Peacemaker season 2 premiere review: Peacemaker’s back, baby!

By Anthony Orlando Published August 22, 2025

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Three years after the spectacular first season of Peacemaker, the second season of HBO Max‘s hit superhero series has premiered. Written and directed by DC Studios co-head James Gunn, this season 2 premiere, The Ties that Grind, shows Chris Smith (John Cena) in his quest to become a true hero, discovering a portal to another dimension where he seems to find himself living his best life.

This season 2 opener marks a big new chapter in the Peacemaker saga, especially as it is now part of Gunn’s new DC Universe. Since the DCU rebooted the franchise’s timeline, Peacemaker season 2 changed the Justice League to the Justice Gang at the end of season 1 during the opening recap. The show also continues to build tensions between humans, metahumans, and vigilantes with multiple callbacks to Superman.

Peacemaker is helping the DCU build to something bigger. However, the series prioritizes its main story over worldbuilding, focusing more on introducing the new phase in the protagonists’ lives. To this end, it succeeds in such a riveting and hilarious fashion.

Like in season 1, Peacemaker has returned with a killer new opening credits sequence for the second season, complete with dazzling visuals and well-choreographed dancing. The music is different this time around, now playing Oh Lord by Foxy Shazam.

The sequence also highlights the romantic relationship between Chris and Emilia, implying it will be a major aspect of season 2. It also features Chris’ emotional struggles after the heartbreaking events of season 1, teasing a sorrowful new chapter in the Peacemaker’s journey.

The Ties That Grind set up an emotional new journey for Chris in Peacemaker season 2. Chris lives alone with Eagly, forming a superhero “odd couple,” while drowning out his sorrows in a sea of sex and drugs. He’s having trouble moving on from his disreputable past, as evidenced by his failed job interview for a post in the Justice Gang.

At the same time, he’s still struggling to cope with the deaths of his father, Auggie (Robert Patrick), and his brother, Keith. The show balances this heartfelt drama with plenty of ridiculous comedy, from the Justice Gang unknowingly leaving their microphone on during superhero auditions to Harcourt’s silly psych evaluation.

The episode also puts a unique spin on Chris mourning what could’ve been when he discovers a portal to another universe where his father and brother (now played by David Denman) are alive, and they are all a loving family and beloved superheroes.

Once again, Cena delivers a stirring performance as the lonely Peacemaker, and his scenes with his father and brother make for a heartwarming portrait of a comic book family. However, the episode delivers a shocking twist ending when Chris fights and accidentally kills his alternate self, setting up a gripping, existential journey for the rest of the season.

The Ties that Grind spends plenty of time on Chris and the other 11th Street Kids, introducing their character arcs for the new season. Like Chris, most of the main heroes are struggling to find happiness, as well as jobs, after they defeated the Butterflies and exposed Amanda Waller’s crimes with Task Force X in season 1.

Since season 1 ended, Leota (Danielle Brooks) has separated from her wife, Keeya, who couldn’t handle the former’s dangerous new line of work. Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) has been blacklisted from working in government espionage by Waller, sending her on a path of violent rage that culminates in a bloody, brilliant fight scene.

John Economos (Steve Agee) hates spying on Chris for the vengeful Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo). Adrian (Freddie Stroma), on the other hand, is still the same, except he knows a lot more about owls, apparently. It’s difficult to expect that much growth from Adrian’s character, but his oblivious, comedic antics are more than welcome in this new season.

While much of the group seems to be fractured after season 1, this new episode still shows some of the heroes reigniting their beloved dynamics as they slowly come back to each other. In particular, Chris is still great friends with Leota, and his romance with Emilia has clearly grown. The show even reveals that they had a fling on a boat since fans last saw them together in season 1. However, the latter tries to brush it off as a regretful one-night stand.

With such huge romantic tension between their extremely flawed characters, Cena and Holland achieve such terrific chemistry playing Chris and Emilia together. This makes their budding relationship all the more exciting to see as Chris sets off on his journey to find happiness in the “better” universe.

So far, yes. Even after a three-year hiatus and a franchise shakeup, Peacemaker remains as strong as ever. The show enters bold new territory as Chris and his allies face new problems and explore new regions of the Multiverse.

Peacemaker retains its glam-rock spirit thanks to laugh-out-loud comedy, gratuitous sex, bloody violence, and killer music. Gunn continues DCU’s terrific track record with this fantastic show.

Peacemaker season 2, episode 1 is now streaming on HBO Max.