Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 7.The latest episode of Peacemaker, “Like a Keith in the Night,” was perhaps the most complex episode of the entire series so far. Seeing the characters’ shock at this dark universe where the Nazis won World War II, as well as the nuances of this world, such as how Auggie (Robert Patrick) doesn’t seem to be a bigot, made the 11th Street Kids’ escape feel tense and high stakes, as they couldn’t be sure of anything, being what they expected. However, while Auggie’s death and Keith’s (David Denman) brutalization were traumatic for Chris (John Cena), Peacemaker failed to leave a more lasting impact on the audience because it chose to tell, rather than show, the atrocities committed against other POC characters.
Not only would this have been a great opportunity to present the fates of characters from the original universe, adding an emotive layer to the horrors of Earth-X, but it also leaves the possibility of someone wondering, “Is Earth-X really that bad?” which shouldn’t be left in doubt. In the end, this lack of wider scale is a symptom of a running problem throughout Season 2 of Peacemaker. Whether it is a budget or narrative decision, Peacemaker‘s limited scope in runtime and focus became too obvious to ignore in Episode 7.
‘Peacemaker’ Should Have Shown Earth-X’s Most Disturbing Aspects
In storytelling, the overwhelming lesson screenwriters are taught is that this is a visual medium. It is not a play where dialogue can be used to convey more exposition. In TV or film, the audience needs to see what the narrative is trying to portray, and Peacemaker failed in this. The best way to succeed in communicating the truly dystopian nature of Earth-X is not to only show the beautiful suburbs the white people live in, but also the camps that Vigilante’s (Freddie Stroma) doppleganger mentioned.
These camps should not only have shown us nameless POCs, but their inclusion would have allowed Peacemaker to confirm the fates of characters such as Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) and Judomaster’s (Nhut Le) dopplegangers. Especially when considering how these two were paired together in this episode, it feels like it was made for them to explore just how different their lives would have been in Earth-X. This would have connected the audience emotionally to the suffering being felt by millions in this universe, making the condemnation of Earth-X far more definitive and overwhelming.
Some may argue that Peacemaker was instead following a rule often used in horror, which is to let the audience’s imagination do the work, because nothing you can write is as scary as what they can think of. However, this only works when you show a tease of the evil, such as a slight glimpse of the monster in a dark corner, or cutting away just as the horror unfolds. Peacemaker doesn’t do this, as the only way we know about the camps and context of Earth-X is Vigilante’s doppleganger’s aforementioned line and the repetitively mentioned fact that the Nazis won World War II in this timeline. These lines don’t do enough to make us feel the horror of the context, and, if anything, they rely on the audience having seen to piece together the atrocities based on historical evidence rather than direct scenes in the show.
Earth-X’s Lack of Scale Limits the Impact of ‘Peacemaker’s Dark Alternate Universe
Being physically shown how the Nazis were persecuting marginalized people, specifically characters we know and love, would have been hugely beneficial for Peacemaker. This type of scene would have also changed the fundamental tone of Peacemaker. There would not have been a moment for levity in such scenes, whereas we see Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and Chris have a comedic scene in the opening of the episode when she is pointing out how obvious the signs of this being a Nazi universe were, such as a mural of Adolf Hitler on the wall.
Such a contrast would have made the audience feel how different and dystopian Earth-X truly is. The shame is that it is not surprising this didn’t happen. Yes, James Gunn is edgy and willing to push the boundaries of the superhero genre, but Guardians of the Galaxy, Superman, and Peacemaker still have a comedic tone at the end of the day, which seeks to add levity to the darkest of moments. The only problem is, this time, that restraint has held back the story.
‘Peacemaker’s Earth-X Is a Symptom of a Larger Problem in Season 2
What is most frustrating about the issues with this latest episode of Peacemaker is that it is one that was inevitable, considering how the season has been structured. Whether it is a budget or logistical issue, most episodes have had a runtime of 35–38 minutes, including the opening and closing credits. For most episodes, this has merely meant we didn’t get to chew on more of what was great about the episodes, but in Episode 7, it means we actually lost out on what else could and should have been explored. Even another 5 minutes of screentime could have been used to great effect in showing the previously mentioned horrors.
Of course, this doesn’t mean there is no hope for the rest of the season of Peacemaker; there is every chance that the upcoming season finale, “Full Nelson,” could give us an episode that swiftly moves past this problem. However, even if it is a 10/10 episode, a macro analysis of Season 2 of Peacemaker will still have to include the flaw of not showing the audience just how these unseen characters were treated in Earth-X.
- Release Date
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January 13, 2022
- Network
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HBO Max, Max
