Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Mike Redmond | TV | September 26, 2025
Despite some strong character work and the genius addition of Tim Meadows, Peacemaker Season 2 has done an awful lot of tire spinning and kicking the can down the road. There’s been some palpable frustration with the pacing, but James Gunn and the cast have assured fans that things are about to pop off in the final three episodes that were notably held back from advance screeners. Whatever is about to go down will have serious consequences for the DCU moving forward. We’ve seen Marvel attempt to write similar checks with its Disney+ series with mid results, so I’m extremely astonished to feel comfortable saying that Peacemaker will not have that problem.
Gunn is not only making good on his promises, but “Ignorance Is Chris” kicks off the final arc with a madcap episode that feels like the Peacemaker fans fell in love with and then some. Picking up after their kaiju battle victory in the “best dimension ever,” the Top Trio are enjoying a wholesome family meal at a restaurant with Trad Wife Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) sitting cozily in a booth next to Peacemaker (John Cena). Auggie (Robert Patrick) and Keith (David Denman) are thrilled to see the couple back together, and just when it seems like things can’t get any better, some blonde hair, blue eyed kids ask Auggie for a selfie. Gone is the abusive father that Peacemaker knew in his world as this Auggie happily obliges with fun grandpa energy. The whole moment is picture perfect until everyone’s faces start digitally melting. That can’t be good. Cue dancing.
Back on Earth Prime, the 11th Street Kids are hellbent on bringing Peacemaker home. More importantly, this episode lets Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) off the leash, and we are richer for it. Since ARGUS doesn’t know his secret identity, Vig’s house seems like the safest bet to fire up the portal door to the Quantum Unfolding Chamber. After some hijinks with his mom, the crew enter Vigilante’s secret lair, which is stuffed to the gills with seized drugs, cash, and of course, Beanie Babies.
Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) manages to activate the portal, leaving the gang covered in coke from the resulting shockwave. Despite looking like extras from Scarface, they venture into the QUC and make their way to the alternate earth. Because this episode is on the move, things quickly hit a bump when Keith finds Harcourt in Peacemaker’s room. Thinking she’s Trad Wife Harcourt, who’s suddenly into jeans and leather jackets, Keith offers her a ride to ARGUS where he knows she has to fill out paperwork. Backed into a corner, Badass Harcourt accepts. That leaves Adebayo and Economos (Steve Agee) stranded at the Smith house because Vigilante is laser-focused on one mission and one mission only: Meeting his other self.
On the ride to ARGUS, Harcourt is taking notice of the townspeople, and while she doesn’t say anything, the concerned look on her face suggests she’s clocking the same thing that has triggered the most prominent and likely theory about the alternate earth. There won’t be time to pull on that string, though, because Harcourt’s trip to ARGUS doesn’t even make it past the front desk. A drug-sniffing dog immediately starts barking thanks to leftover cocaine still clinging to her jacket from Vig’s lair. She’s escorted to a back room just as Peacemaker saunters in from a bang sesh with Trad Wife Harcourt. He’s not loving any of this.
I guess we might as pull the pin on this surprise. James Gunn has repeatedly teased that the events of Peacemaker Season 2 set up the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, and he was not blowing smoke. While a cameo from David Corenswet has seemed all but inevitable, DCU fans got a nice little curveball as Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) met with none other than Nicholas Hoult’s pitch-perfect Lex Luthor. Flag doesn’t want to see the world almost get cracked in two again, so he figures the man responsible for that disaster might be of some use. In exchange for helping Flag track down Peacemaker’s portal device, Luthor will get a transfer out of Belle Reve where he loathes being surrounded by metahumans. There also seems to be some other hidden arrangement like any good deal with the devil.
While that powder keg starts to fill, Peacemaker confronts Badass Harcourt in the alternate ARGUS interrogation room. Turns out, she has things to get off her chest, too. For starters, she’s super pissed and hurt that he’d actually think she would betray him to get her job back. Second, she genuinely does have feelings for him, but she knows she’s an absolute mess. (See: Sleeping with Rick Flag Jr. despite his sorceress girlfriend.) Of course, Peacemaker is a walking disaster, too, because did I not mention he just came directly from the other Harcourt’s bedroom? That is not mentioned as he expresses his love for Badass Harcourt. He does say that the other dimension version is fine, but not the real thing.
Despite finally having a chance with Harcourt — for real, this time — Peacemaker still doesn’t want to leave the alternate world. The pull of having a loving father and a living brother is that strong. Plus, he does feel guilty about killing their Chris. It’d be a dick move to put them through that twice.
As Peacemaker and Harcourt hash things out, Vigilante makes a beeline to his house in the alternate world, and sure enough, there’s a version of himself there with a secret basement lair. Not only that, but the two are virtually identical in every single way except for one major detail: Alternate Vigilante and Peacemaker are not BFFs. In fact, Vig-2 hates him so much that he formed the Sons of Liberty a.k.a. the “terrorists” from the third episode. We don’t get a reason why, but everything is about to become crystal clear.
Back at the Smith house, Adebayo gets restless after she and Economos clean up a mess Eagly left in the kitchen. She decides to take a walk, and the feeling of dread is palpable. Let’s be real, the likelihood that they’re on Earth X, a dimension where the Nazis won World War II, is now strong as hell. Those vibes become crazy strong as Adebayo notices everyone in the neighborhood looking at her. Even worse, a terrified woman stops her car in the middle of the street and runs to others for safety. Keith’s truck is next in line, and he slams on the brakes after spotting Adebayo. He hops out of his truck and angrily yells, “One got out!” before repeatedly honking his horn. This prompts everyone on the whole damn street to storm out of their houses at Adebayo, who is now running for her life.
Thanks to Badass Harcourt not having cocaine in her system, Peacemaker is able to clear things up at ARGUS. As the two walk through the offices, she asks him if he’s noticed that there’s no people of color around. Naturally, the big dumb doof is oblivious and says that can’t be right, but he can’t help but notice that something looks off about a tiny American flag sitting in a coffee mug. Peacemaker unfolds it, and sure enough, there’s a swastika where the stars should be. Earth X confirmed. But just as Harcourt asks him how he likes his dream world now, her Trad Wife doppelgänger appears and yells “Arrest that woman!”
As if things can’t get worse, Auggie catches Economos lurking around the house. With a knife pinning his hand to the floor, Economos blurts out everything: They’re here from an alternate world to take back Peacemaker, who isn’t Auggie’s real son. Awesome work, John. Great stuff. Roll credits.
Mike Drops
— If you’ve been missing the comedic highs of Season 1, Vigilante nailed it on that front. Just an absolute chaos demon from start to finish, and it was great to see Freddie Stroma stop being shoved in the backseat. In some cases, literally.
— Again, I have to give this show props for surprisingly delivering as promised. It’s also great to see a cameo where you can tell the actor was actually on the set. Gunn filmed Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 at the same time, so unlike Marvel, you don’t get some uncanny valley appearance. There’s an organic connectivity despite the jarring tone shift from all-ages blockbuster to orgy-laden HBO series with wangs a floppin’. That said, when Man of Tomorrow rolls around, Lex Luthor will presumably be walking around free because … *checks notes* … he made a deal with the government to get away from metahuman butt sex. James Gunn’s DCU, everybody!
