Peacemaker – Like a Keith in the Night review S2 E7
Like a Keith in the Night felt like writer James Gunn putting a mirror up to viewers who were patting themselves on the back for figuring out Chris’ ideal world long before the reveal. This episode had even bigger surprises and two tremendous performances that won’t get acknowledged by award voters but absolutely warrant consideration.
Ads is still on the run from the lynch mob, but Keith gets called away by Auggie to deal with the situation at home. That situation of course, being that Economos spilled all the beans about the 11th Street Kids coming through to Earth-X and causing all kinds of chaos.
Most of the character actions in Like a Keith in the Night made perfect sense. Ads seeking to get away from the mob by jumping into a swimming pool was not. Clearly, this was all in service of one of the more satisfying moments in Like a Keith when Judomaster showed up with a telephone line to electrocute the pool mob.
Similar to most characters, Judomaster has been far more tolerable in Season 2 and isn’t so over the top silly. He and Ads have some unexpected bonding time shacked up in a house he found where the owners are out of town. The house being full of snacks might have had something to do with his choice of hideouts as well.
True to form, Ads makes any scene with any character better as she tries to explain why Chris is actually a cool dude and her best friend. Even if he is a bit clueless at times.
Harcourt gets on Chris for missing all of the obvious signs like Mein Kampf on every desk at ARGUS and the big mural of Hitler on the wall. That was good for a laugh, but Chris isn’t that oblivious. They escape via his very shaky handle on his jetpack, and they drive off in the Peace Cycle, which Chris wants to take back with him.
Auggie wants Keith calm. There’s no need for him to lose it even if their Chris is dead. Like a Keith in the Night had some wild dialogue, but one of the weirdest was Auggie telling Keith that he ran into his doppelgänger, who was cruel like he was from a dark version of their world.
Consider Auggie, who is on a world where the Nazis won World War II, thinks that his doppelgänger is from a darker world? Nazi-rules world or not, Auggie doesn’t want anyone knowing about the portal so they’ve got to deal with Chris and Harcourt.
Auggie and Keith track them down just as a squad of police cars manage to box them in. There’s no time to explain so they’ve just gun them down. This would prove to be very interesting later on.
Gunn has shown tremendous restraint in two seasons so working in a Terminator line delivered by Robert Patrick felt fitting.
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Back at the Smith household, Auggie actually lets Chris explain what happened. He’s surprisingly logical and compassionate with how he speaks to both Keith and Chris.
Harcourt catches that as well and says, “That’s awfully generous for a Nazi.” Auggie doesn’t want to be called that at all and commends Chris and Harcourt for being able to fight every injustice in their world. These kinds of stinging lines in Like a Keith in the Night land because the 11th St Kids know the truth is the kind of evil displayed in this world is just better at hiding it. Mostly.
This conversation gets interrupted by the police, who want to talk with Chris about the incident at ARGUS. Ads and Judomaster are watching this from the tree line when the two Vigilantes appear. They’re unbothered by the cops and are fine killing them. Judomaster is fine with that suggestion as well.
Ads gets them to try a sneakier approach. Auggie talks Keith down, acknowledging that their Chris had some major issues. This can all be smoothed out once the others arrive and they can go back to their world with no more trouble.
And then Vigilante crashed through the window and brutally stabs Auggie to death. Chris is horrified and can only offer up a weak “Guys, I don’t think he was a Nazi.”
An enraged Keith wants revenge and charges at Chris, who gets saved from a kill shot by Eagly and the others. They started piling on him with some punches and stabs prompting Chris to scream at them to let him go. He’s flooded by the most traumatic moments in his life — killing Keith as a child, killing Auggie as an adult and killing Rick Flag Jr.
Chris is in shock as he says “It’s not your world that’s right or wrong. It’s me.” This is the moment that this season has been building to — Chris facing his demons and finding himself lacking. It’s an incredible scene and John Cena absolutely nailed it. Cena isn’t gonna get any love from critic groups for this performance, but this was tremendous.
Ads pulls at him to go through the portal as Harcourt gets a gun and explains she can’t have Keith coming for Chris later when the police advance. Earth-X Vigilante keeps the police occupied, while Harcourt heads through the portal.
Back on the main Earth, Rick Flag Sr. brought Lex Luthor’s dimensional portal expert Sydney Happersen (Stephen Blackehart) into the fold so he could track Peacemaker and the others. Sydney has some good moments and has no trouble tracking down the portal while admiring the lack of degradation with this access port.
When the 11th Street Kids and Judomaster arrive, ARGUS is waiting for them. Chris takes all the blame saying that the gang came to get him and convinced him to turn the portal device over to Flag. Judomaster signs off on this account suggesting that he has come to develop some level of respect for the 11th Street crew. As the ARGUS car speeds off, Chris is in the back considering the mess he’s made of his life.
Like a Keith in the Night was a fantastic episode that really delivered in tying up some subplots while having Chris take an unflinching look in the mirror and desperately not trying to turn away.
Rating: 10 out of 10
After watching Like a Keith in the Night, check out the Peacemaker Season 2 Soundtrack available now on Amazon.
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