The fifth episode of Peacemaker season 2, titled "Back to the Suture," just arrived on HBO Max, and it features the long-awaited showdown between Chris Smith and Rick Flag Sr.
We begin with a flashback to Rick Flag Jr.'s funeral, where Emilia Harcourt vowed to make Chris pay for his role in the A.R.G.U.S. agent's death. Their relationship has deepened since then, of course, though we learn that whatever happened on that boat supposedly meant nothing to her because she was drunk.
It means something to Chris, though, and it appears Emilia is bluffing, given that she attempts to help him avoid being captured by A.R.G.U.S. Still, her claim that she doesn't have feelings for him is clearly a blow to the anti-hero.
"Back to the Suture" also reveals that Sasha Bordeaux has cybernetic enhancements (A.R.G.U.S. upgraded her body after a plane crash). Flag Sr.'s weakness for women is referenced—following his fling with Princess Ilana Rostovic in Creature Commandos—when he takes a liking to the agent.
By far the biggest talking point here, beyond Eagley being revealed as the "prime eagle" who kills Red St. Wild in a baffling subplot, is Flag Sr.'s long-awaited confrontation with Peacemaker. He savagely beats the former Task Force X member for murdering his son, but is forced to let him go when John Economos makes sure to log Chris into A.R.G.U.S.'s systems.
When all is said and done, Peacemaker decides he's had enough of the DCU and decides to make a permanent home for himself in the parallel reality. Judomaster manages to follow him (which could be interesting if theories that it's a whites-only world of Nazis are correct), and we later see that Chris, his brother, and father manage to defeat the Kaiju from Superman.
Peacemaker's latest episode ends with Emilia and the 11th Street Kids reuniting to bring Chris home, though they need to figure out how to reach him first...
Peacemaker season 2 follows Chris Smith, the vigilante superhero, as he struggles to reconcile his past with his newfound sense of purpose while continuing to kick righteous evildoer butt in his misguided quest for peace at any cost. He discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.
Season 2 stars John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Frank Grillo, Sol Rodríguez, David Denman, Brey Noelle, and Tim Meadows.
James Gunn wrote all eight episodes of Peacemaker and directed three, including the first episode. Gunn, Peter Safran, and Cena serve as executive producers. Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, and Alethea Jones also direct.
In our review of Peacemaker season 2, we wrote, "Peacemaker season 2 feels like a wholly superfluous addition to the new DCU, and lacks the stakes and emotion that made season 1 so special. Fortunately, it’s buoyed by some fun surprises for fans and another exceptional turn from John Cena."
Five episodes of Peacemaker season 2 are now streaming on HBO Max.