Peacemaker Season 2’s Brutal Raid Sees Chris Smith Cheered for Cold-Blooded Killings — and the Alternate World Explains Why

In season 2, episode 3 of Peacemaker, titled “Another Rick Up My Sleeve”, the show stages a prolonged, violent raid scene in which Chris Smith (John Cena) kills multiple attackers inside a government building; the episode places that sequence inside an alternate universe where several members of Chris’s family are alive and where the public greets his actions as heroism.

Episode: season 2, episode 3, “Another Rick Up My Sleeve”.
Key cast mentioned: John Cena (Chris Smith), Jennifer Holland (Harcourt), David Denman (Keith), Robert Patrick (Auggie).
Director credited for the episode sequence: Greg Mottola.
Scene details: Peacemaker enters a building, kills multiple members of a group called the Sons of Liberty, and is cheered by bystanders in that reality.
Availability note from the source: new episodes released on HBO Max through Oct. 9 (as reported).

What happens in the episode

The episode opens in an alternate universe where Chris Smith’s brother and father are still alive, and where he shares a closer relationship with Harcourt than in his original timeline. Near the end of the episode, a terrorist group called the Sons of Liberty attacks a government facility and uses hostages as part of their plan.

According to the episode action, Chris and Harcourt are knocked back by an initial explosion when one attacker trips on a device. After that, Chris forces his way into the occupied building and lethally engages the attackers, using a mix of melee and firearm attacks until the threat is neutralized.

The raid sequence and its presentation

The sequence is staged with tight, close-up shots and explicit depictions of violence. Director Greg Mottola filmed the scene to emphasize physical impact and blood, and the camera work focuses on Chris’s actions as he moves through the building.

In the episode, the crowd in that alternate reality reacts by cheering Peacemaker after the incident, and his brother Keith (in a supersuit) finishes off the last of the attackers in a similar manner.

Context about Chris Smith and the show

Chris Smith is presented across the series as a figure who uses lethal force regularly. In this episode, his behavior is consistent with earlier portrayals: he does not attempt to disarm or arrest attackers in the scene, and he does not attempt negotiation during the raid.

The episode contrasts that lethal approach with the alternate reality’s public acceptance of his methods. The story uses that setting to show how Chris is perceived by others when his violent actions are rewarded rather than questioned. Chris describes that alternate reality as the “best universe ever” in the episode dialogue.

Credits and cast details

Peacemaker’s season 2 episode lists John Cena as Chris Smith, Jennifer Holland as Harcourt, David Denman as Keith, and Robert Patrick as Auggie. Greg Mottola is credited as the director of the episode’s raid sequence.