Here’s Why DC’s ‘Harley Quinn’ Show Needs a Third Season
The Harley Quinn animated series is one of the raunchiest and most inappropriate portrayals of these beloved DC characters in a long time. And it totally deserves more seasons.
The series starts with Harley Quinn’s break up with Joker, a lot like the Birds of Prey film that just came out this year. And boy does Harley get over him and become the best version of herself. Of course, there’s a lot of heartaches and bumps she has to overcome to get over her toxic ex. But, Season 2 is about her triumph over him and how she’s diving into her new role as a crime Queenpin in Gotham. Or rather, New Gotham.
The series is one of the most entertaining things on TV, and while the future of it is uncertain after this second season, here’s why it needs a third.
Harley Quinn is the female antihero we didn’t know we needed
Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn showed this perfectly, but Quinn has been a cool and bad*ss character since she first came onto the scene. From Batman: The Animated Series to her time with Poison Ivy in several different comics, Harley’s style has shown through. Plus, in Birds of Prey and this series, viewers get to see her antihero side.
She’s bad, but she doesn’t do bad things just because. As star and voice of Harley Quinn, Kaley Cuoco, told Entertainment Weekly in February, this is why she loves the character.
“She kicks *ss, she loves her friends, she does bad things but for what she thinks are right reasons, she’s strong, she’s quirky, she’s fun (let’s not forget how fun she is), and absolutely adorable,” she said.
Harley, in general, is fun, but this version of Harley especially is
It’s, of course, a comedy and so Harley Quinn is meant to be a fun character. And Quinn has always been this way anyway. But the DC Universe’s version is particularly hilarious. From her plans to her sometimes-naive attitude, Cuoco’s Harley Quinn is addicting to watch.
“She gets away with things that no one else does,” Cuoco added about why Harley is so great. “She brings that charm that’s really hard to get away with, and then we allow her to go through these crazy things and make these crazy decisions because we fall in love with her.”
With so many iterations of Harleen Quinzel, it’s important to make each one stand out among the rest. And DC Universe’s definitely does.
It tackles the abusive relationship she had with Joker so well
From showing how hard it was to cut ties with Joker to flinching when the “good” Joker (Jack) reaches out to her because she’s so used to his physical abuse, this show tackled Harley’s past relationship so well. While the partnership between Joker and Harley Quinn is often romanticized and glorified to some extent, he is immensely abusive. This series not only exhibits that well, but also shows how far his claws are stuck in poor Harley.
“I think she actually represents more of the women out there than we think,” Cuoco said about the subject. “Getting away from a bad relationship and having your friends around you to make you feel powerful and believe in yourself, that’s like feminism at its core,”
Domestic abuse is unfortunately common, so being realistic in its portrayal here is important. And showing the mental toll it took, too, was great. It’s a cartoon, but it handled this topic better than a lot of other series out there.
Women’s relationships — platonic or not — are a major part of the series, and that’s important
It’s the Harley Quinn show but Poison Ivy is a major player, mostly because she’s her other half and best friend. Of course, Harlivy would be a dream come true if they became a couple in this series for fans of that “ship.” But even if they don’t, what audiences have gotten so far between these two is pure gold.
Poison Ivy is there for Harley Quinn through thick and thin. She breaks her out of Arkham when Joker didn’t and even stages an elaborate hoax with Riddler to snap Harley out of her obsession with Joker. And in turn, Quinn taught Ivy that there is good in the world, and you can count on others.
In a world where women are often pitted against each other, it’s nice to have this strong female friendship. It’s obvious that there are romantic undertones to their relationship, but first and foremost they lift each other up as best friends, and that’s amazing to see.
It produces some of the most laugh-out-loud moments in DC shows ever
Outside of just Harley Quinn, her crew and all of the writing on the show is absolutely hilarious. Most of the jokes can’t be shared on our site for its inappropriateness but have faith that it’s dirty, funny, and will make you laugh out loud.
The writing on the show is probably the best thing about it. You couldn’t have any of the aforementioned points without it, and it wouldn’t be as entertaining to watch. Because it’s so smart and really leans into Harley’s cooky character, it doesn’t feel like you’re wasting time with the show. It’s enjoyable. If it doesn’t get a third season, someone needs to bring in the Parademons.
