Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Ignorance is Chris

Now that Peacemaker Season 2 is slowly reaching its endgame, it feels like things are finally starting to pick up. Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6, “Ignorance is Chris,” gives us the satisfying, yet nerve-wracking, encounters we’ve been waiting for.

Ever since we learned that Chris’ father, Auggie, had this interdimensional device that was a gateway to the multiverse, we’ve been wondering what potential it could hold. Given how Season 2’s main theme is determining if change is for the better, this Elseworld proposed that it might be so.

While Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 3 “Another Rick Up My Sleeve” hinted at the answer being yes, in actuality, this world is much more darker than it seems. 

This revelation is due in part to the ventures of the other 11th Street Kids, which include Harcourt, Adebayo, Vigilante, and Economos. As a fun little opener, the group decides to take the device to Vigilante’s house, where Vigilante’s mother tries to mingle with them.

It provides some much-needed space for comical shenanigans before the more emotional moments. From Vigilante’s mom explaining her son’s flirtatious lies regarding Harcourt being his girlfriend to his entire basement full of drugs, you can’t help but love his shenanigans.

Given how Vigilante, for most of Peacemaker Season 2, hasn’t been given much to do, I was very happy to see him somewhat back in action in this Elseworld. As his silliness continues when they travel to the parallel dimension and faces a peculiar situation, it just makes you feel warm inside.

However, for the rest of the 11th Street Kids, it’s not all good as it seems. Our Harcourt accidentally gets caught by Chris’s brother, Keith, and tries to wiggle her way out as she goes to A.R.G.U.S. with him.

During her drive with Keith, Harcourt starts to suspect that this world is weirdly out of place. As they continue to drive through the streets, she realizes that everyone she’s been seeing is a white person. This is continually hinted at throughout this episode, but through a few subtle means.

For most, the biggest prediction of Peacemaker Season 2 was that this Elseworld didn’t have any people of color, though it was unclear as to why. Although, when you put the pieces of Chris’s familial history together as well as some hidden details, such as keeping the flags out of view at A.R.G.U.S., this becomes much clearer.

This prediction also has some ground once Vigilante meets his alternate self, who actually hates the Peacemaker family and has joined the Sons of Liberty because of him. Although, this full reveal is only saved until the very end, which has this satisfying build-up thanks to the more emotional moments.

In such scenes, Chris discovers that his Harcourt got caught by A.R.G.U.S. due to getting cocaine splattered on her, thanks to Vigilante. However, when Chris tries to reason with Harcourt later on, it’s here that the two finally get to say their mind without getting drunk.

What comes out of this scene is a heart-wrenching scene between Chris and Harcourt as the former agent unloads everything on him. Not only does she reveal that she legitimately cares for Chris’s safety, but she also wants to take better care of herself, even though she’s okay with their reality.

This was heavily felt on Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2, “A Man is Only as Good as His Bird,” where we saw Harcourt getting mercilessly beaten up at a bar and enjoying it. She’s accepted her imperfections for what it’s worth, and it’s through this that she’s tried to make amends for her past mistakes, which is a great step for her character.

However, while Chris appreciates Harcourt breaking it down for him, he still genuinely feels in love with her and can’t let go of that. It’s a romantic setup as old as time, but the stakes are somewhat higher here because of how much time he’s given to the Elseworld’s Harcourt.

Chris actually knows he’s capable of change, but because of this doubt he’s built up and the fulfillment he’s gotten out of it, he doesn’t want to go back. Unfortunately for him and the 11th Street Kids, this world doesn’t accept them because this Elseworld is actually Earth-X.

In the comics, DC’s Earth-X is a universe where Germany had won World War II and took over the world, forcing its opposition to bend to its own Justice League, the New Reichsmen. For Peacemaker Season 2, though, it seems like the “Top Trio” is this world’s enforcers instead.

What results is Adebayo being hunted down by every single person when she decides to go for a walk as Economos gets caught by Auggie. Furthermore, Earth-X’s Harcourt gets the prime Chris and Harcourt arrested by A.R.G.U.S., which might lead to very bad things between the two as we head into the penultimate episode.

Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6 did a very good job in revealing its big universal twist while still staying true to its themes of perfectionism through Chris and Harcourt’s deep moments.

Although we only have two episodes left, I am very optimistic that Gunn and company have a very powerful conclusion in store, not just narratively, but emotionally as well.

Stray Thoughts:

• I actually can’t believe we got a Lex Luthor cameo with Rick Flag Sr. and had him actually say all that crazy stuff. Though it seems like this was also setting up for Man of Tomorrow, it was funny having him say “twink” out loud.
• When the people were saying “One got out!” in the climax, I was actually kind of scared. I mean, what do you mean ‘got out’ and exactly where are the people of color kept then?
• With this conclusion, I’m also wondering what role will Judomaster play since he was seen going into the parallel doorway. However, I suspect that he’ll probably appear in the final episode.

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

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