IR TV Review: PEACEMAKER - EPISODE 2 (“A Man Is Only As Good As His Bird”)[Max-S2]
"Peacemaker" is always about Chris feeling bad about himself which causes everything to become worse. The aspect of the Id plays heavily into his journey so far to say nothing about his hopes and dreams. Granted his action at the end of the first episode doesn't bode well for anything but it does play into what perhaps James Gunn was formulating on the periphery of "Superman". Episode 3 of the 2nd season entitled "A Man Is Only As Good As His Bird" plays an irony that is only more true since this series began. Granted some elements might be too deep a cut at times and a lot of what works is the balance of surface and easter eggs if one is doing this right. The team is being split in certain ways but the crunch will seemingly come from Rick Flagg Sr. (which with Jon Bernthal) which is an interesting crossover in its own right (because of "The Punisher" origins). We get a little aspect of Chase (Freddie Stroma) whose irreverence always tended to balance out Peacemaker. That doesn't come fully to bear yet though we get a glimpse in the final minute of the episode.
The wishful thinking and space between Emilia (Jennifer Holland) and Chris is on purpose but is interestingly fueled in a different way. Chris (Cena) always makes wrong decisions though he does them earnestly like a little kid who raided the cookie jar but doesn't know how to go to the store and buy another pack. Tim Meadows joins as a politically incorrect straight shooter whose aim is off. He brings a little bit of frivolity to the proceedings as his humor tends to be a completely separate tone to every single scene he is in. Granted Eagley has the best conceptual context in the episode as far as one practical scene (if you will) and still he also shows what is actually happening with Chris/Peacemaker. Of course, after he and Chase helps solve a problem without the help of their alter-ego, it seems that Chris has figured it out somewhat. Harcourt, through no fault of her own pushes him in one way over the edge at a gathering which is where things will undeniably start to go wrong. But perhaps flip the universe in his favor. B
By Tim Wassberg
