The second season of James Gunn's *Peacemaker* culminated in an emotionally charged and strategically significant finale, "Full Nelson," which not only resolved immediate character arcs but also laid crucial groundwork for the future of the DC Universe. The season pushed Chris Smith (John Cena) and his allies to their limits, with Chris grappling with his self-perception as an "angel of Death" and his friends facing personal turmoil, from crumbling relationships to disillusionment with their agency, ARGUS.

Following Chris's arrest and subsequent isolation due to his belief that he endangers those he loves, his friends refused to abandon him. Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), showcasing significant emotional growth, convinced Adrian Chase, also known as Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), to use his accumulated "blood money" to help Chris. Despite initial reluctance from Chris, the 11th Street Kids—comprising Chris, Adebayo, Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and John Economos (Steve Agee)—reunited. This reunion was vital, as Adebayo's heartfelt speech reminded Chris that his true impact was in positively touching the lives of others, fostering the deep emotional ties that are the heart of the series. Harcourt, too, finally acknowledged her profound feelings for Chris, bringing their strained romantic tension to a hopeful resolution.

A major development in the finale was the transformation of Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) into a definitive antagonist. Driven by revenge, Flag aligned with Lex Luthor and pursued a terrifying agenda: to find a new, habitable world to serve as an inescapable metahuman prison, which he named "Salvation." His ruthless disregard for the safety of ARGUS agents, whom he forced through dangerous dimensional doors leading to bizarre and deadly universes—including a candy-colored hellscape where agent Kline was killed—alienated even his loyalists. Economos, Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodriguez), and Langston Fleury (Tim Meadows) became increasingly disillusioned with Flag's dark path.

This widespread discontent among the ARGUS agents became the catalyst for a bold new initiative. The 11th Street Kids, joined by Bordeaux, Fleury, and Judomaster (Nhut Le), utilized Vigilante's drug money to establish their own independent agency, free from ARGUS's corrupt influence. This new organization was revealed to be Checkmate, a significant spy organization from DC Comics lore. In the comics, Checkmate operates with a chess-themed hierarchy (King, Queen, Bishops, Rooks, Knights) and is tasked with maintaining peace between metahumans and the rest of the world. While the *Peacemaker* version appeared less secretive, James Gunn has emphatically stated that both Checkmate and Salvation are instrumental to his overarching narrative for the DCU, hinting at a potential spin-off series focusing on Checkmate's exploits.

Gunn has been subtly laying the groundwork for Checkmate throughout his DC projects. Characters associated with Checkmate in the comics, such as Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who served as the White Queen, and Sasha Bordeaux, who became the Black Queen, have been central figures. Maxwell Lord, portrayed by Sean Gunn in *Peacemaker* Season 2, also has a complex history with Checkmate in the comics, where he infiltrated the organization with genocidal intentions against metahumans, even hijacking Batman's Brother Eye satellite. Though Gunn's version of Lord seems less malicious initially, his presence underscores the deep comic roots of this new agency.

The finale delivered a shocking cliffhanger: Flag, in a final act of cruelty and to cover his tracks, forged Chris's signature on volunteer forms and forcibly sent him through the portal to Salvation. Chris is now stranded on a desolate planet, hearing strange noises, suggesting it is far from empty and placing him in grave danger. This dramatic conclusion, combined with the unresolved threat of Keith's survival and potential revenge, leaves ample material for future DCU installments, whether in a possible Season 3 of *Peacemaker* or other interconnected projects. Both seasons of *Peacemaker* are currently available to stream on HBO Max.