If there’s one factor Peacemaker thrives on, it’s chaos. However the type of chaos James Gunn and his crew excel at isn’t simply explosions and crass one-liners — it’s the mess of human feelings colliding with absurd comedian guide madness.
Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 may be the clearest instance but, giving us brutal kills, laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning returns, and an unexpectedly emotional undercurrent that forces Chris Smith to wrestle with what “dwelling” even means.
The opening flashback was an instantaneous curveball. Seeing Harcourt and Rick Flagg three years earlier added layers I didn’t count on.
Their friends-with-benefits association gave them extra depth, and Rick’s need for one thing severe was nearly heartbreaking, particularly if you bear in mind his destiny in The Suicide Squad.
Joel Kinnaman’s look was a welcome shock, as his presence reframes Harcourt and Rick’s dynamic in a means that may ripple into Chris’s story.
The truth that Chris killed one other model of Rick makes this extra than simply nostalgia — it’s a looming dilemma. Can he actually keep away from pissing off two totally different Ricks in two totally different worlds?
Chris’s multiverse hopping stays the guts of the season, and it continues to be dealt with surprisingly nicely. Dimension-jumping can get convoluted quick, however right here, it feels purposeful.
Chris Has a Spring in His Step on Peacemaker Season 2
The second universe lets us see Chris in a world the place his household is alive, he’s a acknowledged hero, and he has the possibility to pursue a less-traumatized model of Harcourt.
It’s the type of second likelihood that feels tailored for a personality who’s spent most of his life messing every little thing up. After all, it’s certain to get messy, however that’s what makes it so compelling.
Keith’s position on this episode is particularly impactful. In Chris’s authentic actuality, Keith is gone, leaving Chris with none household determine or anchor. So watching them work together on this universe provides emotional heft.
Keith’s concern — asking if Chris is ingesting or utilizing — lands with actual weight. For as soon as, Chris has somebody genuinely looking for him.
It’s touching, but it surely’s additionally precarious, as a result of this isn’t actually “their” Chris. He killed the Chris they knew, and that fact might come crashing down at any second.
Then comes the twist nobody noticed coming: Chris operating into this world’s Rick Flagg. He doesn’t confront him a lot as stumble into his presence, however the shock is palpable.
The combination of pressure and comedy in these scenes was completely on model for Peacemaker. Rick awkwardly spying on Harcourt and Chris is each humorous and unnerving, a reminder that this collection can stability absurdity with actual stakes like few others.
It additionally opens the door for some wealthy battle — Chris is now pressured to navigate a relationship with a person whose alternate self he killed.
Harcourt’s dynamic with Chris continues to be one of many present’s strongest components. John Cena and Jennifer Holland promote the connection in a means that feels genuine, even when the writing veers into the outrageous.
A Story of Two Harcourts
Their chemistry doesn’t really feel pressured; it feels messy, difficult, and plausible. Harcourt’s provide on the finish — that trace of wanting one thing extra — felt earned.
This model of her hasn’t been damaged down by years of trauma in fairly the identical means, so she sees Chris in another way. Whether or not or not it’s going to final is one other query, however the potential is there.
The Sons of Liberty assault was a brutal escalation. The bombing sequence raised the stakes in an enormous means, with our bodies piling up and chaos ripping by way of town.
It jogged my memory that this present can go darker than anticipated with out shedding its humor. Chris’s rooftop infiltration and bomb-diffusing sequence was the right mix of who he’s: half reckless chaos agent, half reluctant hero.
He makes errors, however when it counts, he steps up. That duality is why he works so nicely as a protagonist.
Keith saving the day within the climax added one other punch. His existence alone is a reminder that Chris is enjoying with hearth by clinging to this universe.
Keith shouldn’t be right here. Chris is aware of it. However the truth that he’s offers Chris one more reason to need to keep on this world, the place issues make extra sense for him.
In the meantime, again in Chris’s authentic dimension, the A.R.G.U.S. subplot heated up. It makes good sense that they’d need to carry him down after Eagley’s assault on Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2. A.R.G.U.S. has all the time been shady, so their plotting appears like a pure escalation somewhat than a tacked-on impediment.
The added wrinkle of Rick Flagg Sr. main the cost makes it all of the extra private. Economos being pressured to query his loyalty was one other sturdy thread, exhibiting how a lot this battle is splintering the crew.
After which there’s JudoMaster. His reintroduction was hilarious, stunning, and completely in character. His casually aligning with A.R.G.U.S. may really feel random, however actually, the company isn’t precisely recognized for competence, so having a risky wild card on their payroll suits.
His “hey, fatty” greeting to Economos was basic Peacemaker humor — offensive and blunt, however in a means that sparks real laughs.
Thematically, this episode hammered dwelling the concept of belonging. Chris retains calling this actuality “the most effective dimension ever,” and you may see why. He has a household. He has respect. He has a potential shot at love with Harcourt.
Chris Has a Huge Resolution to Make
For a person who’s spent most of his life determined for validation and connection, that’s intoxicating. However the present doesn’t allow us to neglect the associated fee: he’s abandoning his actual world, his actual tasks, and probably even himself.
The multiverse angle is paying off by deepening these themes as a substitute of simply creating fan-service cameos.
By the point the credit rolled, I discovered myself fascinated about how a lot stronger this season has grow to be since its shaky begin.
The Peacemaker Season 2 premiere felt uneven, however these final two episodes have been incredible. They’ve leaned into every little thing that makes Peacemaker particular: the combo of gore and coronary heart, the gallows humor, and the willingness to push the character into uncomfortable territory.
After which there was the standout kill of the week: Chris stabbing a person in every ear with pencils and swirling them like he was whipping up a meal. It was grotesque, over-the-top, and one way or the other satisfying given how despicable the Sons of Liberty had been.
That’s peak Peacemaker — disgusting, violent, and unattainable to look away from.
Three episodes in, Peacemaker Season 2 has discovered its groove. It’s extra formidable than Peacemaker Season 1, and whereas the multiverse storyline dangers tipping into messy territory, proper now it’s enriching Chris’s journey. If anybody deserves a do-over, it’s him.
The query is, which world will he select — and the way a lot blood will spill earlier than he makes that call?
What are your ideas on the place the collection is headed and the multiverse getting used for deeper themes versus cameos?
Should you’re having fun with the high-stakes world of Peacemaker, however are craving for one thing a bit extra grounded in actuality, The Terminal Listing: Darkish Wolf will be the present for you!
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