Everything has been leading up to this. We’ve reached the season 1 finale of “Peacemaker,” which follows Christopher Smith through a series of intensely emotional highs and lows. There wasn’t really much place for any more obscure people who are surprisingly canon now because it was so packed with action, but there was one final superhero fetish revelation and a couple really unexpected cameos.
Naturally, there were also some sick songs, as usual. Without the right jams, a James Gunn project wouldn’t be complete. Even if the season finale track list isn’t long, these songs nevertheless have an impact. And this episode even has a noteworthy reprise, borrowing a page from musical theatre.
So without further ado, let’s start the video again.
Episode 8: It’s Cow or Never
Track 1: Steel Panther’s “If You Really Really Love Me”
The 11th Street Kids are in the mobile veterinarian unit when the episode begins. Chris tries to apologise to Adebayo for putting the journal in his home, but Adrian and Chris make farting noises to silence her. The joke continues until Peacemaker has had enough and expresses his deep regret at having been duped by someone he thought to be such a wonderful friend. The bit is put an end to by Peacemaker by repeating his word of peace despite Vigilante’s attempts to rekindle it. He brings up an all-time classic run of hanging out with his best pals and killing people being spoiled by negative feelings in typical Vigilante way.
Track 2: Wig Wam’s “Do Ya Wanna Taste It”
Even though we already heard this song at the beginning of this show and every episode before it, Wig Wam gives us one last encore at 23:00. Vigilante, Harcourt, and Peacemaker charge in with all guns blazing to eliminate the remaining butterflies and deliver the killing blow to the cow after utilising the sonic boom helmet to inflict structural damage to the cow’s facility. This sequence features a lot of bone-crunching, blood-spreading action while “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” plays in the background. When Adrian and Emilia are injured, Adebayo and Economos stay back, but Leota valiantly rushes in to help her comrades as a butterfly is ready to swarm Harcourt. A pretty badass moment for Leota Adebayo and an appropriate send-off for Wig Wam, who have contributed just as much to this season as all the other characters.
Track 3: The Last Vegas’ “Apologize”
At 38:50 into the song, Peacemaker informs Adebayo, “Don’t tell V, because afterEagly, you’re my BFF,” and that moment marks the beginning of a montage that follows the remainder of the team after Project Butterfly. Adebayo announces the existence of Task Force X and organises a press conference to clean Peacemaker’s name. She also calls for the authorities to look into her mother, Amanda Waller, and this initiative that reduces the length of time that terrible supervillains must serve in prison.
In the meantime, Vigilante jumps out of a hospital window to flee after receiving medical attention, despite Leota clearing his name as well. After receiving treatment for her serious wounds, Harcourt awakens and has a touching moment with Smith. The Adebayo family has a touching reunion of their own after that, complete with cute pets. Economos establishes himself in Belle Reve, maybe completing the destiny of his comic book counterpart to become the warden. Finally, Judomaster comes at the compound where the cow was kept, but when he does, he finds dead butterflies.
Track 4: Hardcore Superstar’s “You Can’t Kill My Rock ‘n Roll”
Peacemaker and Vigilante continue to blow up additional objects in the woods to demonstrate how time has passed. As Harcourt gets used to walking once more, she receives physical therapy. And Butterfly Goff arrives at Smith’s trailer after Peacemaker saved her during the butterfly slaughter.
Goff gladly enjoys some leftover honey from their previous visit on the front porch as the season comes to a close. Eagly takes flight to bring his BFF some food, which will probably go unnoticed as usual but is still a good gesture. And when Peacemaker takes a seat next to his animal companions, he notices the ghost of his deceased father sitting next to him. Clearly, slaying the White Dragon left Peacemaker with some lasting psychological affects, as we observed in the woods while the squad searched for the sonic boom helmet. Unfortunately, we’ll have to investigate that in the second season (whenever James Gunn finds time in his extremely busy schedule to get that done). For the time being, the screen goes dark and the season’s final deadly song plays over the titles.
The full official “Peacemaker” playlist, which includes all of these songs as well as the other songs you heard this season, can be found on Spotify now that this chapter of Peacemaker’s tale is over. Along with Peacemaker’s entrance to the DCEU in “The Suicide Squad,” you can rewatch all eight episodes of this show on HBO Max.
