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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
The calm before… Yup, another storm. The fifth episode of James Gunn’s DC Comics action comedy-drama superhero television series, Peacemaker Season 1 is titled, “Monkey Dory”. It is written by Gunn and directed by Rosemary Rodriguez (Jessica Jones, The Walking Dead).
In this review, I will be discussing Peacemaker Season 1 Episode 5. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion to avoid any possible revelations.
Plot Synopsis
According to WarnerMedia, here is the synopsis for Peacemaker Season 1 Episode 5.
Adebayo’s fortuitous find sends the team to the Glan Tai Bottling Company, a distribution hub for the aliens’ food supply — and the perfect location to encounter a full-fledged invasion. Meanwhile, Auggie appeals to Detectives Song and Fitz, but his case is complicated by the arrival of Murn’s mysterious contact, Caspar Locke.
WarnerMedia
The Cast of This Week’s Peacemaker
As always, John Cena portrays the title character, Christopher Smith/ Peacemaker, while Robert Patrick appears as the character’s father, August “Auggie” Smith/ White Dragon.
Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, and Steve Agee play respective members of Project Butterfly: Leota Adebayo, Emilia Harcourt, and John Economos, with Chukwudi Iwuji as the group leader, Clemson Murn.
Freddie Stroma portrays Adrian Chase/ Vigilante. Annie Chang and Lochlyn Munro portray respective Evergreen police partners — Sophie Song and Larry Fitzgibbon.
Elizabeth Faith Ludlow appears as Keeya, Adebayo’s wife, while Christopher Heyerdahl plays Caspar Locke, the substituting captain of the Evergreen police department.
Alison Araya and Lenny Jacobson return as Evergreen couple, Amber and Evan Calcaterra, respectively.
Zak Santiago plays a prison guard, while Rochelle Greenwood plays Peggy. Yvette Ferguson and Troy Mundle play a receptionist and a harried worker, respectively. David Beairisto plays Song’s uncle, Judge William Judy. Stephen Blackehart voices Charlie the Gorilla, while Dee Bradley Baker voices Eagly, Peacemaker’s pet eagle.
Discussion
At forty-two and a half minutes long, “Monkey Dory” has more action in itself than a story. Gregg Featherman takes over as the series editor, while Sam McCurdy serves as the director of photography. The episode title pokes fun at the term, “hunky-dory”; and from the looks of this Peacemaker episode, matters are far from that.
Gunn focuses on its white male characters — Economos, Smith, and his father Auggie — who are each either a hero, a villain or both. The filmmaker paints The White Dragon as a terrifying racist and Peacemaker being a reflection of that. The teleplay challenges his character when placed in a scene with Economos, who is susceptible to the protagonist’s harsh remarks. As Vigilante says, “Being a bully is just part of his [Peacemaker’s] personality”.
After Episode 104‘s reveal of Murn as one of the Butterflies, it seems that he wants to keep the team busy. It does seem that this new episode plays in one or two acts. Not much happens that drives the story forward, except near the end of the episode. Betsy Paterson’s visuals and Colin Lorimer’s storyboard art make for some fast-paced fun, but that is all it is.
Performances and Character Developments
Agee delivers a good performance as John Economos, going from Smith’s joke to the team’s hero for the day. He appears to be an unlikely character to undergo this type of transformation, but hey, the unexpected is the new cliche these days.
Brooks has great scenes as Leota Adebayo when it comes to her partner Keeya, Peacemaker, as well as her interactions with other team members throughout the episode. I mostly loved her when at the Glan Tai and more so the team’s headquarters in the final scene.
Cena performs well as the series’s main lead. Peacemaker learns how to get along with the others, which is more than we can say about Patrick’s Auggie Smith. Unfortunately, I do believe that the actor is overshadowed by the former two — Agee and Brooks — in this episode.
Holland also shows some goodness in her character, Emilia Harcourt, in a rare moment when the team gets along. If it were not for her character in this episode, certain moments would be lost to the past. Her role, therefore, is crucial for getting things in order.
Final Thoughts
“Monkey Dory” could use more pages and more minutes of the shooting script. Give us more story, show us more emotion, and my goodness, provide more reason to put our faith in these characters. The appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos exist, but in this episode of Peacemaker, I do believe that they are not sufficiently strong to make me care. It seems more of a filler than anything. In fact, having seen the following episode of the show, this current episode of Peacemaker acts as the build-up for what is to come.
James Gunn’s DC Comics television series, Peacemaker, are now on HBO Max!
Have you seen this television series? If so, what are your thoughts? Let us know! For more action, comedy, drama, and superhero-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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