RIOTUS

Originally Posted | February 17, 2022 at 10:00 AM

With Peacemaker Season 2 dropping later this month, August 21, we’re looking back at how the first season of the series that probably launched the new DCU ended. Non-spoiler alert: It went hard.

It’s Cow or Never aka Mr. Peacemaker Goes to War (isn’t it ironic?)

Peacemaker Season 1, Episode 8, starring the unseeable John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Annie Chang and more dropped last night (or this morning) at a time I like to call West Coast midnight. Although for me it was 3 AM, got-dammit.

I’m not going to say much because of spoiler potential (click or scroll)¹, except that this season finale is a satisfying culmination of the story we’ve basically been kidnapped, hogtied, and dragged along for—while laughing and cringing happily the entire way. There are some great cameos (click or scroll)², you will be pleased. There is some mighty fine speechifying—that some of you will groan at for being preachy—but it’s what we all need to hear (yet never actually listen). 

The characters not only tell us who they are, they tell us why they are so fucked up. And there is something about their fragility, combined with their foibles that is relatable, gratifying, and still makes you feel a little bit superior. So, we win. 

Why are the butterflies here? 

What does friendship actually mean in the Suicide Squad section of this ’verse? 

Episode 8 reveals those answers and gets pretty emotional about it.

I used to think the DCEU understands its villains better than its heroes, but now I realize it’s James Gunn who gets it. Peacemaker is over the top and really ridiculously profane but underneath all that blood, and snot, and the scent of farts, James Gunn recognizes the humanity in the worst of the DC Universe. I wish other directors could see the humanity in the best of them.

In the End: ’Tis good. See you next season, super villains.

1. Our misfit crew—Peacemaker, Adebayo, Harcourt, Vigilante, and Economos—go full throttle to stop the Butterflies from teleporting their ginormous alien “Cow” (yes, it’s as gross as it sounds) and save the world, one sonic boom helmet at a time. Eagly drops the ball (or, well, the helmet), Harcourt and Vigilante get banged up in a barnyard brawl, and Adebayo literally torpedoes herself into the Cow in a move that’s as bonkers as it is heroic. Just when you think the Justice League might save the day, they show up fashionably late—cue Peacemaker roasting Aquaman with a fishy burn. In the end, Adebayo blows the whistle on Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) and Task Force X, Peacemaker feeds the last Butterfly, and we’re left with a team that’s battered, bruised, but finally a little bit whole. Now that’s how you stick a superhero landing—with a side of alien goo and a whole lot of heart ↩︎
2. Cameos in Peacemaker Season 1, Episode 8, “It’s Cow or Never”:
   Justice League Members
   The most prominent cameos in the episode are from the Justice League, who arrive at the scene after the main battle is over. The following characters appear:
   Aquaman (Jason Momoa): Jason Momoa reprises his role as Aquaman and even has a brief, humorous exchange with Peacemaker about a running joke involving fish .
   The Flash: A person who used to portray The Flash, Barry Allen, joins in the banter, confirming the fish rumor as a joke .
   Superman: Superman appears in silhouette. Henry Cavill does not reprise the role; instead, a stand-in is used, and the cameo is uncredited.
   Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman also appears in silhouette, with a stand-in rather than Gal Gadot, making this an uncredited cameo. ↩︎