Peacemaker star Frank Grillo breaks down Rick Flag Sr's brutal beatdown of Chris Smith in season 2 episode 6: 'It's like a volcano erupting'

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Exclusive: 'The violence is so connected to emotions that he's bottled up'

Rick Flag Sr looking angry and holding Chris Smith against a wall in Peacemaker season 2 episode 5
Rick Flag Sr doesn't hold back after finally getting his hands on Chris Smith (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO Max)
  • Peacemaker season 2 episode 5 features a brutal scene between Rick Flag Sr and Chris Smith
  • Frank Grillo, who plays Flag Sr, has lifted the lid on how the ultra-violent sequence was staged
  • It might not be the only time we see the duo clash in the HBO Max TV show

Peacemaker season 2 star Frank Grillo has opened up on the incredibly violent interrogation scene between Rick Flag Sr and John Cena's Chris Smith.

Ahead of the HBO Max show's return in late August, I sat down with Grillo to discuss Flag Sr's brutal beatdown of the titular anti-hero in this season's fifth episode. Full spoilers immediately follow for season 2 so far and 2021's The Suicide Squad.

Rick Flag Sr looking down at a seated Chris Smith in Peacemaker season 2 episode 5

That's not a look anyone wants to see... (Image credit: HBO Max/DC Studios)

Peacemaker season 2 episode 5, titled 'Back to the Suture', sees Flag Sr finally get what he's wanted for years: the chance to viciously beat up the man who killed his son.

Remember, in The Suicide Squad, Smith murders Rick Flag Jr but, until Flag Sr is made the new head of ARGUS, he doesn't know who's responsible for his son's death. Once he finds out, Flag Sr spends the entirety of season 2 – up to this point, anyway – trying to track down Peacemaker.

Long story short, he finally comes face-to-face with Smith after the latter is arrested early on in 'Back to the Suture'. After telling his ARGUS deputies Sasha Bordeaux and Langston Fleury to leave himself and Smith in an interrogation room, Flag Sr wastes no time doling out some long-overdue – not to mention absolutely ruthless – punishment to the eponymous character.

Rick Flag Sr looking up as he strangles a prone Chris Smith in Peacemaker season 2 episode 5

Flag Sr's 'interrogation' is interrupted by Sasha Bordeaux (Image credit: Jessica Miglio/HBO Max)

Given the level of violence on show, I was curious to learn how far everyone was willing to push this incredibly ferocious sequence to ensure viewers felt its full impact. As Grillo testifies, episode 6 director Alethea Jones, DC Studios co-chief James Gunn, the series' stunt team, and his acting partner in Cena were all game to make it as visceral and hard-hitting as possible.

"The violence is so connected to emotions that he's bottled up and have been building [for some time]," Grillo said of the beating Flag Sr deals out in one of the best HBO Max shows' second season. "It [the anger] is like a volcano erupting [out of him], so they let me go as far as humanly possible. John [Cena], in particular was such a champ because he didn't want me to hold back.

"They [Gunn, Cena, and Jones] really let Flag Sr have his moment," Grillo continued. "And, even though he gets that, there's still a level of frustration because of the way Peacemaker doesn't really reciprocate and just lets it happen. So it's a little it falls a little bit short for flag, because it's so one-sided. He doesn't get as much satisfaction from it as he'd hoped, and I think that's a great narrative choice."

A bloodied Chris Smith looking behind him at Adrian Chase/Vigilante in Peacemaker season 2 episode 5

If a picture could say 'ouch', this would be it (Image credit: HBO Max/DC Studios)

The dissatisfaction Grillo speaks of is the result of Flag Sr being stopped from pommelling Smith into submission. With Emilia Harcourt and John Economos intervening by 'booking' Smith – i.e., recording his arrest – through ARGUS' database, Flag Sr is forced to release Smith on bail.

That doesn't mean Flag Sr is done with Smith in the DC Universe (DCU) TV show. Smith might have left his original reality for the seemingly idyllic alternate dimension he's become obsessed with, but with three episodes of the DCU Chapter One project's latest season still to come, another showdown may be forthcoming.

Gunn, the show's head writer and primary director, has suggested as much, too. Asked about who would win a fight between Smith and Flag Sr on the latest installment of the Official Peacemaker Podcast, Gunn implied that another fight could be in the pipeline before season 2 ends.

"You know, I think that – we have to leave that one up to fate," Gunn said, before teasing: "Because there may still be... someday we may see that". Place your bets on whether that'll happen now.

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Tom Power
Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.


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