Skip to main content

TV Series Review: Peacemaker (2022) *Spoiler Free*

Peacemaker Onesheet
If you had asked anyone which character in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad should get a spin off TV series I'm willing to bet Peacemaker wasn't number one on anyone's list.

Even after Peacemaker the TV series was announced most people were left scratching their heads wondering why Peacemaker? 

James Gunn's number one reason seemed to be he wanted to work with John Cena again, and he had some ideas about exploring who Peacemaker is and how he got to where he is now?

For the rest of us though, particularly those of us that enjoyed The Suicide Squad, our excitement level was around "...yeah I'll watch it."

While I wouldn't say the first episode completely blew me away, it did raise my interest in the show to "I really, really want to see where this goes". 

I must admit the cursing and some-what immature humor of the show is something I bumped up against in episode one. Not because I don't find it funny or even offensive, I'm just not entirely sure I like excessive cursing in my Superhero shows (though I really love 'dicks all over the beach' joke in The Suicide Squad "Who knows why Mad Men do what they do?").

However I got past that by episode two and the show became must see viewing from there on. It's just so good, and masterful at how it expands the DCEU effortlessly with quippy humor. You feel like no character is too silly or off limits for live action treatment (and that's after seeing some very silly characters in The Suicide Squad).

To top things off the show's opening title sequence/dance number is really quite genius. Featuring the main cast, at episode one you have no idea who most of them are but then, each week, you get to know them more, or they make their first appearance in the show. The sequence isn't too long, so it's easy to watch again and again, plus you have the added bonus of gradually identifying who all the dancers are in the show.

The series is set not too long after The Suicide Squad movie. Peacemaker, a.k.a. Christopher Smith (John Cena) is recruited into another smaller team by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) that is investigating some suspicious behavior in a small town in the USA.

As the series plays out, the overall mission does seem a little familiar, sharing some big picture, common themes to The Suicide Squad. Fortunately though, the show is more about each character and their journey, particularly Peacemaker's but the rest by association, through some really good, and surprising character arcs.

You really do get to know who Christopher Smith is and how and why he became Peacemaker... and actually, his backstory is far more complex and interesting than Bruce Wayne's (and I'm a life long Batman fan).

The supporting cast are all superb and able to match it with John Cena in terms of their screen presence. Any one of them could easily have their own spin off series that could be equally as interesting because we're given just enough to want to know more. I'd watch an Agent Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) or Detective Song (Annie Chang) and Detective Fitzgibbon (Lochlyn Munro) series for sure. I kind of wish the two detectives had a bigger role over the season.

If you can get past the cursing and low brow humor - all of which eases off a little as the story unfolds - this is a very solid superhero show that is not afraid of its comic book roots. James Gunn is an absolute master at taking characters you may never have even heard of and bringing you into their story so that you want to know more.

The series finale is very well wrapped up with threads that may lead into season two (which has already been green lit) but, if it was only a one season show, it feels like nothing was left out. All the good stuff made it into season one.

Easily the best DC TV series produced to date.

Comments

Buy Gifts and Apparel featuring art by TET.

Popular posts from this blog

How to Transfer Any Line Art to Your Griptape - Easy Skateboard Griptape Art Tutorial

Dog Star Griptape Art by TET Griptape art is once again gaining popularity amongst modern skateboarders. For those of us who have tried to create our own griptape art, using paint pens, you'll know reproducing your design onto the grip, without making any mistakes is incredibly challenging. Mostly because you just have to go for it and draw the design freehand, with paint pens, directly onto the griptape. You can make the odd mistake here or there but if you get the proportions of the design completely wrong, it can be very difficult to fix. Often you just have to live with the mistake. To address the problem I've come up with an easy way anyone can transfer a line art design to their griptape, removing almost all the anxiety of getting the proportions wrong. In fact, you could do this with any line art design, even if you have no drawing skill at all. Watch the video below to see my technique in action and/or skip past the video where I highlight the basic steps to get your de

Guest Post: New Novel - Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 2 - The Outlaw's Return

A lmost a year ago I featured Go West Girl , Book 1 of author, Kit Mackenzie's Alias Jeannie Delaney series. Now, the next book in the series,  Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 2 - The Outlaw's Return , is soon to be released in August, and is available for pre-order on Amazon. If you love a powerful female lead in a traditional western packed with action and adventure, this is the novel for you. The story centers on Cowgirl Jeannie Morgan who grew up in Coyote Creek, Wyoming, where she became persecuted for her lethal gun and a sexuality that swings both ways. Tomboy beautiful and tough as the nails in a miner's boots, she is on the run with a bunch of boys who would die for her. Her snake strike gun, soul-slicing gaze and dangerous magnetism leaves a trail of intense emotions, killings and would-be death threats in her wake. Heading south, she finds herself becoming a legend. She's in deep trouble, but her home town demands her return and they pin a badge on her. It'

Skateboard Trick Tips: Two Ways to Ollie North (Ollie One foot)

You have to be quick to see my Ollie Norths! Ollie One Foots, otherwise known as the Ollie North, is one of those skateboard tricks you learn and then tend not to do very much as more interesting trick challenges grab your attention. However it does look really cool if you learn how to kick your front foot well past the nose of your skateboard. Still shot from Braille Skateboarding's Ollie North tutorial. I was inspired to make my video below, showing two different techniques to achieve a successful Ollie One Foot, when I not only saw that Braille Skateboarding's Tutorial used a different method to the one I had learned but also, when I looked at various other video tutorials, I discovered yet another technique, with no one using the method I had originally learned. Braille's method is to simply Ollie and drag your front foot past the front of your board. The second method I came across in several video tutorials is to Ollie, drag your front foot and tap your

I'm Joining the Illuminati Brotherhood By Personal Invitation of Hiltom Rothschild... Wait, What?

How special am I to have finally come of age (53 years young) and am now eligible to participate in building the world alongside other members of the Illuminati Brotherhood... Yes I've received the call by way of an email, which I'm sure is real because I had to translate it from the Dutch language and it was personally written by Hiltom Rothschild, one of the non-existent members of the Rothschild family (or perhaps deep undercover because Google has never heard of them?). A Transcript of the email below: To: etourist From: Illuminati Brotherhood  Subject: Illuminati Broederschap (Illuminati Brotherhood) I am Hiltom Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild family, one of the 13 families of the Illuminati brotherhood. I'm here to let you know that you've come of age and are eligible to participate in building the 🌎 world. It is a calling and a privilege to honor him with pride and gratitude as not everyone will ever be chosen by the LIGHT, many are called but few are ch

Robot Uprising Update: Robot Waiter, Fasta Pasta, South Terrace, Adelaide CBD, South Australia

On the second evening of my partner, Enigma, and I's weekend stay in Adelaide we decided to have dinner at Fasta Pasta . Strangely enough our hotel staff, at the Alba, had not mentioned Fasta Pasta as an option for an evening meal while their restaurant is closed for refurbishment, even though it is literally next door on the corner of South Terrace and Pultney Street. You may be aware that Fasta Pasta is an upmarket Italian restaurant franchise with its beginnings in Adelaide. Currently they have 19 restaurants Australia wide (with the majority in South Australia - we even have one in Gawler, our home town). I've never had bad food at a Fasta Pasta, and their food never looks like a franchise meal. You always feel you're at a restaurant that's a little bit more quality than your typical hotel/motel meal. Maybe it's because you don't see as much pasta based meals on an Aussie pub menu. Despite the name, it's not all pasta. I went with a basic plate of fish a

Four Years into a Post Pandemic World and Secondary COVID-19 Might be a Thing?

Social distancing 2020 style. A fter not being too far from COVID-19, potentially patient zero in Australia back in 2020. Four years later my partner finally tested positive for the virus. Then I inevitably caught it as well. You might think, so what, but I'm honestly surprised we've lasted this long. My partner works at an aged care facility that has fought off numerous outbreaks over the years, and continues to do so. Workers at her facility take RAT tests daily so you know pretty quick if you test positive. Workers then have to isolate at home for at least seven days until they're clear. COVID-19 symptoms can vary in intensity and you may not get the full range (at least to my knowledge and experience). My partner seemed to get it fairly bad with tiredness, aching joints, loss of taste and smell, along with cold and flu like symptoms (sore throat, congestion etc). While we did try to social distance, keeping our distance, hand washing, and not sleeping in the same room

The First US Presidential Debate 2024 - America You're Standing In It

M ost of the time I get my fill of American political news from clips of The Daily Show , which I know many people accuse of being more political left leaning than balanced with its humour. As such it was my first port of call when looking for commentary on the recent, first US Presidential debate for 2024. I say first because I don't know if they'll do another one. I'd strongly advise they don't. Getting your news from a comedy show isn't ideal, even one as arguably intelligent as The Daily Show, because they're focussed on what can be laughed at, more than serious analysis. As such their coverage very well could be making both candidates look more foolish than they may actually be. As such I decided to watch the full replay of the debate so I could get more of a sense of who both candidates are and how they come across in, what should be, their ideal platform - debating the opposition. Before Donald Trump became President I was a fan. I watched every season o