A Whole New Whirled

*"Dude, I'm fuckin' famous!*" "*Not that famous. Aquaman, he's famous.*" "*Fuck Aquaman!"*
―Christopher Smith and Jamil
***A Whole New Whirled*** is the first episode of the first season of *Peacemaker*. The episode was written and directed by James Gunn, and it was released on Max on January 13, 2022.

## Synopsis

*After making a miraculous recovery, Peacemaker returns home–only to discover that his freedom comes at a price.*

## Plot

Five months after his mission with Task Force X in Corto Maltese, Christopher Smith/Peacemaker has recovered from his wounds at Mount Rouge Health Center in Washington and is discharged by Doctor Alandy. Peacemaker informs the custodian Jamil that while Alandy told him he could go home, he's supposed to be in Belle Reve and asks him if anyone's looking for him. Jamil says he hasn't seen anyone, so Peacemaker grabs his belongings and exits through the front door. Unbeknownst to him, an inside nurse messages an individual on her phone named "Mr. Murn" informing him that "He's on his way." Peacemaker gets in a cab car to drive him home and is emotional because of his newfound freedom.

Married couple Leota and Keeya Adebayo and their three dogs explore their new loft at the Overview Lofts Suites. Keeya tells Leota that she's worried about her new job since it might be dangerous, but Leota assures her that all she'll be doing is filing papers and making reservations. When Keeya expresses that she hopes it stays that way, Leota says that the job is just a paycheck and just for now. Believing that she's not made for the greater burdens her field of work entails, she says that she's just going to save up a little so that she and Keeya can go back home. Clemson Murn texts Leota and tells her that, "The Dove's headed to the coop," so she leaves right away.

Peacemaker arrives in the taxi cab at his trailer. He doesn't have anything for fare, so he attempts to give the cabbie some Corto Maltese money from his bag, but to no avail. Peacemaker gives him the helmet he was holding onto. Peacemaker proceeds to look around his yard for the key to the front door but can't find it, so he wraps the plastic bag around his elbow and breaks through the window. He picks up his phone to see thousands of missed phone calls, messages, and emails. Peacemaker starts listening to several voicemails from Vigilante before he is interrupted by Emilia Harcourt, John Economos, and Leota Adebayo aiming guns at him. Clemson Murn tells Peacemaker he only served four years of his thirty-year sentence and gives him the opportunity to stay out of prison and do contract work for him for Project Butterfly, killing bad people known as Butterflies. Murn says Peacemaker will have to go back to Belle Reve if he refuses, and if he splits, he still has the nano-bomb in his head that can be used to track him. If that fails, Murn threatens to detonate the bomb. Murn tells Peacemaker that the team will meet him tonight at Fennel Fields. Peacemaker says he'll be there, but that he has to swing by his dad's house and get his "sidekick" Eagly.

Peacemaker takes another cab to his dad Auggie's house. He catches the attention of his Auggie's neighbor, who he chats up while standing at the door waiting for his dad to open it. Auggie opens the door and Peacemaker greets him, but he simply sighs and walks away. Peacemaker tells his father that he got out of prison and explains that he was in a hospital for five months after being shot and having a building fall on him, to the disappointment of Auggie for letting someone shoot him. Peacemaker presses Auggie on not cancelling his phone service, which he takes offense to, thinking that Peacemaker is blaming him for going to prison. Peacemaker asks if Auggie has been taking Eagly out and Auggie says yes and takes him to the garage to reunite with him.

Murn's team set up their new headquarters at the abandoned Henenlotter Video. Economos takes note of the noisy pipes while Adebayo attempts to set up her things at the table near the window but she is sent away by Harcourt, who tells her to take the desk in the middle. Harcourt explains to Adebayo that she and John Economos helped Task Force X during Project Starfish and that them both being assigned onto Murn's team is Amanda Waller's way of getting back at them. Adebayo says she doesn't think that's the case.

Peacemaker and his dad are eating dinner when he tells him about Bloodsport's rat phobia, and how he got this fear from being tortured by his own father by locking him in a crate for 24 hours with nothing but starving rats. This causes his father to laugh very hard, leading into him starting to choke. Peacemaker quickly gets water for him to wash the food down. Auggie hopes that Bloodsport wasn't the man that shot his son and Peacemaker goes quiet, indicating this was the case. He tries to say that he's not allowed to say who shot him, but Auggie doesn't fall for it and calls his son a "nancy boy." Peacemaker says he just came by to get Eagly and see if Auggie had another helmet for him. Auggie takes his son to the secret quantum unfolding storage area and shows him the helmets stored there. Peacemaker takes the sonic blast helmet with him.

Peacemaker shows up to Fennel Fields to speak with Murn's team wearing his full uniform, drawing the ire of the other members. Peacemaker explains that the uniform is brand new, so he's got to stretch it out and make it more comfortable before going on a mission. The other members have ordered and gotten their food already, so he calls on the waitress Blake to quickly take his order, referring to her as "sweet cheeks" to the disgust of everyone else. Adrian Chase/Vigilante, who's working at Fennel Fields as a busboy, stares at Peacemaker from a distance, with Peacemaker noting that he has mental issues. Murn gives Peacemaker the dossier on their first target, a U.S. Senator. Outside the restaurant, Adrian celebrates Peacemaker being back with a dance and has a short and awkward conversation with co-worker Taylor.

Leaving Fennel Fields, Peacemaker talks to Adebayo and they get to know each other a little. Peacemaker gets in his 1976 Ford Comet and goes for a ride with Eagly. He spots Harcourt walking into O'Rourke's Sports Bar and does a U-turn to follow her inside. Harcourt gets a drink but is hit on by a group of men, with one of them coming up to ask her a question. She insults him by saying he has rotting fish breath, and he curses back at her in return. Peacemaker arrives and chats with Harcourt a bit before an even bigger man than the one Harcourt insulted comes charging at her. She effortlessly gets the upper hand and restrains him, making the group of men leave. Harcourt describes Peacemaker following her as "stalkery" and says she has no interest in him other than his ability to fight for the team. Peacemaker doesn't get the hint and tries to press Harcourt to sleep with him, causing her to angrily leave the bar. Peacemaker catches the stare of Annie Sturphausen at the bar and she takes him to her apartment at Wild Estates Apartment Complex where they have sex.

In her suite, Leota converses with her mother Amanda Waller on the quality of the team. Leota asks Waller if the team should be looped in on the whole plan, but Waller says no as Leota is her eyes and ears on the mission and the only one she trusts with the big picture. Waller tells Leota to hide the diary her forger gave her the first chance she gets, somewhere he won't find it. When describing Peacemaker, Leota says there's something about him that's sad, leading Waller to tell her that empathy will get her killed. Leota says it doesn't really matter, and while she appreciates the work, after the job is done she and Keeya will be back on their feet and she'll find a job she actually likes. Keeya asks if Waller's still trying to pull Leota in, and Leota responds "always."

At Annie Sturphausen's apartment, Peacemaker is laying on her bed while she brushes her teeth in the other room. He spots a crate of vinyls and decides to put on the Quireboy's album *A Bit of What You Fancy*, singing along to their song "I Don't Love You Anymore." Annie walks behind Peacemaker into the kitchen and grabs a knife, running at him to stab him from when he's looking into the mirror. The two have a fight, with Annie landing several blows with the knife. Peacemaker ultimately jumps out of the window to escape from her, with Annie following behind him. Peacemaker tries to get in his car to escape, but Eagly flies out and alerts Annie to their location. She runs at Peacemaker, but he uses his sonic boom helmet to obliterate her. The blast destroys his car and a large radius in the parking lot. Eagly brings Peacemaker a dead opossum as a gift as the Evergreen Police Department arrive to the scene.

In a post-credits scene, Auggie Smith shows Peacemaker a helmet that if worn would give him scabies as a way to "challenge" himself.

## Cast

### Starring

* John Cena as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker
* Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo
* Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase
* Chukwudi Iwuji as Clemson Murn
* Jennifer Holland as Agent Emilia Harcourt
* Steve Agee as John Economos
* Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith

### Guest starring

* Annie Chang (opening credits only)
* Lochlyn Munro (opening credits only)
* Elizabeth Faith Ludlow as Keeya Adebayo
* Rizwan Manji as Jamil

### Co-starring

* Crystal Mudry as Annie Sturphausen
* Mel Tuck as Auggie's Neighbor
* Lissa Neptuno as Doctor Alandy
* Elizabeth McCarthy as Head Nurse
* Faith Wright as Murn's Inside Nurse
* Tim Zhang as Cabbie
* Brent Chapman as Fact Attack Host
* Ursina Luther as Blake
* Klarc Jerome Wilson as Taylor
* Kris Kuruneri as Bartender
* Jade Pawluk as Douchebag
* Scott Pocha as Even Bigger Friend
* Dee Bradley Baker as Eagly (voice)

### Uncredited

* Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
* Tinashe Kajese as Flo Crawley
* Idris Elba as Bloodsport (archive footage)
* Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2 (archive footage)
* David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man (archive footage)
* Dale Liner as Dale Biner (archive footage)
* Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn (archive footage)

### Locations

* Earth
	+ Africa (map)
	+ Asia (map)
	+ Europe (map)
	+ North America
		- United States of America
			* Belle Reve (flashback)
			* Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mentioned)
			* Washington
				+ Charlton County
					- Evergreen
						* August Smith's house
						* Christopher Smith's trailer
						* Fennel Fields
						* Henenlotter Video
						* O'Rourke's Sports Bar
						* Overview Lofts Suites
				+ Mount Rouge Health Center
	+ South America (flashback)
		- Corto Maltese (flashback)
			* Valle Del Mar (flashback)
				+ Jotunheim (flashback)
				+ Calle Aguero (mentioned; flashback)

### Events

* Project Butterfly
	+ Ambush on Peacemaker
* Mission in Corto Maltese (mentioned)

* Javelin's javelin (flashback)
* Nano-bombs
* Peacemaker's diary
* Peacemaker's helmets
* Peacemaker uniform
* Polka-Dot Man's gauntlets (flashback)

* Human
* Bald eagle
* Pigeon (mentioned)
* Rats (archive footage)
* Sturgeon (mentioned)

### Organizations

* A.R.G.U.S.
* Evergreen Police Department
* *Fact Attack*
* Faster Pussycat (vinyl)
* Hanoi Rocks (vinyl)
* Pretty Boy Floyd (vinyl)
* Quireboys (vinyl)
* Task Force X
* Tinder (mentioned)
* Twitter (mentioned)
* Wayne Foundation (sticker)

## Music

* *Peacemaker (Soundtrack from the HBO Max Original Series)*

## Videos

Podly- The Peacemaker Podcast - Ep. 1 with James Gunn - HBO Max

Adebayo Meets Peacemaker's Best Friend Eagly - Peacemaker - HBO Max

## Trivia

* The episode's title is a play on the song "A Whole New World" from the 1992 film *Aladdin*.
* During his discussion with the janitor, Peacemaker claims Aquaman "fucks fishes". This is a reference to the 2019 animated series *Harley Quinn*, where, as a recurring gag, Harley claims that Batman "fucks bats".
* The episode's setting occurs 5 months after *The Suicide Squad*.
* Blake (Ursina Luther), the waitress that Peacemaker refers to as "sweet cheeks" in the episode, was originally supposed to have a much more revealing wardrobe, but the costumers eventually covered up her cleavage with an apron. The character was named "Voluptuous Waitress" during shooting.

## External links

* A Whole New Whirled on DC Database
* A Whole New Whirled at the Internet Movie Database