows destructive power it was no match for the Green Lanterns, who defeats the Manhunter.

They bring the Manhunter back to the Interceptor, Ganthet explains the blue light of the Central Battery supercharged his regeneration, Hal is glad about that and is going to interrogate it. Aya puts the Manhunter reactivated it, Hal asks what is its problem. The Manhunter explains his objective to eradicate the evil in the universe, Hal asks how they determine evil, the Manhunter continues that evil comes from emotion, and therefore emotion is evil and must be annihilated. Ganthet explains due to faulty programming, every emotional being was deemed criminal by them. Hal wonders if they could be taught to learn the difference between right and wrong, Razer finds it impossible, since it's a robot and therefore has no soul. Aya objects to Razer's statement and leaves the room despite Razer's apology.

Later that day, they are around a campfire, Razer notices Saint Walker playing the lute. He walks to Saint Walker and asks if robots could have souls. Saint Walker believes that everyone is a robot, specially programmed in its own way. Though Saint Walker doesn't believe that is Razer's true question and tells him that if it was acceptable to love someone else if its first love died. Razer detests his statement, since he did not told his past to throw it back in his face, he tells him that he assumes too much, and what he feels for Aya is a lie, since she is a machine and cannot feel love. Saint Walker tells him that hope could help him in his despair and to love once again.

In the Interceptor, Aya arrives in the room where the defected Manhunters lies and takes the robot with her to a cave. The Manhunters asks why he took it with her, Aya explains that they are the same. The Manhunter believes that Aya's program is corrupted since she doesn't kill, but she tells that she choose to, by observing the Green Lanterns. She wants to teach the Manhunter to evolve beyond their programming, the Manhunter doesn't comprehend, which made Aya sigh.

Razer searches for Aya, but discovers that the Manhunter and Aya are missing. In space, the blue light of the Central Battery reaches three Manhunters and decides to go to the source. Saint Walker senses that trouble was coming. Razer runs out of the Interceptor and tells the Green Lanterns and Ganthet that Aya was missing, but Brother Warth and Saint Walker comes with other news that trouble is rising. They look above and sees the three Manhunters. The Manhunters demands them to give the device which supercharged them. They refused, which the Manhunters assaults them. The Green Lanterns and Blue Lanterns fights against the Manhunters, while Razer brings Ganthet to safety. An epic battle commences between the Green Lanterns and the Blue Lanterns against the Manhunters. After a while, one of the Manhunters finds the Central Battery device.

While in the cave, Aya tries to help the Manhunter, but the Manhunter sticks to his programming. The Manhunter crawls towards Aya, which Aya decides to back up and tells it that it will never evolve and just stay as a machine. The Manhunter tells her that she is also a machine and utters that they are the same and is the deactivated. Aya then says she is nothing like them. The Green Lantern puts a barrier to protect the Central Battery from the Manhunters. Razer tells Ganthet to shut the Central Battery off, but Ganthet explains that it would take several hours and by then the battle would be already lost. Razer has a plan, but needs some help. From afar, Aya sees explosions around the Central Battery and heads towards it. The barrier of the Green Lanterns is broken and are pushed away. The three Manhunters commences to lift the Central Battery. While they are trying to get away, Razer shouts to Saint Walker to start playing his lute. A loud sound is played, which made the large worm creature to appear from the ground and gobbles up the Central Battery along with a half of a Manhunter. The power levels of the Green Lanterns and the Manhunters returns to normal.

While the Manhunters try to retreive the Central Battery, the Green Lanterns finishes one of the Manhunters off. Before the last Manhunter was finished off, Aya arrives and corrects that the Manhunter failed and could choose an alternate programming. Razer walks to Aya and the two share a stare at each other. The Manhunter detects the emotion of Razer, but watches towards Aya and sees she develops emotion and decides to eliminate her and shoots a blast from his rod. Aya is hit, which made Razer go to extreme rage and uses his Red Power Ring to burst in flames. The Blue Lanterns arrive to see Razer savagely destroy the Manhunter, and Ganthet explains that his rage grew too strong. After destroying the Manhunter, Razer goes to Aya and calms down. Razer picks her up and is told by her that she is alright, Razer then proceeds to apologize to her and tells her that she has more of a soul than he has.

Later on, Ganthet explains that he extinguished the flames of the Central Battery and would take some time to reactivate it again. Hal tells him it was better to keep the Central Battery off and has to put hope on hold, Ganthet tells him that hope will always remain, wether the Central Battery was on or off.

The Interceptor crew decides to leave, Saint Walker suggests Razer to stay to control his rage, but he believes that there are different kinds of rage and that his was righteous. He thanks Saint Walker for his help of realizing his path lies elsewhere and gives a glare to Aya, which she notices. Kilowog tells Razer to hurry, Saint Walker then tells Razer he is always welcome, Razer then walks inside the Interceptor along with Aya, and the Blue Lanterns and Ganthet group watches the Interceptor fly off.

Cast
For full credits click here.

Heroes

 * Hal Jordan
 * Kilowog
 * Razer
 * Aya

Villains

 * Manhunters
 * Red Lantern Corps (mentioned only)

​Other characters

 * Blue Lantern Corps  (first appearance)
 * ​Saint Walker
 * Brother Warth  (first appearance)
 * Ganthet
 * Odym worm  (first appearance)
 * Guardians of the Universe  (mentioned only)
 * Ilana  (mentioned only)

​Locations

 * Odym  (first appearance)
 * Oa  (mentioned only)
 * Zeta Prime  (mentioned only)
 * Maelstrom  (mentioned only)

Items

 * Green Lantern Power Ring
 * Red Lantern Power Ring
 * Blue Lantern Power Ring
 * Blue Lantern Central Power Battery  (first appearance)

Vehicles

 * Interceptor

Quotes

 * Aya: You too are capable of evolving beyond your programming. I will teach you.
 * Manhunter: No man escapes the Manhunters.
 * Aya: (spoken, not breathed) Sigh.


 * Razer: It's pleasent to see you all. (looks at Kilowog) Even you.
 * Kilowog: Looks like Razer, definitely smells like Razer, but you ain't acting like Razer! What have you done with the angry guy?
 * Razer: Hopefully destroyed him. The old Razer was responsible for great evil. I came to Odym to ask the Blue Lanterns for help. Since their power negates my own, I thought this would be a great place to become someone else... someone less angry.


 * Saint Walker: You judge too quickly, Razer. Everyone and everything deserves love.
 * Razer: Says the man playing fetch with a giant worm.


 * Ganthet: In fearful day, in raging night / With strong hearts full, our souls ignite / When all seems lost in the war of light / Look to the stars, for hope burns bright.

Series continuity

 * Aya regains her robotic body after loosing it in "Reboot", and not having it in "Steam Lantern". This is because a certain amount of time has pasted since these two episodes, allowing her to rebuild a new body and for the Manhunter threat to escalate.
 * Razer appears again after "Homecoming".
 * Razer mentions that his Red Power Ring was negated by the Blue Power Rings of Saint Walker and Brother Warth. This effect also happened in "Regime Change".
 * Kilowog wondered why they were not continuing to solve the Manhunter problem, which previously happened in "The New Guy" and "Reboot".
 * Hal Jordan mentions that Ganthet was banished from Oa in "Regime Change".
 * Kilowog mentions meeting Saint Walker in the Maelstrom battle, which happened in "Homecoming".
 * Hal recollects that the Guardians had scheduled Aya for dissection in "Reboot".
 * Saint Walker gave Razer advice to go on loving someone else, instead of his deceased wife Ilana, whose death was shown in "Razer's Edge".
 * After Aya was attacked by the Manhunter, Razer unleashed an extreme amount of rage, which he also unleashed in "Reckoning" after discovering that Atrocitus had killed his wife.

Trivia

 * This episode aired on Cartoon Network India on December 30th, 2012.
 * The instrument that Saint Walker is playing throughout the episode resembles a lute.

Behind the scenes
The Blue Lantern Corp development in this episode is minorly different from the corps creations in the Sinestro Corps War story line. At the end of the Sinestro Corps War, Ganthet and Sayd were living on Odym, where they had harnessed the blue energy and made plans to create another intergalactic police force in order to aid the Guardians and the Green Lanterns Corps in their forthcoming battle against "The Blackest Night". The first member was Saint Bro'Dee Walker of Pacredo, in Sector 1. Upon learning Sinestro was schedule for execution on Korugar, Ganthet assigned Saint Walker to rescue Sinestro and bring him and Hal Jordan to Odym. During this time, Ganthey and Sayd discussed their mission with Warth of Sector 2, who Saint Walker had recommended for recruitment. After three days of discussion, Warth accepted their offer, and Ganthet and Sayd accepted him with a Blue Lantern ring.

The final scene was quite different in the development stage. In the original draft, the Odym worm wasn't going actually eat the Blue Lantern Central Battery, but rather have the Green Lanterns make it look like it exploded while actually hiding it in the worm's tunnel—a plan of Hal's creation. This also led to the cave in which Aya talked to the Manhunter originally belonging to the worm.