PEACEMAKER: Yes, You’ll Really Wanna Taste It
Warnermedia Direct
Created by James Gunn
Stars: John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Chukwundi Iwuji, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick
There you have it, quite possibly the best comic book based tv series yet. James Gunn successfully crafts one of the most entertaining stories in the Marvel or DC Universes out of a character that wasn’t as popular as his peers in Suicide Squad. From its incredible opening sequence that features Wig Wam’s “Do You Want To Taste It” and onward- everything worked in favour for this HBOMax and Crave TV Series to work.
Picking up where The Suicide Squad (2021) left off, Peacemaker returns home after recovering from his encounter with Bloodsport - only to discover that his freedom comes at a price.
The story itself is so entertaining, and on an episode to episode basis there’s very few flaws to point out. Each episode left me wanting to see what would happen next, and every single one felt on its own as a strong feature. It felt like the eight episodes fit perfectly into pushing the story forward- very little fluff was needed to fill up the allotted time given. The Peacemaker character gets a really good backstory to understand the trajectory behind Cena’s Christopher Smith‘s decisions in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. Smith grows from a selfish jerk that delusion-ally thinks he’s the hero to someone with so many redeemable qualities, and a character that fans of the DC Universe will admire and enjoy moving forward.
The Butterflies become some of the most intriguing villains in a super hero property so far, there’s so much mystery, terror, and intrigue surround who they are and what they want. That by the time we get revealed just exactly who they are, and their objective- one cannot help but admire them even more. The reasoning we’re given as a viewer is legitimate, and you can understand the logic behind their doings so much more than the average supervillain. Making them one of those villains, that you could easily go back and re watch to catch on small things that you missed the first time around.
On a technical level it is just as epic. Gunn does it again, creating the perfect soundtrack to go alongside the insane characters, and the adventure they're set on. Every song works so perfectly, and the Peacemaker playlist is one of those I have gone back to listen to while driving. The use of Reckless Love's "Monster" will be etched into my memory for the longest time, as the song comes during one of the most memorable moments within the series.
Each character gets their moment in the sun, so the cast really thrives as they etch out backstories for the role they have. Cena gets to show just what an excellent actor he really is, his comedic timing is second to none which is something we already knew about him before the series- but he also gets a fair share of dramatic moments as Peacemaker which he thrives in. He gets to show his acting range more than ever before and I truly think he relished every moment of that. Freddie Stroma
is a scene stealer as the at first unwanted best friend character Vigilante, and you could tell that him and Cena just had fun every time they shared the screen. While Jennifer Holland also deserves her flowers, Emilia Harcourts depth behind her cold outer layer makes her one of the most interesting characters to follow throughout the series. So many of Cena’s best scenes come during the interactions between Peacemaker and Harcourt.
Streaming now on HBOMax, and Crave TV- if you want a wild and fun superhero adventure this is the one you need to sign up for.
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