The Peacemaker Season 2 finale has landed, and the immediate reaction is a mix of applause and major disappointment. Honestly, the whole debate boils down to one simple question: Who set the bar too high? Was it us, the DC Universe (DCU) fans, or was it James Gunn, the guy running the whole show? I think the truth is somewhere in the middle, showing a real tug-of-war between the show’s genuinely heartfelt story and the enormous hype it was carrying.
The Blame Game: Fans vs. Creator
You see both sides throwing shade right now. Some fans are furious at people "trashing" the finale just because it wasn't crammed with surprise DCU cameos. These critics argue that the complainers never cared about the main characters or the plot and just wanted a viral moment to tweet about. They have a point. Gunn's style has always been about flawed protagonists and found families, and those themes were spot-on and deeply effective this season. The emotional core was absolutely there.
But then you have the equally valid viewpoint from the disappointed viewers. Many of us didn't have high expectations when the Peacemaker series started. Our anticipation skyrocketed because the showrunner himself, the architect of the entire DC Universe, kept promising "huge surprises" and cinematic events for the Season 2 finale. When the guy in charge sets that kind of precedent, whose fault is it when the episode doesn't deliver a Justice League moment? We were essentially given permission to expect the impossible.
The Gunn Factor: Is It Time To Recalibrate?
The conflict really comes down to James Gunn's dual role. His excitement for Peacemaker was pure and understandable. He created a show that made an obscure character a household name almost overnight, and he was working on it alongside his wife. That’s a personal win he was clearly stoked to celebrate. But that passion led him to overpromise on spectacle.
He told us the final episodes were too secret to screen for the press and were some of the "best he's ever done." That is high praise that set the bar through the roof for the Peacemaker finale. What we got was a personal, dark plot point: the reveal of Salvation, a metahuman prison dimension, and the sudden, awful abduction of Peacemaker. While the emotional journey was great—I truly enjoyed the finale as an ending for the Season 2 character arc and loved the season as a whole—it just wasn't the external event we were promised. I find it hard to swallow the idea that fans are to blame when the leader of DC Studios framed the conclusion this way.
Why the Ending Felt Like a Letdown (To Some)
The finale's best moments were the team bonding ones: Adebayo's heartfelt speeches, the true connection between Chris and Harcourt, and the hopeful start of their new team, Checkmate. But this emotional high point made the actual ending feel like a total gut-punch.
The story gave Christopher Smith everything he fought for—acceptance, love, purpose—only to snatch it all away in the last two minutes to set up the wider DCU narrative via the Salvation cliffhanger. Plus, the episode felt messy in places. The long-running "Argus Has To Catch Peacemaker" plot and the moments where Economos and the crew riffed a little too long dragged things down.
Ultimately, the finale served as satisfying conclusion to Peacemaker and I got no vibes of an aggressive, mandatory setup for the next major DCU project, like the upcoming Superman movie. It was great character work with an uneven conclusion that shows just how tricky it is to balance a personal story with the pressure of launching a cinematic universe.
Looking Ahead: Hope for the DCU's Pilot Episode
While the finale was a mixed bag of great character work and frustrating plotting, I still believe this entire season was essentially a giant, eight-hour pilot for the new DCU. It showed that James Gunn is still figuring out how to drive this massive ship, balancing the small, intimate stories he loves with the necessary big-picture setups. The fact that he's willing to sacrifice immediate applause for a long-term narrative payoff like Salvation proves he has a plan that extends far beyond a single season.
The foundation is solid: we have a fully realized hero in Peacemaker, and a great new team in Checkmate. I have loved all of Gunn's previous work, and his core themes remain heartfelt and important. Despite the finale's stumbles, I still have immense hope that the best is yet to come for the new DCU.
But what do YOU think? Did you love the finale? Sound off below!