Let’s be clear: Peacemaker has been one of, if not, the most influential DC shows in recent years (not to dismiss The Penguin‘s impact as well.) Not only did it focus on a side character that most DC fans didn’t know about, but it made us resonate with so many original characters in a way that was uniquely grounded.
Sure, Peacemaker Season 1 still had the “heroic” bravado of the DC Universe. Yet, the way Gunn and company mixed it in with the absurdity and obscenity of what they could do under a TV-MA rating really made it feel refreshing to watch.
With Peacemaker Season 2 arriving very soon, it does feel like the series has got a good grasp on what made Season 1 work, but is also trying to experiment with the separate team dynamics. As such, it might feel somewhat slow at first, but gradually gets its footing back.
What is probably the most surprising thing is how it connects to the events of the DCU rather than the DCEU. It makes this very clear in the first few moments of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1, “The Ties That Grind,” where it tries to firmly plant itself within the events of Superman.
While it can be somewhat confusing for new viewers, it’s there to both helpfully establish the timeline as well as Chris’ “improvements.” The whole thing about Season 2 is that Chris wants to be the hero that he wished to be from Season 1, but even the Justice Gang doesn’t see the good he can do.
Outside of this, Peacemaker Season 2 fully delves into this idea of “being the perfect ‘you’ you can be,” through multiple perspectives, but particularly with Chris and Harcourt. Chris’s journey of self-rediscovery purposefully serves the main narrative, but it’s Harcourt’s inner turmoil that also gives much more depth to her character.
Throughout Season 2, Harcourt puts up this wall of resistance to Chris’s courteous actions while also being desperate to find a role best suited for her.
However, the way that Peacemaker explains Harcourt’s motivation for doing this is understandable given her connections to ARGUS and, yes, Rick Flag Sr. She wants to find her place in this world and, despite everything that she’ll face, she’s okay with whatever this reality places on her shoulders. Yet, there’s a toxic element to this dynamic that does get addressed, though only briefly.
In a way, both Chris and Harcourt are the antithesis of one another: where Chris sees his potential in a perfectionist reality where he’s become the hero, Harcourt wants to redeem herself to gain back what she was dropped from.
This near yin-yang dynamic wraps itself around this romantic arc as well between the two. It’s very clear that Chris and Harcourt are holding back their true emotions, which isn’t true in the alternate Earth.
However, what’s unique is that there’s also this complexity to the relationship between Chris and Harcourt’s alternate selves that isn’t all shiny as the trailers made it out to be. You’ll definitely see why by Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 4.
As for the rest of the 11th Street Kids, each member gets some much-needed time to both catch viewers up to the present while also getting more depth. Though each one varies in how much character development is given, the time they get in each episode is used wisely.
For example, Adebayo is still supportive of Chris’s cause to better himself, but she’s got her own gig doing her own security business. It has that good setup initially by also connecting to Adebayo’s fractured relationship with Keeya, her girlfriend. However, because it’s not the life that Adebayo promised them, it drives this rift that has the potential to be further explored.
Yet, it also takes a back seat in the larger scheme of Peacemaker Season 2 as Adebayo’s arc felt pretty much concluded when she outed Amanda Waller. Past Season 2 Episode 3, it’s mostly played for comic relief, much like other members like Vigilante.
Yes, Vigilante is still the humorous, lighthearted guy of the group while having a perspective of realism. He does get some pretty funny and briefly heartfelt exchanges with Chris and Adebayo in a few episodes, but his thing on Season 2 is mostly owls and bird stuff.
Surprisingly, Economos has more of a presence thanks to his role at ARGUS, which makes him pair up with the humble agent with “bird blindness”, Langston.
In the first two episodes alone, both of them also share some hilarious back-and-forth as Langston tries to smooth-talk his way to being Economos’ friend. However, Economos actually gets a step up later on Season 2, which proves how confident the creatives are with his character.
On some of the really absurd characters of Peacemaker Season 2, Michael Rooker’s Red St. Wild is about as wickedly crazy as you can make a 50-something insane (and somewhat racist) eagle hunter to be. Though his character’s only relegated to a few episodes, the show does some very weird things, both visually and narratively, that’ll put you in a spin.
Perhaps the biggest concern that I had with Peacemaker Season 2 was the pacing. There are some emotional and dialogue-heavy moments that can linger too long, particularly within the first three episodes. It’s just that some character-focused sequences can feel like they’re stretched out to get a certain feeling sinking in or rough out the runtime.
However, when the action kicks in, the camera and stunt work never disappoint. This definitely shows within Episodes 4 and 5, which are very action-heavy with Chris, ARGUS, and everyone else running around to stop Chris or the antihero saving the day. Plus, you can never count out Eagly, who surprisingly has better CGI this season.
In its first half, Peacemaker Season 2 still packs a punch, confidently delivering its narrative of belonging while exemplifying the DCU’s eccentrisms and Gunn’s punk-rock vulgarity. Though it may be a slow burn to get to the good stuff, DC fans will ultimately be satisfied once again with what Gunn has locked and loaded.
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
—
Peacemaker Season 2 premieres on HBO Max on Thursday, August 21.
Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
The post Peacemaker Season 2 Review: DCU’s Silliest Live-Action Show Takes a More Audacious, if Earnest, Turn first appeared on Tell-Tale TV.