Two things elevate my enjoyment of PEACEMAKER: Great scenes with Eagly and Adrian Chase/Vigilante. If these two ever team up because Chris is doing something else, I will cry tears of joy. Thank you to this show for having some wonderful scenes with my two favorite characters. And who doesn’t love a good pun in the episode title?
I know Chris/Peacemaker is the titular anti-hero, but it’s the zany harem of friends that gets me hyped each week. It’s not that I don’t love Chris, I do! John Cena is here, and this is some of the best TV casting this century. This show was always meant to be about his redemption, and creator James Gunn has put the pedal to the floor this season with the introduction of new characters and the return of some old favorites.Â
But let’s cut to the chase…Adrian Chase, that is. He’s the perfect dichotomy. Is he a Gemini? He better be. He’s the kindest, most loyal friend to Chris. He’s into lots of nerdy things, and he really can’t be embarrassed by anything. Adrian is innocence personified, and his alter-ego, Vigilante, is anything but. He’s a cold-blooded murderer who somehow still has a heart of gold, at least when it comes to Chris and the 11th Street Kids. Who wouldn’t want a best friend like Adrian? I just want to hug him and ask him to always have my back. Freddie Stroma was mainly known before this for playing the creepy Cormac McLaggen in the Harry Potter series. Here, he gives Adrian/Vigilante that perfect blend of curious younger brother…who also might kill you if you ever betray him or his friends. McLaggen as Chase in E5 has a scene that brought me to tears, and not the laughing type either.Â
And then there’s Eagly. Sure, he’s not played by a real eagle, but who cares? If it wasn’t for the best animal sidekick since Gandalf’s horse Shadowfax, Chris/Peacemaker would be dead by now. I also just love the idea that this large predator bird lives in a house like any cat or dog would, AND he’s trained to do whatever Chris needs. Eagly is more than just a visual effect. He’s got a unique personality that we, as the audience, care about. I’d like to think that in some fantasy alternative world, I’m mom to a pet eagle, too.
In S1, Adebayo was my favorite character, aside from Chris. I really liked how she balanced her relationship with her mom, her girlfriend, and her involvement in A.R.G.U.S. She’s out on her own this season. So far, the writers don’t seem to know what to do with her outside of constantly having to save Chris from one situation or another. This is my biggest critique of S2. We need Ads to go back to kicking ass. A scene she has with Adrian this week seems to be pointing toward that, or at the very least, a comedic misadventure.Â
So, where does that leave us with the titular Peacemaker? He’s been all over the place so far this season. He’s been pulled between his love for Harcourt, his dedication to Eagly and his friends, and the ghosts of his past. He finally decided where he wants his future to go, and it’s really HUGE. This was the big setup we’ve been waiting for. I wish it didn’t take five episodes to get here. Even when PEACEMAKER stumbles as a show, it still leaves us enough to come back for more.Â
PEACEMAKER streams every Thursday evening on HBO Max.
