Peacemaker season 2 episode 2, "A Man Is Only As Good As His Bird," lays down more bricks for the structure of conflict that's to come later in the season.
While choices, consequences, and relationships fostered in season 1 are integral to the story, the history still goes as far back as Superman and The Suicide Squad. However, for those who have only started tuning into the DCU now with Peacemaker, all the details can be deduced logically and digested easily without having seen those movies. That said, it would enhance your knowledge of background lore and character motivations.
Peacemaker has been a smash hit as the second season debuts with 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's one of the best-rated DC live-action projects, period, even rivaling Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. It's thanks to James Gunn's clever orchestration of the DCU and handling of the humanization of Chris Smith. And this episode, directed by Greg Mottola, balances both characterization and world-building perfectly.
Recap and review
The episode opens with John Economos giving General Rick Flag Sr. the tour of ARGUS. Rick Flag Sr., as you may have gathered, is the father of Rick Flag Jr., the man Peacemaker killed during Operation Starfish (The Suicide Squad) for trying to reveal American dossiers. Understandably pissed, Rick Flag Sr. orders full surveillance on Peacemaker to catch the slightest illegal activity to put him away in jail.
Chris Smith has been dealing with his own problems, as he accidentally killed his alternate reality copy in self-defense. The Peacemaker from a universe that's seemingly much happier than his own. His father and brother are alive, and they love him, not him. They're two different Chris(s), right? For now, no one in the alternate reality knows that a doppelganger Chris was wandering around in their universe, or that he killed their Chris.
In a panic, Chris 1 tries to hide the body in the unfolding dimension, to little success. He eventually caves in and calls Adrian to chop up and burn the body. Adrian enjoyed the process a little too much.
Leota comes to warn Chris that Rick Flag Sr. is spying on him, and suggests he give ARGUS the door. Chris, of course, refuses. Not because it's his father's door or it's his secret base, though that's a good reason, it's his only gateway to other worlds, where he has a healthy relationship with his family and a chance with Harcourt. Who, speaking of, is leaning hard into the "I don't care I look like a bloody mess" phase of being jobless. She wears her bar-fight bruises like a five o'clock shadow, casually as if it's a part of her now. Not broken, just all she's got.
Despite those complications, Chris still reaches out to her, wanting to help. But Harcourt pushes him away, not wanting to be saved or fixed, even if that wasn't his intention. This misunderstanding drives a wedge between them, and drives Chris to contact alternate reality Harcourt with his doppelganger's phone, which only works in the foreign universe, and she responds.
Let's not forget why this episode is titled "A Man Is Only As Good As His Bird." For those who thought the episode was getting too relaxed, Eagly gets the brutal John Wick-esque slaughter-spree scene we didn't know we needed. As Peacemaker's best friend and pet, he takes after him in combat as well as his confident attitude.
A black-op team of ARGUS personnel led by Langston Fluery had breached Peacemaker's house when he was away and investigated traces of interdimensional traces leaking from the door. It's here that Eagly massacres the agents one by one, successfully defending his master's home from the people in black.
Peacemaker's home is safe, for now. Chris wanders through the door to talk with alternate Harcourt. By doing this, ARGUS has probably sensed the interdimensional readings and will be back with reinforcements.
Episode 2 does a great deal of heavy lifting for the Peacemaker series and the broader DCU background. It'll only get denser from here, in a good way.
It's impressive how so many elements from different movies are pulled together to tell a cohesive narrative while staying true to what the show was in its inception. General Rick Flag Sr. is a great addition to the series as a lawful force working for good, but also an antagonist motivationally to Peacemaker.
He has integral connections to Superman on a grand scale, having overseen his trial, but also has a micro connection from the Suicide Squad, regarding his late son. It's a smart way to introduce a character with immediate importance and drive. I'm excited to see how Rick Flag Sr. and Peacemaker will eventually clash.
The heart of this season, Chris's longing for Harcourt, drives most of his decisions forward. It's an engaging goal to follow, especially because he's searching for the love he never had in a world that never had him. They remember a man he never was, and while I tire of the trope where a character finds their footing in an alternate reality, none of it is pointless fluff here.
I wonder when his cover will be blown, or if something worse is ahead if he keeps up the charade.
Episode verdict: A+
New episodes of Peacemaker season 2 release every Thursday night on HBO Max.