Peacemaker Season 2 Turns A Promising DC Universe Hero Into A Villain

Spoilers for "Peacemaker" season 2 follow.

If there's a central antagonist in "Peacemaker" season 2, it's General Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), new director of the Advanced Research Group of The United States (A.R.G.U.S.). Yet even though he's been instigating the conflicts this season, I haven't really thought of him as a "villain." After all, Peacemaker/Christopher Smith (John Cena) did kill the general's son, Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman). Can you not see why Flag wants revenge for that and is relentless in pursuing it? 

To recap: Peacemaker was placed on Task Force X back during "The Suicide Squad" for a mission to South American nation Corto Maltese. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), head of Task Force X, wanted the squad to destroy evidence of American crimes against humanity in a base on the island; she put Peacemaker on the team because, in his ideological dedication to "keeping the peace," he's the one she could trust to destroy the data. When Flag Jr. discovered the truth, he wanted to whistle blow. He and Peacemaker got in a fight, and Chris stabbed Flag in the heart.

Now, we know that this murder was a turning point for Chris and one of his biggest regrets. He admired Flag as a "hero," and Flag's last words ("Peacemaker... what a joke...") hit Chris hard. We also know, from watching "Peacemaker" season 1, that Chris has grown into a better man. But even if Flag knows that, guilt and growth are little consolation; the better man Chris is now is still and will always be the man who killed his "Ricky."

Plus, when Flag debuted back in the animated "Creature Commandos," he was a pretty heroic guy just like his son. He was more neutral in "Superman," but still skeptical of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). In "Peacemaker," though, Flag tips over into the dark side and not just because this is a story told from the perspective of the man he hates the most.

"Creature Commandos" established that Flag Sr. had been retired, but he resumed active duty to fill his late son's role at A.R.G.U.S. He was put in charge of Task Force M, Waller's newest team of Belle Reve prisoners turned secret operatives, i.e. the titular Creature Commandos. On a team with the Bride of Frankenstein, translucent nuclear man Doctor Phosphorus and nazi-killing robot, Flag was the straight man.

He wound up being seduced and deceived by Ilana Rostovic (Maria Bakalova), princess of Pokolistan and aspiring world conqueror, but he had good intentions. In "Peacemaker," Flag is once more led astray by personal feelings.

First, he essentially blackmails Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) into selling out Peacemaker by offering to remove her from U.S. intelligence agencies' blacklist. Once he and A.R.G.U.S. do arrest Peacemaker, Flag viciously beats him in a holding room. (Chris doesn't fight back, acknowledging Flag has a right to be angry with him.) If Chris hadn't been booked into the system, it's suggested Flag would've outright killed or "disappeared" him.

The turning point for Flag, though, is in episode 6, "Ignorance is Chris," when he makes a deal with Luthor. Flag doesn't just want revenge from Peacemaker, he wants his dimension hopping Quantum Unfolding Chamber (Q.U.C.). Why? To find a dimension where the U.S. government can send metahuman prisoners, forever, like a black site between worlds. "Superman" suggested Flag was growing paranoid about metahumans getting more power and this pays off that thread.

In "Full Nelson," A.R.G.U.S. finds their prison with the unspoiled but habitable forest world, "Salvation." Flag spends the episode yucking it up with Luthor's lackeys and, in the final scene of the season, sends an abducted Peacemaker through the portal to Salvation as its first prisoner. I went into this season thinking that Rick Flag was an honorable man justified in pursuing revenge against Peacemaker, only for the season to slowly convince me otherwise.

"Peacemaker" is streaming on HBO Max.