Peacemaker Recap: Alt-Wrong

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This week’s big reveal on *Peacemaker* wasn’t much of a surprise. From the moment Chris entered that strange, perfect-seeming alternate reality, it was obvious something wasn’t right-even before we found out this world’s Beatles included Mick Jagger! If you’ve been following the story closely, or avoided online discussions, you might have missed what’s been right in front of us all along. The lack of diversity in this alternate version of Evergreen isn’t just a casting oversight. It turns out the Nazis won World War II in this universe, and have completely reshaped the United States to the point where people of color simply don’t exist in everyday life.

Knowing the story takes a very dark turn might be difficult for viewers, “Ignorance Is Chris” balances it with plenty of humor. Harcourt, Adebayo, Economos, and Adrian agree to go to Alt-Evergreen to bring Chris home, and as they enter this new world, they try to make sense of their surroundings. At first, the differences seem minor – like a slight misspelling on a cereal box, similar to the Mandela Effect.

After Keith discovers her, Harcourt tries to trick him by pretending to be the other Emilia, and surprisingly, a crude joke distracts him enough to work. This allows her to get a ride to A.R.G.U.S. headquarters, where she and Chris finally have an honest conversation about their feelings. Chris admits he’s in love with her, and Harcourt confesses she already suspected, but is too confused to understand her own emotions. She really needs to figure things out, but just then, the other Emilia arrives, and instead of talking things through, she’s determined to confront her mysterious double.

While that’s happening, Adrian goes looking for his alternate self and unexpectedly makes a new friend. This version of Adrian shares the same quirky tastes as our Adrian – he loves shag carpet, the color teal, and Malt-O-Meal. However, there’s a big difference: he *hates* Peacemaker. “That’s why I joined the Sons of Liberty,” he says, offering a new perspective on the terrorist group Chris destroyed earlier in the series.

Thankfully, this story shows not everyone is a hateful Nazi, because the 11th Street Kids are going to face serious challenges. When Adebayo goes for a walk to think, she’s immediately met with an angry crowd who are upset to see a Black woman in their neighborhood. Keith yells, “One got out!” as the mob chases her, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats at the end of the episode.

It’s highly unlikely Chris would choose to remain in a reality where he’s celebrated as part of a white supremacist superhero group. Despite his personal struggles, we’ve seen enough evidence of his good character to know he wouldn’t tolerate such extreme injustice. However, even if his friends, the 11th Street Kids, succeed in fighting the Nazis on their journey home, they may be unprepared for what awaits them. Meanwhile, desperate to find Peacemaker, Rick Flag Sr. makes a risky move and seeks help from the notorious Lex Luthor.

Nicholas Hoult, who previously played Superman, seems to enjoy delivering the much more mature and edgy dialogue that wouldn’t have been allowed in the PG-13 rated summer movie. Lex agrees to let A.R.G.U.S. use a device to locate Chris’ portal, but only after some negotiation. While going back to the quantum chamber might not be ideal, being stuck in a Nazi-controlled universe is far worse, and facing an A.R.G.U.S. team wouldn’t be a warm welcome home either.

Stray Bullets

This movie is James Gunn’s version of Earth-X, a different universe within DC Comics where the Nazis won World War II. Earth-X has a rich backstory you can explore further here.

The final shot before the opening credits shows Keith raising his middle three fingers, and it makes me wonder if this is a subtle hint about the alternate universe being slightly wrong. Recently, that same three-finger gesture has been recognized as a symbol of hate. It might also be a nod to a tense scene in Quentin Tarantino’s *Inglourious Basterds*, where a similar difference in the fingers raised is crucial to the plot.

It really struck me how even within a shared language, misunderstandings can happen. There’s this hilarious moment where Economos completely loses it when Adebayo gives a friendly wave to the alien – apparently, the peace sign is considered a really rude gesture in England! It just highlights how easily things can get lost in translation, even when you *think* you’re speaking the same language.

Alt-Auggie briefly mentioned that Alt-Chris went through difficult times before improving himself. We didn’t see much of Alt-Chris before our Chris killed him, but I’m curious if we’ll find out more about his backstory before the season is over.

By agreeing to assist A.R.G.U.S., Lex Luthor has arranged a transfer from the Belle Reeve prison in Louisiana to Van Kull in Metropolis-a facility not equipped to handle individuals with superpowers. This move likely foreshadows events in James Gunn’s upcoming *Superman: Man of Tomorrow* film, and could potentially impact the story even sooner.

I’m still wondering if Chris and Alt-Harcourt actually slept together. If they did, it opens up a lot of difficult issues that the show doesn’t seem to be aware of, and definitely doesn’t have time to explore properly before it ends.

• “We Spider-Man memed!”

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2025-09-26 16:56