Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 Easter Eggs

Peacemaker, its second season, made no mention of Bat-Mite, Kite-Man, and Matter-Eater Lad from the Legion of Super Heroes, but this article contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 1. In its winter two opening, it’s obvious that Peacemaker intends to continue the custom. [An d]…

The article Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1 Easter Eggs appeared initially on Den of Geek.

Seth Rogen described what motivates his figure Matt Remick, head of the mythical Hollywood studio Continental, in a March 2025 meeting with Howard Stern to showcase his Apple TV + sitcom The Studio.

” What’s so frustrating about Hollywood, and what’s so alluring about these delusions of grandeur – especially if you run a movie theater – is that you think you might be the person to course correct all of Hollywood, &#8221, he said. Distinctive people have done that. But if you were someone who was willing to buy into the delusions of beauty of all of it, you may see yourself as the person who single-handedly saves Hollywood. &#8221,

Spoiler alert: Matt Remick does n&#8217, t save Hollywood. Despite that, Rogen may have been able to keep broadcast this year. That&#8217, s because Rogen and business &#8217, s wonderful 10-episode set is just one of many 2025 wire and streaming initiatives that understood the project.

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This year has been filled with tasks that respect Screen as an acute platform, from Apple TV+&#8217 to HBO Max&#8217, The Pitt to FX&#8217, and Earth: Alien and beyond. And while the regular discharge structure remains more of a novelty than a fact of life in the streaming earth, some properties are significantly putting it to good use or at least finding a creative means of working within it like Andor time 2&#8217, s three-episode-per-week design.

There was plenty of serialized and acute pleasure to be found on broadcast in 2025 despite it all. Here are some of our friends thus far.

Adolescence

Extended single-take pictures, or &#8220, oners &#8221, are currently popular on television. So much so that another 2025 show ( that you &#8217, ll be reading about on this list soon enough ) built an entire episode, fittingly called &#8220, The Oner, &#8221, out of the technique. With so many talented actors and directors joining the activity, the requirements for what constitutes an efficient oner have been raised. It can&#8217, t really all been about logistical expertise &#8211, the lack of delay within a scene has to perform psychologically as well. Enter Adolescence.

Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, this four-episode Netflix set represents the most effective and affecting use of one get storytelling in some time. Police arrive at the Miller family’s porch at the start of an unknown northern English city and reveal the unfathomable information: Jamie, son of the incredible Owen Cooper, is wanted for the murder of his classmate Katie. What follows are four excruciating installments examining a family and community &#8217, s pain, all without the relief of a single cut.

Earth: Alien

“There is surprisingly little mythology in the Alien film universe,” Earth: Alien showrunner Noah Hawley observed in an interview with Den of Geek. “All we really know is that there’s this company called Weyland-Yutani, and it has a knack for putting its employees in terrible danger.” Hawley is right. Much of the appeal of Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi classic comes down to the simplicity of letting an apex predator loose in a confined space amid a vacuum where no one can hear your scream. How can such a cinematic, elemental concept stand up to the episodic rigors of television? Pretty well it turns out!

Thanks to Hawley’s vision, a capable cast, and FX’s newfound Disney money, Earth: Alien presents some of the most compelling worldbuilding from an Alien story yet. Set just two years before Scott’s film, Earth imagines its title location as a playground for five megacorporations looking to achieve immortality. Young trillionaire Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) and his Prodigy Corporation believe they’ve reached that goal with the creation of powerful, child-brained hybrids, led by the indestructible Wendy (Sydney Chandler). Those ideas combined with some genuinely thrilling and bloody action have made for a heady, enjoyable sci-fi experience.

Andor

The success of Disney+’s Andor can be observed by its frequent use as a measuring stick. Across the entertainment landscape, any studio introducing a fresh new take on an existing IP plainly states that it’s intended to be the “Andor of [INSERT-FRANCHISE-HERE].” Marvel’s Secret Invasion was teased as the Andor of the MCU (and hooboy, that was a swing and a miss). More successfully, the aforementioned Earth: Alien has been pitched as the Alien’s Andor. Truthfully, however, there’s only one Andor and the show’s second and final season proved why.

Andor season 2 is a truly outstanding example of sci-fi storytelling. Imbued with authentic revolutionary spirit, the &#8220, conclusion &#8221, to Cassian Andor&#8217, s story ( give or take a Rogue One ) was a triumph. Once more, Diego Luna embodied Cassian as a disgruntled folk hero who was there for the rebellion when necessary. Meanwhile, the political analogies at play were more astute than ever with the villainous Dedra Meero ( Denise Gough ) and Syril Karn ( Kyle Soller ) finding out how little use fascism has for its adherents. We count ourselves among the friends from Andor season 2. There were many of them.

Dying for Sex

It’s unfortunate that the FX miniseries Dying for Sex didn’t receive as much attention as its IP-centric and franchise-focused competition. This funny, touching, and bittersweet eight-episode series was one of the more pleasant and human experiences for the medium this year. Michelle Williams portrays Molly Kochan, a woman who is diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in a loosely based real-life story. Faced with the prospect of death, Molly sets off on a journey of sexual self discovery.

Williams delivers a vulnerable performance, and Jenny Slate delivers excellent supporting acting as Molly &#8217, her friend Nikki Boyer. Dying for Sex is ultimately a refreshingly blunt look at the most taboo of subjects &#8211, death and sex. By the time Rob Delaney steps in as a neighbor Molly discovers that the show has something to say about both of them, Molly finds herself just as repulsed and turned on by.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Few television programs feature a 17th (! )! season find their way onto a best-of-the-year list. However, not many shows actually make it to their 17th year. Thankfully FX comedy It&#8217, s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has and TV is all the better for it. After a protracted series of funny but ultimately forgettable installments in its late teens, Rob Mac, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton&#8217’s insane creation resurrected as the best version of itself once more in 2025.

Save for the second half of its charming yet inessential crossover with Abbott Elementary, Always Sunny season 17 features nothing but bangers. Everyone is playing the best game right now. Mac ( Mac ) salsa dances while under the influence of hot peppers. Some people are slapbed by Dee ( Kaitlin Olson ). Dennis ( Howerton ) becomes a waxy-faced vampire. Charlie ( Day ) cuts his head. Frank ( Danny DeVito ) is cake. Another of the show’s hilarious yet oddly touching finales comes close to it.

Long Story Short

It’s challenging to find a way to elevate an animated comedy series beyond BoJack Horseman‘s personal, elegiac, and melancholy. With Long Story Short, BoJack creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg gives it a shot anyway. Netflix released the 10-episode film on August 22 and channels it for the emotional wringer. Following the middle-class Jewish American Schwooper family over a span of 30-some years, Long Story Short does n&#8217, t let the perpetual forward movement of time interrupt with its storytelling mission.

Long Story Short examines the quiet desperation of American family life from every angle, whether it’s young Yoshi ( Max Greenfield ), checking in with an adolescent Shira ( Abbi Jacobsen ), or jumping forward to a middle-aged Avi ( Ben Feldman ) after experiencing multiple personal tragedies. And of course: it &#8217, s very funny &#8230, as all families are.

Murderbot

One of the 2025 TV season’s most slam-dunk elevator pitches is featured on Apple TV+&#8216, Murderbot. They &#8217, ve got Alexander Skarsgård &#8230, and he&#8217, s a murderbot. The titular cyborg at the center of Murderbot, which was created from machine parts and cloned tissue, isn’t actually called that. He&#8217, s an anonymous security tool known as &#8220, SecUnit&#8221, who is purchased to assist some egghead hippies on a dangerous scientific mission. However, Murderbot has gained autonomy and given himself a colorful new name unknowst to both his creators and buyers.

Just like Martha Wells &#8217, beloved book series upon which Murderbot is based, this is easy-breezy sci-fi capable of entertaining mass audiences. As he binges episodes of his favorite show The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Skarsgrd finds himself as likeable as ever as he strikes a balance between protecting his family and maintaining his ruse. The first season &#8217, s 10 episodes flow together nicely, ending in a finale that promises expanded Murderbot adventures ( or Diaries ) to come.

Hector isn’t doing well they call Walsh to advise. (Warrick Page/MAX)

The Pitt

It might be hyperbole to say that The Pitt saved television this year, but I&#8217, ll be damned if I didn&#8217, t think that more than once while watching it. Only HBO Max and The Pitt had the guts to take the lead and say,” What if it we just made an awesome 90s medical drama” in the middle of a sea of low-effort streaming sludge and long-in-the-tooth franchise storytelling?” &#8221,

The Pitt obviously owes a lot to its med drama ancestors, particularly ER, where it took Noah Wyle as star, and more importantly, according to the Michael Crichton estate, a little more than that. But its dedication to real-time storytelling and relentless plot movement is an entirely modern invention. These 15 episodes ( which were obviously released weekly ) just fly by so quickly. There&#8217, s always something going on at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. You &#8217, glance down at your phone for a second and have missed at least 14 intubations. Take that, second screen TV culture!

The Rehearsal

The first season of Nathan Fielder&#8217, s The Rehearsal was a worthy follow-up to the Canadian satirist&#8217, s landmark Nathan For You docuseries. However, it was difficult to understand how the narrative, in which Fielder attempts to recreate every encounter in his life, could have had a little more of a focus. That focus arrives in The Rehearsal season 2, with Fielder locking in to save the American aviation industry.

The Rehearsal season 2 picks up a problem ( plane crashes ), determines its fix ( lack of pilot communication ), and rolls up its sleeves ( through rehearsal, of course ). It has six brilliant episodes. By the time you get to Fielder&#8217, s &#8220, Miracle Over the Mojave, &#8221, The Rehearsal&#8216, s second season has truly entered into the &#8220, social advocacy comedy docuseries &#8221, genre Hall of Fame alongside pretty much just other Nathan Fielder projects. It is a very small category.

Severance

Viewers want answers when it comes to mystery box storytelling. In Severance season 2, resolutions are needed for the following inquiries: Who was Kier Eagan?, Who was Kier Eagan?, Why is Lumon doing all of this, &#8221, and of course, What&#8217, s with the goats. &#8221, At the same time, however, wrapping up any mystery just ends that mystery. How can a show like Severance keep its viewers interested without dragging them along?

Season 2 makes that tightrope act look absurdly easy. Yes, some questions are answered in this batch of 10 Apple TV + episodes ( including, you might say, the goat one, believe it or not! ). But the seasons real strengths lie in the quiet moments between those discoveries. There is never a dull moment on the Macrodata Refinement floor, thanks to Ben Stiller&#8217, revelatory direction, flawless production design, and a pitch-perfect cast led by Adam Scott.

Squid Game

Squid Game came close to airing two full seasons of television this year thanks to Netflix’s creative ( and frankly annoying ) release strategy, with season 2’s Dec. 26, 2024 release date missing the cut by only six days. The fact that only season three&#8217, s six episodes premiered in 2025 might make its inclusion on this list controversial. The arc that led to the release of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s contemporary dystopian masterpiece, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s final work was at least divided.

We would argue it should n&#8217, t be, however. Squid Game season 3 was another perfectly dark story with the exception of the aforementioned release model that made it feel like half a season. The central games, which are always equal parts thrilling and disgusting, took on an added foreboding resonance as viewers were forced to contend with the introduction of the ultimate innocent contestant and the lingering question of whether Player 456 could actually survive the brutal gauntlet twice. A somewhat cynical, occasionally angry show managed to get even more angrier while still bringing even the slightest hint of hope for a brighter future.

The Studio

Matt Remick, the head of Continental Studio ( Seth Rogen ), has a real passion for movies despite the impression that his job is to destroy them. The TV show built around him, The Studio, also loves movies &#8230, but maybe not as much as it loves television. The Studio has a deep appreciation of what works for its smaller brother in addition to being a satirical love letter to Hollywood, even in its imperfect IP era. In this case that means gags &#8230, lots of &#8217, em.

The Studio‘s 10 installments are fantastic episodic, with the exception of the premiere and the two-part finale. One episode finds Matt continually ruining a &#8220, oner&#8221, on Sarah Polley &#8217, s film. Another video shows him fighting with Ron Howard over the sluggish conclusion of his movie. Then, just when he thinks he can have a breather on a date with a pediatric oncologist, suddenly he&#8217, s suffered a gruesome injury. It almost seems as though this movie-related tale is continuing to show situations that are filled with humor. If only there were some kind of term for situational comedy. Continental Studio might then enter the TV industry.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

When X-Men &#8217, 97 first appeared on Disney + in 2024, it completely altered how people saw what Marvel could do with episodic animated storytelling. The X-Men: The Animated Series continuation not only paid faithful homage to its ancestor, it took genuinely bold dramatic swings. None of that was done by 2025’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man and#8230. But it was still a remarkably fun and creative endeavor for Marvel right when the studio sorely needed it.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man wisely swaps out any of the recognizable Spidey roles for a world where it can discover what makes Peter Parker so special. Blessed with some intriguing Spider-verse easter eggs and a pitch perfect performance from Colman Domingo as Norman Osborn, YFNSM just works. And if nothing else, it provides a satisfyingly straightforward example of how Marvel’s big-screen webslinger can proceed in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The post The Best TV Shows of 2025 ( So Far ) appeared first on Den of Geek.