Sci Fi TV Review: Peacemaker Season 2

Peacemaker delivers a superhero romp with relentless action and plenty of wit, and it manages to work in some interesting sci fi stories as well.

What Is It?

This spinoff from the 2021 film The Suicide Squad follows Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, an overzealous and often misguided vigilante who believes in achieving peace at any cost—even if it means violence. In the first season, Peacemaker is forced to join a covert team investigating a mysterious alien conspiracy known as “Project Butterfly,” while grappling with his own morality and dysfunctional past. In the second season, he discovers a dimensional doorway to a world where his troubled past is no longer an issue, and he must make a tough decision about which life he will choose.

Streaming: HBO Max, New Episodes Release on Thursdays

Starring: John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee

Developed By: James Gunn

Johnny Jay’s Thoughts:

(Minor Spoilers Ahead) James Gunn has had a good run with superhero movies, having written and directed the three MCU Guardians of the Galaxy films as well as the 2021 DCEU movie The Suicide Squad. When Peacemaker was announced as a spinoff from the latter, I thought he was an odd choice to lead a television series, but since Gunn was involved, I decided to check it out.

The first season was basically balls-to-the-wall, bat-shit-crazy mayhem, and it was a ton of fun. It continued with the over-the-top approach of The Suicide Squad as it threw together a group of mostly antisocial people with troubled pasts on a team tasked with a mission to identify and eliminate a global threat. Populated with a colorful cast of characters, the first season was heavy on the action and violence while throwing in plenty of witty dialogue, and it ultimately came together at the end to deliver a decent sci-fi story that was surprisingly poignant.  (And you gotta love the intro sequences.)

I am six episodes into the second season, and it has held up pretty well, though it is maybe slightly less enjoyable than the show’s inaugural run. It starts with the team splitting up and mostly going their own ways. Rick Flag Sr. has taken control of A.R.G.U.S. from Amanda Waller, and he has his sights set on Peacemaker, whom he knows was responsible for his son’s death. Chris/Peacemaker has already been facing troubles of his own as he tries to decide how to pick up the pieces of his life and move forward. He discovers a doorway in the quantum dimension that his father had previously controlled, leading to a parallel universe. He accidentally kills his counterpart there but also discovers that his father and brother are still alive, and that the relationship he had come to want with Harcourt already exists. With things going bad in his home dimension, Chris starts to contemplate whether this new world is for him.

In the first season, we were introduced to an idiosyncratic team of somewhat unlikeable characters who were forced to work together, but each had enough redeeming qualities that we accepted them and rooted for them. With the second season, the antisocial aspects of these characters really start to boil to the surface, and they seem somewhat grating at times. It doesn’t help that they are all pretty much shouting at each other whenever they come together, and you are almost at the point where you would rather see the team stay apart.

But James Gunn still does a good job of carrying the story forward—he wrote every episode—and by about the third or fourth ep I felt like the season was coming together and starting to find its way. He amps up the violence and raunchiness, but he also delves deeper into the characters and reveals the true bond they developed from working together as a team. At times, the direction he takes the story seems obvious, but we are still rooting for the main characters, and he does throw in plenty of twists and turns along with a touch of social commentary. And the cast definitely helps carry the show, with John Cena slipping into a role tailor-made for him while being supported by a hell of a good ensemble.

Peacemaker is certainly not a show for just anybody as it plays with a lot of superhero tropes, often giving them quite a spin. Those who enjoy more mainstream superhero entries like the Arrow-verse, the core MCU movies, or the previous incarnation of DCEU films may struggle with the show. But those who like The Boys or Invincible or other entries that stretch the genre to its limits (and that have plenty of violence) will almost certainly enjoy the show. Interestingly enough, I am not a huge fan of the latter two shows, but I really like Peacemaker. Season 1 was brilliant and a ton of fun, and Season 2 is quickly catching up, so I will be along for the ride as long as this one sticks around.

What’s Next?

The DCEU is going through yet another reboot, and the Henry Cavill/Ben Affleck/Gal Gadot era of DC films has been relegated to the past. Peacemaker actually started in that universe, but since James Gunn is in control of the new direction, he allowed himself the luxury of retconning the series (as well as the 2021 Suicide Squad movie) into the new continuum. That said, a third season of the series is uncertain at this time. James Gunn told Collider that there is nothing currently in the works, though he has indicated that the characters could show up in other shows or films (I’m expecting a crossover with Gunn’s Creature Commandos). Of course, there was a long break between the first and second seasons (3 ½ years), largely because Gunn wanted to write the show himself. So if he gets some time to work on that, perhaps a third season could happen. But for now, watch for these characters to show up in other DCEU properties.

Where Can You Watch It?

The entire first season is available on HBO Max, and the second season is releasing new episodes on Thursdays with its season finale set for October 9th.

Are you watching Peacemaker, and do you believe it is a good entry in the DCEU? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

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