The second season of Peacemaker concluded with an emotional and game-changing finale. The episode, titled “Full Nelson,” provided a major turning point for John Cena’s Christopher Smith while setting the stage for the future of the DC Universe. While fans finally got answers to the season’s biggest relationship mystery, the ending took a dark turn that leaves Peacemaker’s fate uncertain.
The Final Mission and a New Beginning
After the traumatic events in the alternate Nazi world, a depressed Chris Smith believes he is an “angel of death” cursed to bring harm to everyone close to him. He turns himself in to the police, convinced that his friends will be safer without him. However, the 11th Street Kids refuse to give up on him. In a heartfelt intervention, they bail him out and convince him that the tragedies in his life are not his fault. Leota Adebayo tells him, “I believe in miracles because of you. I saw an eagle hug a human!”
This moment of support and unity leads the team, along with former A.R.G.U.S. associates Sasha Bordeaux and Langston Fleury, to use Vigilante’s recovered blood money to start their own independent organization. They name it Checkmate, a spy agency dedicated to making the world better, free from government control.
Rick Flag’s Revenge and the Prison Planet
While Chris was finding hope, Rick Flag Sr. was finalizing a secret plan. With the help of Lex Luthor’s old cronies, Flag used the Quantum Unfolding Chamber (QUC) not to find resources, but to locate a distant, habitable planet. He reveals his intention to use this world, which he names Salvation, as an inescapable prison for metahumans.
Flag’s motivations are deeply personal. He holds Peacemaker responsible for the death of his son, Rick Flag Jr., in “The Suicide Squad.” In the finale’s closing moments, Flag has Chris abducted. He forges Chris’s signature to make it appear he “volunteered” to be Salvation’s first test subject. “This is for Ricky, you piece of shit,” Flag says as he shuts the portal door, leaving Chris stranded alone on the alien planet with nothing but the shirt on his back. The episode ends with the sounds of monstrous growls in the distance, suggesting Chris is far from safe.
The Night on the Boat Finally Explained
A major character thread was resolved as the show finally revealed what truly happened on the “night on the boat” between Chris and Emilia Harcourt. In a flashback, we see that after a drunken night, they stumbled upon a rock cruise by the early-90s duo Nelson. They shared a dance, a quick kiss, and a genuine moment of connection. Back in the present, Harcourt finally drops her tough exterior and admits the truth to Chris: “Of course it did, you fucking asshole. It meant everything.” This confession gives Chris a rare moment of happiness before his world comes crashing down.
The Music of the Finale
As with every episode, music played a key role. The finale featured several tracks, including “Someone Special” by Hardcore Superstar and “Fucking My Heart in the Ass” by Steel Panther. The episode also included two significant on-screen performances: a stripped-down version of “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and a powerful live performance of the season’s theme song, “Oh Lord” by Foxy Shazam, during the Checkmate montage.
A Direct Link to the Future DCU
The introduction of Salvation is a major setup for upcoming DC projects. James Gunn confirmed that the prison planet will be “an incredibly important thing in the future of the DCU.” This plotline directly connects to the next Superman film, “Man of Tomorrow,” where the practice of banishing metahumans is expected to be a central issue. Interestingly, the finale’s shocking ending was not in the original script. Gunn shared that it was added after a suggestion from his DC Studios co-chair, Peter Safran, to better connect the story to the wider DC Universe.
While the finale provided closure for Chris and Harcourt’s relationship, it ended on a massive cliffhanger. With Peacemaker currently not planned for a third season, the story of how Chris Smith escapes Salvation and the future of Checkmate will continue in other DCU productions.
Also Read: Peacemaker Season 2 Finale: The Big Cameo That Was Promised But Didn’t Appear
