Peacemaker

The HBO series pickups up soon after The Suicide Squad concludes.  Peacemaker (John Cena) has recovered from his bullet wound and being caught under a collapsing building.  Surprised that no one has arrived to put him back in jail, he goes to his home, a mobile home that is painted in patriotic colors.  However, it turns out he is not free.  An independent group - including two office operatives seen in The Suicide Squad - impress him into service.  Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji) is the leader of the team and declares they are up against the Butterflies.  Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and Economos (Steve Agee) have been assigned to the task force as a punishment for their actions in The Suicide Squad.  The crew also has a greenhorn agent named Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), who is actually the daughter of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis).  Added to the crew is Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), Peacemaker's occasional partner.

Though Peacemaker remains a homicidal goofball, much like he was in his last appearance, there is a lot of character development.  His dynamic with his abusive and racist father, Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick), explains how he came to be who he is.  His father is also the White Dragon, an Iron Man like supervillain with high-tech battle armor and a variety of powerful helmets that Peacemaker acquires.

The opening credits scene is awesome.  All the characters dance onto the stage like some Vegas show.  It is so unexpected and funny that I watched it virtually every episode.  Great stuff.

The downside of the series is the insertion of politics.  There is a big message about environmentalism and how humanity is on a course to destroy the earth.  Yeah, okay.  Also, it turns out that Leota is a lesbian and her wife appears in most of the episodes to voice concerns about what Leota is doing.  5'5" Harcourt easily trounces a thug who is nearly a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier.  Fine.  White males get all the big character flaws: Vigilante is abysmally stupid, Peacemaker's father is a rabid racist, John Economos is a mostly pathetic loser, and Peacemaker is a dim bulb.  By contrast, Murn is competent and focused.  Harcourt is kickass and qualifies for a serious spy thriller.  Leota is a noob who blossoms into a hero.  However, she is the butt of some physical comedy, something mostly reserved for the white males.

Despite the modern political tropes, the show is highly watchable and quite entertaining.  I look forward to further antics from Peacemaker and his crew.  Recommended.