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Viewed: Season 1

Peacemaker delivers the type of pure joy that only James Gunn can create. Written by Gunn over the course of a few weeks during COVID lockdowns in 2020 out of sheer anxiety, this is an uproarious and highly entertaining debut season which once again demonstrates Gunn's unparalleled skill when it comes to quirky ensembles. First things first, the opening title sequence is perhaps the best in history - set to the retro rock tune "Do Ya Wanna Taste It" by Wig Wam, the cast engages in a fun dance routine with completely blank expressions...and Eagley also gets involved. The humour throughout Peacemaker is pure James Gunn, and John Cena continues to show that he's a comedic force to be reckoned with, especially when given the right material. Another standout here is Freddie Stroma as Vigilante; he's hilarious and charismatic beyond words. The show also delivers in the action scenes, maintaining the same level of violence glimpsed in The Suicide Squad, which is such a pleasure to see for a superhero show in 2022. The climactic action set-piece is a pure treat. The only drawback is the touch of politics, with characters lecturing the audience about hot topics like race and climate change. Such things are completely unnecessary and feel like pandering to a certain political crowd. Thankfully, instances of dialogue like this are sparse. I'm also slightly baffled that the show is only in HD as opposed to 4K HDR. I guess that's a HBO Max decision, but that will need to change considering that Disney+ and Netflix original shows are 4K HDR. Nevertheless, Peacemaker is a home run and I can't wait to see more.

Viewed: Season 1

I can't say I followed the production of Reacher with any great interest, especially since news of a certain book series being adapted for TV drops at least twice a day and has begun to lose meaning. Luckily, my non-existent expectations were confidently surpassed with Amazon Prime's interpretation of the titular character, which nails the Jack Reacher of the books. Rather than someone of Tom Cruise's stature, we get the muscular monster that is Alan Ritchson, an intimidating presence who also proves himself as an actor. Plus, in stark contrast to the PG-13 movies, this is an extremely violent TV show which is, again, more faithful to the books. One standout sequence is the major action set-piece in the final episode which doesn't shy away from bloodshed, while some of the smaller action beats scattered throughout these debut 8 episodes are just as vicious. With the TV format, the show has ample time to develop these characters properly and authentically; aside from Reacher, both Finlay and Roscoe are fantastic characters, and it's easy to become invested in their respective fates. The series isn't perfect, and it's not like it ever becomes more than a skilful action-thriller story, but it's rock-solid and it's one of my favourite things currently on TV. I mean, it's not afraid to showcase a white man as a hero, there are no politics, and there's no unnecessary gender-swapping (looking at you, The Equalizer). I'm looking forward to many more seasons of this fantastic show. Between this and Jack Ryan, I've got a good reason to stay subscribed to Amazon Prime!