I do think that Peacemaker season 2 has been running of fumes a little. It’s not really found a purpose for any of the characters, but it all seems to come together in episode 5.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Peacemaker season 2, episode 5.
We’ve had a lot of back and forth for Chris when it’s come to the alternate reality, which is believable. After all, someone doesn’t just decide to give up on the life that they have for the promise of a better one. They take the time to decide which life is better to have, and that’s what we’ve seen Chris do.
Where Peacemaker season 2 has stagnated is in the rest of the characters. Chase has just sat around and waited, while Economus and Harcourt have been back and forth on where their loyalties lie. Adebayo has been stuck in limbo has her life falls apart, but at least, she has always chosen Chris, so I’m going to give her a pass.
Chris gives this life a chance in Peacemaker season 2, episode 5
The latest episode sees Chris give the life he has one last chance. Despite Harcourt actually warning him of A.R.G.U.S.’s trap, he walked into it because he wanted some answers from her. He wanted to know if she ever felt anything for him.
We know that Harcourt is actually trying to protect him. Thanks to a flashback, the connection to Rick Flag Jr. wasn’t that strong, but she is just a woman who has always put A.R.G.U.S. first. However, now, she wants to put Chris first, and she decides to push him away in the hope of protecting him. She even takes him down so that nobody else can, and she orders Economus to arrest him so that A.R.G.U.S. can’t just make Peacemaker disappear.
As Chris is taken into custody, he believes everything that Harcourt says. It’s hard to tell that she’s not lying to him to protect him, so when he is released—which Rick Flag Sr. intending for Judomaster to follow Chris to where the door to the portals is—Chris finally makes his choice.
He wants to live in the alternate world, and that’s where he goes.
Eagly proves to be far more powerful than expected
It also turns out that Red St. Wild was right about Eagly. Well, maybe. Look, this guy could still be nuts, but there is some sort of truth to the theory that Eagly can control other eagles.
When Red St. Wild kills another eagle, Eagly manages to get a bunch of other eagles—known as a convocation—to peck Red St. Wild to death. I guess that’s the end of him. Or is it? Why do I get the feeling that he’s going to be alive or brought back in some sort of way?
I do feel for Eagly, though. Right now, his human has gone off to another dimension without even a thought of him. Meanwhile, he’s had to protect himself, but this could be a great opening for Eagly to realize just how much power he has. And I can’t believe I’m so excited to see the growth of an animal’s character.
A chance for growth for others
Meanwhile, Chris’s decision opens the door for the supporting cast to get some growth. Harcourt and Economus are likely blacklisted from A.R.G.U.S. now. We already knew that Harcourt was blacklisted from all the other alphabet agencies, so it wouldn’t be surprising if A.R.G.U.S. was next. Economus has made it clear that he will do what’s best for Chris and not the agency.
Now the two will need to figure out what to do together. They’ll want to team up with Adebayo, who managed to get her first client, but that’s likely not going anywhere.
Then there’s Adrien. I’m not sure I see the point of Chase in Peacemaker season 2, except a little bit of an attempt at comedic relief. He’s just annoying and useless at this point, so it would be good to see something change as they all try to figure out where Chris is and how to get him back.
Peacemaker airs on Thursdays on HBO Max.