Knock on Wood

The following article contains spoilers for Season Two of HBO Max’s Peacemaker.

Did you know that V for Vendetta turns 20 years old this year? I remember going to see it in theaters and being mesmerized by V’s actions and, more importantly, his words. Remember, remember when V took over that television station and spoke to all of London? That was one of his many epic speeches, but this line is sticking out now more than ever:

“Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?”

You know who else is noticing this? Hollywood.

Television has a unique way of shining a spotlight on what’s going on in the world today, and right now, no spotlight is shining brighter than the one on the “United” States. Right now, Donald Trump is using every loophole he can to exert power on the most vulnerable citizens. If you’re not rich, white, and American by birth, you are potentially at risk of catching the wrath of a vindictive, petty, and cruel man who will use every available resource he can buy to crush any means of opposition.

This is the closest the United States has ever come to falling apart, and Hollywood is showcasing chilling parallels and realities that reveal the plights currently emerging across the country. More and more television series are showing authoritarianism at work, and it’s not just coming from one particular source. Here are four examples of shows telling the audience about the dire situations that dictatorship-style rule can have.

Season Two of Peacemaker just wrapped up, and one of the key elements of the series involves Chris/Peacemaker (John Cena) traveling in an alternative reality where everything seems incredible. He’s the hero he hopes to be: admired, important, and part of a team. Eventually, Chris’s friends from his own dimension go to rescue him, only to find out that something doesn’t feel right. He later discovers that the alternative reality is one where the Nazis win World War II, and there is no one of color to be found. Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) starts to point out some of the very obvious, messed-up signs that it’s a Nazi-dominated world, including a giant mural of Hitler on the wall. Chris simply replies with:

“…how did I miss that?”

Chris was so happy to be part of a world where he belonged that he didn’t recognize what was really going on around him. The lack of awareness of his surroundings for Chris follows a familiar path for so many people in society who think that just because things are going well for them doesn’t mean it’s going well for others. For instance, after entering this new reality, Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), a Black woman, finds herself being chased by a group of people who want to put her back in a camp, where most nonwhite people are being held. It’s not for a lack of empathy on Chris’s part, but rather a lack of vision because he got almost everything he wanted in this reality. Like so many people in the US now, they realize too late that something isn’t right with the country.

DC isn’t the only studio that has given us a look at a society that is ruled by someone with an iron fist. Marvel’s inaugural season of Daredevil: Born Again tracks a newly emboldened Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) running to be the next Mayor of New York City. He wins because he promises radical change, has a grassroots campaign among people who think he’s cool, he’s a former convict coming back after disgrace, and he’s a businessman who will do anything he can to make money at the expense of other people…of course, none of this sounds familiar at all. Fisk is a ruthless politician because he looks to exploit people for his own gains. His philosophy is:

“In business, there’s always a tipping point in a negotiation. We are in that place with this city. It just needs a little push… and they’ll come to us with open arms.”

Wilson Fisk blames costumed vigilantes for everything that’s going on in New York and aims to round them up to clean up the streets. He uses the media as a means of propaganda to further his agenda. Moreover, he strong-arms people onto his side through blackmail and enabling those who agree with his views to lead. A great example comes from Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal)’s talk with Fisk’s anti-vigilante task force, filled with cops who admire the Punisher even though he stands against everything they are doing. Castle calls the task force “clowns” and explains how what he believes in is the exact opposite of the atrocities they’ve been committing.

Last year, The Boys Season Four heavily discussed the boogie man that is Woke Culture. Homelander (Anthony Starr) is slowly turning to more overtly violent rhetoric and showing more authoritarian leanings. He also doesn’t believe the rules apply to him, since he has so much physical power over everyone else that no one can stop him. One of the new members of his team, Firecracker (Valorie Curry), says this about America in The Boys universe:

“…where America finally sees the woke mob for what it is, mobsters who want to destroy our heritage, traffic our children, and feminize our men.”

Similar to Daredevil: Born Again, the villains in The Boys demonize “wokeness” in the same way that Fisk demonizes masked vigilantes. Homelander and Fisk both believe they have more power over everyone and use their allies to advance their agendas. Several people in both shows fall into the trap of this rhetoric, realizing too late that they have been conned into giving up their freedoms. The scary thing about The Boys is that Homelander is becoming more and more like Donald Trump (to the point where he takes over the White House at the end of Season Four), and the people of the show’s fictional US are just eating it up – but whether it’s out of fear or genuine adoration is hard to tell.

What greater example is there in media of an authoritarian government than Star Wars? The Empire represents a ruling body with stormtroopers rounding up people who disagree with the actions of the regime, all while building a device meant to be a deterrent for rebellion. Andor explores the small pocket of people who are resisting the Empire while living in the shadows of its oppressive “government.” During Season Two, the Empire uses propaganda tactics to make an enemy of the planet Ghorman. The planet has precious resources that they need to make the Death Star a reality. Before the people of Ghorman are massacred, the public-facing story of the planet changes from that of peaceful protests to an antagonistic thorn in the Empire’s side. When the Empire sees a way to end the resistance on Ghorman, it says:

“We’re done with local rumors. The only story that matters now is Ghorman aggression. The threats. The inexplicable resistance to Imperial norms. We need what’s in the ground. The Empire has been patient long enough. Our struggles with Ghorman are well documented at this point.”

Ghorman is deemed the enemy of the galaxy and is made an example of for not bending the knee to the Empire. Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) realizes too late that the work he did directly contributed to the tragedy on Ghorman. He’s merely a pawn, and he’s been taken advantage of because he believed in “the cause” and wanted to be part of something bigger than himself. Emperor Palpatine rules the galaxy and has an army of people to do his bidding. This is precisely what Donald Trump demands: absolute obedience and loyalty.

It’s hard to come to grips with how much Hollywood is looking at what’s going on with the United States and think this is all just a coincidence. Yes, I concede that there are several shows out there that talk about authoritarian rulers and how people overcome them. As someone who is very concerned about the state of my country, I’m reminded of the good work that people all around are doing to resist the darkness. My favorite movie of all time gives me some comfort in this case. In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Theoden asks:

“What can men do against such reckless hate?”

Aragorn replies:

“Ride out and meet them.”

Each of the above shows has a moment where the characters are faced with dire situations, and they choose each other or something greater than themselves to stand for.

In Peacemaker, John’s solace is his group, the 11th Street Kids. He says:

“No matter how far away we are from each other, no one is going to break us apart.”

In Daredevil: Born Again. Matt (Charlie Cox) has a rally cry after Fisk declares martial law in New York:

“I can’t see my city. But I can feel it. The system isn’t working. And it’s rotten. Corrupt. But this is our city. Not his. And we can take it back together. The weak… The strong… All of us.. Resist. Rebel. Rebuild.”

In Gen V (set in the same universe as The Boys), Andre Anderson speaks about how the Guardians of Godolkin University can rally together to fight back against the oppressive nature with the Seven:

“Whenever either one of us does something on their own, shit gets screwed up big-time. But I know we do some amazing shit together.”

Andor perhaps provides the clearest words of why it’s crucial to stand up in times of trouble. Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly) legendary speech was brought to life with these important words:

“The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands – we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest.”

Hollywood has noticed that something isn’t right in the United States. It’s time for more people to do the same. And though we shouldn’t need television to tell us what to look for – our world history should speak for itself! – it’s empowering to see some of the best series of the last few years speaking out against fascistic ideologies, and showcasing the revolutions that bring regimes to their knees.