HBO Max's Peacemaker isn’t your normal superhero TV show. Yes, viewers will get their dose of action, jokes, and funny costumes. But there’s more to this DC Universe story than Christopher Smith shooting people and Eagly ripping out eyes. There’s a story about love and how we deal with it within the nonsense.
We recently spoke to Peacemaker star Jennifer Holland, who portrays Emilia Harcourt on the show, and she discussed the differences between the Harcourt we know and the Earth-2 version she also played this season. Of course, the most obvious difference between the two versions of the character is their upbringing. However, Holland attributes this to a nature vs nurture situation.
“There are certain things about us that would be that way regardless of who raised us because they’re part of our genetic makeup. And then there are certain things about us that we learn. They're learned responses. They're learned personality traits. So I wanted her to be genetically the same person, as our Harcourt but, but what if our Harcourt didn’t have the same type of trauma in her childhood and her upbringing that she had?"
Holland used the contrast of how both of her characters deal with romance. Something that was brought up in the third episode of Peacemaker season 2 when the Harcourt of Earth-2 says she doesn’t want a guy who cheats on her. "She has an unhealthy relationship to love and connections to men who don’t treat her well. She’s drawn to men who, obviously, f*** around on her, for whatever reason. But, other than that, she’s very good at communicating her feelings."
As this season continues, fans will likely see more examples of this. As it is, we’ve witnessed Earth-2's Harcourt mention her version of Christopher Smith repeatedly cheating on her. Nevertheless, she’s taken him back and seems to be ready to do it again. What's more interesting is that she's willing to sneak around with Chris, knowing that her boyfriend (Rick Smith Jr.) is a good guy and that she wouldn't want him to do that to her.
Maybe the most fun question was about how a lot of this season is about love. The love for your friends and family, and how it can make you do things you normally wouldn’t. More importantly, will this be something we'll see in the future?
"I don’t know how to answer this without spoiling things. What I will say is, one of the things James (Gunn) loves to explore is the repercussions of your actions. That’s the genesis of the show. [Peacemaker] is trying to live a normal life after what he’s done. Having to face his past and having to face killing his brother."
Needless to say, there’s a lot more coming in season 2 of Peacemaker. At the end of episode 3, Chris made his way into the new universe with decisions to make. Among them is whether he will pursue a relationship with the other Harcourt. If he decides to take the leap, it doesn't just affect her. It would mean he's leaving his world and the people he loves behind.
Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow for more Peacemaker news, opinions, and rumors as they come out. Let us know what you're reading on our social media pages on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.