Regime Change

"greenlantern"

- It is true. I believe willpower is not enough. We need hope. We all need hope.

"Regime Change" is the tenth episode of the first season of Green Lantern: The Animated Series and the 10th of the overall series. It aired on May 5, 2012.

Overview
Hal and the gang must return to the planet Betrassus to help Queen Iolande defend her world. Her brother Ragnar has received a red power ring and eagerly accepts it. Now, Hal, Kilowog and the rest of the crew must save Queen Iolande and Betrassus before Ragnar takes over the planet... or destroys it altogether.

Synopsis
On Betrassus, Iolande comes to see her imprisoned brother Ragnar, who is understandably embittered that she was chosen as a Green Lantern while he decays in a cell. She says that she'd give up the ring if it would change what happened, but Ragnar turned against her. Ragnar screams at her to get away, vowing to destroy her and the Green Lanterns. Once she leaves, a red ring appears to her and Atrocitus speaks to him, saying that he has great rage in his heart.

On Oa, a force of Green Lanterns departs for Frontier Space while Guardians Sayd and Ganthet watch with concern. Ganthet is concerned but Sayd notes that Appa persuaded the Council with the best of intentions. Despite that, Ganthet worries that it will take them over a year to get to Frontier Space and help Hal and the others, and comes up with a way to help them now.

Hal contacts Oa and speaks with Appa, asking what they plan to do about the Red Lantern fleet. Appa informs him that they are deploying the rest of the Corps, and Hal is shocked that they're launching an immediate attack. He points out that Atrocitus believes that the Manhunters acted on the Guardians' orders and slaughtered whole planets, but Appa dismisses it as propaganda. Hal suggests diplomacy but Appa refuses to be questioned. Hal is interrupted when Aya informs him and Kilowog that she's picked up a signal from Betrassus. Hal cuts off Appa and takes the signal, which is from Iolande warning that the Red Lanterns are attacking her planet.

When the Interceptor arrives at Betrassus, Hal and the others fly to the palace and find Ragnar seated on the throne, wearing a Red Lantern outfit. More Red Lanterns emerge from hiding as Ragnar transforms his palace into a symbol of the Red Lanterns. He tells Hal that Iolande is fine but imprisoned, and orders the Red Lanterns to attack. A fight breaks out and Hal's team is soon outnumbered, forcing them to retreat.

More Red Lantern soldiers have the Interceptor under guard, forcing them to descend into the city. The warrior Kothak and his rebels are waiting for them and prepare to attack. The Red Lanterns arrive, forcing all of them into hiding. Kothak take the team into hiding and explain that he's been leading the resistance since Ragnar took over. He warns Hal that things became worse when the Red Lantern Corps built a liberator bomb on the planet. Hal and Razer recognize it and they're forced to admit that the last one they dealt with destroyed a planet.

Hal and Kilowog contact Sayd and Ganthet and suggest again that they try to use diplomacy and convince the other Red Lanterns that Atrocitus is lying about the Manhunter slaughter. The Guardians are forced to admit that it did happen, and that the Manhunters were the robot predecessors of the Green Lanterns. Unswayed by emotions, they destroyed people, planets, and entire sectors, forming the Forgotten Zone. Ganthet decides that the Guardians must face their past sins and says that he'll talk to Appa while Hal and Kilowog disarm the liberator. Razer and Aya fly to recover the Interceptor while Hal starts planning with Kothak to disarm the bomb and rescue Iolande who huges her former lover.

Ganthet talks to Appa and warns that they can't stop the Red Lantern threat without admitting their own culpability. Appa refuses to hear of it, pointing out that Ganthet originally voted with the Council to hush up the incident. Ganthet points out that they can still help Betrassus, and admits that he put a prototype aboard the Interceptor based on hope and will to power up Hal and Kilowog in case of an emergency. Appa points out that Ganthet violated Council protocol and says that it may be time for the truth to come out. Hal secretly breaks into the place and frees Iolande.

Ganthet calls the Guardian Council together, but Appa steps forward and accuses him of betraying them all. He presents evidence showing that Ganthet helped Hal and Kilowog steal the Interceptor and using an unreliable emotion. Ganthet admits that he doesn't believe willpower is enough and insists that they all need hope. Embracing a base emotion is a violation of sacred Guardian law and Appa banishes Ganthet from Oa as punishment.

Hal and Iolande rendezvous with Kilowog and head for the liberator bomb. Meanwhile, the Red Lantern Bleez informs Ragnar that the liberator is under attack and Iolande is among them. Razer orders everyone to fly to the liberator and counterattack... including the units at the Interceptor.

Appa escorts Ganthet to a banishment space pod, explaining that if the truth came out about the Manhunters then there would be universal chaos and suffering. He then informs Ganthet that he is sentenced to live out the rest of his life cut off from civilization and sends him off into space.

Hal, Kilowog, and Iolande attack the liberator, fighting their way past the soldiers and the automatic weaponry. When they're blasted back, Hal calls the Guardians and asks Ganthet for assistance. Appa informs him that Ganthet has been banished and cuts him off, and Hal warns the others that they're on their own. The Red Lanterns close in but Aya and Razer arrive aboard the Interceptor and open fire, with Kothak and his men right behind them.

Sayd summons the banishment pod back and tells Ganthet that she's come to trust him. He warns her that she could be banished, but Sayd insists that they must help Hal if there is any chance.

Ragnar confronts Hal's team as they get to the bomb, and Iolande tells them to open the bomb while she fights her brother. Meanwhile, Bleez attacks the Interceptor directly and Razer and Aya fly out to attack her. The soldiers blast Kothak's flyer out from under him, while Ragnar overwhelms his sister with the sheer force of his hate.

Ganthet and Sayd go to the hope power battery and activate it. Hal and the others have all fallen, seconds from total defeat. Suddenly a blue wave of energy sweeps out from the Interceptor. Hal and the other Green Lanterns are suddenly filled with vast levels of green energy and smash down their opponents. Razer, on the other hand, discovers that his power ring has been neutralized. As he plummets toward the ground, Aya rescues him just in time and the Red Lanterns retreat. Kothak says that the gods are with them and rallies his troops, but the bomb activates. Realizing they can't disarm it, Hal, Kilowog, and Iolande lift it up into space using their rings as booster rockets. The liberator detonates deep in space. while at the palace to celebrate, the blue power battery flies off into space and its influence fades. Kilowog wonders if Ganthet was responsible and razet admits that he doesn't know what happened but it came at a critical moment whilst the party continued hal and lolande slipped in to her chamber locked the door and like their last vist they shed their clothing and made love by a candles light.

Later, Ganthet tells Sayd that he still must leave Oa. She wonders if what they did helped and Ganthet assures her that he knows they did... because he feels hope.

Credits

 * Written by:
 * Josh Hamilton
 * Directed by:
 * Rick Morales
 * Starring:
 * Josh Keaton - Hal Jordan
 * Kevin Michael Richardson -
 * Kilowog
 * Skallox
 * Jason Spisak -
 * Razer
 * Veon
 * Grey DeLisle -
 * Aya
 * Bleez
 * Tara Strong - Iolande
 * Will Friedle - Ragnar
 * Jonathan Adams - Atrocitus
 * John DiMaggio - Kothak
 * Ian Abercombie - Ganthet
 * Brian George - Appa Ali Apsa
 * Susanne Blakeslee - Sayd

Heroes

 * Hal Jordan
 * Kilowog
 * Razer
 * Aya
 * Iolande
 * Kothak
 * Guardians
 * Ganthet
 * Sayd

Villains

 * Red Lantern Corps
 * Ragnar
 * Bleez
 * Veon
 * Skallox
 * Atrocitus (not seen)
 * Appa Ali Apsa

Other Characters

 * Dulok (mentioned only)

Weapons and technology

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

Locations

 * Space
 * Oa
 * Betrassus

Quotes

 * Ganthet: (to Appa) Hal Jordan needs our help. We must act now.
 * Bleez: (to Ragnar) What are you doing here? The Liberator's under attack.
 * Kilowog: They're closing in!
 * Ganthet: (to Sayd) You could be banished for what you have done.

Trivia

 * This episode is dedicated to Ian Abercombie, who voiced Ganthet, however he died before the episode aired.