This article contains spoilers for episode 3 of Peacemaker Season 2.
The concept of alternate timelines or jumping back and forth between time is one that’s been explored to death in media. We’ve had Dark, Source Code, The Time Machine, I could go on. So when it became clear that Peacemaker Season 2’s central conceit would be about Chris jumping into an alternate dimension where he could have the life he’s always wanted, I wasn’t exactly impressed. And yet, as the show’s first three episodes have proven thus far, you can get away with anything as long as the writing and the characters are good. And that is absolutely the case with Peacemaker.
In the show’s third episode, we finally get to see Chris properly explore the alternate dimension where his brother and father are still alive and share a healthy family dynamic with him. In this world, Peacemaker is beloved by the public. He’s seen as a hero. More importantly, though, this is also a timeline where he actually gets the girl.
Whereas in our dimension, Harcourt rejects him and says they’ll never be a thing, in this alternate reality, they already were a thing and Chris has a very good chance of fixing things with her. When Chris reaches out to this alternate version of Harcourt, we learn that their relationship came to an end of his own doing. It’s implied that he cheated on her frequently, was arrogant, and would put her down for the tiniest things. Our version of Chris is way better than that, though, and we see that he’s shocked to hear these things and resolves to be better for her.
When Harcourt sees that he’s sincere, she’s inclined to give him a chance. Once again, it’s testament to how good John Cena’s performance is as Chris, because he totally sells how grateful he is to even have this chance. After spending a whole season coming to terms with his toxic masculinity and the trauma it stems from, and being brave enough to express romantic feelings and getting shut down for reasons he can’t know (but we do, and it’s unfortunate), we as the audience can’t help but root for him in this alternate dimension. He’s doing his best to turn over a new leaf and he deserves some happiness for that, doesn’t he?
And yet, because the concept of alternate timelines has already been explored to death, we know how this will end. As perfect as this dimension might seem, we can’t forget what it cost Chris to get here. He’s already killed his alternate self, which I’m sure must have some serious repercussions in the world of Peacemaker. There’s also ARGUS to contend with in our world, and most importantly, the biggest lesson that all main protagonists must learn in stories about longing for an alternate universe: never forget about the happiness you do have in your original timeline.
As imperfect as our world might be, it’s still where the 11th Street Kids were born, and there’s no way this season is ending in any way other than Chris coming to terms with the fact that he’s not meant to be in this alternate world. I’m sure there’ll be some twists along the way but I’m already seeing the big plot points play out in my head. And yet, I’ll continue to root for Chris to find some way to hold on to the happiness he has in this alternate dimension. After all, the best stories hinge on hope, no matter how futile it may be.
Peacemaker is now available for streaming on HBO Max.
