Comedy
Peacemaker
Peacemaker is to superhero as ringworm is to earthworm. It might seem like these two things are related based on their names, but they aren’t.
In the late 18th century, the Hawaiian Islands were still practically untouched by outsiders. The Hawaiians had killed the last visitors to their home, Captain Cook (the first British explorer to the Pacific Islands) and his crew. But though their islands remained untainted by colonists, their people were not thriving.
The islands are split into four kingdoms: O’ahu, Maui, Kaua’i and Hawai’i. The kings (or chiefs) of those nations keep their people in an endless cycle of civil war, egged on by their beliefs in “powerful gods.”
However, the people also have a prophecy: “A Star with a Feathered Cape will signal the rise of a great King, who will unite the kingdoms and end the age of war.” Many Hawaiians eagerly await the arrival of this prophesied king. But the island chiefs are of a different mind.
King Kahekili of Maui doesn’t want the prophecy to unfold, because it would mean his own usurpation. So, he decides to interpret the prophecy in a different way. He orders his seers and underlings to tell their people that he is the foretold Star and that the war chief Ka’iana is the Feathered Cape who will help him unify the islands.
There’s just one problem: Ka’iana doesn’t follow Kahekili anymore. He fled with his family to the Kingdom of Kaua’i. And he has no interest in joining another civil war between the islands.
Ka’iana and his brothers, Nāmake and Nāhi, are the sons of Kahekili’s previous war chief, whom Kahekili considered a brother. They had trained their whole lives to be warriors of Maui. And Ka’iana had been slated to become the next war chief.
The brothers had no problem fighting Kahekili’s battles. They were willing to give their lives for Maui. They considered it their sacred duty. And they were (and still are) nothing if not loyal.
However, as time went on, Kahekili came over with an insatiable bloodlust. He ordered his men to slaughter not just rival warriors but the common men, women and children of Hawaii’s other nations, too.
So, the brothers (along with Ka’iana’s wife, Kupuohi; and her sister, Heke) fled Maui. They sought sanctuary with the Queen of Kaua’i (a neutral kingdom that avoided war by pledging service to Maui). And they vowed to never take an innocent life again.
But as I said before, the brothers are nothing if not loyal.
When Kahekili summons them to Maui, the brothers go to him. Kahekili tells Ka’iana his interpretation of the prophecy. He also informs Ka’iana that the king of O’ahu has declared war against Maui, desecrating the bones of Ka’iana’s father in a sort of ritual to their own war gods.
Reluctantly, Ka’iana decides to let the prophecy play out. He agrees to become Kahekili’s war chief.
Unfortunately, Ka’iana soon comes to regret this decision. He finds himself once again caught in the throes of Kahekili’s bloodlust. And with the “paleskins” returning to the Hawaiian Islands once again, Ka’iana finds himself in the middle of a war that will forever determine the future of his beloved home.
Apple TV+’s Chief of War is based on the history of the Hawaiian Islands. Created by Thomas Pa’a Sibbett and Jason Momoa (who plays Ka’iana and also serves as the show’s executive producer), the series ultimately tells the story of how the Islands became a single sovereign nation under the rule of King Kamehameha I in 1810.
Of course, mixed in with those historical events is a great deal of mythology. That’s not necessarily surprising, since mythology plays a big part in Hawaiian culture. But as they’re portrayed in this dramatization, the Hawaiian gods, prophecies and prophets are all very much considered real. One prophetess named Taula is blind, but she claims to commune with the gods. And she seems to have mystical powers that allow her to magically appear whenever someone seeks her guidance. We also see and hear about prayers and rituals to the gods.
Keeping in line with the historical aspects of the show, most of the dialogue is spoken in Hawaiian (barring a few British characters, who speak English) with English subtitles. It’s a nice touch, in my opinion, especially since it means we hear almost zero profanity, because the Hawaiian language doesn’t actually have swear words in the traditional sense.
However, while there’s a lack of language, viewers might by shocked by the amount of skin we see. Again, keeping in line with the historical aspects of the show, the Hawaiians wear traditional garb. For women, it’s not so much an issue. While their wraps show off their arms and legs, other parts of their body remain covered. But for the men, we’re dealing with loincloths, and more often than not, we’re basically seeing their entire exposed rears.
But oddly, that’s not the biggest content concern. Chief of War is aptly named. Though the Hawaiians aren’t wielding weapons of steel, they know how to craft deadly tools. Most of the weapons we see here are made of wood, usually bonded with animal bones, teeth or stones. But if you put a shark tooth-edged weapon in the hands of a guy as big as Jason Momoa, he’ll cause some serious damage. As such, heads are cleaved in two, throat-slitting is a popular form of execution, and thrown spears frequently hit their marks—all to great gory effect.
I think that Chief of War paints a very engaging portrait of Hawai’i’s history. However, like many historical events, that history was painted in blood. And while it’s one thing to learn about history through books or even documentary films, it’s another to see battles realistically acted out onscreen.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
King Kahekili of Maui summons the warrior Ka’iana to become his chief of war. However, Ka’iana soon learns that Kahekili has lied and manipulated him, driven by his own ulterior motives.
We hear a prophecy about the unification of the Hawaiian Islands, and many people act upon their interpretation of that prophecy. The Hawaiian people believe in rival gods that keep them at war. People talk about omens. Three men bury their father’s bones (which had been desecrated) in a ritualistic ceremony. The people of Maui believe Kahekili is the embodiment of a thunder god. The blind prophetess Taula says she speaks for the gods. She magically appears and disappears at will. A woman gives a man a “prayer necklace” to keep him safe in a coming battle.
Kahekili tells Ka’iana that his seers saw visions of the future, foretelling Maui’s impending defeat and enslavement. He says that the high priest of O’ahu has poisoned the mind of O’ahu’s king with lies, convincing him to move against Maui. And he also claims to have received visions from the gods himself. However, all of those things are lies to manipulate Ka’iana into fighting for Maui.
Men and women alike fight in a bloody battle. Skulls are cleaved in two, throats are slit, and eyes are stabbed. A few ambushers are killed when they’re knocked out of trees with spears. Ka’iana stops fighting when he realizes the people aren’t warriors but farmers. However, Kahekili orders his men to slaughter innocent people (including children) within the Temple of Refuge, a sanctuary from battle and sacred burial ground. Warriors trap many villagers in a hut and set it on fire. Kahekili caps this battle by cutting open the throat of O’ahu’s king and clubbing him over the head.
Men train with blunt weapons. One warrior knocks down several of his fellow trainees with a spear. He then challenges Ka’iana by throwing spears at him (though he purposely misses). The two engage in traditional combat with sharpened weapons, but Ka’iana easily overpowers the warrior, breaking both of the man’s arms. Ka’iana then pierces a hunk of skin on the man’s back with a stake to prove his victory.
A warrior from Maui aims a threatening look at Heke, Ka’iana’s sister-in-law. We aren’t told why he hates her at this time, but she hides behind her sister in fear.
Hawaiian men wear the culturally accurate garb of the time period, which is mostly loincloths that expose the majority of their rear ends. Women also wear traditional garb, but it’s comparatively modest, only exposing their arms, legs and shoulders. A married couple sleeps next to each other.
A man renders a shark unconscious by rubbing powdered awa root (a sedative) into its gills. He says a prayer over the animal, thanking it for the meat it will provide for his people. We later see men carrying the cut meat to their village for food.
Many warriors of Maui consider Ka’iana and his brothers to be deserters and treat them with disrespect. Some even threaten their lives. A man jokes that some men inherited their father’s ugliness.
Ka’iana’s wife and brothers stand behind him in all things. When Ka’iana realizes that Kahekili tricked him into killing the innocent people of O’ahu, his wife comforts him, telling him that they will move on from the incident as a family.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
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