After an ace season premiere across the board, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 keeps the momentum going in “A Man Is Only As Good As His Bird.” Directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad) and written by showrunner/creator James Gunn, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 still serves the emotional core of the series while putting a bigger emphasis on Gunn’s signature comedy this time around.
The lack of massive developments this time around might disappoint some. In this critic’s opinion, “A Man Is Only As Good As His Bird” does enough to further develop the 11th Street Kids, making it more than a worthwhile installment.
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When the episode begins, we flash back to eight months before the events of this season. After the firing of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) is promoted to the acting director of ARGUS. He reads the transcript of his son’s murder at the hands of Christopher Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena) in The Suicide Squad.
Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 begins with an attempt to hide Chris’ multiversal doppelganger.
Disturbed, he tasks Agent Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodríguez) with monitoring Smith’s house. This whole aspect of the plot still feels like simple table-setting to be explored later. Sasha Bordeaux, in particular, is a woefully undercooked character. It’s best to put a pin in this plotline until the series does more with Flag and Bordeaux’s roles.
Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 picks up in a big way right after the title sequence. Peacemaker is attempting to hide his multiversal doppelganger’s body in his pocket dimension, eventually settling on covering the bloody mess with a sheet. As funny a visual as this is, Cena absolutely sells Christopher Smith’s desperation and horror at killing, well, himself. He calls an unseen friend to ask if they have a bonesaw.
On the other side of town, Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) drops in uninvited to the apartment of her ex-wife, Keeya (Elizabeth Ludlow). Keeya is upset not only at Adebayo for dropping by unannounced, but also for giving up on the two’s plan to return to Gotham City and continue operating in the spy game. Keeya kicks Adebayo out of her apartment. Eagle-eyed fans will notice that Keeya is wearing a uniform for “Jitters Coffee”, a popular chain within the DC Comics Universe.
Tim Meadows is completely hilarious as Langston Fleury in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2.
Adebayo isn’t the only member of the 11th Street Kids struggling to adjust. Following her bar brawl, Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) goes to a convenience store. A concerned woman mistakes Emilia for a victim of domestic violence, only to be violently rebuffed by Harcourt. There’s something interesting going on here, where Harcourt refuses to be seen as a victim, and I hope it’s something that’s further explored in the subsequent episodes.
And what of our beloved John Economos (Steve Agee)? Well, he’s set up outside of Chris’ house, forced to monitor him by ARGUS. Here, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 introduces a character who has the potential to be a series best: Langston Fleury (Tim Meadows).
Meadows is completely hilarious in this role, invading Economos’ space and referring to him as “Ginger Cool”, much to his chagrin. The episode’s best line involves Meadows’ inability to identify Eagly as an Eagle, claiming he has “bird blindness” and can’t tell them apart. More of this character, please!
John Cena’s pathos elevates dark and out-there cenes into something more thematically meaningful.
Christopher Smith looks at the aftermath of his wild orgy before receiving a knock at the door. It turns out it’s Adebayo. As the two bond on his porch about their respective failures in life, Adebayo tips Chris off that ARGUS is watching him and knows about his portal. Before more can be divulged, Adrian Chase/Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) shows up with the cleaning equipment and bonesaw that Peacemaker asked for.
As Adebayo takes her leave, Adrian seems genuinely hurt he wasn’t invited to the orgy, interested less in the sex and more about an opportunity to bond with his buddy. He gets that opportunity in the form of helping Chris dismember and dispose of Peacemaker 2 in an incinerator. This sequence is darkly funny, of course, yet once again, it’s John Cena’s pathos that elevates it into something more thematically meaningful.
The bug-like alien from episode 1, who uses this pocket dimension’s incinerator, frequently ignoring Smith’s pleas for friendship, is back. This time, he has another animal body to dispose of, to which Cena angrily rebuffs him, hilariously hurt by his lack of friendliness. As Smith and Chase finish their disposal, Cena holds on to the cell phone of his alternate universe self.
Eagly takes center stage in the action of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2.
Christopher and all his friends meet up at a party of sorts on a rooftop. Meanwhile, Langston Fleury assembles a team of ARGUS grunts whom he (affectionately?) gives the nicknames Mexicali, Ponyboy, Titties, and Encino Man. They barge into Chris’ home for a raid, when Eagly attacks them. Thus begins one of the standout moments of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2.
Eagly non-lethally (except for one member’s eye being poked out) takes out the whole squadron in a slick, impressive action sequence that more than lives up to Gunn’s penchant for well-shot comical violence. Try not to burst out laughing when Eagly is on top of an ARGUS member and Fleury can’t shoot him off due to his “bird blindness,” not being told how big he is.
As they evacuate, Chris and the 11th Street Kids all party. James Gunn is great at writing these sorts of scenes, as the genuine joy of having some beers with buddies is captured in infectious flair. The other aspect that his writing nails is the awkward side conversations that occur, such as Harcourt shutting down Chris’s attempts to connect with her.
Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 does great character work with the 11th Street Kids.
Chris goes back home, drunk, and pulls out his alternate universe self’s cellphone. He tries to text Harcourt, only for the text to kick back since he has no reception. So, once again, he decides to wander back into Peacemaker 2’s world, receiving a text back from this universe’s Harcourt with a broken heart emoji. Thus ends Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2.
Overall, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 is a solid installment of Peacemaker. While it lacks deeper developments into the plotline, especially on the ARGUS leadership side, it does great character work with the 11th Street Kids.
Moreover, James Gunn’s humor works better than ever, with a laugh-a-minute. With Chris returning to the alternate universe, there’s sure to be much more to be discussed in the coming weeks. For now, Peacemaker remains an outstanding addition to the new era of DC live-action entertainment.
Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 is streaming now on HBO Max, with new episodes every Thursday.
