Review: Peacemaker, "A Man Is Only As Good As His Bird" | Season 2, Episode 2
As usual, Tim Meadows steals the show
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From the moment I saw him in the credits last episode, I was waiting for Tim Meadows to show up and be hilarious, and he delivered, like he always does. He’s been one of comedy’s most reliable performers for over 30 years. I’ve literally never seen him not be funny, so naturally his turn as A.R.G.U.S. Agent Langston Fleury was the clear highlight of this episode of Peacemaker for me.
Seriously, from the moment he asks John what form of greeting he prefers, everything he says and does is funny, from massaging John’s shoulders while they spy on Chris to declaring that he doesn’t know anything about Pokémon—"Pokeyman"—grammar. His nicknames for everyone are so obnoxious, I giggled every time he said “Ginger Cool,” and “bird blindness” is the goofiest thing this show has ever introduced (“What’s the deal with the parrot?”) I could actually see people not liking this bit, because it’s too much like something out of an SNL sketch and doesn’t totally fit into the reality Peacemaker has established for itself. It’s a heightened and absurdist world, but not a gag-driven one. Bird blindness is just so stupid and funny, however, that I have no choice but to embrace it. It’s his only weakness. I wonder if there will be an even bigger payoff with his bird blindness than the one we get, where he can’t save his teammate because he can’t tell how big Eagly is.
As funny as Meadows always is, I don’t recall him ever getting the opportunity to show more range, and I wonder if Peacemaker will use him in a different way than he’s ever been used. Even seeing him carry a gun and doing an action scene, even a comic one, is unusual. James Gunn may see some darkness in Meadows that no one else has tapped into. I’m hoping we’ll get to see him be menacing at some point this season—whether we’ll buy it is a different story, but most comic actors are capable dramatic actors.
