Review: Peacemaker rematches with Judomaster in “The Choad Less Traveled”

After defeating Judomaster and capturing the Butterfly Senator, Peacemaker learns that his dad, Auggie, is in prison. And things get more complicated when Adrian Chase, aka Vigilante, gets himself arrested so he can kill him. Hang on to your helmets for the latest episode of Peacemaker, “The Choad Less Traveled.” Some SPOILERS follow below.

So I know I ripped Peacemaker a new one in my review last week, but I’m happy to say that this episode is an improvement. For one thing, there are a couple of scenes that contain actual dialogue that advances the story or develops the characters, rather than just inane improv about ducks. Most of those scene involve Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), who’s one of the few consistently enjoyable characters on the show (British thespians are better actors than American wrestlers, go figure). What’s more, his scenes all have a purpose: Vigilante and Agent Adebayo have a conversation that inspires him to get arrested and kill Peacemaker’s father, an interesting plot the episode follows through on.

Unfortunately, despite some progress, I still think the writing is pretty bad. For instance, last episode we learned that Adebayo had never killed anyone. Then, in this episode, Judomaster gets loose, has a boring fight in a parking lot with Peacemaker, and Adebayo shoots him, thus completing her arc. So we lose a character in service of a pretty lackluster internal conflict.

The other point of the fight was so we get that bit of information about the butterflies, but that reveal didn’t do anything for me. “They’re not what you think!” How many times have we heard that one? I’m sure it will come into play later, but it’s not a very stimulating twist.

Another example: after confronting Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick), Vigilante implies that someone connected to Auggie’s son had sent him in, or at least that’s the assumption that Auggie correctly makes when Vigilante says, “You’re a bad father.” I get that the point of this is to create further drama — now Auggie knows his son has it in for him and will act accordingly next episode — but why did Vigilante say that? Did he even know anything about Peacemaker’s upbringing? We the audience saw that flashback, but did he? Maybe there was some establishment of that in between talks of old TV shows, but it seems like a poor reason to incriminate your “best friend.”

So, some ups this episode, but overall my issues from last week remain. However, I came to a realization after the end credits, which for whatever reason showed an extended cut of the “duck scene”: I realized that I’m going into this show with the wrong mindset. I’m expecting too much of it. This show isn’t serious, and the less logic you apply to it the better. A quick example: in order to get into prison, Vigilante throws a trash can against a window of the prison in front of lunching guards. It takes a while for him to reach the window, obviously for comic effect, but I couldn’t help but think: Shouldn’t the guards intervene the second they see him drag the trash can towards the window? How is he thrown into prison right way, would he not be put in a holding cell for booking and court first? 

Silly me, those things aren’t important. Turn your noggin off, you’ll enjoy it more. I know that now.

This show makes me long for Doom Patrol.

Grade: D+

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