Peacemaker creator James Gunn explains why brutal season 2 episode 7 death had to happen

If that wasn't enough, his feelings for colleague Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) are reciprocated in this other reality, in stark contrast to the heartache he's suffered in his own.

However, as fans had suspected, all is not as rosy as it seems, with an oblivious Peacemaker eventually waking up to the fact that this is an authoritarian fascist Earth, where the Nazis won World War II.

In season 2 episode 7, titled Like A Keith in the Night, Chris finds an unlikely ally in his alternate father, Auggie (Robert Patrick), who shows "real compassion" for him – even after he reveals that he inadvertently killed his own Earth-2 double.

"[Auggie] knows his son was a bad guy," explained Gunn in the official Peacemaker podcast. "He loved him, he knows that he loves him, but he also knows – when looking at it in a sober fashion – [he] was not a good human being.

"He can see that the Chris from our planet is a good person, and he wants to save them – he wants to save all of [them]. Just have you go back, and never come back."

It's a surprising twist given that, in the main DC Universe, Auggie was an abusive father and staunch neo-Nazi himself, whereas in Earth-2 he appears to be an undeclared objector to the dominant fascist regime.

Chris is touched to receive the support of his father in a way he'd never experienced before, but it comes to an abrupt end when Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) crashes through the window and brutally murders Auggie right before his eyes.

In his own warped mind, Vigilante is enacting a daring and heroic rescue, blissfully ignorant of the context that Auggie had actually been trying to help them all escape this cruel world.

Peacemaker's alt-universe brother, Keith (David Denman), who doesn't share his father's sympathies, is further radicalised by the attack and seeks bloody vengeance – but is overpowered by the combined force of the Earth-1 allies.

However, it sounds as if this may not be the last we see of him, with Gunn revealing that Auggie's death needed to happen in order to complete the twisted genesis of Peacemaker's new "arch-enemy".

"In one way, the whole season is Captain Triumph's origin as a super villain," explained Gunn to Peacemaker stars Holland, Steve Agee (Economos) and Nhut Le (Judomaster). "A white supremacist, piece of s**t super villain."

He continued: "And what a weird super villain to have as your arch-enemy; it's your brother from another dimension, who hates you because you killed yourself."

It brings Chris no joy to see his ruthless brother brutally beaten, though, as it simply dredges up traumatic memories of the death of his own universe's Keith, which occurred when they were both young children.

He desperately demands that the violence stop in what Gunn describes as a "horrifying, terrifying moment", which leaves Keith clinging on to life to potentially strike back another day.

The episode ends with Peacemaker handing himself in to ARGUS authorities, led by Superman and Creature Commandos alum Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr, leaving his future status in the DC Universe uncertain.

Tune in next week to see how this chapter ends.

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