Lanterns: Watch out for GILFs and spoilers...

[Mikey]

I guess the ball is letting us know he doesn't let things go. Maybe a reminder of possibly the last thing his father lovingly told him he should do, against his will/gut. Maybe?

I get its significance thanks to the superbly written opening flashback but wonder if it's on a shelf in his house somewhere. Perhaps Earl ate it?

While I'm overthinking stuff I wonder whether the song choice at the beginning and end of the episode is significant too. Brian May's lyrics aren't about holding onto destructive feelings that lead to suicide. They're about building on previous generations and passing it on. I'll be disappointed if Kerry killed Hal.

One wild fan theory I heard from the jocks on the subreddits is that due to the fact the defensive linebackers at the hat ceremony are scrawny kids and not heavily built enough, it's some kind of clue that the Rushvillians are aliens who know nothing about football THEREFORE Noah is a Manhunter and is controlling the whole town. The numbers on their shirts apparently don't match up with the range normally assigned to defence players either.

Knowing zippity zilch about American sports myself (or how to spell "defense" apparently) I fervently hope this is all bullcrap and feel they would've made a story point of John noticing this if it was intended to be a clue to the identity of Hal's assassin. I'd point out to them that Kerry knew who Tom Osborne is at the hospital but those jocks would probably give me a wedgie/swirly combination for daring to question them. Admittedly she's an out-of-towner.