The new DC Universe (DCU) has had a big year, with the release of its first feature film, Superman, as well as the second season of Peacemaker. James Gunn, the co-chairman of DC Studios, also happens to be the writer of both of these projects, and also directed a handful of episodes of Peacemaker Season 2. The early stages of a new cinematic universe are arguably its most important, as they help to set the path forward for future projects, and give audiences an idea of what kind of story they can expect moving forward. However, there is also the balancing act of needing to also independently tell an impactful story with each individual project, and that’s where the Season 2 finale of Peacemaker struggles to find its footing.
The final episode of the season, titled “Full Nelson,” follows the emotional and explosive seventh episode of the series, which saw Chirs (John Cena) and the rest of the 11th Street Kids escape the parallel Earth that was revealed to be ruled by Nazis. Much of the story of this latest season of Peacemaker involved Chris coming to peace with his life, instead of trying to find happiness in a fantasy world. So, with Episode 7 ending with Chris back in his reality and under the custody of ARGUS, it was hard to tell what Gunn was going to do with the hour-long finale. As it turns out, while this last episode is filled with incredibly written character moments, it also feels like a checklist of things needed for future DCU films and television series.
‘Peacemaker’ Prioritizes a Still Developing Plot Over Its Emotional Story
With the parallel universe plot resolved in the penultimate episode, all that was left was for Gunn to wrap up the arcs of several key characters. Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and even Bordeaux (Sol Rodriguez) all have great moments in the finale, resolving strained relationships and forging new ones. However, it’s the overall lack of scenes and things for Chris to do when Peacemaker starts to show the cracks in its writing. Gunn has him mainly avoiding the rest of the crew for most of the episode, and instead there is a large focus on Rick Flag Sr.’s (Frank Grillo) plans for the dimensional portal that takes the spotlight.
Interestingly, much of the plot of Peacemaker’s Season 2 finale is focused on setting up future projects and hinting at the larger future of the DCU. Gunn cleverly connects the story of the 11th Street Kids with the formation of Checkmate, simultaneously developing the characters and teasing new DCU organizations. When it comes to everything involving Flag’s plan to use the planet Salvation as a metahuman “prison,” the final episode is less like a finale and more of a backdoor pilot that hardly seems like it should be more important than additional screen-time for its main character.
The narrative throughline of the episode revolves around what exactly transpired between Chris and Harcourt on the party boat, something that has been teased throughout the series but not addressed up until this point. It’s the biggest point of development for both characters, though the world-building surrounding it makes the conclusion falter a bit. Peacemaker features all the intimate and emotional character writing that made Gunn’s previous work so well-received, only this time it’s burdened by a new duty that the director hadn’t really needed to deal with in the past, which is his duty as co-chairman of a studio with a burgeoning interconnected cinematic universe.
The Uncertainty of ‘Peacemaker’s Future Makes the Finale Frustrating
There is also the fact that the Peacemaker Season 2 finale is James Gunn at what feels like his most self-indulgent. The needle-drops that the director has become so closely associated with are now turned into full-blown cameos and music videos for musicians, with the entirety of the songs being played. Plenty of discussion online surrounding these extended musical scenes has proven divisive, because, on one hand, the songs aren’t there just for no reason, but instead due to their lyrics and meaning tying into the character arcs of the show. On the other hand, it gets to the point where, much like the worldbuilding and setup previously mentioned, it takes precedence over more interpersonal dynamics in the show.
Then, there is the actual ending to the season: Rick Flag Jr. sending Chris to Salvation, trapping him there as revenge for killing his son. It’s a sudden and jarring way to end the season, and while it may bring Flag’s arc full circle from where he was at the start of the season, it leaves Chris’ status open-ended. This wouldn’t usually be a problem, except Gunn has already explicitly stated that there currently aren’t any plans for a third season of Peacemaker.
With this last unexpected scene, Peacemaker Season 2 shows that, instead of prioritizing finishing the story started in the first episode, it prefers to continue setting up what’s to come in the DCU. There is now the opportunity to adapt the “Salvation” DC Comics event that sees several villains trapped on an alien planet, at the cost of leaving the story of Peacemaker and his struggle of coming to terms with the reality he lives in as feeling unfinished. The Season 1 finale of the series was more conclusive, putting a proper bookend to the Project Butterfly storyline and Chris’ emotional turmoil and his place in the world as a hero. Even unaddressed trauma with his father was tolerable, because it was known that there would be more episodes for the series.
The Season 2 Finale of ‘Peacemaker’ Is Well Written, But Unnecessarily Open-Ended
This isn’t all to say that the second season of Peacemaker was bad. Impressively, Gunn’s writing and character work is still as authentic as ever, with scenes like Adebayo officially breaking up with her fiancé Keeya or the 11th Street kids having a heart-to-heart conversation with Chris, there is stuff that genuinely works. Unfortunately, that only makes what doesn’t work that much more frustrating. With series like Lanterns on the way and Supergirl and Clayface also due for theatrical release next year, it’s likely that the loose plot threads from this finale will be addressed or resolved in a future project.
For now, though, Peacemaker Season 2 can’t help but come across as unresolved or incomplete. John Cena’s soulful and heartfelt portrayal of Christopher Smith/Peacemaker helped set up the promise of a stellar arc for the character that involved coming to terms with his familial trauma and moving forward to shape a new future. In the end, that journey is left in limbo, making the Peacemaker series turn into something resembling a stepping stone to a larger and more ambitious series or film.
- Release Date
-
January 13, 2022
- Network
-
HBO Max, Max
-
Christopher Smith / Peacemaker
-
Danielle Brooks
Leota Adebayo
