The DC Extended Universe is expanding in 2022, and the first new installment of the year is Peacemaker. The fourth episode of the show, “The Choad Less Traveled,” recently arrived on HBO Max and continues the story surrounding Project Butterfly as Task Force X leader Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji) recruits colorful superhero Adrian Chase/Vigilante (Freddie Stroma). The episode also has Christopher Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena) discover that his father was framed and sent to prison, and he must confront his complicated past. This was another wonderful addition to the series that does an excellent job developing its characters.
This episode continues the series’s laid-back approach to superhero storytelling. When I note that there is no other show like this one, I mean it in every sense of the phrase. James Gunn wrote every episode of the series and directed the three premiere episodes. However, this episode was helmed by Jody Hill, who does an excellent job matching Gunn’s visual style of a primarily handheld superhero television series that doesn’t take itself very seriously.
The best aspect of this show is that it remains lighthearted while also doing a superb job of subtly exploring its characters. Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) has forged an amicable relationship with Peacemaker, and we learn much more about her in this episode. Her fear of killing people is referenced again, and this quality of hers comes to an arc when she is able to successfully shoot Judomaster after he escapes and fights Peacemaker. Adebayo’s shot interrupts Judomaster just as he is about to tell Peacemaker a secret about the Butterflies. As he is still alive by the end of the episode, this sets up an investing cliffhanger about the truth behind it all.
Furthermore, Adebayo hinting to Chase that Peacemaker would be better off without his father leads Chase to land himself in prison to kill Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick). The implication that Adebayo has a bit of her mother, Amanda Waller, inside her despite their differences is fascinating, and it gives her character more depth. Chase landing in prison in an attempt to kill Auggie is an exquisite writing choice because it shows how much he cares about Peacemaker.
This decision also leads to a downright hilarious scene where Chase speaks to a group of racist prisoners and attempts to get them to state their favorite African-American contribution to society, and we get his perfectly written line: “Which one of you dumb, sister-f**king, tiki-torch-carrying, Sloth-from-The Goonies-looking pieces of s**t wants to go next?” Chase effortlessly taking down three prisoners shows how adept he is at killing, which is hilarious when juxtaposed with his cheerful personality. But when Chase’s plan fails, Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) bails him out, and we get a terrific moment where Chase genuinely regrets messing things up.
And this brings us to Harcourt, the hard-edged, type-A agent whose facade begins to chip away in this episode. She comforts Adebayo after she shot Judomaster, emphasizing the importance of regret because it signaled that Adebayo knew the value of human life. When Chase walks to Harcourt’s car, she doesn’t say very much to him, but she gives him a ride home, and we see her compassion through her facial expressions.
But Christopher Smith, also known as Peacemaker, gets developed the most in this episode. We see how broken his relationship is with his father and how he wants Auggie to love him even though he is a bad person. In addition, the episode contains a flashback to Christopher’s traumatic childhood where Auggie forces Christopher to kill a person and another flashback where his brother dies. This sequence is intercut with Christopher dancing and crying, two things he has done already in the show. Previously, these actions have been played for laughs, but this time, they coincide with his character’s genuinely sad emotions.
All of this rich characterization is tied around well-written moments of humor, a compelling story with a surprising twist at the end where we discover Murn is secretly a Butterfly, and excellent performances across the board. While the story surrounding Project Butterfly doesn’t move forward much in this episode, this one makes up for it with a character-heavy episode with a lot of laughs.
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
