Harley Quinn Episode 2
Harley Quinn got off to a flying and f*ck-filled start with the highly entertaining first episode that set up the core-conflict for DC Universe’s first adult animation series. Episode 2 “A High Bar” finds Harley (Kaley Cuoco) freed from the grasp of the Joker, rocking her Amanda Conner designed New 52 costume, and generally ready to party so she does just that. accidentally crashing a Bar Mitzvah in an attempt to prove that she won the very messy breakup with the Clown Prince of Crime. read more: Birds of Prey Movie — Everything We Know Though this sophomore offering isn’t as strong as the debut outing of Harley Quinn it’s still a whole lot of fun and does a lot of legwork when it comes to setting up the pre-existing dynamics between the criminal underworld of Gotham. As she settles into life with Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) and her carnivorous plant Frank (J.B. Smoove) things seem to be coming up roses for the newly emancipated Quinn, but when the Joker (Alan Tudyk) gets wind of the fact that everyone knows it was his long-suffering partner who ended the relationship he decides to take matters into his own hands with a murderous stunt on Harley’s favorite Morning Show. In classic sitcom fashion–an unexpected source of inspiration for the show which has so far delivered some of the absolute best moments–she decides to get dressed up and crash a party to show him just how well she’s doing. Of course, Bell’s worn out and sarcastic Ivy is less than happy with the plan but with some egging on from Frank Harley she goes all out: sexy new costume, sunglasses, a pet tiger, she’s ready to shock. But it turns out that the Joker’s party isn’t some cool villainous shindig and is in fact, the Bar Mitzvah of the Penguin’s nephew. Now, if that doesn’t sound like a funny bit to you, this episode will likely disappoint as that is really the crux of narrative and gags here, it does work overall but the simplicity of the bit also makes it feel a little more like a mid-season filler than a stand out second episode. read more: Titans Season 2 News & Reviews That’s not to say that’s a particularly bad thing though as honestly the fact that the writers and DC Universe trust the show enough to just have a gag episode this early is kind of exciting. Especially when it features seriously silly deepcut characters like Kite Man who plays a key role in this episode as he tries to unsuccessfully seduce Ivy at the Bar Mitzvah. It’s also Kite Man who ends up causing the only real major conflict when he uses his love interest’s toxin to infatuate a group of little boys without knowing that shock horror: it also kills them. This leads to a pretty funny adventure as Ivy and Kite Man head back to her apt to get the antidote but the willfully ignorant villain thinks she’s taking him back to hook up. Sadly, the end of this episode made this reviewer think that might actually happen in the future which would be a huge waste. Another highlight of the relatively simple episode is that it once again showcases the power of Harley Quinn’s ensemble cast. Not only are the voice actors brilliant but the creative team have apparently been handed the keys to the Batman-Kingdom, with Scarecrow, Two Face, Bane, and of course, Penguin taking center stage this time round. It’s fun to see the stars of the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery acting so goofy and if you’re a Bat-Fan you’ll love the fact that each of the characters are so obviously written by creators who know them. read more: New DC Universe Timeline Revealed Narratively we leave Harley, Ivy, and Frank in pretty much the same place as we found them which may give us a hint of the kind of series this will be. Historically early seasons of adult animation shows like Archer and Venture Bros. have focused more on singular gags and jokes than large overarching plotlines and though the pilot promised something deeper, after this episode Harley Quinn may be taking that route too. We’ll have to wait until more of the season hits to truly know but for now we’re still big fans of this raucously unexpected gem. Keep up with Harley Quinn news and reviews here.
