Better Goff Dead
- Episode aired Jan 13, 2022
- TV-MA
- 39m
On their first official mission to assassinate suspected "butterflies," Economos and Murn bond, and Peacemaker and Harcourt reach an understanding. But the whole job goes sideways with the a... Read allOn their first official mission to assassinate suspected "butterflies," Economos and Murn bond, and Peacemaker and Harcourt reach an understanding. But the whole job goes sideways with the arrival of Judomaster.On their first official mission to assassinate suspected "butterflies," Economos and Murn bond, and Peacemaker and Harcourt reach an understanding. But the whole job goes sideways with the arrival of Judomaster.
- Auggie Smith
- (credit only)
- Detective Sophie Song
- (credit only)
- Detective Larry Fitzgibbon
- (credit only)
- Eagly
- (voice)
- (credit only)
Featured reviews
Everything is good in it.
A great balance between drama and humor
The depth of characters and dilemmas are revealed
Music is wonderful
The events are hilarious
The guns are very well placed for the future story.
After this episode it is very difficult to tear yourself away from the series!
Cinematographically, the episode showcases remarkable visual storytelling through its dynamic use of confined spaces and strategic lighting. The basement sequences particularly excel, utilizing claustrophobic framing to heighten the stakes while maintaining visual clarity during intense action moments. The camera work during the infiltration scenes demonstrates sophisticated blocking that enhances both the tactical elements and emotional beats without sacrificing the show's signature anarchic energy.
John Cena continues to impress with his commitment to Peacemaker's complex moral landscape, delivering moments of vulnerability that contrast beautifully with his character's violent tendencies. The supporting ensemble, particularly Danielle Brooks as Adebayo and Jennifer Holland as Harcourt, provides crucial emotional anchoring that prevents the show from descending into pure chaos. Their performances ground the more outlandish elements while contributing to genuine character growth that feels earned rather than forced.
The episode's pacing demonstrates remarkable control, building tension methodically before unleashing carefully orchestrated mayhem. Gunn's script maintains the series' irreverent humor without undermining the genuine stakes, creating moments that are simultaneously absurd and emotionally resonant. The production design deserves special recognition for creating environments that feel both grounded and slightly heightened, supporting the show's unique tonal balance.
What elevates this episode above typical superhero fare is its commitment to exploring the psychological cost of violence while never losing sight of its entertainment value. The character dynamics feel authentic despite the fantastical circumstances, creating investment in outcomes that might otherwise feel inevitable. This represents sophisticated genre filmmaking that respects both its source material and its audience's intelligence.
We got the idea from "The Suicide Squad" that Peacemaker was a character who stood by his beliefs and would kill anyone to acquire peace. This show is silently pulling that belief apart and giving us a more vulnerable character with a lot of trauma. The reason why he's doing all of this and wants to belief that he'd do anything is because of how he was brought up. We've already been introduced to his crazy father and have seen his roots, so the fact that he'd hide under this tough persona makes so much sense in the long run.
However, the emotional pull of the episode and the dive into the character of Christopher Smith over his persona as Peacemaker, is wonderfully balanced out by the incredible humor. Never have a torture sequence been as funny as it is here, and never had I enjoyed watching casual murder more. Gunn is someone who will do whatever it takes to get a laugh, even if it means making a funny situation out of something macabre. Luckily, he also knows good comedy and makes every joke laugh harder than the last until you can't possibly laugh any more, which you do.
The show is giving us a great bundle of characters to follow. This episode took more time to put Vigilante into the mix and it ended up providing a clearly psychopathic character, who is just a kid on the inside. Knowing Gunn and his beliefs, I'm sure that he meant this to be a comment on today's youth and the double standard of many people in the U. S. Showing the innocence underneath the crazy, but not humanizing the deeds that they're committing. Gunn is a good enough writer to make it feel honest, and he certainly does with this character.
They also decided to pump up the action for this one. They introduce a character called Judomaster, and every single scene with him ended in ass-kicking fights that mostly ended with his opponents on the ground. Gunn makes these fight scenes feel really grounded through the way he shoots them and goes in close on every punch. It's still very stylized and quick, but it's done with a lot of passion and a lot of vision. The participants do their job marvelously, but Gunn brings it all to life with his vibrant direction and knowledge of gritty and nutty action.
"Better Goff Dead" puts this character into a different light, finally showing him as what he really is: a character with a lot of doubt. He's not a hard badass as we've been led to believe and that makes him so much more compelling but doesn't stop him from actually kicking ass when it's needed.
Did you know
- TriviaJudomaster and Peacemaker are characters that DC acquired from Charlton Comics in the 1980's.
- GoofsA 50 caliber bullet would've gone right through "Mama Bear" and struck "Papa Bear" and probably gone through him too.
- Quotes
Clemson Murn: In fact, I'm a little chilly right now.
John Economos: You are?
Clemson Murn: No. But I saw it as an opportunity for growth to say I was.
- Crazy creditsAt the end of the credits, there is a deleted scene of Vigilante at the stakeout.
- ConnectionsEdited from The Suicide Squad (2021)
Details
- Runtime
- 39m
- Color
- Sound mix