Peacemaker (HBO series)

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Dogfish
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Seen the first of the three episodes. Apart from having the best title sequence in years it also seems pretty great.

Anybody else watching it?
Last edited by Dogfish 2 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
Dogfish
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Seen all three of the starter episodes. Lot of sex and boobs for a superhero show. In case anybody needed a further recommendation. It's very much in keeping with the style of The Suicide Squad, which is also a good thing.
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Mr. X
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Sex and boobs. I'm hooked. I like the eagle.
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shevek
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Mr. X wrote:
2 years ago
Sex and boobs. I'm hooked. I like the eagle.
Saw the first 3 episodes.

Seems like if they only had sex & boobs & ultraviolence & 80s hair-metal, the series would get called out a lot by Twitter watchdogs.
They reduce the chance of that by keeping diversity at a high level and inserting lots of "progressive" one-liners and
pop-culture references. Episode 1 especially has a lot of those. If you can endure them, the rest of the show is fun and campy.

Best thing about the series so far is the extended battle scene between the first "butterfly" and Peacemaker.
It reminded me considerably of the scene from Season 2 Episode 4 of "Powers" (2016) where Walker has a sexy fight with the superpowered wild-woman Lynx (aka Angela Lange). I doubt that James Gunn has watched that, though, so it's just a coincidence.

The meta woman is played by Crystal Mudry, a very experienced stuntwoman whose work includes Supernatural, Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and Legends, and also goes all the way back a decade to the likes of Stargate Universe, Smallville, and Human Target.
She is at a Kick Ass Kandy hotness level, and it's a shame that no show has given her enough material to be a lead actress in a tight bodysuit (a la Adrianne Palicki).

The second best thing about the series is the actress Jennifer Holland, who is the longtime girlfriend of director James Gunn. After playing bit parts in many situations, this is her first starring role. She hasn't done much yet other than bare her lovely cleavage and give Peacemaker sexy glances, but I think as the season progresses, we'll see more and more of her exposed, until an inevitable sex scene with Cena. Hope I'm not wrong.....

The third best thing about the series is that it nearly has a hard-R rating. With constant references to sex, a display of items such as a vibrator and a fleshlight, and even a raw photography of pussy on a computer screen, it doesn't let up on pushing the envelope quite a bit, and is reminiscent that way of James Gunn's earlier violent superhero flick, "Super" (2010). Not quite giving The Boys a run for its money for sheer shock impact, but it's in the running.
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DrDominator9
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Which streaming service is this show on?
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shevek
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DrDominator9 wrote:
2 years ago
Which streaming service is this show on?
HBO. That's where all the adult live-action DC content usually goes.
Dogfish may want to put that in the thread title.
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Good idea, I have amended the title.

Been mulling over the show waiting on the new episodes, and thinking on how refreshing it is to watch a show where I don't really know what's going to happen. Most superhero stuff, you know the drill, but this one? No idea what is going on. No real idea who the goodies or the baddies really are, I mean Waller is dubious at the best of times and The Vigilante is essentially just a serial killer at this point. The ties to print comics seem tenuous at best, which is great, there's enough there for a little hint, but nothing to give the game away.
Spoiler
Also, I really liked that Peacemaker was upset about killing Flag in The Suicide Squad. Like, genuinely grieving about it. You don't see that sort of humanity in characters very often, and it makes (and I can't believe I'm typing this) a character played by John Cena whose best friend is an actual fricking eagle very compelling. There's some very strong nurture and nature stuff going on in that thick skull of Peacemaker's and it's fascinating to watch. The way Cena commits to everything is great too. I've never been particularly big into wrestling but it's immediately obvious why he was great at it, he sells the impacts so well, from a knife to the chest to an uncomfortable realisation.
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shevek
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Good amendment - you might also want to put '2022'.

The Vigilante character? They pretty much destroyed him. Nothing like the actual Adrian Chase in comics or in Arrow. A white beta cross between "Deadpool and Ambush Bug" (to quote a Youtuber).

[It just so happens that at Heroineburgh we are about to introduce a character called Vigilanta who is a renegade law enforcement official, and is a blend between Vigilante, Batwoman and Nightwing, but very much a Gotham-like figure. This is a total coincidence as I didn't even know Vigilante was in the Peacemaker series until a few days ago...but I guess we're just being very zeitgeisty. At least our character is going to be integral in every way that the Peacemaker Vigilante is not.]

The tenuous ties to comics are more than right. Amanda Waller has *plenty of children* to choose from in the comics. Her three daughters are named Coretta Waller, Claudia Patterson, and Celine Patterson (see this link: https://comicvine.gamespot.com/amanda-waller/4005-4920/ ). Gunn could have used any one of those names, but he deliberately chose "Leota Adebayo", suggesting that Waller had some random fling with a Nigerian. He also made Leota the co-lead of the series, and you'll see that when she keeps getting inordinate amounts of screen time. There is a purpose to that, which Gunn outlines here: https://www.ign.com/articles/peacemaker ... ite-dragon

It would have more a lot more sense to make Harcourt the romantic co-lead. But as usual, one must subvert expectations.
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Question:


Can Cena act? I have not been too impressed with wrestlers turned actors: Hogan, Dave Bautisa etc

Rock is overrated in my opinion. The late Roddy Piper was very good in Highlander the series and Bret Hart was in Lonesome Dove.

Thoughts
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DrDominator9
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Cena can be charming and funny given a good script so I'm hopeful. He's also fearless as an actor, taking situations that are beyond embarrassing and making them hilarious. His work in the movie "Blockers" is what I'm thinking of, in that regard.
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Dogfish
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DrDominator9 wrote:
2 years ago
Cena can be charming and funny given a good script so I'm hopeful. He's also fearless as an actor, taking situations that are beyond embarrassing and making them hilarious. His work in the movie "Blockers" is what I'm thinking of, in that regard.
Yeah this is what is striking about him in Peacemaker, he is going for it. Whatever the scene says to do, there is not one atom of Cena's being that is not 100% committed to it.

Which I think is kind of how he has to go, I mean the guy looks like an action figure he can't realistically pretend to be a normal person.
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A geeky superhero show with sex toys...I will admit I have not watched a single episode of Peacemaker yet but it sounds fun!! Speaking of geeky girls getting toy'd to major orgasm, there is a line of naughty nerdy vibrators and dildos/plugs including The HULK dildo and Thor's Moan inher dildo handled Hammer to ham her!! Hahaha....It is a great time to be alive where sex toys are so mainstream that there is a full Guardians of the Galaxy line!!! So I take it a kinky girl like me will like Peacemaker??? Cena's body is certainly easy on the eyes but what about the chic's?? Any hotties in this one worth succumbing to the power of the Drilldo??
Dogfish
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Four episodes in and I have to say, I have not skipped the title sequence once. This is unprecedented.
Dogfish
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Still not skipping those titles.

This show is very, very good. Also I like that they made Peacemaker a genius level weapons inventor.
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Mr. X
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I'm not sure why they are obsessed with a small group of people who have no real political power and are losers living out of single wides.
Dogfish
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Holy crap that episode got dark.
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So it stuck the ending. It's getting a new season. I'm looking forward to seeing the new dance.
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Mr. X
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Spoiler
I'm thinking maybe the reason the blonde girl didn't get murdered was a butterfly flew into her and is hiding
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shevek
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If you think about it, the finale of Peacemaker Season 1 is almost exactly the same thematically as the end of
Stargirl Season 1:
Spoiler
A bunch of ragtag overconfident misfits overthrow the master plan of a group of morally righteous supervillains to impose vast improvements on the world through force and guile.
Oh, and also, Mr. James Gunn: "Libertarianism" is not "neo-fascist". kthxbi.
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Mr. X
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shevek wrote:
2 years ago
Oh, and also, Mr. James Gunn: "Libertarianism" is not "neo-fascist". kthxbi.
Huh? Where does that come from? Gunn said that? Clearly someone doesn't know what libertarian is.
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shevek
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Mr. X wrote:
2 years ago
shevek wrote:
2 years ago
Oh, and also, Mr. James Gunn: "Libertarianism" is not "neo-fascist". kthxbi.
Huh? Where does that come from? Gunn said that? Clearly someone doesn't know what libertarian is.
He put it in the mouth of Adebayo in the final episode. She literally called Peacemaker a "neo-fascist libertarian".
It was like watching a panelist on The View or a commentator from CNN concoct a word salad. :)

But on the other hand, things were rather balanced otherwise:
Spoiler
Adebayo did save the day by killing the "final boss" (aka the cow), but Peacemaker was the one who triggered her helmet's "human torpedo" function so he gets the credit for ingenuity. And Peacemaker saved the hot damsel in distress, for which Harcourt was quite grateful, clutching his hand in the hospital. I hope those two get it on in Season 2 - they are an alpha couple, kind of like a Hawkeye and Black Widow vibe.
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Mr. X
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shevek wrote:
2 years ago
He put it in the mouth of Adebayo in the final episode. She literally called Peacemaker a "neo-fascist libertarian".
It was like watching a panelist on The View or a commentator from CNN concoct a word salad. :)
I swear there are people out there who think "Not on my team... must be Nazis"
Libertarian IS LEFT. Holy crap. There is no right wing libertarian by the classical definition of left and right. Its by definition anti-authoritarian.
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Cut it out. No politics.
sensualbarbarian
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Libertarian here refers to neo liberalism - the right wing libertarianism of Ronald Reagan and new right politics of the 80s. Its doesnt mean libertarianism in the leftist sense which implies being more liberal or progressive if not more or less anarchist.
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Mr. X
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sensualbarbarian wrote:
2 years ago
Libertarian here refers to neo liberalism - the right wing libertarianism of Ronald Reagan and new right politics of the 80s. Its doesnt mean libertarianism in the leftist sense which implies being more liberal or progressive if not more or less anarchist.
There is no right wing libertarian. But lets leave this alone since its politics. PM me if you want an explanation of why this is not libertarian.
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This is not simple enough for you is it?

If you want to pat yourselves on the back about how much smarter you are than everybody else find another forum.
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I think what we can all agree on is that Economus has one of the highest kill counts on the show, including a superpowered gorilla, and it was cool that he survived. I thought he was going to die a very silly death at the end.
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Mr. X
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Dogfish wrote:
2 years ago
I think what we can all agree on is that Economus has one of the highest kill counts on the show, including a superpowered gorilla, and it was cool that he survived. I thought he was going to die a very silly death at the end.
Plus he took down Judo Master.
Dogfish
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Damn I forgot that one. He's surely in contention to be the most combat-effective member of the team. Which considering he considers himself to be a coward is great going.
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Mr. X
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Dogfish wrote:
2 years ago
Damn I forgot that one. He's surely in contention to be the most combat-effective member of the team. Which considering he considers himself to be a coward is great going.
And he put a white supremacist leader in prison. Plus he can destroy people with computer hacking. The guy is a nuke. He also survived being mass attacked by butterflies. Neck beards unite!!!!
Dogfish
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He cannot be stopped. That man will be after Waller's job in season two.
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shevek
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Dogfish wrote:
2 years ago
He cannot be stopped. That man will be after Waller's job in season two.
But if you recall from the Season 1 finale....
Spoiler
Adebayo is already "after Waller's job" in Season 1. She exposes Project X to the public on TV - which would be a huge scandal for any administration - but this avenue is not further explored, and they just go back to the personal lives of the characters instead.
If we don't see the serious consequences of that action in Season 2, something is wrong with the writing.
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I expect Waller will want to have a word.
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Mr. X
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The show actually is kind of lack luster for me.
Spoiler
First Peacemaker is a HUGE guy. Someone that jacked isn't going to be a push over. I'd love to see him do more just hulk rampage people. He did shotgun a bunch but in almost all the fights he just gets hammered.

Secondly Vigilante makes no sense to me. Peacemaker is already the comedy relief then along comes Vigilante who has nearly the same skill set being more of a comedy relief. And the guy is beyond clueless. He can't even grasp simple concepts. I could see maybe him being an almost pure psychopathic serial killer who just happens to kill bad guys and they play on that but he just comes off as the dumber version of Peacemaker who's already a dumb guy.
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I think the joke was made pretty well in The Suicide Squad that guys with Peacemaker's skillset are a dime a dozen.
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A superhero story needs a good villain, and this didn't have one.

Okay, sure, it's not really serious, but this story just unraveled at the end like nobody really wanted to knit a sweater anyway.
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Mr. X
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I agree Imagineer. Peacemaker's dad could have been that bad guy and maybe the final confrontation could have been him having to kill his dad but the bad guys weren't really bad guys. It seems the show is more "antics" than anything else.
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Spoiler
I did love the pod-people aliens pointing and screeching like 1979's Body Snatchers. OTOH, that made me wish these aliens weren't so dumb.
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I thought the way the story shook out made sense because it was such a C-list threat being dealt with by D-list heroes. Not everything has to be very high stakes, and this adventure surely wasn't. Even the Justice League were late.
sensualbarbarian
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Personally I am not a fan of political rants on shows, even if they are correct. Id rather a political point be made through the telling of the story and flow of events rather than giving a boring speech.
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