Pilot (Emerald Knights)

Episode 1 of the first season of Emerald Knights. Acting as the first episode of the series, it introduces Hal Jordan, John Stewart and the rest of the Green Lanterns Corps. As Hal grows more restless to go on missions, he crosses paths with the Government powered villain Major Force, and must take him down when John Stewart, the Green Lantern of Earth, can't.

Cast

 * Chris Pine as Hal Jordan
 * John David Washington as John Stewart
 * Alison Brie as Carol Ferris
 * Ron Perlman as Kilowog
 * Orlando Bloom as Clifford Zmeck/Major Force
 * William Hurt as General Wade Eiling

Story
Wide shot of the desert, a jet zooms past. Zoom in on the jet, and it’s Hal Jordan flying past. He does tricks in the jet, clearing mountains, loops, things like that. Carol Ferris, his boss, phones into the jet.

Carol

Pull it in, Hal

Hal does a barrel roll in the air.

Hal

How long until you let me take you out to dinner, Carol?

Carol

How long until you understand that employees are off limits? And it’s Ms. Ferris during hours, not Carol. Pull it in.

Hal

Aye, aye Ms. Ferris. See you on the ground.

Hal lands on the runway, and approaches Carol.

Carol

You’re getting sloppy, flyboy.

Hal

What can I say? I’m getting old

Carol

Isn’t wisdom supposed to come with age?

Hal

Depends on if you learn or not.

Carol

God bless the nursing home you end up in.

Suddenly, Hal gets a green flash in his pocket as Carol turns towards the landing strip, away from Hal..

Carol

Now, you’ve got at least two more jets to test Hal, I need you to-

Hal is already far up in the skies away from anywhere that anybody can see him. He’s flying as the Green Lantern. His suit is the one he has on the Emerald Knights wiki page, just without the symbol inside the white circle, as he hasn’t earned it yet.

Hal

Sorry Carol, training comes first. God I’ve turned into Sinestro.

Hal flies through space, and finally reaches Oa. Wide shot: a green planet where thousands of Green Lanterns swarm around it.

Emerald Knights Intro

Hal lands on Oa, and finds Kilowog and Tomar-Re.

Kilowog

Almost thought you ditched for good poozer!

Hal

Ugly. Fishhead. What’s the schedule for today?

Tomar-Re

We’ll be doing Hand to Hand combat today, you will be sparring with Kilowog.

Kilowog

My favorite.

Kilowog and Hal have a sort of boxing match, with Tomar-Re pointing out Hal’s mistakes from a distance. The two have their rings off, and are in civilian clothes. Kilowog flips Hal over and he lands on the mat.

Hal

Ow. Hey, don’t you think it’s time I, you know, went on a real mission?

Kilowog

It’s been two weeks poozer, ya ain’t ready.

Hal

I mean.. How am I not ready? I can do everything the two of you can with this ring.

Kilowog

But look at you without the ring. You’re getting ya ass handed to!

Hal

Which is why I won’t get caught without my ring

Kilowog

Easier said than done white circle, alright get back up. Not done kicking ya ass.

The two continue to spar, and the scene switches to Hal returning to Earth. He heads for Ferris Aircraft.

Hal

Carol! Carol, sorry! Had to bounce!

Carol

And what’s the reason this time? Family emergency or your dog got sick again?

Hal

Um, both?

Carol

Listen Hal, you’re probably the best pilot we have, but don’t think for a minute that makes you irreplaceable. It doesn’t. I can’t keep excusing all these random-

Hal

I know, I know, and I really am sorry. Listen, please, let me take you out to dinner, I’ll explain everything. Really.

Carol

...you promise?

Hal

If I lie to you again, you have my permission to fire me.

Carol smiles

Carol

I don’t need your permission Hal. Alright, let’s go.

Hal

Great! I know this one place, Al’s Diner, just opened!

At the diner, Hal and Carol are having a conversation.

Carol

-and we just got these new contracts from the military, I mean, it’s really looking up again Hal.

Hal

Has anybody told you how pretty you look talking about work?

Carol

This isn’t a date flyboy, this is a business meeting. I do not date employees.

Hal

So I keep hearing. How’s uh.. How’s the old man doing?

Carol

Well, he’s recovering. Doing better than he was a week ago, I guess.

Hal

Don’t think he ever really liked me much.

Carol

Well that’s because he was scared you were gonna hurt me Hal. You have a long reputation.

Hal

Let me guess, you’re scared of that too?

There is a long pause, Carol doesn’t speak on it.

Hal

Carol, you know I’d never do anything to hurt you. I really like you, I really do think we could have something special together.

Carol

(pause). Let’s not forget why we’re here Hal. You’re going to explain to me all the random disappearance acts.

Hal

Right. (Deep Breath). So listen, about two weeks ago I found-

Suddenly, a building explodes outside the diner. While Carol is looking outside the window for damage, Hal disappears with his ring.

Carol

What was that?! Hal? HAL!

As Green Lantern, Hal saves civilians from the burning building. He grabs civilians on the inside and pulls them out, protects other civilians from burning rubble. He does a sweep inside the building to look for any other survivors, finds a little girl and brings her out too. He forms a tight bubble around the flaming building, tight enough that the whole building is only covered by a thin layer of green, and extinguishes the fire. He lands, and waves to the applauding people.

Newscaster

Green Lantern! Green Lantern! You just saved a building full of people, please, can I get a comment?

Hal

Well you know, it’s all in a day’s work for me.

Newscaster

That’s great! Really, thank you, but um.. Isn’t Green Lantern supposed to be-

Hal

Yeah, you’re thinking of the other guy.

Suddenly, another building explodes.

Hal

Stand back, I’m on it.

Suddenly, another green blur zooms past in the air. He does what Hal just did, but in far quicker succession.

Hal

Showboat.

Hal flies over to this other GL, and it’s John Stewart.

John

Hal Jordan! Nice to finally meet you.

Hal

Yeah, real honor.

John

Listen, can we have a word? Up there?

John points to a skyscraper. The two land there, and discuss.

John

These buildings, don’t chase them.

Hal

Huh? It just exploded, was I supposed to watch?

John

No, listen. Buildings on fire, yes, go put it out, save people, get the media attention, do all that rookie. What I’m saying is don’t investigate further into it.

Hal

You mean.. Don’t be an intergalactic cop? Like I was recruited to do?

John

Look, I’m chasing a real bad guy, goes by the name of Major Force. He’s responsible for all the explosions you’re seeing, but this isn’t some neighbourhood crook. This dude could kill you, ring on or not. This is way too dangerous for a rookie to be around, let alone a white circle.

John points at the missing Lantern symbol on his chest.

Hal

I don’t care how many buildings he’s blown up, he’s never gone up against two Lanterns before, and he sure as hell has never gone up against me.

John

Hal, drop it. I’m serious.

Hal

Listen, I-

Hal’s Ring

Ring at 10%.

Hal

Oh that’s just great timing.

John begins to levitate before flying away.

John

It was nice meeting you, rookie. Lord knows the Earth needed another Lantern

John flies away, and Hal looks, defeated. Switch the scene to Hal’s apartment, he enters the room depressed. There’s a lantern on his coffee table, he places his ring there.

Ring

Ring at 1 percent.

Hal

Yeah, me and you both buddy.

He sits on his couch, and suddenly he hears a loud knock at the door.

Carol

Hal Jordan! I know you’re in there, let me in!

Hal panics, and immediately hides the lantern under his couch.

Hal

One second!

He runs for the door, and lets Carol in.

Hal

Hey Carol, would you like a-

Carol

I can’t believe you Hal! All this talk about, oh I’d never hurt you, for you to bail on me again? Unannounced? Am I one of your trophies? One of your- your little stats on your score sheet?

Hal

Carol, let me explain.

Carol

I’m sick of these explanations Hal! Everytime you say that you-

Hal

I’m the Green Lantern. The second one anyways.

Carol looks at Hal, then bursts out laughing.

Carol

You? The Green Lantern? God Hal, I’ve heard a lot of lame excuses, but that one-

Hal

Wait, just, hear, watch.

Hal takes the green ring off his table, puts it on his finger, and nothing happens in an anti-climactic fashion.

Carol

Good one, Hal. What arcade did you get that thing at?

Hal

Just- hold on it’s not charged.

Hal grabs under his couch for the lantern battery, and places his ring on the lantern.

Hal

Okay Carol, watch this. In brightest day, in blackest night-

Carol chuckles

Hal

Carol, please.

Carol

Okay, okay, sorry.

Hal

In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight, let those who worship evil's might, beware my power... Green Lantern's light!

Suddenly, Hal transforms. His clothes are layered under his costume, as it slowly crawls up his body. Carol watches in amazement.

Carol

Oh.. Oh my God

Hal

And you thought I was lying.

Carol and Hal are now sitting down on the couch, Hal still in costume.

Carol

So a dying alien, gave you a magic ring and now you protect space?

Hal

Sector 2814 to be specific.

Carol

How long have you been-?

Hal

A Lantern? About two weeks now.

Carol

Wow. Hal, why didn’t you just tell me?

Hal

I uh, I don’t know. It used to be I didn’t get why superheroes hid their identity, you know? Like what do you have to hide? But once I put that ring on, I started thinking, do I really want any of these monsters close to the people I love?

Carol

..Love?

Hal

I wasn’t lying back at the diner, Carol. I care for you, I care for you a lot. I wouldn’t let any of these demons come close to you, you know that?

Carol is silent for a second. She chuckles.

Carol

Smooth flyboy. So, where are these demons you keep talking about.

Hal

Well, technically I can’t fight any yet. Not allowed, anyways. The villain’s too dangerous, whatever that means.

Carol

You sound like you barely believe it

Hal

Because I don’t.

Carol

Then Hal, why are you here?

Hal looks at Carol and realizes she’s right, he needs to get out there and stop Major Force. Meanwhile, John approaches Major Force during the night time.

John

Zmeck! Come in peacefully, it doesn’t need to be like this.

Major Force

Green Lantern!

Major Force blasts John into a truck.

Major Force

Why would I stand down when I’m having this much fun?

MF grabs GL by the leg, and smashes him into the concrete. John protects himself with the ring’s armor defense, and punches MF in the face with a construct fist. John creates dual AR Rifles, and blasts away at MF. MF simply walks through the bullet field.

Major Force

That it?

John

Nope.

John creates a bus and drops it on MF’s head. Appearing to have won, John turns his back on the fallen MF. Suddenly, John is blasted in the back with MF’s nuclear energy.

Major Force

Gotta go harder than that, hero.

John is recovering on the ground, he had no time to form defenses. Major Force is about to land his final blow on John, but a green bubble catches his fists before he can.

Major Force

What?

Suddenly, MF is thrown backwards, as Hal uses the connection between the bubble and his ring to do so.

Hal

Major Force? You a supervillain or an 80s rock band?

Major Force

How many of you are there?

MF jumps at the floating Hal Jordan, and he gets slapped away with a giant hand.

Hal

You know I can see when you jump at me like an angry roid monster, right?

John

(Weakly) Hal! Get away!

Hal is distracted and turns towards John

Hal

Oh shit, John are you ok-

Hal gets blasted by nuclear energy, barely forming a shield and crashing into a building.

Major Force

Too many Green Lanterns.

Suddenly, MF steps in a GL bear trap, as John floats behind him.

John

Maybe you just have too little brain cells.

The bear trap evolves into a full body cast, restraining Major Force. He tries to break out, and Hal gets up to reinforce it.

Hal

John, we can’t hold this forever!

Suddenly, tanks and jeeps pull up, with an older general hopping out of one.

John

Maybe we don’t have to.

The scene switches to the aftermath, MF has an inhibitor collar around his neck, and the general speaks to the Green Lanterns.

General

Great work out there, boys. You should be proud of yourselves, Clifford Zmeck is no joking matter.

John

Just doing our jobs, sir.

General

Please, call me Wade. General Wade Eiling.

Hal

So uh, General Wade, where is Major Force going to end up?

General Wade

Oh, Zmeck? Don’t worry about that, he’s in the custody of the US Armed Forces now.

Hal

Would I be wrong to guess this isn’t his first time in the “custody of the US Armed Forces?”

General Wade

That isn’t of your concern-

Hal

It becomes my concern when he tries to wipe out a whole city block

John

Rookie-

General Wade

No, no. It’s fine, listen kid, you seem to know a thing or two about service.

Hal

Served 11 years for the US Air Force. Didn’t like it much.

General Wade

Good. That means you know a thing or two about authority, and when not to question it.

Hal

Funny, that was the part I didn’t much like.

John

Well, General, it’s been a good talk. Me and my partner will be leaving now. Let’s go rook.

The two fly away, as General Wade looks at them. Wade continues to apprehend Zmeck. In the air, John and Hal speak.

Hal

You really think we can trust that guy?

John

I seriously doubt it. But, it’s out of our jurisdiction, nothing we can do about it now. Speaking of jurisdiction, that was incredibly risky what you did.

Hal

John, listen I-

John

You gotta let me finish rook. Risky, but brave. You saved my life back there, God knows what would’ve happened if you didn’t show up.

Suddenly, a green flash shows up on Hal’s chest: he’s earned his Lantern symbol.

John

Huh. How about that?

Ring

Green Lantern 2814.2, your training has concluded. Report to Oa for your coronation.

Hal

Well, an order’s an order. You coming?

John

You can bet on it. Let’s go, rook.

The two fly into space, headed to Oa.

End of Episode.

Mid-Credit Scene.

General Wade Eiling and some US Soldiers walk through a hall, and eventually approach Major Force in his room.

General Wade

That was a good show you put on Zmeck, held your own against two Lanterns.

Major Force

Why don’t you let me out again so I can finish the job?

General Wade

Patience, Zmeck. We have bigger fish to catch.