Throughout the first season of Peacemaker, Chris struggled with the past. He was holding on to a death that was a mistake, but his dad had blamed him for so long, that he internalized it all. Peacemaker season 2 has a chance for him to let go, but also see what could have been.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Peacemaker season 2, episode 1
We kick off the episode with Chris back in his childhood home. Eagly wakes him up to go flying, but it’s way too cold and snowing outside. So, he decides to take Eagly into the secret room filled with his dad’s creations, but he soon finds out that there’s much more there.
As Eagly tries to get into a door that looks strangely like his own, Chris opens it (with the same code) and comes across his dad! Yes, his dad is still alive, but it’s clear from the beginning that this is not the world Chris has come from. It’s an alternate Earth.
Peacemaker attempts to join the Justice League
Cutting to six months later, we find out what’s happened to everyone from the secret task force. Chris is determined to do something great with his life, and he wants to join the Justice League. Well, Green Lantern and Hawk Girl are as dismissive as possible, along with Maxwell Lord, played by James Gunn’s brother, Sean.
Chris can hear everything the three are saying about him when they think that he can’t. As he points out that everything they’ve said has been audible, they realize their mistake not just with Chris but with everyone else who has come before them.
Needless to say, Chris just leaves the interview and goes back to Adebayo, who is waiting for him in the car. We can see that Adebayo is embracing her new personality and is offering herself out as a private security consultant. However, we also get the update that she’s living in a motel room after her wife kicked her out.
Meanwhile, Economos is keeping an eye on Chris’ home for Rick Flag Sr., who know that Peacemaker was involved in his son’s death back in The Suicide Squad. Now that Flag is the director of A.R.G.U.S., he’s using everything he can to spy on Chris, but Economos isn’t happy about that. He’s also not happy about quizzing Vigilante about owls while he’s working—and Vigilante is supposed to be working at a fast food joint.
Harcourt is on a mission of self-destruction in Peacemaker season 2
Meanwhile, Harcourt is struggling to find something to do now that her career has collapsed. She blames Adebayo whistleblowing on Task Force X and Waller for everything that’s happened to her, and she’s in denial about her own toxic traits, which her psychotherapist says is “a particular severe form of toxic masculinity.”
Harcourt is getting turned down for every alphabet government organization going, and so, she turns to a bar and picks a fight with a group of men. At first, she’s winning, but then as the men all gang up on her, she finds herself beaten and thrown out of the place.
Chris decides to see what the alternate reality holds
After the failure with the Justice League, Chris decides to host a wild orgy in his home. He takes copious amounts of drugs before deciding to head back to the space with all the other doors. It’s time to see what the alternate world has to offer.
When he gets in there, not only does he see his dad again, but he also comes face-to-face with his brother. Yes, Keith, who died in his own world. Together, the three of them form the Trio, a group of superheroes. At least, that’s what we can gather from the newspaper clippings. They live a life of luxury, and Chris is surprised by how much his dad says positive things about him. He even says “I love you.”
After Keith goes to bed, Chris looks around his room there, and he realizes that his ex is none other than Harcourt. However, his snooping is cut short by the Peacemaker from that world turning up. A fight breaks out, and the two end up in the nether world between the doors, where Chris ends up killing is alternate Earth counterpart.
As he holds his deceased counterpart, he has to be wondering more about this Earth. What could it hold for him? Is there the potential to take on this counterpart for good and make a new life for himself? Peacemaker season 2 is going to be a world of possibility and choice.
Peacemaker season 2 airs on Thursdays on HBO Max.