Peacemaker Fans Are Saying The Same Thing About Rick Flag After The Season 2 Finale

The following article contains spoilers for "Peacemaker" Season 2, Episode 8 — "Full Nelson"

Throughout "Peacemaker" Season 2, Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) has been a thorn in Peacemaker's (John Cena) side. It definitely makes sense, given that Peacemaker killed his son during the events of "The Suicide Squad." Even if Peacemaker was only following orders from Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), he's the one who pulled the trigger. In the Season 2 finale, we see Rick Flag Sr. carry out his ultimate plan: He finds a planet, Salvation, that looks suitable enough to use as a prison for metahumans. And Peacemaker becomes Salvation's first resident (unless something else is already out there). 

However, Flag's whole plan has rubbed much of the internet the wrong way. X (formerly known as Twitter) is ablaze with saying Flag's development is one of the worst things in "Peacemaker" Season 2, like @captaincupkicks writing, "Chris getting stranded on Salvation right after finally getting to a healthy place in life is so evil, I need Rick Flag Sr. GONE." @ReignOfPride also didn't mince words: "F*** Rick Flag Sr you should be dealt with IMMEDIATELY." Much of the contention comes down to some perceived character devolution. 

In "Creature Commandos," he works alongside metahumans. He's also in an odd situationship with Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodríguez), whose cybernetic enhancements make her a metahuman. Despite this, he seems to suddenly outright hate metahumans on the same level as Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). And without knowing what's next for James Gunn's DC Universe, it's hard to see if this character shift will pay off.

Watching Rick Flag Sr. on "Creature Commandos" and then "Peacemaker" Season 2 may make you think you're watching two completely separate guys. Fans have really turned on the character, with @yannisnerdverse writing on X, "Rick Flag Sr. is nowhere near the same character in creature commandos that he was in season 2 of peacemaker ... I don't think the Chris killing Jr. reveal justifies it." However, these fans may be overlooking one of the most important lines in "Superman" that could explain his motivations. 

At the end of "Superman," Lex Luthor is sent to prison, and the Justice Gang intervenes in international politics. Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) even kills the president of Boravia in a clear extension of power compared to what metahumans have done in the past. After all this, General Mori (James Hiroyuki Liao) proclaims, "Glad you're not concerned about the metahumans, Rick, 'cause now they're the ones making the rules." Viewers may have overlooked the camera lingering on Flag's face, as he seems to come to terms with how increasingly irrelevant he is (as a normal man) in a world where gods are everywhere. 

That moment from "Superman" could help explain Flag's ultimate goal on "Peacemaker" Season 2. He may have butted heads with Lex back then, but now, he got all of Lex's cronies working for him who helped find Salvation. Perhaps he'll realize the error of his ways when a metahuman he actually likes winds up being sent to this new world. For now, he at least seems content getting revenge on Peacemaker.