For the most part, we're getting a fresh start for an interconnected DC Universe through film and TV. That being said, we still have some holdovers from the previous DCEU while not necessarily acknowledging an in-universe reason for the change-up. Which brings us to Peacemaker. While "The Suicide Squad" and season one of the surprise hit show were part of the DCEU, events of those two stories are at least semi-canon to James Gunn's new DCU. There may be initial questions about how they would blend the old with the new, but it's mostly inconsequential. Seeing more of John Cena's character and his friends is the important part, and Gunn tells a story that's quite different from the previous outing and deepens our emotional investment.
As we pick up with the 11th Street Kids, they're kind of in rough shape. Even though they saved the world last season, there's a lack of respect and appreciation for them and it puts some of them on self-destructive paths. It reminds me of the second seasons of "Jessica Jones" and "Doom Patrol" where despite a big win, there's still personal issues to deal with. But the best comparison is to another James Gunn project, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2". Much like that film, a big part of this season is testing the bonds of the team. You can also get an idea of the tone they're going for compared to the first one based on the opening credits. ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" is an upbeat song with something sinister lurking underneath and "Oh Lord" by Foxy Shazam invokes similar feelings.
By comparison to the first season, things seem a little more focused in both story and comedy this time around. This results in some shorter episodes while all the awkward comedy seems relegated to the new character of Langston Fleury, played by SNL alum Tim Meadows, though he does grow on you after awhile. In another contrast to last season, the larger universe connections are more prevalent. The first season came out during the time when the DCEU dropped any long-term goals and multiple projects were greenlit to see what would stick. Now that James Gunn has become to DC what Kevin Feige is to the MCU, the toybox is unlimited. Despite the DCU just starting, characters from "Superman" are already making follow-up appearances here and setting up plot points for the sequel in 2027.
With this being the DCU project immediately following "Superman", fans may feel a little whiplash from the first episode of the season alone. I think that goes to show the range of James Gunn where he can go from an uplifting story that instills hope to raunchy and violent escapades, and yet both still suck you into wanting things to work out for our protagonists.
While many of Gunn's tropes are present, he does seem to take chances that move away from his formula, particularly in the finale. I won't go into spoilers, but it really subverts expectations one expects from the season finale of a superhero show and Gunn seems to break one of his biggest rules when it comes to storytelling. Still, we should be expecting the announcement of a new project based on the ending sometime soon.
I think a big risk the season took was diving into the multiverse, especially since the DCU isn't even a year old yet. The multiverse as a concept has been played out across different forms of media for nearly a decade with DC being guilty of it as well with the Arrowverse and the Flash movie. Where Gunn deviates from this though is not making it part of a sprawling epic and instead using it for Chris' character arc and personal desires. I think it pays off in the penultimate episode where we see the character reach a breaking point and Cena's performance elevates the heartache. On a brighter sidenote, he at least gets a Vegeta moment if you think real hard about it.
One of the best parts of the season is Eagly, as he gets a lot more to do this season. We get to see how much of a threat he can be and what happens to those who get in his way; if he and Krypto ever teamed up, there would be no force powerful enough to stop this dynamic duo of super pets. Eagly even gets an arch enemy with a dynamic reminiscent of Looney Tunes in a subplot that I feel could have gone longer than it did.
It's kind of a "no duh" to say, but "Peacemaker" continues to be a great show. I'd be hard pressed to expect anything less from James Gunn at this point and I look forward to what comes next from the DCU.
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