Peacemaker Season 2 has finally landed, and Episode 1, “The Ties That Grind,” throws fans right back into Chris Smith’s messy world. The new season picks up months after the Butterfly mission, with Peacemaker and the rest of the 11th Street Kids still reeling from the fallout. And, just like Season 1, the show keeps up its tradition of sneaking in a post-credits scene. Here’s how it plays out.
Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1’s Thirty Seconds to Mars post-credits scene explained
Early in the episode, Peacemaker meets Harcourt and notices the bruise on her hand. When he asks how that happened, she replies that she hit her dashboard. Chris fires back with a joke that her car probably deserved it because it played “Spin Doctors, or Thirty Seconds to Mars or some shit.” Harcourt immediately answers, “I’m not on good terms with Thirty Seconds to Mars, how dare you?”
The Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1’s post-credits scene picks up right after this exchange. Harcourt insists, “Can’t be looping Spin Doctors in with Thirty Seconds to Mars. Spin Doctors is so good!” Peacemaker responds, “Oh, jeez, anybody’s better than Thirty Seconds to Mars. That garage band I was in for two seconds is better than Thirty Seconds to Mars.”
The extended joke doesn’t move the plot forward, but it is evidence of the kind of humor James Gunn is known for, which is sharp banter mixed with a little pop-culture jab. Gunn makes it clear that he hasn’t forgotten Jared Leto’s Joker, as actor Leto is the lead vocalist of the band. And the scene works as a cheeky nod to why Gunn didn’t bring him back in The Suicide Squad.
Beyond the joke, Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 also highlights the creative freedom of the DC universe under Gunn. After all, Peacemaker’s premiere features the titular hero indulging in cocaine when Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reportedly forbade cocaine use in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Peacemaker Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max in the U.S.
