The first episode, “The Ties That Grind,” (the episode titles are so cool) brings us up to speed on what everyone is up to, introduces an antagonist, a retcon, a multiverse and a catchy song, setting the tone for the season.

The opening theme with its quirky dance for Season 1 was Wig Wam’s ‘Do Ya Wanna Taste It’. For Season 2, creator, showrunner and writer, James Gunn has chosen Foxy Shazam’s ‘Oh Lord’, a certified earworm.  

Peacemaker/Chris Smith (John Cena) has softened a bit in the second season and when he discovers an alternate universe in the Quantum Unfolding Chamber where his brother, Keith, (David Denman) and father, Auggie, (Robert Patrick) are alive and thriving , he sees a way to put his guilt-ridden demons to rest. Naturally, that does not work out exactly as planned.

After Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) revealed her mother and A.R.G.U.S. director, Amanda Waller to be all-round horrid, things have not gone well for her or the rest of the gang. Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) has not been able to get another job and there is also some history between her and Peacemaker.

Economos (Steve Agee) is hanging by a thread with the new director of A.R.G.U.S. Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) breathing down his neck. Since Peacemaker killed Flag’s son, revenge is a pretty strong motive for Flag Sr. in his unrelenting surveillance of Peacemaker.

A still from ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2
| Photo Credit:
HBO Max

After the non-stop action of Episode 7, “Like a Keith in the Night,” where Earth-2 is revealed to be not the paradise as presented but a world where the Nazis won World War II, Episode 8, “Full Nelson” (also directed by Gunn like the premiere) eases off the gas slightly. Flag Sr.’s cunning plans are revealed, Checkmate, a group formed to fight injustice, is set up, as is the prison planet of Salvation.

The boat incident that Harcourt and Peacemaker refer to throughout the season is revealed, where the two danced to ‘Oh Lord’ and shared a kiss. Peacemaker is convinced he is toxic and it takes the 11^th Street Kids to convince him he is not, and Vigilante’s (Freddie Stroma) drug money to bail him out of jail. Flag Sr. sends A.R.G.U.S. agents through the portal to find earth alternatives where they die in a variety of inventive ways — from zombies to being bitten to death by cute imps.

The finale ends in a cliffhanger and despite Gunn saying nothing about Season 3, we hope there will be one to tie up all the loose ends as well as bust a certain square-faced person out of a monster-ridden prison planet.

Season 2 is fun for all the reasons Season 1 worked, from the irreverent dialogues, jokes and the action to the ‘80s style rock and metal soundtrack (Queensrÿche rocks!) and the easy chemistry between our favourite band of misfits.  

Peacemaker is currently streaming on Jio Hotstar