Image: Jessica Miglio/HBO Max
In August, I watched the first five episodes of Peacemaker season 2, which felt more vibrant and filled with action compared to season 1. The storyline introduced mysterious twists that had fans on DC Reddit buzzing with theories, including analyses of the iconic dance sequence intro.
That led me to rate it 4/5 stars. However, without the context of the later episodes, I can now understand why I reached that conclusion.
Sadly, as the season progressed, the quality began to decline. Now that Peacemaker has concluded (potentially for good), I find myself pondering what caused this shift and whether connecting it to the new DCU was a mistake.
Warning: Spoilers for Peacemaker season 2 ahead
The focus on Salvation is solely to set the stage for Superman 2
James Gunn has previously described Peacemaker as his favorite project among his works, but he is also a key figure in the DCU alongside Peter Safran.
This raises the possibility that there were internal discussions about the show’s future, especially since it was originally part of the former DCEU. It appears there was an intention to integrate this series with one of the franchise’s major films for cross-promotion.
Recalling the events, Chris Smith was unwillingly sucked into a parallel universe called ‘Salvation’ as a test subject for a prison meant for meta-humans, likely led by Lex Luthor, who made a brief appearance in episode 6.
Since the finale aired, Gunn has confirmed that Salvation will significantly feature in Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which is set for release on 9 July 2027. While this unification of the DC franchise may excite some fans, the finale diverged greatly from the previous episodes.
The finale did establish the special ops agency Checkmate from the comics, but a lot of that segment was drawn out with stock footage of the 11th Street Kids and others laughing in an office rather than showcasing the characters’ decision-making process with their signature humor.
Even the inclusion of the title song, Oh Lord, felt underutilized compared to Do Ya Wanna Taste It from season one, which complemented an exhilarating action scene where the group set out to defeat the Cow and the threat posed by the Butterflies.
This time around, we got a rather cliché concert scene, mainly featuring Chris and Emilia singing together. While it’s nice to see them enjoying themselves, it doesn’t significantly advance the plot.
These segments felt like filler material until the episode could reach the pivotal moment involving Salvation. It raises questions about why Rick Flag Sr. allowed Peacemaker to establish his startup before dragging him to the prison, which detracts from narrative coherence.
The entire episode seemed constructed more for the Superman sequel, leaving me somewhat unengaged, particularly given the strong storytelling and character development earlier on. This is quite disappointing, considering the earlier quality of the show.
Furthermore, did we not explore the concept of super prisons in the first Superman film? With Lex Luthor and his manipulative multiverse? It feels over-familiar.
Adebayo, Vigilante, and Rick Flag Sr. warranted more attention
In my initial review, I noted the underutilization of Adebayo and Vigilante in the first five episodes, and my stance remains unchanged.
Adebayo did experience two emotionally significant moments in the finale, but it leads me to question why both were reserved for the last episode. Their relationship discussions could have surfaced much earlier, given that she had begun contemplating their differing life paths.
Unfortunately, because these moments were packed into the oddly-paced final episode, they lacked the emotional weight they could have conveyed.
Vigilante, on the other hand, primarily shined when he interacted with his alternate universe counterpart. I longed for more moments like this, suggesting that an extended season could have provided deeper character exploration, but I’ll address that in a moment.
Jessica Miglio/HBO Max
Perhaps the most significant misstep in the final episodes concerns Rick Flag Sr. While he clearly harbored an unhealthy obsession with avenging his son’s death at Chris’s hand, there had been glimpses of warmth towards both Harcourt and Sasha Bordeaux earlier this season. That suggested a layer of character complexity.
Contrarily, we witnessed him gleefully bonding with Lex Luthor’s associates while members of his team faced gruesome fates. His apparent lack of empathy felt highly inconsistent; surely, a character who lost a son would demonstrate more compassion for his team?
Entertainment outlet New Rockstars aptly highlights this issue:
Speculations in the comments suggest he might be under the influence of Clayface or some form of mind control. Others mention Flag’s turmoil in Creature Commandos to explain his extreme demeanor (no spoilers here).
Nonetheless, not every Peacemaker viewer will have seen the animated series Creature Commandos. James Gunn clarified that the live-action show should make sense independently of external context.
Thus, Flag’s character development could rely on other materials (not clarified), something unresolved may be happening with him, or simply put, it was a case of poor writing.
The Earth-X storyline was concluded far too hastily
A major plot point that excited fans was the concept of Earth-X in the DC Comics universe. While the show termed this world Earth-2, many referred to it as Earth-X.
This universe represents an alternate reality where the Nazis triumphed in World War II, leading to a racist regime dominating the United States. People of color are presumably oppressed in concentration camps, while the Peacemaker of this timeline appears as a tyrant relishing his authority.
This concept is deeply unsettling, yet the series didn’t allow the 11th Street Kids to adequately confront it.
Peacemaker’s journey to Earth-1 signified a significant change for his character. Therefore, extracting him just two episodes later, without conveying his realization about this so-called ideal reality, felt rushed.
It’s puzzling that this version of Auggie Smith was… not a racist character. How could that happen? Both Keith and Chris probably had inherited prejudices from somewhere. It’s hard to believe that in such a close-knit family, they wouldn’t share similar views in a white supremacist world, especially given how abhorrent Chris’s father was in Earth-1.
Additionally, we barely saw development from the alternate Emilia Harcourt or Rick Flag Jr. – who, remember, was alive in this universe, unlike in Earth-1.
Why wasn’t he brought in to challenge Chris’s moral dilemmas when a lot of the show revolved around Peacemaker struggling with his actions? Could Flag Sr. have ventured into this multiverse, discovered his son was alive, thereby complicating his emotional journey towards seeking Salvation?
Jessica Miglio/Max
If this season had two additional episodes, similar to the first, there might have been ample opportunity for more exploration in Earth-X, along with greater character development across the board.
On a positive note, Gunn has acknowledged on Threads that “not everyone can love everything” and he understands the critiques surrounding the finale.
I sincerely wanted to continue enjoying Peacemaker, but the broader DC Universe ultimately interfered too much with the narrative.
