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Peacemaker S2E7 | Earth X, Raw Consequences, and John Cena’s Best Performance Yet

Challenge Accepted

Release Date: 10/03/2025

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In our last solo review before the finale, Frank breaks down Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 7, “Like a Thief in the Night.” We cover how the Earth X arc reframes the team’s choices, why Adebayo finally steps from reactive to proactive, the surprising nuance to Augie in a fascist world, and how Vigilante’s sacrifice resets the board for the finale. We also talk about the episode’s strongest character beats, where the mechanics show, and why John Cena’s work this season stands out as his best to date.

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Timestamps and Topics

  • 00:00 Intro, episode plan, and what’s coming for the finale

  • 00:44 Dropped into Earth X and the Argus escape

  • 01:09 Adebayo and Judo Master connect, seeing the world for what it is

  • 03:06 Team regroups with two Vigilantes, plans the house infiltration

  • 04:16 A different Augie in a different world, and what that says about DCU Augie

  • 06:15 Chris vs. the past he can’t outrun

  • 07:14 Keith’s near-death, Chris’s breaking point, and a choice with consequences

  • 08:27 The portal sequence, who stays behind, and what it sets up

  • 09:10 John Cena’s leap from Season 1 to now

  • 09:52 What worked: real consequences, character-first storytelling, grounded stakes

  • 15:44 Where it stumbles: mechanical connectors and limited Earth X texture

  • 17:26 Performance shoutouts: Holland, Brooks, and scene craft

  • 18:42 Why this is a perfect penultimate chapter and what we want from the finale

Key Takeaways

  • Earth X is a mirror, not a gimmick. The episode uses the setting to highlight privilege, hate, and willful blindness, pushing Chris to confront what he doesn’t see until it’s too late.

  • Adebayo steps up. She’s the glue when she’s active, not reactive. This is her most decisive episode of the season, rallying the team and reframing her personal accountability.

  • Augie’s complexity lands. In a world that validates him, Augie isn’t “better,” but he’s different. That contrast sheds light on how alienation hardened DCU Augie.

  • Consequences feel real. Death is on the table, choices cost something, and quiet character beats carry more weight than the explosions around them.

  • Cena levels up. The grief and surrender scenes rank among the season’s best acting, selling Chris as a broken man trying to do one right thing.

  • Minor stumbles. A few transitions feel mechanical and Earth X’s texture could use more on-screen shading to heighten anxiety and stakes.

Quotes

  • “This episode is character first, even when the world is exploding around them.”

  • “Adebayo works best when she’s leading, not reacting.”

  • “Augie isn’t redeemed here, he’s contextualized. The world that embraced him made a different monster.”

  • “Cena’s performance turns Chris into a man who can finally look his guilt in the eye.”

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Listener Questions

What do you think Earth X reveals about Chris that the main timeline couldn’t? Where do you want Adebayo, Harcourt, and Vigilante to land after the finale? Send your thoughts and questions for next week’s wrap-up, and we’ll feature a few on the show.

Apple Podcast Tags: Peacemaker Season 2, DCU, James Gunn, John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Vigilante, Adebayo, Harcourt, Earth X, Argus, TV review, superhero TV, geek culture