Peacemaker - Season 1- - Episode 2

Cut to black.

Chris tries to be the hero. He puts on the helmet. He yells, "I will never give up... I will never give in... I am Peacemaker!" He fires the sonic boom... and misses. The Butterfly host escapes. The team stands in silence. Economos sighs. Harcourt walks away.

This sequence is already iconic. The cast performs a synchronized, deadpan dance routine in front of a tour bus. It is absurd, homoerotic, and utterly joyful. But placed immediately after a botched kill, it serves as a meta-commentary on Peacemaker’s delusion. He wants life to be a glamorous rock video. Reality is a messy apartment covered in alien goo. Peacemaker - Season 1- Episode 2

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out the rest of the series. Peacemaker is available to stream on HBO Max.

New episodes stream Thursdays on HBO Max. Cut to black

While the action is visceral, the emotional core of the episode belongs to a quiet, devastating scene in a diner. After the mission, Peacemaker invites his father, the white supremacist supervillain White Dragon (Robert Patrick), for a cup of coffee. On paper, this is a mistake. In execution, it’s a masterclass in toxic family dynamics.

: Reviewers praised the episode for balancing crude slapstick humor with genuine pathos. Special mention was given to Cena's performance, described as a "pratfall and slapstick masterpiece". He yells, "I will never give up

The episode picks up immediately after the premiere's cliffhanger. Peacemaker must navigate a multi-story apartment complex while avoiding Detective Sophie Song (Annie Chang) and Larry Fitzgibbon (Lochlyn Munro). His "methodology" for escape involves:

: He forces his way into a nearby apartment, taking a couple, Evan and Amber, hostage. In a signature James Gunn moment, Chris bonds with Amber over their shared love of rock music while tying them up.

For those who may have missed the first episode, Peacemaker is a spin-off of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn. The series follows Christopher Smith, a vigilante with a troubled past, who becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving an alien threat to humanity. The first episode introduced us to Peacemaker, a complex and conflicted character, struggling to balance his desire for peace with his penchant for violence.