Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Back To The Suture

While Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 4 felt more like a slow burn as it dealt with more narrative exposition for the mysterious door technology Chris now holds. However, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 5, “Back to the Suture” fortunately brings back the chaotic, hard-hitting moments while also taking ample time to reflect on Chris’ journey up to this point.

That reflection begins with Rick Flag Sr., who’s been in a complete mess. Since Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 “A Man Is Only as Good as His Bird,” he’s only become more strategically unhinged as time goes on as Flag Sr.’s drive for revenge has taken over his moral compass. However, this episode makes it clear how personal it really is.

Opposite to the opening of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3, this episode actually sees the funeral for Flag Jr., where Flag Sr. is coping with his son’s loss in an actual, responsible way. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s not building up resentment for his son’s killer, but he’s able to revel in sadness with Harcourt.

However, to say that Harcourt and Flag Sr.’s business relationship was purely “for the cause” is understating it. You can’t help but feel that Harcourt somewhat played up to Flag Sr.’s empathy to get to the position that she eventually did.

While it highlights the somewhat submissive attitude the former A.R.G.U.S. agent had, it does reveal this hidden side to her, but in a way that feels manipulative. Even though this younger Harcourt wants to rise up the ranks, she doesn’t have the knowledge that she’s possibly being groomed by Flag Sr.

This thought continues to linger into the present as Chris tries to reunite with Harcourt, albeit failing to. She continues to put up this front in order to trick Flag Sr. because she knows the pain that the former dad is feeling.

The brief conversation the two share at the bench does play on the emotions a bit, but with the right amount of sympathy for Chris.

This emotional connection between the two is why Harcourt believes the best course of action for them is to get Chris arrested. She puts her life on the line, blocking Bordeaux’s attempt to shoot Chris, just to protect someone she feels close to.

This relationship that’s built between Chris and Harcourt proves itself stronger than Harcourt’s dedication to A.R.G.U.S., and it’s good to see that they both care for each other.

Also unfortunately for Chris, Flag Sr. is able to get his kicks in with Chris, relentlessly beating him up despite hesitancy from Langston. As such, it forces Harcourt to try to get Economos to get Chris logged in so A.R.G.U.S. can’t make him disappear.

Even though Langston’s been a comically absurd personality, the little moment of acknowledgment he has between Economos and Harcourt is kind of sweet. Not only does this tease his potential turn away from Flag Sr.’s more forceful code, but it also suggests that Langston actually cares for others.

Of course, Economos is easily able to get this done despite Bordeaux’s annoyance, which drives her closer to Flag Sr. While it did feel like she was reasonable before, she decides to turn the other cheek, filling the void in Flag Sr. that Harcourt left behind.

While this turn felt somewhat rushed, it did feel like Bordeaux’s allegiance to Flag Sr. felt somewhat inevitable. In fact, you could possibly say it’s done in the most “safe for work” way possible (at least for now) as Bordeaux loses all empathy for Chris.

Outside of all this, Adebayo and Vigilante have been taking care of Chris’s cabin while he’s imprisoned. Not much happens outside of a laughable moment between the two, where Adebayo is hired for prostitution work despite her believing it’s for her legitimate security work.

At this point in Peacemaker Season 2, it does make you wonder if there will be any payoff for Adebayo’s arc whereas Vigilante is pretty much the comedic relief. We still have yet to see Vigilante actually suited up and fighting, and with only three episodes left, we can only hope it’ll happen sooner than never.

Fortunately, it makes things up as karma bites Red St. Wild in the most psychedelic way possible: by having Eagly command his avian brethren with his own sigil. This power was briefly teased in previous episodes, but it finally gives us the gruesomeness in another satisfying manner. 

Although, at the end of it all, Chris feels forever unsatisfied by his dead-end life with his chances of becoming a hero at a bare minimum. Due to this, he leaves a note behind and finally retreats into the Elseworld, perhaps for good.

However, Harcourt is compelled to get Chris back with the rest of the 11th Street Kids by the means they have left: the alien door device. Despite this climax being somewhat shorter than previous episodes, it confidently sets up this larger conflict to come between both worlds. 

As its midseason episode, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 5 helps the pacing get running as the personal conflict between Flag Sr. and Chris is driven further into inevitable mayhem. With a stronger focus on the bonds that tie both of these characters together here, I’m hoping these last three episodes will nail in how serious the consequences will be.

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New episodes of Peacemaker Season 2 premiere on HBO Max on Thursdays.

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