The consensus on the Peacemaker Season 2 finale is that there really isn’t one.
But so far, quite a lot of negative sentiment has been expressed about it, whether it’s from fans upset with James Gunn for hyping up cameos that didn’t happen or from fans who thought throwing Peacemaker back into an alternate universe meant zero progress was made during the season.
From any perspective, it’s hard to argue that Peacemaker Season 2 leaves fans with the same desire to see more than Peacemaker Season 1 did.
In a recent interview with Deadline, James Gunn stated that there are currently no plans for a Peacemaker Season 3.
But after Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 8, it’s hard to imagine what a potential follow-up could be.
Peacemaker Season 2 Did Not Set the Other Characters Up Well
The first half of Peacemaker Season 2 was weaker than the second, mainly because the show spent a lot of time setting up this alternate universe.
While the build-up to the (unsurprising) reveal that the alternate world Peacemaker escaped to was a Nazi-infested land was interesting, the rest of the characters only got to experience this world for a few episodes.
So, for the characters outside of Chris, it didn’t necessarily feel like there was a lot for them to do before they had to swoop in and save him.
This is such a stark contrast to Peacemaker Season 1, in which the 11th Street Kids were much more involved in Chris’ plots and were an active part of the show.
Of course, Peacemaker is the main character, but the detracted focus away from an ensemble approach was not a great call.
When thinking about what this means for the future of Peacemaker, if there were to be a Season 3, new episodes would have to offer something unique for the ensemble characters meaningfully.
But when Vigilante has been reduced to comic relief without as many notable fight scenes as the previous seasons, the hope for more emotional nuance to characters outside of Chris seems bleak.
Even Leota, who realized that she could no longer be with her partner because of her career aspirations, had her arc clumsily handled in favor of focusing on Chris’s angst over Emilia’s rejection.
Speaking of Emilia, I was not a big fan of her storyline being tied so closely to Chris’s.
While female characters can be independent and strong in their romantic relationships, I wish we saw more of Emilia’s internal conflict beyond it being relevant only because her anger issues were preventing her from being with Chris.
The Direction of the DCU is Heading Away From Peacemaker
The most notable part of Peacemaker’s branding is that it’s the first live-action show in the new DCU.
But that also means the DCU’s direction has to dictate the future of Peacemaker.
Although Peacemaker was a massive draw for comic book enthusiasts and superhero media lovers, the big box office seems to be where James Gunn wants to focus his attention next.
The move to focus on Superman and making big blockbusters totally makes sense when looking at the profits.
But it also then leaves the DCU’s TV universe feeling a little empty, especially when it comes to Peacemaker.
The last scene of the finale shows Peacemaker trapped in an alternate world ARGUS created to trap Metahumans under Lex Luthor’s orders.
So it’s pretty clear that Peacemaker is separated from his friends for the time being, making it more probable that his situation is a setup for future DCU storylines and that he’ll be another character cameo in DCU movies at best.
The great part of TV is that if we don’t get another season, we always have the option to rewatch the episodes we do have and reminisce on the times when Peacemaker was the true star of the DCU.
What did you think of Peacemaker Season 2? Do you want more Peacemaker after that finale?
Comment your thoughts down below!
And if you’re already missing the unhinged tone of Peacemaker, perhaps you’d like Gen V. It has many similarities to the show we know and love.
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