Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 Review

Over 3 years since its last season premiered, James Gunn’s Peacemaker is back, and considering how dedicated Gunn is to making sure that this property transitions fully from the DCEU to the DCU, there are a lot of high expectations involved when it comes to this second season. The first season was a very fun ride, and proved that superhero tie-in shows can, in fact, be worth a watch (looking at you Marvel), but with DC’s slate being wiped clean, can Peacemaker Season 2 prove that keeping Cena’s titular character around is the right call?

Today, we’re here to review Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1, ‘The Ties That Grind’. This will be a spoiler review, as there’s plenty to talk about here, so make sure you watch the episode for yourself before reading ahead! Now, let’s catch up with James Gunn’s favourite group of misfits, as we dive in to Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1.

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Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 Review

Image by DC Studios

So, let’s get the behind-the-scenes, business stuff out of the way early – a lot of people have had a close eye on Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 to see just exactly how DC transitions this show across two distinct universes. Well, the short answer is, they essentially ignore that Peacemaker ever existed in the DCEU in the first place. Remember when the Justice League showed up at the end of Season 1? Well, in a recap of the first season, that scene has been altered to include the Justice Gang from James Gunn’s Superman instead. Ultimately, considering the old Justice League scene was basically just a cameo, this works well. With this change, there’s not much else tying Peacemaker to the DCEU, aside from figuring out whatever is going on with the continuity of The Suicide Squad, but that’s a bridge that DC will have to cross when they come to it. For now, the ties have been pretty cleanly severed, and we look forward to Peacemaker’s role in the new DCU.

On the topic of the Justice Gang though, I did enjoy how much of a role they played in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1. While they’re not exactly integral to the plot, we do get to spend a good chunk of time with Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, and seeing them in action so soon after Superman is a real pleasure. One of the strength’s that DC has so early-on into building its new universe is that there aren’t many characters to keep the spotlight on. Peacemaker’s cameo in Superman, and now the Justice Gang’s appearance in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1, has the DCU feeling incredibly interconnected off-the-bat – a strong start for Gunn and DC Studios. Now if anyone from Creature Commandos shows up, we really have a comic-book fan’s dream on our hands.

Moving away from all of that universe talk though, it’s time we talk about the stars of the Peacemaker series themselves, and in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1, Jennifer Holland steals the show. This episode did more for Harcourt as a character than the entirety of the first season. Part of this is due to the fact that Harcourt has been given a very interesting storyline in this premiere, but a huge part of the praise has to go to Holland herself, who delivers an incredible performance in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1. We see Harcourt go through just about every emotion across this episode, and Holland delivers that flawlessly.

Image by DC Studios

As much as Harcourt stole the show for me, the other side characters also make their returns to the series in enjoyable ways. Despite the 3 years that it’s been since we last saw this cast in action, it feels like we’re right back where we left off. Danielle Brooks is a delight as always in this episode, and truly feels like the heart of the show, while Steve Agee is given a pretty important role in the story very quickly. In this premiere episode, Freddie Stroma isn’t given much to do, but I’m sure we’ll see him shine across the rest of the season. Of course, John Cena himself is amazing as Peacemaker, as he always is, but he doesn’t only deliver on the comedic side of things. Cena is excellent at conveying the more emotional moments of this series, and this is highlighted in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1.

On that note, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 is a very emotional episode of the series, which is somewhat unexpected for the show’s big return. I think that, for the most part, people consider Peacemaker to be a comedy show, but the series gets pretty dark at times, and covers some very heavy topics. In this episode, the exploration of Peacemaker’s longing for a family really hits hard, and you start to realise that behind all of the action, comedy, and gore, the crux of Peacemaker is a man who has no one left to turn to. At first, I was unhappy to see Robert Patrick back as Peacemaker’s dad – the character’s death in Season 1 felt so satisfying – but after watching this episode, I can’t wait to see how his father is going to influence Peacemaker’s state of mind going forward.

Of course, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 does manage to get some action in there, particularly when Harcourt decides to stop by a bar, and is met with more creepy men. At first, this scene felt like a re-hash of the scene from the first season, where the same thing happens. However, as I watched Harcourt fight the men off, I realised how much her actions in this scene were indicators of her mental state. Unlike in the first season, Harcourt is sloppy, emotional, and ultimately, loses the fight, which is the complete opposite of her approach to things when she was still on Amanda Waller’s good side. This scene was a thrilling way to break-up an otherwise fairly subdued first episode – well, aside from that orgy scene of course.

Image by DC Studios

Thinking of that orgy scene brings me to my next point – Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 highlights just how much this is a ‘James Gunn’ show. That twisted sense of humour, and affinity for the more adult things in life, are very present here, so for people who don’t enjoy Gunn’s taste, I would steer clear of Peacemaker completely. The first season was also full of these ‘isms, so I’m sure anyone reading this is fine with them, but where Gunn has to sanitise his style on the silver screen with Guardians of the Galaxy and Superman, he has complete free reign over Peacemaker. The show is violent, crude, and at times, the humour doesn’t land at all. As far as his superhero properties go, Peacemaker is the most true to his style, which may not be for everyone.

However, some of his questionable tastes aside, Gunn knows how to write a thrilling superhero story, and with that twist at the end of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1, he proves that reputation true once again. I was completely caught off-guard by this whole moment, and subsequent fight scene. I knew that Peacemaker had walked through a door into what was, assumably, another dimension, but I didn’t even consider that the Peacemaker from that universe would show up, or that our Peacemaker would kill him. That cliffhanger has me wondering if jumping through these universes will be the main focus of Peacemaker Season 2. For the most part, this first episode was a set-up episode, bringing all of the major players from Season 1 back into the fray – Episode 2 is likely where we’ll see the foundations of the season built. I cannot wait to see what this season has in store.

Overall, I think that Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 was a fairly chill reintroduction to the characters from the first season. While not much happened from a plot perspective, we got some great, in-depth looks at the psyches of Peacemaker himself and Harcourt, whilst the supporting cast all returned with just as much charm as they had before. Episode 2 is likely to unveil the nature of the threat we’ll be dealing with this season, so I’ll be tuned in to see where this goes. What did you think of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

See also: Absolute Batman #11 Review

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Where to Watch Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1?

Image by DC Studios

You can catch Peacemaker Season 2 streaming weekly on HBO Max, Friday mornings at 2am BST. The entire first season can also be watched on HBO Max. Like the first season, Peacemaker Season 2 is scheduled for 8 episodes.

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