RECAP: ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Episode 6 — “Ignorance Is Chris”

Peacemaker has had a fairly stellar run in its sophomore season, outclassing even other shows in the superhero space. Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6 is a real milestone episode in an already impressive run. Written and directed by James Gunn, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6, entitled “Ignorance is Chris”, finally plays the season’s hand, making a reveal about the alternate Earth that will affect the trajectory of the rest of the season, and possibly the DC Studios Universe as a whole. Without further ado, let’s tackle “Ignorance is Chris”. 

The episode starts with the 11th Street Kids- Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), John Economos (Steve Agee), Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), and Adrian Chase/Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), arriving at Vigilante’s house. In a fun twist, and there will be a couple in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6, Adrian’s mother is actually really kind, despite his clear annoyance with her.

Vigilante shuts his loving mother out and shows the 11th Street Kids his secret room where he hides all the blood money and drugs he got off of “bad guys.” In a classic James Gunn bit, everyone starts grabbing a little bit of the money when Adrian isn’t looking. 

The 11th Street Kids jump over to the alternate Earth in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6.

Adrian has gathered everyone here to use the Quantum Unfolding Chamber (QUC) to order a doorway to the pocket dimension in order to save Christopher Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena). After the pocket dimension is opened, the crew arrives on the alternate Earth. From here, the story splinters off in a few directions. Harcourt is immediately caught by Keith (David Denman), Chris’s alive brother in this alternate world. As the 11th Street Kids remain hidden, he offers to drive her to work at ARGUS. 

Throughout the drive, Keith is weirded out by how out of character Emilia is acting. Somehow, she holds it together until the two arrive at ARGUS, where one of the drug dogs sniffs out the cocaine on her jacket, courtesy of the explosion that summoned the portal at Adrian’s, somehow getting the drugs on her. As she’s taken into custody, she’s broken out of it by none other than Chris himself, who has just gotten back from a date with the alternate Harcourt. He’s both happy and confused to see her, bringing her into a private room. 

It’s here in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6 that James Gunn gets to pull on the heartstrings. Harcourt tells Chris she needs him to come back, and he decides to turn this conversation into what’s going on between them. A gut-wrenching moment occurs when Chris tells Emilia he loves her, only for her to respond that she knows.

Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6 is filled with doppelgänger shenanigans.

When he asks her if she feels the same, she responds that she’s a nightmare, showing that she may very well have feelings back but is held back by her own personal trauma, not least of which is the death of her boyfriend, Rick Flag, in The Suicide Squad by Chris’s hand.

Smith, however, decides that he needs to stay in this world, despite Harcourt’s outright begging him at one point. As we exit this masterclass of a scene between Harcourt and Smith, they come face-to-face with the alternate Harcourt, who has a team of officers ready to arrest her doppelgänger. That’s when Harcourt-Prime, as we’ll call her, makes a comment about there being no people of color in this universe, and Peacemaker notices something funny about the American Flag on a cubicle nearby. 

Worming his way out of hiding, Adrian goes to what he knows as his home to find the alternate version of himself. Because of Adrian’s sweet nature, it’s been easy to dread what finally happens when he meets this Vigilante. Fans of the character from the comics know Adrian Chase as a ruthless figure far removed from Freddie Stroma’s affable interpretation. So there was reasonable speculation that his alternate self might fit that bill. 

Lex Luthor shows up for a big surprise in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6.

As it turns out, we had nothing to worry about. Hilariously, both Vigilantes are basically the same, getting along and making each other laugh, geeking out about their predicament. It’s only when Adrian-Prime brings up Peacemaker to Adrian-2 that the mood changes. Adrian-2 says that Peacemaker stands for everything he fights against, as a member of the Sons of Liberty. What is Peacemaker getting up to here? Before unveiling the twist, we’ve got a couple more storylines to work through.

Attempting to hide out, John Economos is ambushed by Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick). When Smith asks Economos why he’s there, after giving him a good stab, Economos reveals the truth behind Peacemaker-Prime killing his son. And now for something completely different, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6 delivers a massively unexpected moment that will make fans of Superman especially happy. 

As a Hail Mary, Rick Flag, Sr. (Frank Grillo) goes to Belle Reve prison to meet with a prisoner who can help him locate Chris’s pocket dimension. The prisoner is none other than Lex Luthor, as played by Nicholas Hoult. Sporting a much filthier mouth than he did in Gunn’s film, Luthor agrees to help in exchange for a transfer to a different prison.

The big reveal about the alternate Earth finally comes in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6.

Other than the initial shock and joy of seeing such a massive shared universe appearance, the appearance of Lex in Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6 does indicate that Lex might be the throughline, or “main character” of the DC Studios Universe’s “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.” It’s an exciting move that almost overshadows the episode’s real twist.

That real twist comes in when Leota Adebayo is taking a walk by herself. Passersby look at her strangely until Keith stops his car, points at her, and declares, “A black!” At the same time, Peacemaker finally flips over that American flag on the desk, revealing a swastika. As an angry, white mob chases Adebayo, the episode ends, and we’re hit with the realization that this is a version of Earth where the Nazis have won World War II and/or white supremacy has fully taken hold. 

Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 6, “Ignorance is Chris,” lands its reveal with zero subtlety. As clumsy as it is, maybe that’s the point? Either way, Peacemaker turns in another top-tier episode that thrusts us into the final three episodes in an exciting, accomplished manner. What sorts of iconic heroes will we see warped in this parallel Earth? Will the 11th Street Kids be able to escape? I guess we’ll find out next week on Peacemaker.

Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes released every week.

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