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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
For Peacemaker, it is not the size of the adventure but the impact that it holds.
The fourth episode of James Gunn’s DC Comics action comedy-drama superhero television series, Peacemaker Season 1 is titled, “The Choad Less Traveled”. It is written by Gunn and directed by Jody Hill (Observe and Report, Vice Principals, The Righteous Gemstones).
In this review, I will be discussing Peacemaker Season 1 Episode 4. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion to avoid any possible revelations.
Plot Synopsis
According to WarnerMedia, here is the synopsis for Peacemaker Season 1 Episode 4.
After a somewhat successful mission, Murn recruits Vigilante, who goes out of his way to prove his loyalty. Meanwhile, Peacemaker grapples with the team’s role in landing his father in prison… before facing an epic rematch with Judomaster.
WarnerMedia
The Cast of This Week’s Peacemaker
As usual, John Cena portrays Christopher Smith/ Peacemaker, while Robert Patrick plays the character’s father, August “Auggie” Smith/ White Dragon.
Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, and Steve Agee play respective members of Project Butterfly: Leota Adebayo, Emilia Harcourt, and John Economos. Chukwudi Iwuji plays the group leader, Clemson Murn.
Freddie Stroma portrays Adrian Chase/ Vigilante, while Nhut Le portrays Judomaster. Mel Tuck plays Auggie’s neighbor.
Annie Chang appears as Evergreen police detective Sophie Song, while Lochlyn Munro plays her police partner, Larry Fitzgibbon.
Discussion
“The Choad Less Traveled” makes it clear the direction that the DC Extended Universe is headed. The jokes try to land, and unless you are Peacemaker himself, they are bound to fall hard. It’s all complete nonsense, which is essentially what the Peacemaker series is all about. For example, one character makes a joke about ducks but is irrelevant to the situation at hand. Mind you, it isn’t a terrible joke but it tries hard to get a laugh out of me.
Peacemaker himself makes a serious statement about character development and compares it to penile functioning. The analogies are troubling; we know why it’s there, but there could be more intelligent dialogue in the writing.
Greg D’Auria’s editing is an acceptable element of the episode. Enough happens within the ~47 minutes that I feel like should neither be truncated nor added to.
Alongside the comedy aspect of the series, the drama seems to be well-done. It is difficult to love someone whose entire human growth, milieu, etc. emanates from hate. For Peacemaker to believe his father can change is the most difficult thing to watch in this episode. In our socio-political world, that just isn’t something that’s feasible, now more than ever before.
Performances and Character Developments
Cena continues to make peace where the peace proves almost impossible to achieve. In last year’s The Suicide Squad, the actor played Peacemaker to be a villain I grew to hate to the end. However, that all goes away in this show when you see where he draws the line. We see that he faces loads of trauma, and it isn’t just from an ally that he had killed.
Peacemaker’s trauma is recovered when he realizes the type of person that his father really is. Patrick is truly terrifying, and even if you have seen Terminator 2: Judgment Day, you are not prepared for the White Dragon. The character represents an evil that has been around longer than technology. He is not someone you should estimate. As of now, we barely see him kill, but we do see his influence on others.
Stroma’s character, Vigilante, is growing on me — no pun intended — because there is a hint of cruelty inside of him. He is loyal to his supposed partner-in-crime, Peacemaker, and the members of Project Butterfly. The character fights well but tends to make bad choices. Still, unlike the White Dragon, that type of personality is purely a human trait that we all have. Everyone makes mistakes, but it is the contribution to the larger matter that counts most.
I also like Brooks’s development as Adebayo throughout this episode. Somewhere in the first three episodes, we learn that she has a connection to Viola Davis’s Amanda Waller. In this episode, we see that Adebayo is a different kind of individual. She has morals and beliefs that she has to deal with.
Final Thoughts
Following last week’s three-episode series premiere, Gunn attempts to balance all the hits and misses in this Peacemaker episode. If “The Choad Less Traveled” title itself was not an indication, by some stroke of luck, I can say that this fourth episode of the show is not bad at all. There are twists and turns all over, from the ones who call the shots and the ones who take it.
This episode is not perfect, but I also cannot say that it is completely terrible. The writing, the direction, the acting, and the musical composition all have some redeemable qualities about them that I believe are worth commending. Already at the halfway point, I believe Peacemaker will somehow get better from here. The improvements might just take some time to come about.
The first four episodes of James Gunn’s DC Comics television series, Peacemaker, are now on HBO Max!
Have you seen this television series? If so, what are your thoughts? Let us know! For more action, comedy, drama, and superhero-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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