Full spoilers follow for Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 3 – “Another Rick Up My Sleeve.”
In this week’s Peacemaker, James Gunn pulls the rug out from under some of us at least by resurrecting a long-thought-dead character: Rick Flag Jr., Joel Kinnaman’s Special Forces badass who was killed all the way back in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad movie in 2021. Killed, of course, by John Cena’s Chris/Peacemaker himself… But you know, alternate dimensions do have a way of resurrecting folks! Or never killing folks in the first place, or… whatever.
We also learn in the episode’s opening flashback that Rick Jr. and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) had a past relationship, and that they were actually in bed together the morning Rick was leaving for his ill-fated mission in Corto Maltese. (Gunn, who scripted this entire season, even drops a reference to Cara Delevingne’s June, AKA the Enchantress, from the first Suicide Squad movie.)
Of course, it actually makes perfect sense to bring Kinnaman back, since a big part of this season is centered on his dad, Rick Sr. (Frank Grillo), and his mission to make Chris pay for his son’s death. But this turn of events also means that not only do we suddenly have two Rick Flag Jr.s back in the picture, but we also get a Joel Kinnaman doing physical comedy as alt-Rick, driven into a Mr. Bean-like fit of bumbling by Chris visiting alt-Harcourt for lunch at A.R.G.U.S.. I had no idea the Killing/RoboCop/For All Mankind star could be so funny crashing into trash cans.
As for Chris himself, even as he’s digging deeper and deeper into a hole with a series of lies as he embeds himself in the alternate universe, assuming dead-alt-Chris’ life and relationships, he also gets to live the hero life of his dearly departed self. From adoring fans to the perks of the job (the Peace-Cycle!), things really come together for him with the one-two punch of reuniting with alt-Emilia and then foiling a would-be terrorist attack by the Sons of Liberty. Chris goes part John McClane/part John Wick/part Terminator on the terrorists, systematically and mercilessly taking them out – and saving the day. “That guy’s Peacemaker, right?” a local cop says. “But he ain’t wearing his suit.” Nope, he’s not. And he doesn’t need it.
After the relatively uneventful episode last week (not including Eagly’s cheer-worthy attack on Tim Meadows’ A.R.G.U.S. goons), “Another Rick Up My Sleeve” really livens the season up. Peacemaker’s all-out-assault on the Sons of Liberty is exciting, bloody, and funny – extra points go to the dude who gets an axe in his head and lives (ish). And Chris’ amazement at actually saving the day is just terrific. This is indeed the best dimension ever…
We’ll see how long that lasts.
Thoughts From the Quantum Unfolding Chamber:
- It seems only Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) – and we, the audience – can see what mainline universe Harcourt can’t: She and Chris are a thing.
- Economos (Steve Agee) is in a bit of trouble, having to go along with Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodríguez) and her A.R.G.U.S. agents to kill Eagly and capture Chris. Screw those guys!
- But oh, that also means that Gunn fave Michael Rooker has entered the picture as the “world’s foremost eagle hunter” Red St. Wild. We’ll see what he gets up to next week.
- And hey, at least Vigilante/Adrian (Freddie Stroma) laundered Economos’ pants for him!
- The kid who loves Peacemaker so much that he’s an uncontrollable mess? Yikes.
- Line of the week: “Wait. Wha.. What happened?”