Peacemaker and Harcourt in Season 2
I have to say one of the most astonishing things about season 2 of Peacemaker is his relationship with Harcourt and how the show's writing addresses it. I watched a clip of the behind the scenes creation of the dance sequence for season two where one of the choreographers mentioned that the heart of the dance, and season 2 was Chris and Emilia's relationship. While it is evident that the show is trying to push that narrative, based on the direction of Chris' development as a character this plot line doesn't make much sense.
Chris is supposedly in love with Emilia from his home world, and when she rejects him he decides to take a second chance at a relationship with her in an alternate universe. While this kind of plot could work in a number of different shows, the way Peacemaker's writing addresses this situation does not account for just how inane Chris' actions are.
Harcourt 2, from the alternate dimension is nothing like our Harcourt, nothing like the woman Chris is supposedly in love with. He's replacing her with a woman who is nothing like her, to the point that it doesn't even feel like he's replacing her at all. So what does that mean for Chris' psyche? That he'll fall in love with any woman that looks like Harcourt?
Despite the direction of the show Chris' actions convey a very different message than the show intends. Chris wants someone who will return the affection he feels, but he also wants someone who looks conventional. Harcourt in either universe is a blonde white woman, someone that Chris' upbringing would have conditioned him to seek out.
Peacemaker season 2 feels less like a love story and more like a tale of repression and self hatred, which is why seeing Harcourt reciprocate Chris' feelings in episode 7 feels so uncanny. She should be furious and disgusted by him.
Imagine you're in complicated relationship with someone, and was struggling to express yourself romantically because of your past, your anger, and your own repression. And when you try to push that person away (albeit not the best response) they not only stop trying to fight for you, but instead search out an alternative version of you that isn't fucked up.
Part of Harcourt's character is her trauma and struggle and it just feels really sad and disgusting that Chris would willingly seek out a version of her with none of that, and treat it as if its the same thing.
I was always hoping they would address how strange this line of behavior is, but with the way episode seven went, it seems what could have been a really interesting nuanced plot line will never find its ending.
