Dark, daft and often downright disturbing, Peacemaker's debut season was an excellent addition to the 2022 television calendar. The DC TV series, following the antihero Peacemaker (John Cena), meshed together a concoction of wild humour, devastating revelations and an epic glam rock soundtrack to create a wholly memorable dive into the DC Universe. Now, three years later, Peacemaker returns with its next chapter.
In its first installation, Peacemaker, aka. Chris Smith, joined the A.R.G.U.S. black ops team to work on “Project Butterfly” as a hired killer. Now with this mission in the dust, ghosts of the past come to haunt the hero, becoming a more significant motif in the show's second outing. This time, multiverses are at play, veering the show into a different and more dramatic direction.
On its own, season 2 of Peacemaker is a great piece of television. Cena has a magnetic on-screen presence as the troubled anti-hero, delving even further into the cracks hidden behind his polished uniform. It continues to be a masterclass in delivering both moments of shocking humour and crushing devastation, often in the same scene. And of course, the soundtrack is just as good and on the nose as it was. However, those looking for the same balance of humour and heartbreak as its first season may find themselves disappointed by the comparison.
Peacemaker does a great job at reflecting the emotions of its central character, digging further and further into the hero's psyche to make each new crack in his armour felt and understood. While this shows some great performances from the likes of Cena and the rest of the cast, it means that this season is much darker and emotional than its prior outing. That's not to say that there aren't moments of absurdity—in fact, there are some jaw-droppers. However, such a central focus on Smith alone leaves less room for the other cast members, which is a shame, but understandable for the development of the show's central figure.
Despite this, Peacemaker's cast is excellent. Jennifer Holland always delivers as the steel-faced Emilia Harcourt, with some brutally vulnerable moments that help to up the season's emotional ante. Danielle Brooks keeps a steadfast and grounded approach to Leota Adebayo, something the show sorely needs amidst its absurdity. Especially as Freddie Stroma's Vigilante is just as chaotic and disturbing as before, leading to some incredible one-liners. Faces old and new also join the core cast, bringing a new sense of vibrance to the series while also preparing for an interesting new direction.
Though it is ultimately a shame that the ragtag aspect of the first season of Peacemaker is almost completely lost in this season, it is nonetheless a worthwhile watch. Complete with a new title sequence that highlights this more introspective new chapter, Peacemaker is a fantastically colourful TV series that packs a hefty punch. Hopefully, though, it doesn't completely lose itself to the darkness.
5 out of 8 episodes were available to view.
Peacemaker season 2 is currently available to stream on Sky Max and Now, with episodes airing weekly.
Podcast
