Peacemaker is a Grower & a Shower– ‘Peacemaker’ Ep. 4 Breakdown
The only thing between Earth and an alien invasion is Peacemaker and his team of Amanda Waller’s misfits in Peacemaker ep. 4!
Last week, HBO Max dropped the first three explosive episodes of DC’s new hit series Peacemaker. Apart from having the greatest title sequence of all time, the show is a hilarious and heartfelt look at John Cena’s murderous harbinger of peace.
But who’s the real villain here? Find out as we float on Eagley’s wings into Peacemaker ep. 4.
This article is 150% grade A spoilers for Peacemaker “The Choad Left Untravelled”.
Peacemaker vs. The White Dragon
Okay, so Chris’ dad is definitely the bad guy. Robert Patrick plays an absolutely despicable character perfectly. We start to get a closer look at what Chris’ childhood was like, and it’s pretty rough.
There are a few mentions and memories of his older brother’s death, which will probably be illuminated further in upcoming episodes. According to Harcourt’s relay of his file, Chris’ big brother died in an accident and Chris was involved. The circumstance undoubtedly had something to do with his father’s influence.
The highlight of these painful memories was the way they were presented. John Cena’s soulful dancing coupled with his memories was an emotional chef’s kiss. His expressions and movement are a tender expression of emotion for a character who’s been taught that emotion is a sign of weakness.
I’ve already watched the scene several times. Way to thrust right into my feels, Peacemaker.
Peacemaker + Vigilante= BFFs
Speaking of beautiful moments, Chris and Adrian’s friendship is a whole moment. Adrian clearly doesn’t have to communication skills to relay to Chris that he’s upset about the whole torture thing. As Chris goads Adrian into admitting he’s angry, Adrian tells Chris outright that he thinks his father is a racist.
After the two bicker for a while, they both come around. Chris admits that his father is a racist and that he was insensitive to the torturing. Adrian admits he was hurt, and clearly, this is a breakthrough for both characters. They like it, and they need to put a friendship bracelet on it.
The tone he takes with Auggie’s racist crew is a delight, but the moment gets real when he calls Auggie a bad father. Adrian’s loyalty to Chris has always been a part of the show, but Adebayo certainly ups the stakes on Adrian’s deep love for his best bro.
Damn, Adebayo.
Adebayo’s capacity for empathy comes into stark contrast with her raising this week, let me tell ya. After her failure to perform in episode 3, Leota makes some moves. And she’s clearly as conflicted about them as we are.
It’s likely that her appeal to Chris outside the prison has a vein of personal experience. She probably knows what it’s like to be raised by a cruel son-of-a-bitch. We can’t help but wonder if she’s giving advice she ought to be taking.
The good news is that she sees it in herself. She tells Harcourt about her conflicted feelings toward manipulating Vigilante.
What are the Butterflies?
Judo Master tries to tell him that the butterflies aren’t what they seem. Come to find out, Chris had similar suspicions. He saved the butterfly from the end of episode 3, and keeps it in a jar. When he hits the floor at the end of his emotive dance, both Eagley and the butterfly come toward him to make sure he’s okay. Chris is befriending what he called “a real illegal alien”, and I hope that empathy is gonna pay off for him.
Because OH FUCK, Murn is a butterfly! How long has he been one? Why is he killing his own species? And does Amanda Waller know? I have so many questions!
Other Peacemaker Ep 4 Highlights & Easter Eggs
James Gunn is really determined to legitimize as many weird DC comic book characters as possible. First, it was The Suicide Squad lineup, then Bat-Mite. Next up is Matter-Eater Lad! He eats all matter! Big or small, he can… eat it! Just like everyone on his home planet of Bismoll.
Peacemaker also has the chance to say what so many of have always thought about Batman. Hearing him lay out the Caped Crusader’s actual impact of harm was pretty satisfying. DC has relied so heavily on Batman to keep its cinematic presence relevant, so to hear another DC hero roast him on screen was A+.
Other details I enjoyed include Harcourt’s random cup of desk Twizzlers. There’s also mention of a stolen gorilla that could be a subplot, IDK, but I have a feeling, y’all.
Peacemaker ep 4 had no sign of cuckolding couple, which was a little disappointing, but it’s ok. Still holding out hope they’ll be back. How do you like that, Evan?
You can catch new episodes of ‘Peacemaker’ every Thursday streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
