DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Peacemaker episode “Murn After Reading” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, arbitrators of peace! Peacemaker blesses us with its best outing thus far. “Murn After Reading” is equal parts hysterical and heartfelt, with a smattering of badassery. Annie Chang steals the show with her turn as Sophie Song, seamlessly pivoting from the take-no-prisoners, no-bulls**t detective to an alien trapped in a fleshy meat suit.
John Cena proves his versatility in comedy and drama, infusing our favorite helmeted hero with many nuances. He embodies Peacemaker, and, at this point, I can’t picture anyone else portraying him.
“Murn After Reading” is action-packed, balls-to-the-wall mania, catapulting the narrative forward in an exciting direction. James Gunn keeps us on our toes with a thrilling storyline while inserting profound character moments and expertly balancing the quieter beats amid the noise.
Ready to dive into “Murn After Reading”? Let’s get to it.
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We open where we left off in episode five — with Leota (Danielle Brooks) fleeing Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji) after she discovered his butterfly status. Murn reassures Leota he won’t harm her and urges her to join him inside so that he can explain. Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) arrives and hands Leota her gun.
Murn reveals he and his fellow butterflies left their homeworld and landed on Earth. Contentment ruled the roost; all was well among the butterflies. That is until the butterfly formerly in Goff, the female leader, wanted more. So, she staged an uprising, conspiring with other butterflies to eradicate humans and overtake the planet.
Murn seized control of Human Murn to stop Goff and the others. Murn confesses he’s not proud of what he did and that he lives with Human Murn’s thoughts every day. Iwuji delivers an acting masterclass here, subtly yet powerfully conveying Murn’s inner pain.
Then, Murn informs Leota about the butterflies’ food source. As it turns out, the creatures harvest the honey-colored goo from a “cow.”
Well, not one in the ordinary sense.
Meanwhile, Chris Smith, a.k.a. Peacemaker (Cena), is at a school for a speaking engagement courtesy of Jamil (Rizwan Manji), his pot-smoking janitor bestie from the hospital. He tells them all about how he defeated the insidious Kite-Man. The kids ask Peacemaker questions ranging from serious to hilarious, with one child even criticizing our titular character’s inability to name pets. Just like Economos did!
Peacemaker cuts the speaking engagement short when one little girl reveals he might be her birth father. So, there’s that.
Next, Detective Song (Chang) and Detective Fitz (Lochlyn Munro) release Auggie (Robert Patrick) because they now have evidence that Chris killed Annie Sturphausen. As per usual, Auggie spews racist rhetoric at Song, but my girl’s always quick with the scathing comebacks.
After Auggie departs, Locke (Christopher Heyerdahl) confronts Song and Fitz, claiming they’ve made a grave mistake by releasing The White Dragon.
Auggie’s Nazi pal picks him up and, after a nice soak and a good fork with a white supremacist woman, Auggie proposes they kill his son.
Peacemaker parties it up at home with Goff and Eagly, while Economos (Steve Agee) pretends he doesn’t know Murn’s a butterfly. Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) visits Chris, discovering alongside his BFF that Goff can communicate with them. The little bugger even drew a peace sign with the honey-colored goo!
So, Peacemaker plans to ask Goff some burning questions. He asks the alien creature to knock on the glass once for “yes” and twice for “no.” However, Viggy promptly breaks the “yes or no” question rule by inquiring about things requiring a long-winded answer. Goff can’t tell you her fave color, Viggy (but it’s probably teal)!
On another note, I love the lighting in this scene.
Murn tries to phone Peacemaker once he learns from Locke that the police are en route to the Peace Trailer. After arguing with Peacemaker about potential flicks for their inevitable Movie Night, Viggy receives a call from Murn.
The fact that “I’m a Barbie Girl” is Viggy’s ringtone doesn’t surprise me one bit. And, yes, it makes me unbelievably giddy. That and Viggy’s running gag of failing spectacularly to conceal his identity never ceases to make me giggle.
Once Viggy and Peacemaker hear Song and Fitz outside the trailer, they escape through the rooftop. The other police officers ransack Chris’s humble abode while our wanted felon hangs from a tree above his roof. However, Eagly gives away their position, and Song runs to the back of the mobile home in search of Peacemaker.
Unfortunately, Viggy slips and falls out of the tree, landing on his back. Goff, safely ensconced in a jar attached to Viggy’s back, flees and flies straight into Song’s mouth. She collapses, writhing on the ground while blood gushes out of her mouth.
Fitz rushes to her side and orders his crew to pursue Peacemaker and Viggy. Our dynamic duo takes out a few officers while on foot, but Locke’s arrival gives them enough time to escape without interference. Locke blithely kills the cops — even the unconscious ones.
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While Peacemaker and Viggy speed off in the getaway car courtesy of Locke, Chris attempts to contact Murn and the team. However, Viggy promptly tosses Peacemaker’s phone out the window for fear it’s not safe. But it is! And it has irreplaceable photos of Eagly on it!
Peacemaker utilizes Viggy’s phone to call the team instead and discovers the latter’s last search: “Taylor Swift’s sexy butt.” I love that Viggy doesn’t even make up a story to justify it; he only wanted to see pics of T-Swift’s caboose. Cena and Stroma are magical together.
Suddenly, Song regains consciousness post-seizing, but she seems different. Fitz urges her to rest; she needs to go to the hospital. However, Song’s ready to track down Peacemaker and Viggy. The detective buds find Locke stooped over a fallen officer. Locke describes the assailant as, well, the Hamburglar. He’s a callous murderer — not just a whimsical hamburger thief.
One cop finds the diary Leota planted in Peacemaker’s trailer, so Locke seizes control of it for safekeeping.
Later, Viggy and Peacemaker arrive at the team headquarters, wherein they ask our titular arbitrator of peace if he owns a diary. Chris vehemently reveals he’s never had one. Murn believes they’re safe as long as Locke has the journal in his possession.
However, Peacemaker’s in hot water with the gang because he kept Goff and subsequently lost her. Meanwhile, Economos believes he discovered where the elusive “cow” resides, the food hub for the butterflies.
Fitz confronts Song at the police station while the latter types indecipherable (to humans) alien text on her computer. Fitz asserts she must see a doctor due to her apparent head injury.
Locke conceals the diary in his office. Here’s hoping it doesn’t see the light of day!
Economos explains to the crew that after studying highway cam footage of a Glan Tai truck moving product back and forth, he found the source: Coverdale Ranch. That must be where the butterflies store the cow.
Peacemaker gets increasingly irritated when Leota avoids him, and the other team members refuse to reveal the whole picture. But Murn orders everyone to execute their tasks.
Later, Song waits in a clearing for the swarm of butterflies in their tiny spaceships. After exiting their vessels, she leads the butterflies to the police station, where they overtake every person within.
Auggie bones a white supremacist and joins his fellow white-hooded, racist s**t stains for a ceremonial donning of The White Dragon armor.
The editing for this montage with Reckless Love‘s “Monster” is *chef’s kiss*. It’s perfect.
A now-butterflied Fitz and Locke join Song, the cops and prisoners as they march outside on a mission to eradicate humanity. The butterflies attempt to smile in unison. Folks, this bit is comedic gold.
Meanwhile, Leota seeks advice from Keeya (Elizabeth Faith Ludlow) regarding the Peacemaker/diary situation. Leota feels terrible about going the deceitful route with her new peaceful pal. However, her wifey asserts Leota doesn’t owe anyone anything — not Waller or Peacemaker.
As much as I adore Leota and Peacemaker’s friendship, Keeya brings up a great point. Hear, hear!
Chris finds Harcourt engraving the dove of peace on one of his weapons. It’s abundantly clear Harcourt cares about Peacemaker. Those feelings are reciprocated! Peacemaker thanks her, and Harcourt reveals her first name before leaving. Only the privileged know her first name!
Peacemaker tickles the ivories for a bit—fun fact: John Cena plays the piano.
Viggy alerts Peacemaker to a news segment featuring Locke, Song and Fitz. Locke announces the discovery of Peacemaker’s diary, wherein our titular hero details the existence of aliens. Additionally, he takes responsibility for the murder of Senator Goff and the Glan Tai massacre.
But not to worry — Locke and the police will track down that nefarious helmeted murderer!
Oh, Leota, what have you done? The bidding of your mother, that’s what.
RELATED: Catch up on all the peaceful violence and Eagly goodness with our Peacemaker recaps!
“Murn After Reading” boasts one of my favorite scenes in Peacemaker so far: the butterfly montage with Song leading the charge. James Gunn, may you continue to steer the DC ship.
Will Peacemaker learn about Leota’s betrayal? What about the rest of the team discovering Leota’s connection to Waller? Why can’t an alien impregnate Viggy so that he can experience motherhood? On another note, I need a Vigilante spinoff, and I needed it yesterday.
New episodes of Peacemaker are available to stream every Thursday on HBO Max.
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