This review contains full spoilers for Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 8 – “Full Nelson.”
After a season that has been both entertaining and emotionally intense, albeit with an inconsistent pace, James Gunn’s Peacemaker Season 2 concludes with what feels like its weakest installment, “Full Nelson.” Despite being the longest episode at 58 minutes, it only successfully resolves one primary storyline: the evolving relationship between Chris and Harcourt. Other significant plot points—Rick Flag Sr.’s true intentions, Adebayo’s marital and professional life, and even the recurring ‘Nazi world’ subplot—are given surprisingly little attention, feeling rushed and underdeveloped in this extended finale. And that much-discussed setup for the upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow? It’s there, but perhaps not in the way many expected.
[Image Gallery: Key moments from the Peacemaker Season 2 Finale]
Let’s start with the positives: John Cena’s portrayal of Chris Smith/Peacemaker and Jennifer Holland’s Emilia Harcourt have been a standout throughout the season. Their simmering ‘will they/won’t they’ dynamic, reminiscent of classic Moonlighting, finally reaches a deeply satisfying conclusion in this episode. James Gunn, who penned the entire season and directs this finale, masterfully brings us back to that infamous ‘night on the boat’—a moment hinted at for months, where Chris and Harcourt shared a drunken encounter, one that at least one of them seemed to have lingering regrets about.
Gunn, a true maestro at integrating pop music into his storytelling, unveils that this memorable night involved the pair getting intoxicated and bonding over Harcourt’s work woes, eventually stumbling upon an early-’90s rock cruise featuring the band Nelson. This scene is pure James Gunn – quirky, heartfelt, and perfectly executes the idea of Chris and Harcourt forging a genuine connection in an unexpected setting. Both actors brilliantly convey the growth their characters have experienced. The revelation that the ‘night on the boat’ was merely a brief, meaningful kiss and a shared feeling, rather than a casual hook-up, makes their connection even more poignant.
Unfortunately, not much else in the episode comes together as well as Chris/Harcourt.
Another highlight is the moment Harcourt is about to unleash on a random stranger outside Big Belly Burger, only to be stopped by Chris. His optimistic worldview—his insistence to ‘Look at the moon! Look at the stars!’—beautifully illustrates why Harcourt would ultimately fall for his charming, albeit unconventional, personality. Add to that their shared, magical experience with Nelson’s rock cruise, and her eventual affection seems almost inevitable.
Later, when Chris hits rock bottom, believing himself ‘cursed’ by a string of misfortunes, Harcourt and the rest of the 11th Street Kids tap into that very ‘Chris-vibe’ to pull him out of his despair. Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) genuinely exclaims, ‘I believe in miracles because of you. I saw an eagle hug a human!’ It’s a moment designed not for humor, but to underscore the deep, mutual affection within the team. Yet, the emotional core remains with Chris and Harcourt, as she finally confesses that the ‘night on the boat’ meant ‘everything’ to her.
Regrettably, the Chris/Harcourt storyline is the only one that truly resonates. Frank Grillo’s portrayal of Rick Flag Sr. feels particularly muddled. It’s perplexing to see him enjoying himself with Lex Luthor’s former staff while his A.R.G.U.S. agents are being devoured in bizarre alternate dimensions like ‘Candyland’ (admittedly, those QUC dimensions were intriguing, even if the trailer overshared). While Rick Sr. certainly has valid reasons for his animosity towards Peacemaker, especially after the death of his son, his abrupt shift from a hero in Creature Commandos to a more ambiguous figure in Superman, and now a full-blown villain in this finale, is jarring. Grillo’s talent for the role makes this character regression particularly difficult to accept.
[Image: John Cena’s Peacemaker faces a challenge in the season finale.]
However, Flag Sr.’s ultimate goal of imprisoning metahumans on that extra-dimensional prison planet (known as Salvation in the comics) does align with a certain logic for his character. This development undeniably solidifies Peacemaker’s ties to the upcoming Man of Tomorrow film, as Rick Sr. now closely associates with Lex Luthor’s former associates, rationalizing his collaboration by stating that while he dislikes Luthor, ‘he is the smartest man in the world. Why not use his brain to make the world a better place?’
Meanwhile, the scene between Adebayo and her wife Keeya (Elizabeth Faith Ludlow), while well-acted, unfortunately arrives too late in the season to fully resonate, as their relationship struggles felt underdeveloped across the preceding eight episodes. As for Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante and Steve Agee’s John Economos, they certainly provided enjoyable moments throughout the season and in this finale, but their roles were largely superficial. While John Cena undeniably leads the show, an ensemble cast of this caliber deserved more substantial focus.
[Video: A clip featuring John Cena and James Gunn.]
Surprisingly, this week’s episode completely sidestepped a return to the Nazi planet or an appearance from David Denman’s Keith Smith, leaving that intriguing subplot frustratingly unresolved. It’s disappointing that Gunn opted against a grand action sequence for the finale. Instead, the major Quantum Unfolding Chamber (QUC) twist sees Chris stranded on Salvation by Rick Sr. This intriguing setup—Chris forced to survive Cast Away-style with nothing but the Foxy Shazam shirt on his back and his wits—certainly lays compelling groundwork for a potential Season 3.
Random Musings from the Quantum Unfolding Chamber:
- Remember to always be proud of your freckles, just like your mom taught you!
- Vigilante truly is quite harsh with his mother.
- Regarding Vigilante, it seems fan theories about the wrong version returning from Earth X were unfounded.
- And it looks like my own speculation about Michael Rooker’s return as an alternate Red St. Wild was incorrect. Perhaps next season!
- The 11th Street Kids are now teaming up with unexpected allies like Sol Rodríguez’s Bordeaux, Tim Meadows’ Fleury, and Nhut Le’s Judomaster to form the new super-spy organization, Checkmate.
- Eagly and Economos continue to be a dynamic duo!
- It’s been a pleasure doing these weekly reviews. Looking forward to our next show together!
Verdict
Peacemaker’s second season finale is a mixed bag that manages to wrap-up the Chris/Harcourt relationship dilemma in a finely acted and emotionally satisfying way, while short-changing most of the rest of the cast, with the face turn of Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. in particular feeling like an unearned stretch. The episode does set up what are presumably important future DCU situations, including the birth of Checkmate and Chris being stranded on Salvation. They’re interesting concepts that I look forward to seeing more of, but in the context of “Full Nelson,” that’s all they are: concepts.