Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 Review

So far, Peacemaker Season 2 has been a strange experience. What was once one of the most chaotic projects in either its native DCEU, or new DCU, has taken on a new life as a much more measured, dialogue-heavy drama series, and Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 only reinforces this change. The superhero formula is here for sure, but for the most part, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 is a remarkably slow episode of television, never mind DC Studios television.

Today, it’s time for our Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 review, ‘Another Rick Up My Sleeve’. This will be a spoiler review, so make sure you watch the episode for yourself before reading ahead! Now, let’s dive into our Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 review!

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Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 Review

Image by DC Studios

Off the bat, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 is a very short episode compared to the series’ usual, clocking in at around 38 minutes total, including credits. As such, there’s not a lot of time for Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 to actually do much with its runtime, at least nothing of much substance. The structure of a typical Peacemaker episode is still here – we get some heartfelt dialogue, some comedy, and a good-old gory action sequence. However, as it stands on its own two feet, there’s not a lot of significance to this episode of Peacemaker, beyond its promises of big things to come.

As the title implies, Rick Flag Jr. is a big part of this week’s episode, and to Joel Kinnaman’s credit, his return is by far the highlight of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3. Not only does his introduction to the series through Peacemaker’s alternate universe add a complicated dynamic to Peacemaker and Harcourt’s relationship, but it also gives Rick Flag Jr. the opportunity to return to the DCU after his untimely death in The Suicide Squad. With that being said, while I think alternate-universe Flag was a great opportunity for Kinnaman to flex his acting muscles, and have some more fun with the character, I think Flag’s behaviour in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 raises some serious questions about the nature of this alternate universe.

Alternate dimensions are always a little tricky – it’s always been difficult for me to come around to the idea that an alternate universe exists where people’s personalities are so different from the version we know of them, yet they manage to be acquainted with all of the same people as in their original universes. Flag is a complete goofball in Peacemaker’s alternate universe, and while it does warrant some chuckles, it’s a little disarming to see logic so flagrantly sacrificed in favour of comedy here. As we know when it comes to Gunn, sometimes his style is to come from a place of ‘random’ comedy – a great example is when Peacemaker’s brother confusedly asks his sibling who the Kardashians are, implying that they’re not famous in this universe. There’s no real reason for this joke, and it does nothing but complicate the nature of this alternate dimension. The Kardashians don’t exist, Rick Flag Jr. is a bit of a klutz, yet there’s not much different about Harcourt? And she still crossed paths with Peacemaker somehow? I can’t help but question these things, which is why I rarely enjoy stories with alternate universes or time-travel – it’s far too much malarkey for what it’s worth in the end.

Image by DC Studios

Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 is not only home to lots of mind-bending inter-dimensional interactions however – it also houses one of the most intense and brutal action sequences we’ve seen in the entire show so far, never mind this season. Peacemaker’s takedown of the Sons of Liberty is ferocious, particularly when it comes to his creative use of pencils. As morbid as it is, it’s somewhat refreshing to watch a superhero (if you can call him that) not dance around the issue of killing when it comes to antagonists like this. The violence was certainly barbarous, as is in line with James Gunn’s preferences, but it works for this character, and though I enjoy the wholesomeness of the recent superhero projects we’ve seen, like Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a little ultraviolence goes a long way in a show like this.

Whereas the action was one of the highlights of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3, the comedy this week was a serious low-point for me. If you read our review of last week’s episode, you’ll know that Langston Fleury was far from my favourite character in this show. Since that episode aired, I’ve seen plenty of positive reception for Tim Meadows’ performance, so I’ll accept my minority position on this character. On the bright side, he was a little funnier to me this week, so I’ll spare any more criticism of him until the character next crosses the line for me. I still have no idea what comedic value I’m meant to get from the ‘bird blindness’ gag, but I’ll roll with the punches for now.

However, what got me really worried about the comedy this season is the return of Judomaster. He was never really showcased all that much in the first season, so I’m excited to see what they’re going to do with him. However, his gimmick of always eating Cheetos is another example of a gag that I just don’t understand. What is the joke here? Is the joke simply the randomness of it all, and if so, is there any real comedic merit to these gags? The comedy this season has been extremely shaky, as I think Gunn is letting too much of his personal preferences, and his questionable taste level, shine through. Don’t even get me started on the incredibly short-sighted decision to show a child fanboying over Peacemaker, followed directly by a woman flashing Peacemaker her breasts, directly across from the child, doubtlessly within full view of him. It all just reeks of crudity for the sake of being crude. Pair this crassness with the randomness of the series’ more PG-humour, and you have a comedic disaster as far as I’m concerned.

Image by DC Studios

It also continues to baffle me that Economos is so heavily featured in this series, as he is easily the least interesting of Peacemaker’s friend group to me, but hey, maybe he’ll end up doing some big things this season. Luckily, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 manages to triumph over its glaring flaws for the most part by sticking to its emotionally-charged and action-heavy roots. However, I do think that Gunn needs to realise that Peacemaker is no longer his niche passion-project that it was when we were still dealing with the DCEU. This character has now appeared in Superman, and Gunn has implied that the series will feature some heavy DCU connections in later episodes. Gunn’s eccentricity is welcomed in small doses – after all, this is his DCU to mould as he wished. However, the doses really do need to be small.

Luckily, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 ended on a high note, with Peacemaker’s family dynamic getting some more attention. The level of positivity radiating from his alternate-dimension family is compelling enough that I think his eventual departure from this dimension is going to tug on some serious heartstrings. It all comes back to family being the main theme of Peacemaker, and the emotional core of the series is so strong that it only makes the flaws mentioned above all the more egregious when they make themselves known.

Overall, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 was quite a bumpy, and very brief, ride. Though the action sequences and emotional core of the series remain great strengths, the quirkiness and raunchiness of the humour may be getting a little too much to handle at this point in the show’s lifespan. What did you think of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

See also: Batman #1 Review

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Where to Watch Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3?

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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