Which HBO series inspired Lanterns’ Earth-based detective-story style?

True Detective inspired Lanterns’ Earth-based detective-story style.

When the new version of the project was announced, DC Studios described Lanterns as an Earth-based detective story rather than a traditional space opera. The tone was specifically compared with HBO’s True Detective, a crime drama known for its atmospheric investigations and psychologically complex partnerships.

Showrunner Chris Mundy also discussed the emotional mysteries of True Detective’s first season as an influence. Lanterns is not an adaptation of that season’s plot. Instead, it uses a similar emphasis on why a mystery happens and how investigating it changes the people involved.

Slow Horses was another stated influence, particularly for the series’ grounded spy-thriller qualities. Ozark helped lead to Mundy’s involvement, while Watchmen is relevant because Damon Lindelof created it. These titles are influences and creative comparisons, not alternative names for Lanterns or parts of its story.