This text accommodates spoilers for “Peacemaker” season 2, episode 5, “Again to the Suture.”
“Peacemaker” season 2 likes to juggle fairly a couple of balls on the identical time, and one which has been persistently flying greater than many is the “A.R.G.U.S. vs. Eagly” B-plot. As /Movie has famous earlier than, the entire thing comes throughout as James Gunn’s apology for his many sins in opposition to birds in tasks like “The Suicide Squad.” As if to again up this level, “Peacemaker” season 2, episode 2 isn’t solely referred to as “A Man Is Solely as Good as His Hen,” but it surely incorporates a massive Eagly combat that solely works due to the dumb, genius choice of utilizing a person’s hen blindness in opposition to him, a lot to Langston Fleury’s (Tim Meadows) chagrin. Cue Eagly totally wrecking a whole A.R.G.U.S. wetworks group and celebrating the victory by energy strolling to the tune of Ida Maria’s “Soiled Cash.”
This must be an indication that Eagly isn’t any atypical eagle, particularly after world-famous eagle hunter and obvious nutjob Purple St. Wild (Michael Rooker, wonderful as ever) begins having dream quest visions about Eagly because the supernatural Prime Eagle. Even so, “Peacemaker” manages to play the Purple. vs. Eagly storyline as a wacky live-action Wile E. Coyote vs. Roadrunner scenario … that’s, till “Again to the Suture” reveals that Purple was proper.
Sure, Purple (R.I.P.) effed round and discovered … that Eagly truly is the Prime Eagle who guidelines over all eagles. The twist that Peacemaker’s (John Cena) dumbass, bologna-obsessed, hug-happy pet is secretly a legendary, divine hen of prey is chuckle-worthy, certain sufficient. Nevertheless, it additionally underlines the “Peacemaker” sophomore season’s tendency to provide its characters pointless power-ups, which is quickly changing into the most important of the present’s uncommon missteps.
Peacemaker characters want no power-ups however maintain getting them anyway
In hindsight, there have been loads of earlier Eagly antics that instructed it is no atypical hen. The laser-focused dismantling of a number of cops chasing Peacemaker and Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) within the season 1 episode “Murn After Studying” springs to thoughts, in addition to the best way Eagly readily locates an alternate dimension which may convey pleasure to its beloved Peacemaker within the season 2 premiere. So, the Prime Eagle reveal ought to in all probability not be a large shock, and will very nicely turn out to be a supply of a lot merriment.
Sadly, the twist comes instantly within the wake of “Peacemaker” season 2, episode 4 (“Want I Say Door”), which revealed that Peacemaker is greater than only a self-pitying superhero wannabe with a tragic previous and a vaguely heroic streak. He is the one man who is aware of methods to management the quantum unfolding storage chamber, and due to this fact successfully the guardian of the DC Universe’s tackle the multiverse. Or fairly, he was, as a result of “Again to the Suture” additionally grants the identical data to Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks). What’s extra, there’s some proof that “Peacemaker” season 2 might have teased one other alternate universe DC superhero — specifically, Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) changing into Peacewrecker.
That is quickly changing into an issue, as a result of these characters are particularly not meant to be highly effective doorkeepers of eternity. A lot of “Peacemaker” season 1’s charms come from the truth that the characters are non-powered dorks who nonetheless someway handle to avoid wasting the world in opposition to overwhelming odds. But, for some motive, season 2 appears hellbent on tinkering with a confirmed recipe by giving a number of characters pointless additional powers and skills. What’s subsequent, John Economos (Steve Agee) seems to be rumored “Superman” sequel villain Brainiac in disguise?
The Peacemaker characters’ power-ups are seemingly benevolent … however will they work in the long term?
I am being crucial of a sure improvement within the “Peacemaker” world, however let’s maintain issues clear: Between his “Guardians of the Galaxy” stuff within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and every little thing he is achieved on the DC aspect of issues, James Gunn is simply concerning the final man whose superhero adaptation credentials will be questioned. As such, I totally imagine there is a risk that Gunn is handing out these upgrades out of real love for the present’s characters, with the potential intention to improve them to allow them to believably cling with the opposite, virtually invariably stronger characters within the DCU’s “Gods and Monsters” stage. Or he may merely be organising a bait-and-switch scenario the place everybody loses no matter edge they’d by the top of the season; in spite of everything, the very tagline of the season is “In what world are they the heroes?” Maybe the console that controls the quantum unfolding chamber might be damaged. Possibly Eagly will stroll away from its Prime Eagle duties to stay with its human pal — or worse, finally ends up as a tragic entry on an avian equal of the “Does the Canine Die?” web site.
On the finish of the day, these individuals (and eagles) aren’t and really a lot should not be unstoppable powerhouses in any sense. Seeing them turn out to be more and more formidable one after the other comes throughout as useless and out of character — particularly since Peacemaker already has the enjoyable and really becoming “new dumb powers with each totally different helmet” cheat code at his disposal for each time he must work together with different metahumans.
“Peacemaker” season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.
