House of R – ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Midseason Awards & James Gunn Interview

Podcast: House of R, The Ringer
Date: September 19, 2025
Hosts: Mallory Rubin & Ben Lindbergh
Special Guest: James Gunn (showrunner, Peacemaker)

Episode Overview

Mallory Rubin and Ben Lindbergh dive deep into ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 at its midseason mark (covering through Episode 5 of 8). They hand out a slate of “Midseason Superlatives,” unpack key character moments, and dissect everything from Eagly’s heroics to new character standouts. The episode’s second half features an extensive, candid interview with showrunner James Gunn, who breaks down the season’s themes, talks about writing, animals (especially Eagly), and teases DCU connections.

Key Episode Segments & Timestamps

• [06:10] Opening Snapshot: Ben’s experience with Peacemaker
• [13:49] Midseason Awards: Superlatives begin (Eagly’s Best Moment)
• [22:38] Best Fight Sequence
• [24:45] Favorite New Character
• [31:17] Most Compelling Relationship
• [37:43] Most Amusing Sequence
• [42:11] Most Touching Moment
• [47:07] Most Creative Use of Alternate Reality
• [52:29] Most Innovative Use of a Gunn Regular
• [56:30] Theory Corner: Alternate Universe Speculation
• [65:20] Interview with James Gunn
• [91:44] Rapid Fire: Playlist Picks & DCU Tonal Challenges
• [106:30] Gunn on Lex Luthor and Future of DCU

Detailed Breakdown

Opening Thoughts & Season 2 Context

• [06:10] Ben on Binge-Watching Peacemaker:
  “I binged just to catch up for this pod... I was a little apprehensive maybe about diving in… But turns out there’s more room in my heart for shows like this.”

  • Appreciates the humor, character depth, and found family angle.
  • Nods to how “irreverent” superhero shows have become mainstream.

• [08:06] Mallory on the Season’s Tone & Structure:
  “What I gravitate toward [in Gunn properties] is laughing, being grossed out by horrendous violence...and then realizing I’m wiping a tear away because I’m so moved by the depth of devotion and affection.”

Midseason Awards & Superlatives

Most Important Eagly Moment

• [14:19] Ben: Eagly defending the home base, single-handedly (or single-beakedly!) taking out a squad—“He made very short work of them... there was a flourish...so that the blood rainbowed in the sky. That was just really memorable stuff.”
• [17:38] Mallory: The reveal that Eagly is “the prime eagle” — “Not just a blood loss and hallucinogenic fueled vision...but an indicator that Eagly is, as we have always suspected and frankly, dare I say, known: mystical, mythical, magical, all of it.”

Best Fight Sequence

• [23:26] Mallory: Peacemaker’s double-ear double-pencil kill, a bloody John Wick homage, set in the alternate universe Sons of Liberty compound.
  • “Both in the ear with him lowering from the ceiling, getting both in the air at once...the pencils don’t snap. Then he swirls...flesh squelching.”
• [24:25] Ben: Praises the “Endor meets John Wick” vibe—"It's a good crossover."

Favorite New Character

• [24:55] Both:
  • Tim Meadows as Langston Fleury:
    “He’s added so much to this season,” says Ben.
    “Bird blindness—the concept, the delivery—felt so perfectly James Gunn,” says Mallory.

Best Relationship So Far

• [31:17] Ben: Chris and Adebayo—“Still the heart of the show...unwanted in a way, bonding over that. No offense to Adrian [Vigilante].”
• [32:20] Mallory: Adebayo and everyone — “A real ‘universal donor’—every dynamic she has works, every pairing is different and rich.”

Most Amusing Sequence

• [37:44] Ben: Vigilante tucking Economos into a bathtub; “bird blindness” exchange (“not being able to distinguish between an eagle and a duck”).
• [38:17] Mallory: “Everything Vigilante does.” Especially his failed animal facts, excluded orgy sadness, and dancing with the mop post-disposal.
  • Honorable Mention: “Economos: 'I’m famously a gigantic pussy. For me, just looking someone directly in the eyes is an act of heroism.'” [40:18]

Most Touching Moment

• [42:11] Both: Chris’s letter and decision to close the door and stay in the alternate dimension.
  • Ben: “To shut the door, figuratively, literally, on his entire life and start fresh.”
  • Mallory: “The letter’s transition from Adebayo’s reading to Chris’s voice-over... ‘I’ll cherish life’—simple, perfect.”
  • [43:07] “I’m going to make a life in the other world. I’m going to be a brother to my brother, a son to my dad, and I’m going to tell Amelia yes.”

Most Creative Use of Alternate Reality

• [47:07] Ben & Mallory:
  • Rick Flag Jr.'s reappearance alive in the alt-universe, which deeply complicates the dynamics with Harcourt and Chris. “I hope we get more time between Rick Flag Jr. in that world and Peacemaker himself.”
  • Adds layers to Harcourt and Peacemaker’s tension.

Most Innovative Use of a Gunn Regular

• [52:29] Mallory: Michael Rooker as Red St. Wild (“Merle Dixon, the Eagle Hunter”)—chewing scenery and Eagly’s, um, byproducts.
  • “Four days old. Hints of cold cuts, tater chips, peppermints, Spam...Tikka masala, lima beans, Pad Thai, A5 wagyu, Beluga caviar...That eagle eats better than I do!” [54:20]
• [53:06] Ben: Adds Flag/Kinnaman as an enriching addition, but both agree Rooker's cameo is a standout.

Big Picture: Theme & Theory Corner

• [56:30] Ben: Questions the eerie homogeneity in the alternate world (“conspicuous absence of non-white people”)—possible alt-history or underlying darkness?
• [57:46] Mallory: Teases coming DCU connections in episodes 6-8, as Gunn has hinted “Episode 8 is as important to Man of Tomorrow as anything.” [97:39]

James Gunn Interview Highlights

Thematic Focus & Character Journeys

• [66:55] Gunn:
  • “Definitely the season to a great deal is about acceptance...not looking for other things outside ourselves to make us happy, but instead being grateful for what we have. Chris has changed, but… you don’t avoid the consequences of your choices.”
• [70:33] Gunn and Mallory unpack Harcourt’s inner conflict—"her journey is equally important to Peacemaker’s."
• [77:49] On Economos’ backstory: “He was a black hat...recruited as a child...focused on something he didn’t choose—because otherwise he'd have gone to jail.”

Writing & Emotional Authenticity

• [81:42] Gunn:
  • “I’m sobbing constantly while I’m writing this stuff. I cry all the time...Anything that allows people to truly feel emotions...is a really positive thing. That’s the pinnacle of what I can do.”
  • On animal peril (Eagly, Rocket Racoon): “I probably see animals as a greater percentage of my life than most people do...so when I’m telling stories, some of them are animals.” [86:21]

Eagly: Mythology and "Prime Eagle" Lore

• [87:29] Gunn wanted to do an Eagly-centric episode.
  • “He’s not just an eagle. He’s the prime eagle.”
  • On the role in the show: “If Eagly is an avatar of God in some way, what is he doing? He’s obviously leading Peacemaker.”
• [88:35] Alternate universe Eagly? “I don’t think you can say that...but you can ask: why was Eagly tapping at the door in the first place?”

DCU Connections, Variance, and Longevity

• [97:22] Mallory: Asking about DCU ties/future connections.
• [97:39] Gunn: “Episode 8 is as important to Man of Tomorrow as anything.”
• [102:20] On DCU’s creative philosophy: “It’s much more about creating a universe that people can enter and exist within. That’s what Star Wars and Game of Thrones are.”

Rapid Fire & Notable Quotes

Cast’s Song Suggestions for Season 3’s Theme (Gunn Rankings):

• Danielle Brooks (Adebayo): “Lets Gunn pick”—Gunn says “Danielle wins.”
• Freddie Stroma (Vigilante): “Bewitched – Rollercoaster”—“I’ll give him number one” [94:57]
• Jen Holland (Harcourt): ’90s grunge
• Frank: KC & the Sunshine Band—Gunn: “Let’s give him last place...”

Lex Luthor Discussion:

• [107:27] Gunn: “There’s something, despite everything, that is incredibly heroic about Lex...you can’t fly, you can’t shoot lasers...but he thinks, ‘I can kick your ass because I’m better than you.’ I love that.”

On Batman Casting:

• [109:05] Asked about casting process: “Nothing is set, ideas exist, but it’s early days. Might not be a huge star. Have to screen test. Even if someone’s a favorite, as with Superman, it’s not a lock.”

On Re-using Actors Across Projects:

• [113:18] “Somehow in the DCU, people take it when the same actors show up as if that means it’s not real. None of it’s real...I’ll only do it with Michael Rooker!”

Fun & Memorable Moments

• [14:19] The “Eagly home security system” (violent defense of Chris’s home, eye-plucking, “blood rainbowed in the sky”).
• [23:49] The “double pencil kill” (“flesh squelching”) echoing John Wick and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
• [54:20] Michael Rooker’s Red St. Wild analyzing Eagly’s, um, leavings for “notes of caviar and Fruity Pebbles.”
• [91:44] Cast’s attempts to pick a theme song—and Gunn’s dry, honest rankings.
• [112:32] Gunn on using familiar actors in new roles, referencing the Taylor Sheridan-verse for comparison.

Notable Quotes

On Peacemaker’s Character Arc:

• [66:55] James Gunn: “Chris is going to the other world because it has a father who loves him...a brother who’s still alive, a world that thinks he’s a hero. But he’s also going to escape. Our lives are what we create...and Chris is choosing not to deal with the things he’s created because of his actions.”

On Emotional Storytelling:

• [81:42] “I’m sobbing constantly while I’m writing this stuff. I cry all the time.”

On DCU Worldbuilding:

• [102:20] “It’s much more about creating a universe people can enter and exist within at any point of time...That’s what Star Wars and Game of Thrones are.”

Final Thoughts & Speculation

• The alt-universe is more than wish fulfillment—it may harbor societal darkness or suppressed secrets.
• Big DCU tie-ins are heavily implied for the season’s end, with episode 8 positioned as “critical to Man of Tomorrow.”
• Eagly’s fate and mythos remain central, with “prime eagle” status and mystical undertones.
• Lex Luthor will be a deeply drawn, psychologically complex character for Gunn.
• Gunn values variance across DCU stories, drawing comparisons to enduring universes like Star Wars.

Summary for the Uninitiated:
This episode of House of R is both a love letter to Peacemaker’s gonzo spirit and an incisive look at how character-driven, emotionally resonant storytelling can survive—and thrive—inside superhero spectacle. The hosts’ chemistry, humor, and attention to detail shine, and James Gunn’s interview is a treasure trove for fans eager about Peacemaker’s future and the bigger DCU. Eagly remains the show’s breakout star, Michael Rooker is as delightful as ever, and emotional stakes are higher than ever as the series barrels toward what promises to be a wild, heart-wrenching finale.

Listen If You Want:

• To understand why Eagly is now TV's best animal sidekick.
• To relive the best fights, jokes, and heartstring-tugs of Peacemaker S2.
• Insider perspective from James Gunn on writing, DCU strategy, and animal mythology.
• Hints at the connective tissue between Peacemaker and the cinematic future of DC.

“At the end of the day, this season would much more likely be called Christopher Smith than Peacemaker. That’s really who it’s about.”
— James Gunn, [74:37]