Peacemaker Episode 4 (SPOILER-FILLED review)

Peacemaker continues to widen and strengthen deep undercuts within the slowly imploding DCEU as it introduces audiences to the all-new alien threat that deems extinction. As Project Butterfly surfaces for us to know more, we dig deeper within our ragtag team of characters.

I think it is safe to say that Freddie Stroma's Adrian Chase is my favorite character. Yes, he may suffer from 'mental issues' but I actually think it's the opposite. His portrayal of the character resembles a boy who was lonely for so long that he lacked certain social skills and suffered in making friends, which is why he throws so much loyalty and expectation towards Peacemaker that its relatable and easy to feel sorry for him when he sarcastically points out his hurt feelings at the beginning and the end of the episode. Anyone who has been to school has gone through this but it's even more painful watching a grown adult go through this with colleagues just because he is quirky.  

Apart from Adrian, we learn more about Peacemaker's upbringing. As we've learned in the first three episodes, his father was a supervillain named Golden Dragon and trained his son to kill people who had crossed him. Despite his villainous antics and white supremacy, Peacemaker still believes in being there for his father even if he was not a proper parental figure. This was especially shown as Peacemaker defends his father when Adebayo or Adrian points out his negligence towards racism and terrible upbringing skills, according to his case file made by Amanda Waller. This clearly shows that he still does what he does to impress/please his father, to be proud of him. Is it necessary for one to prove so much to someone else that will never acknowledge you the way you want them to? 

With plenty of character development that took place within this episode, it's hard to swallow the cliffhanger that sticks onto memory as soon as the credits start rolling. We learn that Murn, the team leader is in fact, being controlled by the Butterfly-like alien this team is investigating. I'm not a  proper DC fan to know what these will all mean but these fluttery beings must have a Queen, right? Will we see another Kaiju-like creature within the DCEU again or would it be a possible lead-up to a storyline of a future season  -- if Warner Bros and Gunn want to make Peacemaker a seasonal show as opposed to a limited series.

Although this episode lacks the action the premiere had, it still continues a solid storyline that will continue intrigue, despite the tiny hints of comedic misfires that occur once or twice. James Gunn may write really funny features but there are times where punch-lines fall flat. But that does not affect the rich storytelling, fortunately. Episode 4 is perfect chaos and it's alright to be excited for more, this time around.