Peacemaker Season 2

Last Thursday, the finale of Peacemaker Season 2 was released on HBO Max. Peacemaker Season 2 continues the story of Christopher Smith, also known as Peacemaker, and his friends as they are shadowed by ARGUS in their pursuit of Chris's interdimensional portal. I had a lot of fun with the first season of the show and was very curious to see how they would handle the second season, set in the new rebooted DC universe.

Peacemaker Season 2 was one of my favorite TV shows this year. James Gunn knows how to write a show that brings humor and heart. I like how this show doesn't take itself too seriously but still packs a lot of emotion into it. I liked Chris's character work this season. The season was all about Chris wrestling with his past guilt and dealing with self-hate as he thinks he makes everyone else's lives worse. John Cena has really grown on me as an actor, and this show showcases some of those chops. I also thought the handling of the multiverse was very well done. In a time where movies are oversaturated with multiversal fan service, Peacemaker Season 2 uses it as a way to build Chris's character. Through the multiverse, Chris is able to find a world where he feels like he belongs and doesn't have to live with the consequences of his past actions. It is used as escapism for a broken man. I also thought the group dynamic between the 11th Street kids was great. They grew a lot as friends since the first season, and season two features a lot of scenes that play off of that. I particularly like some of the interactions between Adrian and the other characters as they all try to put up with his nonsense. What stands out the most to me is that this show takes a multiverse story and makes it a character piece about guilt and self hate.

I was very high on this show, but the last episode didn't totally land for me. I wouldn't call it bad; it is just weird. Episode 8 tries to cram all of the multiverse exploration, Chris in jail, and tying up loose threads all in one episode. Granted, this episode was twice as long as the rest but I felt they just ran through a ton of plot points that could have been another 2-3 episodes.

Overall, this was a fun show that brings multiverse fun and merges it with a story about guilt and self-hate. While the last episode didn't totally work for me, the good far outweighs the missteps of the last episode.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A Recommendation: This is a must-watch show