The title of the fourth episode of Lanterns is "The Weenie." Oh, come on. Take your mind out of the gutter. "Weenie" here refers to "an architectural term that Walt Disney made up for structures on his property." "Think Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland," John explains to Hal, who equates "weenie" with the male sex organ like a dirty-minded teen. What else can one expect from Hal? Would you be surprised if I told you that he cracks "weenie jokes" frequently? Grow up, Hal! Not everything is supposed to be salacious! Words sometimes have different meanings. Not everything is laden with double entendres and smutty winks. Also, there is an important mission that needs to be completed: to uncover a Manhunter's identity. Focus, please. Anyway, do John and Hal have a suspect? Yes, obviously. They zero in on Will Macon's benefactor, who could be hiding in Will's compound—a theory John comes up with based on the daily routine of a helicopter.
To sneak into the compound, John, with the help of Hal's ring, creates a tunnel-digging machine, only to eventually get caught by the militia and brought before Will. What does this cowboy do? He takes off his clothes and asks John to sketch him. Um, okay, so I guess the episode's title does refer to a penis after all. Put your mind back into the gutter and giggle at John's impressive, detailed drawing. Hey, if Will shows off his membrum virile in front of his "guests," then John shows what pleasures he can bring forth with his own dick back at the motel when Zoe visits him. Oh God, now my mind is getting dirty. The Weenie has worked its magic on me.
But the episode is not all juvenile humor and phallic jokes. There is a remarkable bit of drama that arises when Hammond plays an audio clip revealing a conversation between John and Lianna, in which John calls Hal "old and weak." The uneasy undercurrent and the unpredictability it brings to the drive back to the motel are just exciting. When Hal jumps out of the vehicle, the moment curiously feels both natural and shocking. Speaking of unpredictable and shocking things, after having sex with John, Zoe starts driving toward her home when she is hit by a missile. And yet, this is not the only startling thing concerning Zoe that happens in "The Weenie." John's gut and Hal's deduction point in the direction of her being a Manhunter, which means she survived the missile attack, and this is why John maintains an almost stone-cold front after his girlfriend's car is blown to smithereens.
All these disclosures and amusements come wrapped with a piece of trivia: everybody multitasks in Rushville. Kerry's husband might be a lawyer, but he also owns a bar. If everybody juggles multiple roles, jobs, or professions like him, they all surely must be very busy. One can say that everybody is always in...a rush in Rushville. Oh, come on. Don't roll your eyes at me. Don't be such a weenie. I know I've used the word correctly to call out those of you who just dismissed my joke with a facepalm or a sigh. You don't need to Google it.
Final Score - [6/10]