LANTERNS Star Kelly Macdonald Says Episode 2’s Surprise Gotham Reveal Was “Huge”
Gotham City just found its way into HBO’s Lanterns, and a seemingly small piece of Sheriff Kerry Kane’s past has already given DC fans plenty to think about.
Episode 2, “Trust Fall,” revealed that Kane is originally from Batman’s infamous hometown, and Kelly Macdonald says learning about her character’s Gotham connection was a pretty big moment for her. Whether the reveal is simply a fun piece of DC world-building or something that will matter later remains the big question.
During the recent episode of Lanterns, Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, ends up in the hospital after taking a bullet through the shoulder while trying to question William Macon, played by Garret Dillahunt, at his ranch.
That hospital visit gives Jordan and Sheriff Kerry Kane a chance to spend some time together, and Kane finally shares a little more about herself. She tells him that she grew up in Gotham City before moving to Rushville “on a whim.”
Mentioning Gotham in a DC series is obviously going to get fans talking, especially when the character dropping the name happens to have the surname Kane.
One of the wilder theories making the rounds is that Kerry Kane could somehow be Kate Kane, better known as Batwoman. That feels like a pretty big stretch. If someone were attempting to leave their old identity behind, changing Kate to Kerry while keeping the rather recognizable Kane surname wouldn’t exactly be master-level secret identity work.
Could there be some family connection? Sure. For now, though, Lanterns hasn’t given us anything concrete to support it.
Macdonald isn’t spilling any secrets either. During an interview with EW, she explained just how excited she was when she discovered that Gotham was part of Kerry’s history.
“It was huge. It was very exciting. It’s like finding out you’re a Disney princess or something. It’s like, ‘Oh my God! Gotham!’ She’s an outsider, as well, and she’s been embraced by this small town.”
That outsider element could end up being more important than the Gotham name itself. Kerry came from one of the DC Universe’s most notoriously troubled cities and somehow landed in the considerably smaller community of Rushville, where she has built a life and become its sheriff. There’s clearly more history there to explore.
Macdonald also had Gotham on the brain while filming Lanterns because she was watching a lot of The Penguin at the time. The HBO series doesn’t share continuity with Lanterns, but apparently all that Gotham atmosphere started sneaking into her performance.
“Within the first couple of months of the shoot, as well, I was watching The Penguin at the same time. Sometimes I’d been over-watching The Penguin, and I’d be going through my dialogue in my trailer, and I’d realize I was doing the whole Gotham thing.
“I’d be like, ‘Turn it down a little bit,’ ‘cause I’d been told very specifically, ‘She’s from Gotham but don’t do the accent thing.’ She has to be more ambiguous than that. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell the scenes where I’ve been watching The Penguin.”
It’s a funny bit of insight into Macdonald’s process, especially since the creative team specifically wanted Kerry’s Gotham roots to remain less obvious. She may come from Batman’s hometown, but they clearly didn’t want that fact defining every aspect of the character.
The bigger mystery is why Lanterns chose Gotham in the first place. It could simply be a cool DC reference that makes the world feel more connected, or Kerry Kane’s past could eventually become relevant to the larger story. With a name like Kane attached to a Gotham native, it’s hard to blame fans for wondering.
We may get a better idea when Lanterns continues this Sunday. Until then, the Batwoman theories are probably going to keep flying, no matter how unlikely they might be.