The DC Universe has come a long way. This ongoing reboot, which is more of a clever retcon, technically got its start with James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. Since then, Detective Comics' stories on the big screen have gradually shed old projects such as Blue Beetle, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman in favor of Gunn's vibrant vision.
Before Superman was released last month, Peacemaker was the height of the DC live-action scene. It had the bombastic, crude, and irreverent energy of The Suicide Squad dialed up to an 11. In a small town setting, it felt like a Western, rustic Guardians of the Galaxy. It had Gunn's charming direction style while still being distinct from his other works.
Quick season 1 recap
In season 1 of Peacemaker, Chris Smith (a.k.a. Peacemaker), is discharged from a hospital in the town of Evergreen, Chalton County. Believing he's slipped through the cracks, he goes to reconnect with his old man, Auggie Smith (a.k.a. The White Dragon). Their relationship is not the best, to say the least.
Eventually, ARGUS agents, including familiar faces from The Suicide Squad, meet Chris and give him more merc-work, off the books. Turns out, he's hunting extraterrestrial, body-snatcher insectoids the group calls "butterflies." Their mission is to stop their invasion of Earth at all costs.
Peacemaker season 1, and going into season 2, reminds me of what I loved about interlinked cinematic storytelling. Seeing characters make their second or third appearance in someone else's story because of choices they made in their original narrative is a sight to behold.
However, it's also a craft to master. While executives may want certain popular characters to appear in a particular movie to raise profit, the creatives must come up with a way that makes it make sense. The absolute order of storytelling must be held; "This happens, therefore this happens," as advised by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
The events in season 2 logically follow the consequences of the choices made in season 1, sparing no character the cruelty life throws at them. And yet, they keep on living the best they can. Through struggling circumstances, Chris (John Cena), Emelia (Jennifer Holland), Adrian (Freddie Stroma), Leota (Danielle Brooks), and John (Steve Agee) still look out for each other thick and thin. However, this group isn't without its complications, as we soon learn in episode 1.
Season 2 episode 1 spoiler-free review
Episode 1, titled "The Ties That Grind," delivers a lot of promises Gunn made about the future of the DCU. In a featurette, he previously said, "Anything we show in the ‘Previously Seen’ on Peacemaker becomes canon. Anything they talk about happening in the old world, that then becomes canon.”
This refers to quite a few details, particularly the Justice League cameo at the end of season 1 episode 8. This change naturally bleeds into one minor plot point in the episode, and officially connects Peacemaker with Superman. The alterations are done well, albeit noticeable, and they don't detract from the lore or character development established in season 1 at all.
The main storyline is tied to Chris and his portal door, which happens to be a gateway to over 99 different universes. These dimensional rifts are detected by ARGUS, and the new director, Rick Flag Sr. (father of Rick Flag Jr., whom Peacemaker killed in The Suicide Squad), wants to confirm the readings so he can throw Chris in prison.
John is put in charge of spying on Chris, but he does his best to stall the agents. Meanwhile, Emelia and Leota are out of work and unsuccessful in the job hunt. Emelia is more convinced she's getting screwed by Amanda Waller. And Adrian... He's Adrian.
While a slower start to the season than usual, a lot of set-up is built thoughtfully with lots of ulterior motives at play and past grudges rearing up. In the end, Chris's actions set season 2 in motion like a snowball down a hill, and it gets bigger the more problems it runs into. You won't be able to look away because the final crash will be mindblowing.
Peacemaker is one of those shows where every character, save for Leota, is a jerk one way or another, but you kind of love them for it. What balances out their callousness and bad traits are their heroic deeds when they're trying their hardest.
Even the annoying antagonists are funny and likeable to an extent, like Judomaster, and ARGUS agent Langston Fleury (Tim Meadows). I still find it difficult to like Adrian (a.k.a. Vigilante). He's endearing, but his best traits are hidden under a lot of issues. That's the point of his character, though, but I hope he shows some self-reflection at some point.
Gunn's signature dialogue is all over the Peacemaker season 2 premiere, and it's great, most of the time. The banter can work for most scenes, but there are many times when you might be screaming at the screen, "Shut up and do the thing" more times than you'd like.
Perhaps that's a powerful effect from Gunn's free-flowing comedic style. It's random, immature, raunchy, but still plenty of fun in the right moments. He leans heavily into dark comedy, and no character is spared humiliation, for humor or drama. But when things are serious, the emotional beats hit the mark.
Season episode 1 of Peacemaker is a breath of fresh air, filled with gunsmoke and drugs in the DCU. The stakes are higher, both for the characters, their relationships, and the world they live in. Their choices have weight and keep events in constant motion like a mocktail of chaos. Some fans might be disappointed with the biggest change to canon, but most will see that it is necessary.
Overall, Peacemaker is sticking the landing hard for a strong season, and I can't wait to talk more about it. New episodes drop on HBO Max every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Episode grade: A+