Rent Peacemaker: Series 1 (2022)

Peacemaker: Series 1 review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

Soon after filming on James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad had been completed, Warner Bros was so impressed with the film they decided to grant Gunn the chance to develop a spin-off series. That might seem rather haste considering WB’s problems with the fast-tracked DCEU, but it was the right call. The Suicide Squad was a whole lot of fun having a continuance of the characters a mere five months after the movie was a real treat. And, wow, it is such a fun show.

The idea to continue on with the character of Peacemaker, reprised by the eccentric yet dry John Cena, might seem baffling at first. After all, Peacemaker was considered more of the antagonist within The Suicide Squad for his nationalistic and ego-driven mentality to be the best with guns. He was even killed during the central events, though the post-credit scene suggests otherwise. So why go back to this guy? Well, as it turns out, there’s a lot to explore with him.

After being revived, Peacemaker is once more thrown into a new Task Force X ensemble for a new mission. Having been heavily devoted to serving his country, given that his best friend is an American eagle, Peacemaker accepts his employment with the secret government organization with little questioning. His team is dubbed ARGUS and they’re tasked with preventing an alien invasion on Earth by the central head Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), appearing in bookend segments of the series.

The job becomes complicated by the fact that Peacemaker doesn’t work well with others and often stumbles in conversations, especially with his team that includes the underdog Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), the stern mercenary Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), the tough agent Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and the nerdy geek John Economos (Steve Agee), returning from his small role in The Suicide Squad.

The mission at hand becomes more than just a standard save-the-world plot. Peacemaker, having been wounded more mentally by the events of The Suicide Squad, starts doubting himself and questioning authority more. This seems most apparent when confronting his supervillain father Auggie (Robert Patrick), a literal white supremacist villain called White Dragon. Auggie provides Peacemaker with all his tech and suits but even someone as dim as Peacemaker can see through this mild help that his father is terrible. He will have to stand up to him at some point. Going further, Peacemaker will also have to stand up to Waller as well. So, yes, this is mostly a redemption story but it works rather hard to lift Peacemaker out of his blind faith in American exceptionalism.

Everything about this series rocks, starting right away with the opening title sequence. This might be the best opening to any TV series. It’s a highly coordinated dance featuring all the characters from the season, dancing an eccentric dance with faces completely straight. Couple this dazzling sight with the infectious lyrics of “Do you really wanna taste it” and you’ve got one of the most unskippable openings ever. I can’t stop thinking about how perfect this opening is and so beautifully encapsulates the weirdness and earnest nature of the show.

Peacemaker’s silly nature becomes much more likable as the series goes on for he slowly realizes the error of his ways. That being said, it’s a lot of fun to watch him stumble around trying to prove himself. There’s also some surprising sweetness in how his relationship with the masked anti-hero Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) is both funny and absurd at the same time. They make a great duo and it’s hard not to laugh at their many exchanges, like DC’s Laurel and Hardy.

Packed with violence, absurdity, sci-fi weirdness, comic book kookiness, and a fantastic anti-authoritarian theme present throughout, Peacemaker is one of DC Comic’s most perfect TV shows. And they already have some strong current series with Harley Quinn and Doom Patrol. Given that those other two series are considered adult and raunchy, it’s perhaps too easy to say that DC needs to center more on the R-rated arena. I think what makes this show succeed was the freedom Gunn was given to write this show and play up his own continuity. That playful nature comes across beautifully in this show that asks if you want to taste it. And, yes, I really do!