Peacemaker
It feels like we just got started but we've reached the final two episodes of "Peacemaker." I am not sure if I've brought this up before but each episode of "Peacemaker" has a fun little after credits scene so I hope you've been watching them. If not, go back and do it! You won't be disappointed. Let's get to it.
"Stop Dragon My Heart Around"
Adrian Chase: "there's no wrong time to rock."
After Butterfly Locke puts Peacemaker on blast with Adebayo's fake diary, he's ready to go to the farm and get rid of the Butterflies cow. Before that can happen though, Peacemaker, Vigilante and Economos have to take down the White Dragon aka Auggie Smith and his neo-Nazi allies. Meanwhile, Harcourt, Adebayo and Murn are trying to stay one step ahead of Butterfly Song and her compatriots.
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| Vigilante got cake. |
I have to start off by talking about how fast paced this episode is. There is so much going on. There are so many moving parts and writer James Gunn and director, Brad Anderson, do such a great job jugging all the balls and keeping things moving briskly. This episode clocks in at a speedy 39 minutes but no plot or character feels like they are getting shortchanged. I mean, if anything, I wouldn't have been upset if the episode was a little bit longer, only to see Peacemaker have his fateful encounter with the raccoon who scratched up his face. The episode is full of bone crunching amazing action, but it doesn't skimp out on the emotional core of the show that has become so important.
Speaking of that emotional core, this episode features the showdown that we've been waiting for between Auggie and Chris Smith. Ever since Chris got out of prison and joined up with his team, the show has been slowly chipping away at these beliefs that Auggie tries to instill into Chris, beliefs that it is pretty clear that he never really believed in. We finally see what happened between Chris and his brother, Keith and it is heartbreaking. Chris got his love of rock from Keith and its clear they were very close. Then, Auggie has them fight for his white power trash buddies. Its during one of these fights that Chris lands a punch that kills Keith. You hate Auggie from the start, but the show doesn't hesitate to pile on and while I don't like seeing this, I'm glad they don't stop making Auggie the literal worst.
This might be crazy to say but sometimes I forget "Peacemaker" is based on comic characters but these last two episodes really lean into the comic book-ness of it all. When White Dragon locates Peacemaker, he flies through the truck they are traveling in. It's a great moment and it is such a comic book move and I love it. The confrontation with the White Dragon and his followers is perfect. I watch most things with closed captioning on and I get a lot of shit for it. But sometimes I get some great gems that those not watching with captions on don't get. The nameless lackeys of White Dragon are identified as "racist thug" and "white hood douche." Perfect.
There is no better sight than watching racists get the shit kicked out of them, even actors pretending to be racists. It's very fulfilling watching Economos gun White Dragon's neo-Nazi followers down. Then, we get the final confrontation between Chris and Auggie. Chris lets all the repressed anger and hurt and fear that he's felt since his brother died out and beats Auggie. Auggie continues to mock Chris, until Chris shoots him. It's an extremely cathartic scene that will definitely have repercussions. Plus, Auggie let's the cat out of the bag that Peacemaker is bisexual when he's listing off all the ways that Chris let him down.
The other part of the episode is Harcourt and Adebayo. Harcourt is pissed off that Adebayo has been lying and that she's Waller's daughter. Murn knew it. Butterfly Goff masquerading as Song shows up they kill Butterfly Murn. It's a weirdly emotionally affecting scene when Harcourt finds they dying butterfly. One of my favorite action sequences of the episode happens when Judomaster shows up and he and Harcourt go head to head. Harcourt is a badass and it is great to see her go fist to fist with someone like Judomaster. She takes him down with some help from Adebayo.
The episode ends with some great lighter moments. Harcourt convincing Vigilante not to kill the vet and his staff that fixes up Vigilante and Peacemaker. Adebayo seeing Eagly hugging Chris, who gets a pic of it this time. The vet crew ready to join with the gang. And we get the absolutely horrifying reveal of the "cow" which is actually a giant, alien caterpillar thing that is being milked like a cow. I hated it.
We are in store for a great finale.
Grade: A
"It's Cow or Never"
[The Justice League arrives to help Peacemaker]
Peacemaker: "you're late, you fucking dickheads! Go fuck another fish, asshole!"
Aquaman: "I'm so fucking sick of that rumor."
The Flash: "It's not a rumor."
Aquaman: "Fuck you, Barry!"
It's time for the final battle with the Butterflies. Peacemaker, Adebayo, Harcourt, Economos and Vigilante head to the farm where the Butterflies are preparing to transport the "cow" to their other base. Harcourt tries to get Waller to send in the Justice League, but it doesn't look like that will happen. So it's up to this ragtag group armed only with some Peacemaker helmets. Can they save the world?
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| The JL is a little light on members. |
I am pretty active on social media and in today's day and age, I am not super sensitive when it comes to spoilers. I realize that if I want to avoid spoilers, I need to watch something as soon as I can and avoid the internet until I do. A spoiler doesn't really affect how I watch something or feel something. So, when I watch something for the first time that came out a while ago, I'm genuinely surprised when something big happens that I hadn't heard about before. The finale of "Peacemaker" premiered on February 17, 2022 and I had no idea that there was a Justice League cameo. It's not the full League. Batman and Cyborg are missing (for obvious reasons if you follow behind the scenes drama) and Superman and Wonder Woman remain in shadow. We do get Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Ezra Miller's The Flash. It's a funny little stinger. Peacemaker razzing the team for getting their late and bringing up Aquaman fucking fish again and The Flash seemingly confirming the rumor as fact. Though, Ezra Miller being a raging psycho sort of dims the excitement on this 8 months later.
I never thought I would compare an episode of "Peacemaker" to an episode of "Titans," but in some ways this finale reminds me of the last couple of "Titans" finale. It feels like the final battle between Team Peacemaker and the Butterflies wraps up pretty quickly and the last 10-15 minutes of the episode is an epilogue that sets up cliffhangers and plot threads to be picked up in season two.
That being said, this is a great finale. We have the comedy that we have come to expect from the show like Eagly flying away with the sonic boom helmet and dropping it not on top of the barn, but somewhere in the woods. And we have the pathos, particularly the scene where Economos is stopped by the Butterflies. I like how the whole dye beard thing comes full circle. Economos has been played for laughs for the majority of the season, so it's nice for him to have this really heartfelt, real moment. Steve Agee really kills it and it's nice to see this different side of Economos.
The action is phenomenal. The fight with Peacemaker, Vigilante and Harcourt against the Butterflies is top notch. It's fast paced and brutal. The fight choreography is some of the best I've seen in a television show. James Gunn wrote and directed and it is clear that he has a real eye for this kind of stuff. Even though they are left behind, Adebayo and Economos don't sit on the sidelines. Adebayo proves that she is made for this shit as she rushes in gunning down Butterflies after Vigilante and Harcourt are shot. Economos drags himself to them after he brakes his ankle to give Adebayo a helmet.
The relationship between Adebayo and Peacemaker is front and center in this episode. John Cena and Danielle Brooks have a ton of chemistry and this relationship has been a highlight of the first season. Peacemaker is Peppermint Petty at the top of the episode when Adebayo tries to apologize, but it feels like what she says about stopping letting his brother's death define him does really get through to him. She proves her worth to him when she uses the Human Torpedo helmet even after he warns her against it. And Peacemaker evens things up in his own way when he activates it and sends Adebayo shooting into the heart of the "cow" killing it. It made me smile when Chris admits that Leota is his second BFF after Eagly.
One thing "Peacemaker" does is something that other shows have been doing a lot after the rise of Donald Trump. Butterfly Goff as Song brings up the conspiracy theories and how humans are willing to believe these things even if it means their extinction. I'm not saying that shows shouldn't being this stuff up. I think they should, but I also think that they should have something to say about it and I'm not sure Gunn does. It's nice that Chris isn't manipulated by this and takes out the Butterflies. That's growth.
We are definitely in for some interesting plots in season two if these end of episode teases are anything to go on. Adebayo exposes Waller and Task Force X in order to clear Chris from the planted diaries. Harcourt and Chris seem to be slowly heading to potential coupledom or maybe just actual friendship. Oh and Chris still has the Goff butterfly and is seeing his dead dad. I'm sure that will all be good.
What a great first season. I'm genuinely excited to see what Gunn does in season two.
And that is all folks. We are caught up with the DC Murderverse. We will check back in once Black Adam is out on streaming/Blu Ray.
Next up, I'll be starting a new feature re-watching the past live-action Spider-Man movies leading up to my MCU re-watch of "Spider-Man: No Way Home." First up, the Tobey Maguire original.
What did you all think of "Peacemaker?" I'd love to hear your thoughts about this first season. Let them out in the comments.
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