SABIL SADAT ZAHIR

Peacemaker’s second season delivers a deeply personal and character-driven story that delves into themes of trauma, loneliness, and self-acceptance – all set against the backdrop of yet another multiverse-centric narrative.

The new season starts with Christopher Smith (Peacemaker) and the rest of his friends (the 11th Street Kids) at a relatively low point in their lives. Amidst the turmoil, Chris discovers a door to a parallel dimension where his deceased brother and father are both alive. In tandem, Chris is also being hunted down by Rick Flag Sr, the Director of ARGUS.

Despite the comedic nature of the Peacemaker himself, Chris is an incredibly layered and complex character whose entire arc is intertwined with the internalised guilt caused by the trauma and loss he has faced. This leads to some truly emotional scenes, both on the heartbreaking and wholesome side, elevated by what is undoubtedly John Cena’s best performance in his career.

Meanwhile, Chris’s love interest, Emilia Harcourt, struggles to cope with the loss of her job at ARGUS and falls into a pattern of self-destruction. For one, her denial of her feelings for Chris creates contention between the two, and becomes one of the key plot points that brings out both of their struggles with self-worth.

However, the show does have some glaring issues that prevent it from being perfect. To begin with, some episodes are quite short, with the runtime clocking in at 30-35 minutes. As the show is an eight-episode series, longer episodes could have added more depth to the overall narrative.

The finale is rather divisive as well. While it does reach an emotional climax and wraps up all the character arcs quite well, it ends on a cliffhanger that sets up future DCU projects. This ending falls under the same kind of problem that plagues superhero franchises as it sets up an unrelated project rather than a potential third season.

Overall, Peacemaker’s second season is a fantastically written story that, despite the divisive finale, might be one of the best shows to come out this year. It is a must-watch for fans of the superhero genre, as well as fans of John Cena.