Harley Quinn Gets Down And Dirty In Episode 4 Of Season 3
In the latest episode of DC’s Harley Quinn the Animated Series, viewers watched as Harley, Ivy, the Cob Squad, and Jim Gordon got down and dirty literally and metaphorically! It would be hard to follow up such a bombastic three-episode premiere. While the episode certainly delivered the show’s signature comedy and heartfelt moments, this episode faltered in a few places.
Warning: SPOILERS FOR Harley Quinn Season 3 Episode 4
“A Thief, A Mole, An Orgy” started off on a not-so-high note for Harley and Ivy. Though they are still head over heels in love, Ivy has become disgruntled at her partner’s shenanigans as she tries to perfect her serum to return Gotham to what nature intended. She wants Harley and their friends to enjoy themselves, though she also wants some time to concentrate on her work. As their shenanigans increase, Ivy finds a lie for each situation as to why they cannot play loud music, use the bathroom next to her study, etc, ultimately blaming Catwoman for not wanting these things to happen in her home. Frank tries to get her to tell the truth about how she feels, but Ivy finds it easier to hide behind her lies than to hurt her friends and Harley. Once her research is done, they go out to celebrate. When they return to the lair, they find Frank has been kidnapped.
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These turn of events lead them down a winding path to the Court of Owls (whom they believe stole Frank), which intersects with Jim Gordon’s mayoral campaign. In an attempt to gain the support of the wealthiest folks in Gotham and push his campaign forward, Two-Face suggests that Gordon go to the Court of Owls. Once there, all the characters become confused and horrified as an orgy begins. Leave it to this show to mix an orgy in with the serious issues of relationships and the grimy side of politics.
This episode was humorous and heartfelt as always, although it did drag in some areas. For one Sy’s death in season 2 is all for naught as he is immediately brought back in this episode with little rhyme or reason. There was no build-up, no big gasp moment, just King Shark running into the living room with Clayface and announcing that they had brought him back through AI and that he is connected to everything on the internet. While the return of Sy will certainly lead to some wacky misadventures in the future, his reintroduction to the team feels cheap and unnecessary except to drive the plot forward. His only purpose in this episode was to identify a butt mole on the kidnapper since the only camera in the house Harley didn’t break was the one in the toilet. Hopefully, his role will expand as the series continues.
If Episode 3 was a plot filler, Episode 4 was a plot driver, bringing viewers to the next point while detracting at the same time. The episode kept in its tongue-in-cheek nature towards the source material, showing the Court of Owls as less of a centuries-old society that pulls the strings from afar and more of a weekly getaway for socialites. Since this approach worked wonders for the Legion of Doom in Season 1, this will most likely not be the last we see of them. While their introduction was funny, it did not quite stick the landing aside from the teaser that they are indeed holding Frank hostage. On the other hand, this segment was a wonderful social commentary on the fact that most people see secret societies in such a grim fashion when most have devolved into weekly gatherings and little more. Even Harley may have difficulty taking the Court of Owls seriously in the future.
This episode also builds on something that has been hinted at since episode 1 of the season. Harley and Ivy have been struggling now that their honeymoon phase is over. We saw Ivy’s difficulties with Kite-Man earlier, and now we discovered that Ivy and Catwoman had a fling long before the spark started in her current romance. This was only revealed when Harley catches Ivy in her string of lies and finds out that Catwoman never texted Ivy the rules she was spouting to the gang. This particular scene is a highlight of the episode by reminding the audience what the main characters are ultimately facing this season: the growth of their relationship.
While “A Thief, A Mole, An Orgy” may not have been the wild ride that the first three were, it still marks an important moment in the series. The show has now gone forward from the plot setup and moved on with the story itself. However, the main point of contention is that this episode was still a filler. Many television shows often have these episodes where you can see the story and characters progress even though it does not feel like the show is. There are still six episodes left in the season, so plenty could happen before the season is over. On the flip side, big things need to start happening to put it in the same territory as the previous two seasons.
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