All eight episodes of James Gunn’s Peacemaker Season 2 are now available to stream on HBO Max. To celebrate, the elite of the comics beat gathered in Earth-X’s version of the stately Beat Manor to discuss the latest additions to the DC Cinematic Universe.
What did you think of Peacemaker Season 2? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
Cover photo credit: Jessica Miglio/HBO Max
Photo credit: Miglio/HBO Max
What did you think of Peacemaker Season 2?
Avery Kaplan: I enjoyed Season 1 as well as Creature Commando Season 1 and Suicide Squad, but I thought Peacemaker Season 2 was definitely Gunn’s strongest DCU work to date. The whole season was well done, but I thought it peaked in episode 6, so I was kind of disappointed that they left the Nazi world behind after the penultimate episode. John Cena did a great job as Chris Smith, but the entire cast was impressive this season. I was captivated by the judoka (Nut Le) in his scenes with Leota Adebayo (Daniel Brooks), and also by the gruff cyborg Sasha Bordeaux (Star Trek alum Sol Rodriguez). At this point, I feel a bit like William Boimler when it comes to the “multiverse,” but Peacemaker Season 2 handled that idea so well that I’d be happy to see it explored further in future stories.
TAIMUR DAR: To be honest, I think season two was better than season one in many ways. There were some setups that didn’t quite work, whether it was the reveal about Eagle (Dee Bradley Baker) being Prime Eagle or the Justice Gang auditions, but I think there was a lot more chatter and excitement online than there was in season one. I know people were expecting cameos from Superman and other major characters. Aside from Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, I’m glad the show held back. I blame the Marvel Cinematic Universe for fans expecting these big cameos and post-credits scenes to set up future projects.
Lisa Fernandez: I loved everything about Season 2 of Peacemaker except for the ending. It’s very dangerous to leave your show on a perpetual cliffhanger and expect people to follow every single one of your movies to figure out what happens next. Otherwise, this was Leota’s season to shine in more ways than one, and I was totally invested in Chris and Emilia’s (Jennifer Holland) romance.
Gregory Paul Silver: I didn’t like Peacemaker Season 2 as much as the other contributors listed above, but I look forward to every episode and agree that it’s an improvement over Season 1 (which I also quite liked). I like the fleshing out of the characters, which lacked a bit of development in season 1. I never had much fondness for the Judoka until this season when he was finally given a chance to be more than just a punchline. Harcourt was also a highlight. I’ll admit I rolled my eyes a bit when I learned that Gunn had cast his wife, but I grew to like her quite a bit, just as I grew to appreciate his brother Sean Gunn, who appears in all of his films. I hope this advances Holland’s career. I want to see more of her. She proved to be a more capable actress than just being known as the “gun wife”.
Ollie Kaplan: I agree with the other contributors. Season 2 is better than season 1. As Avery said to me the other day (and I’m paraphrasing here), “I might never go back to Season 1. If it’s Season 2, I’ll definitely watch it again.”
Derrick Crowe: The first half was really strong, but the last episode got a little lost. The main reason is that I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to cram as much stuff into a few episodes so that they feel like an entire season in and of itself. Earth-X had a lot built up into it for a very minimal amount of time on our part. I think it’ll come back eventually, but as others have pointed out, the uncertainty about whether a season 3 will happen or where these stories will appear again doesn’t make for a great overall experience. The MCU employed this same tactic, and I’m getting tired of it. Eagly being Prime Eagle would have been cooler if it didn’t happen in an extra subplot. And I didn’t care about Peacemaker and Harcourt’s relationship at all, I didn’t care about the boat either.
But I think that’s a little too harsh. I liked this piece overall. Mainly because of the character work, because even the ones that didn’t work for me, there’s still a lot of things I loved in every episode. The character dynamics, how they all approach their lives in different ways, how the multiverse is utilized here, the introduction of the Justice Gang and Luthor, etc. The Peacemaker show continues to be really, really great, but I felt it felt weaker than season 1 because of how stacked the back half was.
Jeremy Fascaldo: I thought it was pretty good, and I thought it built on the foundation that we had in season one. The season started out really strong and I loved the way the series progressed and introduced the concept of the multiverse. I can understand why people were a little disappointed with the last episode, but if Gunn decides to make a season 3, I think it would add something compelling to the series.
Photo credit: Miglio/HBO Max
What was your favorite and/or least favorite part of Peacemaker Season 2?
Avery Kaplan: My favorite part of Peacemaker Season 2 was its brilliant portrayal of how Chris’ white male privilege blinds him to the fact that he’s visiting a world that’s been shut down by white supremacists. And I really enjoyed the scene in episode 6 where Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) meets himself. Additionally, it would be remiss of me not to mention the amazing opening credits sequence. At first, I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the glory of Season 1’s opening credits, but by the time it was a few episodes in, I was completely captivated.
Taimur Dhar: What is your favorite part? Oh, there’s no shortage of it. You have to bring the soundtrack. Like many people, I’ve described Gunn’s use of music as Tarantino-esque, but I don’t think Gunn has anything comparable at this point. Like many people, this season has introduced me to a lot of bands I’m unfamiliar with. Among them is Foxy Shazam, whose song “Oh Lord” was featured in the opening credits.
Lisa Fernandez: It was great to see the team fall apart and then come back together again. It was also great to watch Chris grow.
Gregory Paul Silver: I agree that a lot of Needle Drop was great, but I missed the focus on hair metal in season 1, which gave the show its unique sonic identity. But like Avery, I was shocked by the release of episode 6. Definitely the biggest “Oh my god!” Twisted in recent memory. I still blame myself for not understanding it sooner.
Ollie Kaplan: Like Greg, I’m kicking myself for not figuring out the twist sooner. But I loved it, and it was great to see a superhero movie or TV project that went beyond the message of, “Look, I’m totally different from these superhero movies.” Instead, the second season of Peacemaker had something to say about cis, white male privilege and how it blinds us to the harm other communities experience. When the world caters to the comfort of people who look like someone else, it’s easy to miss the signs that others are suffering, unless that person confronts and actively confronts their own prejudices. In fact, even well-intentioned efforts should be challenged. But if someone does the work and challenges their implicit biases, they can grow. And we see that journey happening to Chris Smith as well.
Derrick Crowe: My favorite thing is more than one thing. As I said before, the characters in this show are great, both written and acted, but they are far from what makes this show work. They make me laugh, they make me cry, and I feel really invested in all of their journeys, together and individually. I love that Gunn never shied away from having fun with the DC Universe. And what I really like about his new DCU is that it feels like a place where crazy superhero stuff is seriously allowed to happen and exist, and no one tries to downplay that seriousness by criticizing it for feeling insensitive. And I’m looking forward to seeing what Checkmate does in this world.
My least favorite thing was that the last three episodes were so bloated that we didn’t really see Peacemaker’s presence on Earth-X for any extended period of time, and again, I didn’t care about the boat.
Jeremy Fascaldo: My favorite moment in the show was when it started to feel like a shared world. I enjoyed the multiple DCU characters that appeared throughout the show. I also liked the fact that the multiverse was treated like an event that characters go through for personal growth. I love how Chris’ journey to other dimensions is very similar to Coraline’s multiverse. It was treated as a big story moment for the characters and became integral to the story, rather than just another dimension for them to travel through.
I think my least favorite thing about this show might be Michael Rooker’s character this season. It pains me to write this because he’s always been a great addition to any TV or show Gunn has been involved with, and he gives a great performance in these episodes. But I think it mostly has to do with the writing and characterization of Red Saint Wilde. I feel like his character’s inclusiveness was a little weak for me.
Hopefully, whatever Gunn has planned next, he’ll be able to incorporate Rooker back into another movie or show in the future. Rooker is a great addition and I hope he continues to be utilized for the future of the DCU.
Photo credit: Miglio/HBO Max
Are you looking forward to the next season of Peacemaker?
Avery Kaplan: Yes, I’m really looking forward to Peacemaker season 3 (if there aren’t more seasons). As I mentioned above, I enjoyed the first season, but I feel the second season took it to whole new heights, and I think it could go even higher with another season. I’m sure we’ll see at least some more characters and subplots in the future of the DCU. However, I am a fan of the particular ensemble cast and themes explored in Peacemaker and hope to work with them again soon. And with Keith 2 planning his revenge against Chris 1, I think there’s a great opportunity to return to the Nazi world and explore it more deeply in future seasons as well. And of course, it would be incredible to see a third version of the amazing opening credits sequence.
Taimur Dhar: We went into this season knowing that a third season was not guaranteed due to Gunn’s extremely busy schedule. The fact that the second season aired three years after the first is pretty miraculous, considering Gunn was working on Superman at the same time. Gunn has promised that Peacemaker’s stranded-on-a-salvation-planet storyline will continue in future DC Studios projects, but he is hesitant about making a third season. As Avery said, there are so many plotlines that can only be properly followed in the third season. However, it’s also possible that these plotlines will be incorporated into the second season of Creature Commandos. At the very least, this is the perfect way to bring GI robots to Earth-X and give them a chance to kill Nazis.
Lisa Fernandez: Yes, because who would do a cliffhanger like that in this day and age, Gunn?!
Gregory Paul Silver: I’m not complaining about season 3, but as long as the cliffhanger of season 2 is followed up, I’ll be happy. I suspect, or at least hope, that Chris (and his friends) will play a major role in the next Waller series. Remaking the show as a checkmate series might be a good way to do a spiritual Peacemaker season 3.
Olly Kaplan: Simple answer: Yes!
Jeremy Fascaldo: Yes, I would love to see season 3 of this show. I think it’s possible that Season 3 could air at some point in the future, although it probably won’t happen right away, given that Man of Tomorrow is a higher priority as well as Supergirl and Clayface. It may take a while for that to happen, but Gunn remains tight-lipped about whether it will happen. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Derrick Crowe: That’s right. The show has enough story left to follow up with a third season. Additionally, it would be nice to have an annual show that weaves in and out of the nuDCU, or just exists within the nuDCU and doesn’t necessarily depend on everything else going on to be interesting on its own. The MCU is finally starting to learn and recreate what made the OG MCU TV shows so accessible. I get it, but yes, I really want season 3!
Seasons 1 and 2 of Peacemaker are currently streaming on HBO Max.
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