Peacemaker Season 2 TV Review: James Gunn and John Cena reunite for a brutal and fun soft reboot into the DCU

Plot: In season 2, Peacemaker discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands. 

Review: When the first season of Peacemaker premiered three years ago, it was an impressive and unexpectedly solid addition to the hit-or-miss DCEU. With a quick second-season pick-up, Peacemaker‘s future was questioned when James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the co-CEOs of DC Studios. With Gunn and Safran plotting a ten-year outline for the new DCU, it was confusing how Peacemaker would exist in both cinematic universes. Would the show employ a multiverse like Marvel, or would it be a new approach? The answer will be left for you to figure out when the new season hits HBO Max, but having seen the first five episodes, I can say with confidence that James Gunn has found a unique way to blend elements of the DCEU into the new DCU without losing any of the events that happened in the first season of Peacemaker. Season two improves the show in humor, action, and emotional resonance while still making this one of the most fun series on television.

The new season of Peacemaker opens with a “previously on” segment that recaps the events of season one, along with some adjustments that fit into the new DCU. As many reports have confirmed, Superman characters Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), Hawkgirl (Isabel Merced), and Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) make appearances this season, and how they factor in is hilarious and fitting to James Gunn’s style. Chris (John Cena) lives in his father’s house and tries to find his place as a hero despite his murderous past, which has left him struggling to see his purpose. Entering his father’s quantum unfolding chamber, Chris discovers a door similar to his own, where Peacemaker is seen as a hero and his life is perfect. But, opening the door also alerts A.R.G.U.S., now under the command of Rick Flag Sr (Frank Grillo), who wants revenge for Peacemaker killing Rick Flag Jr (Joel Kinnaman). Add in Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) trying to find new jobs while Adrian (Freddie Stroma) tries to be everybody’s friend, you have a recipe for disaster impacted by John Economos (Steve Agee) still working for A.R.G.U.S..

Season one relied on a villain plot that aligned Peacemaker with Amanda Waller’s Project Butterfly and gave the squad a bad guy to fight, along with Peacemaker’s father, Auggie (Robert Patrick), better known as the racist White Dragon. This season is about character development as the first five episodes of the eight-episode season focus on figuring out where everybody fits into the world. Yes, we get some costumed superhero action, but there is a heavier focus on the relationships between the characters in our dimension and the new one Chris discovers. The primary antagonists are Rick Flag Sr, who employs several additions to the cast to bring down Peacemaker and learn about his gateway to the other dimension. This includes A.R.G.U.S. agents Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodriguez) and Langston Fleury (Tim Meadows), and the world’s foremost eagle hunter, Red St. Wild (Michael Rooker). This season also sees the return of Nhut Le as Judomaster, while there are many other surprises in store for audiences. Of the new cast, Tim Meadows stands out in a hilarious performance, while longtime James Gunn performer Michael Rooker continues to prove why he makes everything he is in that much better.

The season is once again rife with nudity, violence, and profanity, cementing that James Gunn is not pulling any punches with the diverse types of storytelling we will see in the DCU. There is a lot I wish I could say about the new season, but audiences deserve to go in without any spoilers. I will say that the way Peacemaker handles the alternate dimensions drives the story in a way that the MCU multiverse has not taken advantage of. There is also the most explicit sex scene in either the DC or Marvel cinematic universes that rivals some of the nudity we have seen on The Boys. However, as much as this season pushes the envelope, we get some great performances from John Cena and Jennifer Holland, who embrace the chemistry between their characters while coming to terms with a big rift between them. Cena has found his signature role in Peacemaker and continues to deepen his acting abilities. I never thought I would see him in a role as well-crafted as this, but he and Gunn were meant to work together.

James Gunn once again wrote all eight episodes of Peacemaker and directed three episodes, down from the five he helmed in the first season. Greg Mottola and Alethea Jones direct the rest of season two, with two episodes each, and Peter Sollett on the remaining chapter. This season’s production values remain top-notch, with the special effects budget continuing to exceed expectations. Granted, this series does not rely on FX as much as some other superhero projects, but the consistency of the visuals remains great. Eagly looks better than last season, which is one of the weak spots in an otherwise excellent show. Gunn announced at San Diego Comic Con that his favorite band, Foxy Shazam, would provide the song played during the opening credits, and the new titles do not disappoint. It would be hard to top the dance sequence from the first season, and rather than going bigger, Gunn and the cast make sure it is memorable. Per usual, Gunn’s soundtrack choices are a blend of popular tracks and deep cuts, giving fans a new mixtape of tunes to add to their playlists.

Peacemaker was great when it debuted and is even better the second time around. James Gunn’s DCU is off to a strong start, and the man himself should take pride in having created three distinct projects to kick off his cinematic universe, which are all vastly different and yet impressively high quality. Peacemaker works because John Cena is the perfect blend of muscle and emotional presence, making the ensemble more cohesive than before. I love everything about this series, and I look forward to seeing how this season wraps up, inevitably leading into a third season and other aspects of the DCU. With Frank Grillo adding gravitas, Tim Meadows adding hilarity, and lots of surprises and twists, Peacemaker‘s second season is another win for DC Studios. While I do not suffer from bird blindness, I can say that Peacemaker soars with the ducks.

Peacemaker season two premieres on August 21st on HBO Max.

Source:
JoBlo.com