Season 1 of Peacemaker began with Chris Smith, better known as Peacemaker, leaving a hospital in Evergreen, Chalton County. Convinced he had avoided further consequences, he tried to reconnect with his racist father, Auggie Smith, the notorious White Dragon, though their fractured bond quickly became clear. Before long, ARGUS agents, including familiar faces from The Suicide Squad, recruited him for secret missions. Chris soon learned their target was a race of parasitic insect-like aliens known as “butterflies,” and the team had to prevent their full-scale invasion of Earth.
Season 2 opens with an extended recap, which includes the expected retcon of the Justice League cameo from the finale. As James Gunn had hinted, the show finally resolves its balancing act between the DCEU and the DCU, revising the Justice League moment to feature The Justice Gang members Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabella Merced), alongside shadowy glimpses of Superman, Mr. Terrific, and even Supergirl.
The updated opening credits reflect the show’s subtle change in tone this season, swapping Wig Wam’s explosive anthem for a rock ballad by Cincinnati band Foxy Shazam. Set to “Julian,” the sequence remains lively and choreographed with the same playful energy, yet the added crowd and more somber musical vibe give it a distinctly moodier edge.
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Despite the long wait, Peacemaker still packs a punch. The premiere sets up a bleak mood. Chris has left behind his old trailer and now lives in the house he inherited from his father, whom he killed last season. Rather than offering comfort, the home serves as a reminder of abuse and regret.
The heaviness of this fallout spreads to the rest of the 11th Street Kids. Adebayo has reinvented herself since exposing her mother, Amanda Waller, and outing Task Force X. No longer the reluctant agent, she has leaned into a harder-edged persona at the cost of her marriage. Now a private security consultant, she drowns her loneliness in music and questionable motel rooms, projecting confidence while carrying quiet heartbreak.
Harcourt’s trajectory is even darker. Her career has seemingly collapsed, from Waller’s unseen influence, though her therapist insists her struggles may have more to do with her toxic masculinity. Jennifer Holland gives Harcourt a raw, restless energy as she lashes out in violent bursts, unable to find grounding either professionally or personally.
Of the original 11th Street Kids, only Economos remains officially tied to ARGUS, keeping watch over Chris to ensure he stays out of trouble. He picks up signs of unusual activity when Chris, intoxicated and recklessly, is tampering with the Quantum Unfolding Storage Unit created by his father. Economos reports to Rick Flag Sr., who is far more interested in Peacemaker himself, declaring him his top priority, because of his lingering resentment over his son’s death.
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When Peacemaker steps into the Quantum Unfolding Room, he finds himself in a parallel reality where his life took a very different path. Here, he never killed his brother, Keith, and his father, Auggie, never descended into a symbol of white supremacy. For a man who has carried the crushing weight of fratricide and been haunted by his father’s death, seeing both alive and seemingly at peace is overwhelming. With the alternate version of himself away in Blüdhaven, Chris quietly lingers in their presence, listening rather than speaking, soaking in a life that could have been. Later, retreating to “his” room, he comes across a photograph showing this world’s Chris in a short-lived relationship with Harcourt. The moment of reflection is violently interrupted when this reality’s Peacemaker arrives and attacks him without hesitation. Forced into the Quantum Unfolding Room, Chris desperately searches for a way back home but is brutally beaten. He manages to exploit a flaw in the Peacemaker suit and kills his counterpart.
In the end, the first episode of Peacemaker season 2 takes its time laying the groundwork for what promises to be a darker, bloodier, and more complex journey ahead, which feels exactly right for this series. Its approach to the multiverse offers a refreshing twist, avoiding the overblown spectacle that has worn down many superhero stories.
‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Episode 1 Review: John Cena Crashes Back into the DCU
Peacemaker season 2 takes its time laying the groundwork for what promises to be a darker, bloodier, and more complex journey ahead, which feels exactly right for this series. Its approach to the multiverse offers a refreshing twist, avoiding the overblown spectacle that has worn down many superhero stories.
