"The Suicide Squad" is unlike any other film the in the DCEU. It's gorier,
it's more chaotic, and it's hysterical. There's also a lot that happens at the end. While the
movie has a clear resolution, there are some nuances worth examining in further detail.
Let's dive in — with an obvious spoiler warning.
After the Suicide Squad finally makes their way to Jotunheim, they split up into two groups: one
to track down the villainous starfish-like being known as Starro, and another to plant explosives.
Rick Flagg leads the group bringing the Thinker to Starro, where they find out several awful truths.
First, Starro spits out mini starfish which latch on to hosts, murder them, and become an extension of Starro.
Second, Starro came from outer space -- a fact known to the audience,
but not to most of the characters. Third, and most damningly, Starro was being researched
on and kept in Corto Maltese at the behest of the United States government for maximum deniability.
Meanwhile, the bomb planting squad, partially led by Bloodsport, starts working their way up
the tower and setting up explosives. A few crucial miscommunications result in a bomb
being destroyed early, which sets off a chain detonation and slowly levels the building.
It's right around this time that Flagg grabs a hard drive and declares he's
going to reveal the truth to the American press -- only to find out that Peacemaker
had secret orders from Amanda Waller to make sure that info never saw the light of day.
Everyone on the lower level gets knocked out by the blast, and a struggle ensues between
Flagg and Peacemaker over the hard drive -- one which ends in Flagg's death. Peacemaker tries
to kill Ratcatcher II, but Bloodsport manages to survive the explosion and shoots Peacemaker first.
Starro, now free and having killed the Thinker, starts wreaking havoc on the nearby city. With
the hostile government destabilized, Waller declares the mission complete -- but Bloodsport,
Polka-Dot Man, Ratcatcher II, King Shark, and Harley decide that they're not done until Starro is defeated.
Waller comes inches from detonating the bombs in their necks, but is
knocked out by her own employees. Bloodsport takes charge and organizes a plan of attack.
After a grueling battle in which each member uses their own special abilities,
Starro is defeated. Alas, Polka-Dot Man dies during the battle.
"We're all gonna die." "I hope so."
At this time, the Corto Maltese freedom fighters topple the military leadership and
plan to establish a new democratic government. By this point, the squad's exploits and the
death of Starro are worldwide news and seen by Bloodsport's daughter half a world away.
Bloodsport, who held onto the drive, uploads it to a secure server, giving Waller a choice:
their immediate freedom, or he'll release the info. Waller acknowledges that Bloodsport did
indeed become a leader and accepts his terms. Even though America's involvement will be kept secret,
the Squad gets their freedom and saves a sovereign nation.
Mid-and-post credit scenes reveal that Weasel survived the beach assault and
that Peacemaker barely survived, and that there's a mission ready for him.
Now that we've recapped the ending, let's break down some of the themes
and how the movie set them up. We'll start by acknowledging what Waller promised at the start:
that she'd make Bloodsport a leader. Bloodsport spends the film showing bits
and pieces of leadership. He and Flagg also do most of the planning for their abortive rescue of Harley Quinn.
Bloodsport also acts as the de facto leader of the group at the top of the tower,
taking point on the operation. By the time Starro is up and kicking,
Rick Flagg is dead and Peacemaker has betrayed the group - and is
also seemingly dead himself. This is also the moment Bloodsport becomes a leader,
and it happens so organically that he doesn't even notice. He's the first member
to ignore Waller's orders and the one who gives instructions on how they should fight Starro.
If Bloodsport is the heart of Task Force X, Ratcatcher II is the soul.
While summoning the rat army, she remembers her late father. In one of the most tear-jerking
moments of the whole film, Ratcatcher tells his daughter why he loves rats:
because if these vile creatures can find a place for themselves in the world, anyone can.
The surviving members of Task Force X are largely morally decent or at least morally neutral people
driven to crime by circumstance. Bloodsport is a mercenary, King Shark is a creature of pure id
too stupid to be good or evil, Polka-Dot Man was the victim of an experiment, and Ratcatcher II was
left alone after her father tragically died and all she had were the rats. Indeed, Ratcatcher II's
rat identified Bloodsport as a good person early on, and she reminds Bloodsport of that later.
More than anything, however, they're misfits. None of them quite gelled with the outside word,
with Bloodsport, who is still a neglectful father, the closest to normal.
King Shark never had a friend before Ratcatcher II offered to become his. Polka-Dot Man is a tragic,
lonely, figure whose shyness is compounded by a deeply embarrassing power. Harley has
thrice been unlucky in love and has struggled to find her place after breaking up with Joker.
It's unknown what each will do with their newfound freedom.
But like rats, these vile creatures have found a place for themselves in the world.
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