r/PeacemakerShow • u/Deep_Scene3151 • Oct 11 '25
DISCUSSION This has got to be one of the best acting performances Danielle Brooks as Adebayo has done in the entire series Spoiler
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Oct 11 '25
Get you a friend like Ads
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u/chesterforbes Oct 11 '25
She was fantastic. So was Cena last episode and Holland the episode before that
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u/jerem1734 Oct 11 '25
Insane how far Cena has come and actor the last 10 years ngl
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u/charlesfluidsmith Oct 11 '25
Best wrestler turned actor ever... I mean it's a short list but be that as it may, He is untouchable.
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Oct 11 '25
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u/TheMerck Oct 11 '25
I think Batista still edges(also another wrestler-actor heh) out Cena still because he's just had more diversity in terms of genres and work but not to say Cena isn't close or there's a huge gap in terms of acting skill but I think Batista is still the best for me.
Now that I'm typing out this comment it reminds me of watching WWE and comparing Batista, Cena and Edge back then lmao funny to see it still happens but in a whole different type of field.
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u/Accomplished-Pain744 Me and Ginger Cool are on this shit Oct 11 '25
Whether you prefer Cena or Bautista, I think we can all agree they both can act circles around Dwayne.
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u/Jurass1cClark96 Oct 11 '25
Let's not try and put Edge in that discussion, his acting career is on cameo levels lol. The reference was indeed funny though.
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u/Little_Lebowski_007 Oct 11 '25
Money Plane is a fantastic movie (to laugh at). One of the best "so bad it's good" films
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u/Beneficial-Ad-6107 Oct 11 '25
Some of the baddest motherfuckers alive are on that plane
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u/Little_Lebowski_007 Oct 11 '25
Wanna watch a man fuck an alligator?
Money Plane
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u/Yrcrazypa Oct 12 '25
That movie rules so damn much. It's one of the worst things I have ever seen but I was laughing so hard the whole time.
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u/well_welp_ok Oct 11 '25
Bautista has had better roles, that does not mean heās a better actor. I donāt think itās really all that close if you stop and think about every one of their performances.
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u/charlesfluidsmith Oct 11 '25
It's not. And I'm always confused when people even make the comparison. Bautista has had great luck with securing high profile roles where the instruction was quite stoicism and people confuse that with good acting.
There's a reason the fellow cannot carry a movie.
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u/J0J0hn Oct 11 '25
Bautista was in Blade Runner 2049 for like five minutes and he still managed to break my heart.
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u/paper_liger Oct 11 '25
Honestly I love Agee, but he's a lot better comic than actor. Usually.
But this season I've seen him really stretch out of just his comedic wheelhouse and do some actual acting. Everyone is getting better and better.
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Oct 11 '25
Sheās a terrific actress
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Oct 11 '25
She went to Juilliard and has a BFA from them, she has great chops and is a fantastic actress
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u/hates_stupid_people Oct 11 '25
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u/jexdiel321 Oct 11 '25
Alan Tudyk is so underrated man. His role has Mr. Nobody in Doom Patrol is so fantastic. Putting that Julliard training to use.
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u/MattKr666 Oct 11 '25
Sometimes (very rarely) I do feel like she overacts some scenes, but overall she delivered a stellar performance over 2 seasons as far as I m concerned. As someone who hasn't seen OITNB, I was positively surprised by what she has shown in this show so far, competent actor all-around!
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u/UnRealmCorp Oct 11 '25
I used to only see her as Taystee, she's definitely changed the way I see her.
Her meeting with Key just before that, was amazing as well.
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u/MattKr666 Oct 11 '25
Taystee is her characters name in Orange is the new black I presume ? Again I haven't seen it, but have saved it on my "watch later list" for like 4 years. This might be my sign to actually start watching it lol
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u/TattooedBagel Oct 11 '25
Itās a wildly uneven show, I didnāt finish it. But it did start my own personal love of Danielle Brooks!
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u/Chaotic-Goofball Oct 14 '25
She was insanely good as Taystee. To me, that's the main character of OITNB.
Edit: Don't get me started on Poussey
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u/Suitable-Age3202 Oct 11 '25
Gunn said on the podcast this scene really meant a lot to him,it even made him cry. And Danielle totally nailed it.Ā
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Oct 11 '25
I love people having strong passion and emotions in their art. Itās a really beautiful thing to see; the way he can express his emotions so strongly through these characters that it brings him to tears is inspiring.
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u/bentheone Oct 11 '25
I've seen this man on the brink of tears or crying more than any member of my family. It's like all these theatre kids are from another planet. But they're the ones making millions so they must be right about something.
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u/Individual-Luck1712 Oct 11 '25
Someone was cutting onions around me during this part. I understood where Chris was coming from, then she just goes, "šshut up bitch, I love you, we all do" like goddamn, nevermind then, you right
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u/trizeeh Oct 11 '25
LMAOOOOO this perfectly captures my reaction. Iām sitting there like damn I get why Chris feels the way he does, then Ads just pulls up the chair and tells him how loved he is and to lock it the fuck in. Like damn, you right.
And even earlier in the episode during her conversation with Keeya, one of the most accurate and beautifully sad portrayals of a breakup Iāve seen. Danielle was fantastic all of season one and two, but she absolutely KILLED it in the finale.
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u/Individual-Luck1712 Oct 11 '25
Totally agree, especially as somebody who had a very similar breakup, where it was serious, we had planned a life together, but we just had to accept that people change, become incompatible, and have to move on with no hard feelings, just grief. Writers don't usually go there, as if it's more relatable to have a bad breakup everytime. I think it's the opposite, especially when there really is love there. There were a lot of onions that episode, not gonna lie, and I'm a grown ass man lol
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u/SomeGuyPostingThings Oct 11 '25
That scene and the scene with her wife were excellent. Danielle Brooks has been solid but unimpressive this season (mainly because of what she'd been given), but knocked it out of the park this week.
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u/EverydayPoGo Oct 11 '25
Totally agree. I see lots of ppl say they don't care about her and her wife's relationship, and I don't do much either, but her speech in both scenes are just so powerful that I can't help to be deeply moved
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u/oliferro Oct 14 '25
I was in the "don't care about their relationship" boat until that last scene of them together
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u/rysfcalt Oct 16 '25
I really appreciated that scene, and both actresses, in that moment. It was earned, and just the right amount of that story.
We donāt often get to see two characters who love each other but choose to part ways amicably but painfully because their goals donāt align.
Itās always either compromising/reframing their goals, or they fall out of love, or a cold ending, or a fight.
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Oct 11 '25
I think their relationship was the most unnecessary tho her wife never talked to no character besides Ads, nor even interacted with them, Ads already had made up her mind in the first fricking episodeĀ
If you took out her side story, the plot would have change nothing
I enjoyed their closing up the chapter accepting scene but I was like WAIT why are getting this tho or like that's why the build up in the pther episodes?
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u/purple_tr3m0nk3y Oct 11 '25
Itās that clap as she pulls her chair close to Chris. Idk why that sat with me
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u/targetcowboy Oct 11 '25
Sheās so good. Sheās the heart of this show. I like Chris and heās a good character that Cena plays well, but she really ties it together. The two of them play off each other so well
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Oct 11 '25
Her character is the glue of the group.
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u/Evadrepus Oct 11 '25
She also serves as the audience voice. The one "normal" in the group.
And i agree, she's killing the acting.
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u/lesbian__overlord Oct 11 '25
they do a great job of making ads weird enough to fit in with the 11th street kids as a gang of oddballs but normal enough to remain an audience surrogate, both in the writing and danielle's performance.
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u/toasterinBflat Oct 11 '25
The actual title for this is "Audience Surrogate", and most (good) media has them. You really notice the lack of one sometimes, especially in the superhero genre. All good media needs to have a character they can relate to emotionally; even when characters are absurd it's impossible to properly hook and subsequently invest an audience without someone they can empathize with on some level. It's what makes ensembles (like this one, and for that matter nearly all of Gunn's media) so appealing.
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u/SecureDonkey Oct 11 '25
She is pretty much the defacto leader of the group.Ā
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u/duckw0rth65 Oct 11 '25
since last season i've always felt she was the heart and soul of the 11th street kids
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u/MoravianBilges Oct 11 '25
*This* was the show's finale, to me. I almost wish her character's role was bigger in the DCEU because she fuckin *kills* every scene she's in.
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u/charlesfluidsmith Oct 11 '25
I mean she runs Checkmate. She can now literally pop up in anything.
Gunn has already said Checkmate is going to be an important part of the universe going forward.
We're going to get a whole lot more of her acting and I am so glad.
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u/Accomplished-City484 Oct 11 '25
Yeah, now that Argus is just ICE theyāll need someone to do the actual spy work
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u/ExultantSandwich Oct 11 '25
Iām hoping when Viola Davis stops being Amanda Waller, they bring in Brooks as the ānewā Waller.
However admittedly that does clash with her current characterization. I canāt see her putting bombs in peopleās necks
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u/Askefyr Oct 11 '25
Ads isn't too different from Waller, except that she's not insane. She's got the same knack for manipulation, but it's more about positive reinforcement and motivation rather than fear and control. It'd be a good twist on the character.
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u/jexdiel321 Oct 11 '25
Yeah she definitely has that Waller genes. She's manipulative and cunning like her mom. The big difference though is she's not as cold as her mom. She has empathy.
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u/Astrosauced Oct 11 '25
I love Danielle. Ever since she uttered the phrase, āSo Iām sittinā there, barbecue sauce on my titties, and Iām like, āWhat the fuck, again?āā I was in love.
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u/Foolsgil Oct 11 '25
Probably the best platonic love I've ever seen between a man and a woman. Far as I'm concerned Chris has a sister and Ads a brother.
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u/KenjiEndo18 Oct 11 '25
I think her and Chrisā relationship is the most important thing of the show
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u/fretfulpelican Oct 11 '25
I looooove her acting so much. Itās been such a joy to watch her in a show after loving her performance in orange is the new black! Sheās phenomenal.
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u/technicallysupportiv Oct 11 '25
She was great in OITNB. I rooted for her character all the time.
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u/pixelatedcrap Oct 11 '25
She is what kept my watching, despite my extreme dislike for the main character!
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u/AceOfSpades532 Oct 11 '25
Piper was seriously probably the worst part of the show for me at times, other characters like Poussey, Taystee or Dogget were so much better
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u/sharltocopes Oct 11 '25
Check her out in The Color Purple. She got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for that one!
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u/iLocal808 Oct 11 '25
Danielle Brooks, John Cena and Jennifer Holland really did a fantastic job this season.
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u/Mishap_Maisy Oct 11 '25
I loved this scene. It felt very familiar for myself. Iāve been in Chrisā shoes. I isolated in a deep depression and stayed away from others because I felt I was the problem. It was āeasierā but people convinced me I was making a mistake by removing people I loved from my life.
It was such a natural scene
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u/The-Reddit-Monster Oct 11 '25
Best fucking scene in the show.
The way she aggressively approached Chris like that.
11th Street Kids forever, man.
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u/NoTelevision4907 Oct 11 '25
This shit is so real, one of my closest friends for an important chunk of my life was a black woman, and holy shit when she slid up on his ass I got flashbacks to my girl setting my ass straight once or twice, lmao.
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u/MahNameJeff420 Oct 11 '25
Sheās an Academy Award nominee for a reason. I know people have issues with the finale, but I think the human moments like this scene are what the show is really about, and there were some great ones this episode. Really loved that Danielle Brookes was able to go all in for a few scenes.
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u/Ynneb82 Oct 11 '25
She is very good. She is so expressive and has great chemistry with all the cast.
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u/Cky2chris Oct 11 '25
I love how she squared up and told him hard truths when he said "fuck you adebayo", I wish i had a friend like that.
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u/laurasroslin Oct 11 '25
She's an amazing actress - this monologue made me cry. The delivery, the emotion...their friendship is like one of the best parts of the show for me.
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u/ich_bin_alkoholiker Oct 11 '25
I did a rewatch of Chernobyl and was stone cold throughout the whole thing and then I watched this and her scene made me cry. Idk why it moved me more. š¤·š»āāļø
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u/rysfcalt Oct 16 '25
She made John Cena cry. When youāre making your scene partner cry, that shiz is real.
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u/IamLiterallyLiteral Oct 11 '25
This episode was so weird for me, it had so many great moments like this, but it was missing so much too. Like I would have rather seen the Judo Master/Langston Fluery recruitment discussion like we saw with Bordeaux, instead we got a lot of slow motion scenes, a far too long music performance, and a weirdly out of place abrupt ending. It was like a fever dream, I don't know what to think about it
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u/paps1788 Oct 11 '25
Yeah when they did a second slow walk I wondered if it was actually a dream sequence.
I still really enjoyed it and the first 40 was a great finale.
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u/Indifferent_Jackdaw Oct 11 '25
When she scooted forward on the stool, it immediately focused all my attention on her for her big moment. Amazing how such a small detail can be so high impact.
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u/Chaotic-Goofball Oct 11 '25
She's always been phenomenal since I found her through Orange is the New Black. Taystee was the emotional core of that show too.
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u/Ravyn_Rozenzstok Oct 11 '25
Oh cool! I didn't know she was in that. I finally have a reason to watch that now.
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u/Significant_Other666 Oct 11 '25
Cena is actually pretty good too, but yes, it's definitely her scene
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u/Echo_Romeo571 Oct 11 '25
I'm really hoping that Gunn's comments about a third season of Peacemaker not being in the plans is a way of saying that there is a first season of Checkmate in the works.
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u/rebornfacedancer Oct 11 '25
Yeah, one of the best characters in the show tbh. Danielle Brooks is a fantastic actress, Iām hoping to see her in more projects that arenāt like the Minecraft movie, and especially more major roles in the dcu. It would be sick for her to eventually become the new Waller
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u/neondewon Oct 11 '25
Yeah i cant believe i shed a tear in this fucking show. I dont like how the finale turnt out at all but this scene is definately a highlight.
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u/vickangaroo Oct 11 '25
Genuinely, from this moment on I believe he doesnāt need to suit up as Peacemaker again. After everything theyāve had to go through, theyāre all together and now heās Agent Chris Smith of Checkmate.
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u/TwoRivers91 Oct 11 '25
Sheās fucking AMAZING!! This scene and the one before it where Ads breaks up with (divorces) Keeya made me literally cry. The acting is just superb. I felt every word and emotion they conveyed. And what a powerful message!! They love each other but their lives are just not meant for each other. Itās so beautiful and human and relatable. What an amazing show.
Iām also one of the few people who loves the finale!
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u/Extension_Canary3717 Oct 11 '25
This was also great for Cena.
The only sad thing is that will goddamn take years to us to see 11th street kids again
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u/SoDamnGeneric Oct 11 '25
I wasnāt expecting to cry during the breakup scene but I did
Then I really wasnāt expecting to cry during this scene
Insane to think she was in the Minecraft movie lmao
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u/DamangoLiving Oct 11 '25
This scene and Ads breaking up with her wife brought tears to my eyes. Danielle was so good this episode
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u/Several_Caregiver261 Oct 11 '25
She sucks to listen to, super forced into every single scene and genuinely just ruins the show. But diversity!!!š
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u/njoos83 Oct 12 '25
I had given up on OITNB an episode or two into the 6th season cuz I couldnāt stand watching women get beaten. Peacemaker reminded how great of an actor Brooks is, so I started back on season 6 of Orange and Iām so glad I did. She is amazing during that season and I canāt wait to finish season 7 soon.
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u/MeadowmuffinReborn Oct 11 '25
Great actor. Makes me think I should check out OITNB.
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u/jhinigami Oct 11 '25
I really warmed up to her ever since the minecraft movie lol I love that she's the glue that keeps the 11th street kids together
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u/-FalseProfessor- Oct 11 '25
It saved her for me this season. I wasnāt a fan of the finale, but she was very strong in it.
I found some of her scenes very uneven in the early episodes of the season. There was one scene with her and Agee that felt hard to watch because they just had no chemistry and it felt too rehearsed in her delivery.
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u/TheNocturnalAngel Oct 11 '25
It kind of made me even more bummed out how much sheās been sidelined
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u/XavierRex83 Oct 11 '25
She was great in this show. She also played one of the best characters in Orange is the New Black.
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u/Skyler108 Oct 11 '25
"I believe in miracles because of you" got the waterworks GOING last night. Danielle Brooks crushed this scene and the one with Lee.
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u/Realcbear Oct 11 '25
Truly donāt understand why it took us so long to get here, bc anyone remotely familiar w her knows she can bring it, but in this series until now she just feels so uncharacterized. Glad to see her finally show us we werenāt remembering incorrectly
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u/Nagi-Shio Oct 11 '25
Ads carried the finale for me. I wasnāt expecting to care about her talking with Keeya but that scene and this one stole the show.
Her segments felt more like a satisfying resolution than the Harcourt/Chris angle if Iām being honest.
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u/wintersfantasy Oct 11 '25
I want a best friend like Ads. She was one of my favorite characters. Watching the platonic relationship evolve between her and peacemaker was beautiful.
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u/EverythingByAccident Oct 11 '25
The entire episode was pure emotion, but Ads was a core part of almost all of it. Danielle was given the stage and she took that shit over.
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u/FireZord25 Oct 11 '25
I saw people criticize citing how Peacemaker's issues were "resolved" after that one session of pep talks (quotation mark because I hardly think that's exactly what happened, even the cheerful way it's presented afterwards, speaking from my own experience). But when pep talks involve someone sitting down and reaching out to you as sincerely as she did, it's hard not to start believing things are going to be alright.
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u/Phoam_ Oct 11 '25
While I think the scene works and Brooks' acting is carrying this scene hard, am I the only one who found some of those camera angles somehow off putting ? Like especially the back and forth close-ups between Ads and Chris at different heights. Maybe it's also the focal length used ? Idk, but it was very distracting
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u/0penedB00K Oct 11 '25
Sheās such a better character now sheās not the silly bumbling fool archetype
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u/lordhumongous40 Oct 11 '25
The acting was exceptional this episode. Fucking Cena is hitting it out of the park.
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u/ZoNeS_v2 Oct 11 '25
I've seen many people complain that the last episode was lame because 'no big super fights and splosions!!'.
But I thought the last episode was fantastic because after everything we've seen, it's the characters that make it. Honestly, I've been into the MCU films since 2008, but none of them have hit like this one DC show.
I'm so happy š„²
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u/Capable-Newspaper-82 Oct 11 '25
The way she delivered that eagle line was pure acting genius. It was hilarious, heartbreaking, and so deeply human all at once. She absolutely deserves all the praise she's getting for this.
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u/ErenYaegersAbss Oct 11 '25
Can't believe that all those grifter youtubers where shitting on Ads before the first season even aired due to their rasiscm.
Can't imagine what the show would be like without Ads nor tge terrific actress playing her.
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u/LodgedSpade Oct 11 '25
This season had me absolutely fall in love with Danielle Brooks! That woman absolutely delivered.
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u/well_welp_ok Oct 11 '25
Thought the same thing. Iāve been very critical of her performance (lazy, unenthusiastic), but this really salvaged all of it and instantly forgave the rest of the season. Thatās how good it was, and made me understand her way more.
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u/UnicornMeatball Oct 11 '25
I love Danielle Brooks so much. Sheās probably my favourite part of the show
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u/HereWeFuckingGooo Oct 11 '25
Danielle Brooks is the only reason I gave Peacemaker a chance. I thought of all the characters from Suicide Squad to turn into a spinoff, this was the worst choice. But, it had my girl Taystee in it so I thought, fuck it. I'll watch one episode and see what I think. Two seasons later and it's one of my favourite shows. I really hope Ads is more of a main character in season 3, Danielle Brooks is a seriously talented actor. She brings the heart to everything she's in.
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u/No-Check-3691 Oct 11 '25
The scene with ads and her ex I didnāt give af about but this scene got me
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u/tryingmybest101 Oct 11 '25
Havenāt gotten to this episode but thatās not saying a lot. She was terrible in season one. So far I think sheās doing much better in season two so glad to hear it gets even better later on.
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u/Ordinary_Rhubarb5064 Oct 11 '25
Brooks crushed it this ep, honestly. So good, and so satisfying to see Adebayo coming into her own with the creation of Checkmate.Ā
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u/SowingShade Oct 11 '25
A wonderful performance, to be sure. Adebayo was given some of the most important lines of the season, and they were all delivered beautifully.
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u/scooter-411 Oct 11 '25
She had me in tears every time she was on screen this episode. Give her the oscars
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u/PoetSappho Oct 11 '25
i feel like the scene with keeya got to me way more, but this season being so introspective was such a breath of fresh air.
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u/Blade_of_Onyx Oct 11 '25
Sheās got a great chemistry with John Cena. Adebayo being Chrisās best friend is a really awesome dynamic and the emotional punch of that final episode was beautifully done. Iām genuinely sad that we may have to wait a while/may never get more of that interaction.
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u/HeavenHasTrampolines Oct 11 '25
Yeah man, shit got me emotional. I got Peacemakersā issue too (I donāt kill people, but Iām a recovering addict with all kinds of shame) so that hit hard. Then, hearing Ads and Vig made me cry because Iāve heard versions of that myself - and I wasnāt able to really hear what they said since I didnāt believe it.
This show has emo-bombs a plenty and itās masquerading as a goofy superhero series. Iāll always be here for that, even after that finale lol
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u/plungemod Oct 12 '25
Hey guys, it kinda turns out that this show is realllly good. It has Andor-level speak truth to the moment ambitions, just opened up a Doctor Who premise that's one of those "Big ideas" Moffat was talking about, and the characters are the BOMB. Adebayo is fucking top-tier DCU character now daaaaaang.
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u/ahoskasalve666 Oct 12 '25
They say that John Cena stepped it up this season, and that's not up for debate but man Daniella Brooks stepped up as well big time
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u/wavemyfreakflag Oct 12 '25
Ok, now that scene with her wife really broke my heart... she's terrific and so is the actress that plays keeya
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u/Feisty-Recover7316 Oct 13 '25
It's /really/ good, but personally second to the scene where she ends things with her ex.
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Oct 13 '25
Really? Which did you enjoy more the fake tears or the fact that she cried way harder about Chris being sad than she did about breaking up with her former fiancƩ?
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u/Lillillillies Oct 14 '25
When she was explaining the breakup got to me... Made me think about some of my relationships that didn't work out.
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u/oliferro Oct 14 '25
Don't tell Vigilante but she's Chris' best friend
After Eagly of course
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u/kuatorises Oct 14 '25
That and the break up with her ex were just devastating. She might be my favorite character. I got back-and-forth between her and Holland. They are both very good actresses.
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u/Admiralbruce Oct 15 '25
I love her in this so much hahahahā¦
We know Waller is coming back in some form be it a show or limited 2 parter.
We know in the comics she runs Checkmate.
Iām thinking Flagg messed us up so bad that Checkmate will reach out to Waller to get help and sheāll use that to take over Argus and be Lexās 2nd when he gets out of prison and becomes president.
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u/Express-Eagle-9835 Oct 15 '25
Adebayo's convo with her wife in the finale was also excellently well written, shot, and acted imo. One of my favorite scenes of the year
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u/NivTek Oct 11 '25
š I saw an eagle š hug a human š