Christopher Smith has been having a rough go of it lately, and it seems like his only real source of escape and happiness lies in an alternate universe, which he’s previously called the “best dimension ever”. The end of episode 5 only seemed to double down on this.
And why wouldn’t he? In this world, he has a mutual and much simpler romantic relationship with Harcourt, his dad seemingly loves him, and his brother Keith is still alive. Plus, he and his family live in a luxurious pad, and are adored by the public as the Top Trio.
However, those who know James Gunn will also recognise that this writer loves a sinister twist. Thanks to clues in previous episodes, fans of the DC comics think that they may have figured out exactly what this alternate universe is… and it’s not good.
Spoilers for Peacemaker season 2 episodes 1 through 5 below
Chris `Peacemaker’ Smith is a mercenary who believes he is pursuing freedom and peace when he is really just killing people. What makes him who he is? How was his life? Who are his friends?
Why Peacemaker season 2 may have introduced ‘Earth-X’
DC Comics has explored parallel universes before (often 52 different variants), and one of them is where white supremacy is the norm after Nazi Germany and the Axis won WW2: AKA, Earth-X.
The first clues that Peacemaker was exploring Earth-X began to surface during the third episode of season 2, as reported by CBR. While your eye may initially be drawn to Chris’s fawning fans, if you watch again, you’ll notice that most of the extras in the background are white, as are the people working at A.R.G.U.S.
In fact, in this world, there’s seemingly no Adebayo (that we’ve met so far), Chris’s best friend. This Reddit thread also points out that Keith didn’t know who The Kardashians were – a family that gained their fame through Robert Kardashian, a lawyer in the O.J. Simpson trial. What if in this world, O.J. was never a prominent figure in the first place, due to white supremacy?
Now, the lack of diversity may have just been an oversight – but this isn’t a problem back in the main universe.
This is all supported by the existence of Auggie Smith, Chris’s dad. As you’ll know from season 1, the version in the main universe was a rampant and disgusting racist who named himself the ‘White Dragon’, with a hood that resembled the costume of the KKK.
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While in this world, he is known as the Blue Dragon, and his mask is a different colour; this may be an attempt to throw the audience off. If Nazis ruled the world here, then of course Auggie raising his sons to be just as racist as he is – as that is what’s normal – would be celebrated by the public and media.
Other fans have speculated over the way Harcourt is dressed here – rather conservatively and traditionally, something that is typically associated with far-right values. There’s also no mention of Amanda Waller at all.
While in the comics, the Sons of Liberty are villains, another twist could be that they’re freedom fighters battling against the fascist regime – something enforced by the Top Trio.
Other commenters on Reddit have proposed that Earth-X may not be a replica of what it is in the comics – it could be a universe where the Confederacy won the Civil War, or where slavery was never outlawed.
But then again, some Redditors have seemingly spotted some references to Nazis and German influence, including an ashtray that looks to be in the shape of a swastika, the specific pronunciation of Blüdhaven and even the colour of the hot dogs (either we’re reaching, or this is a crazy detail from Gunn and many fans will feel very vindicated for noticing).
If the Earth-X theory is true, then things just got very bad for Christopher Smith.
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Why Chris may have made a huge mistake in Peacemaker season 2 episode 5
After Economos booked Chris to get him away from Rick Flag Sr. (who seemed like he would have been happy to beat Peacemaker to death in revenge for his son), Vigilante and Adebayo took the anti-hero to a cabin. Flag sent Judomaster after the trio, so he could find the dimensional rift.
Wrongly believing that Harcourt turned him in to the authorities, Chris claimed he was “done”. He left behind his closest friends (bar Eagly, of course), writing them a goodbye note before opening the dimensional rift and sealing it shut behind him – leaving no way back.
Adebayo and Vigilante tried to reach him in time but were unsuccessful. However, Judomaster followed him through the door – the cheeto fingerprints clueing in the 11th Street Kids.
Chris `Peacemaker’ Smith is a mercenary who believes he is pursuing freedom and peace when he is really just killing people. What makes him who he is? How was his life? Who are his friends?
In the letter, Peacemaker said the following:
“I’ve tried again and again to make up for my mistakes, but I’m not sure redemption is something that’s truly possible. At least not here. So… 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 Emilia, ‘Yes, we’ll work on this’. I’ll cherish life and overcome my trauma and be the good man there that I was never able to be here.”
It would be a cruel twist of fate if Chris discovered that his dad is not as accepting as he originally thought, and if he saw everyone’s true colours come to light – something that may happen if we see either another version of Adebayo, or the main version enter Earth-X – that seems likely.
Chris ends the letter with a declaration of love for his friends, including Harcourt (complete with some colourful language). He’s handed them the alien dimensional item to turn over to A.R.G.U.S. to clear their names, though the group has no intention of doing that – they’re looking to go after Chris and bring him back.
If Adebayo enters the rift into a white supremacist world, she’s unlikely to receive a warm welcome – especially from Auggie and Keith. Therefore, Chris will have to once again face the racist demons of his past and truly realise what he stands for and what he’s willing to sacrifice in the name of the greater good. This also aligns with our theory about the intro dance sequence.
Hopefully, we’ll learn more about this parallel universe in episode 6, which drops next week.
Peacemaker season 2 is rolling out now on HBO and HBO Max every Thursday night at 9pm ET in the US. UK viewers can watch on Now from 2am BST on Fridays, with the episode airing on Sky Max and Sky Showcase at 9pm BST.
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