Harley Quinn season 2

[Visitor]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/exc ... 47087.html

Season 2 is coming April 3 to streaming and hopefully clips will be available on YouTube on a weekly basis. They promise to make it more extreme than season 1. Catwoman and Mr. Freeze join the cast as the villains divide up Gotham now that the heroes are gone.

[shevek]

Already saw Season 2's first episode!

In Joker's absence, Gotham becomes a war zone, and the United States officially relinquishes it.

With a total state of anarchy, Gordon runs and hides like a blubbering fool (they've really destroyed this character, it's almost irredeemable) while five villains divvy up the territory: Freeze, Penguin, Two-Face, Bane and Riddler.
Of course, as all straight white male patriarchies tend to do, they've left Harley out of the equation.

So, the basis for this season is probably going to be how she triumphs over them one by one (her Gang is still by her side), with Ivy being mostly indifferent to the results but probably stepping in at various times to lend an assist. Guess we'll see....

My only question is - even if Batman's indisposed, where's the rest of the Bat Family? I can understand no Batwoman, but what about Dick and Babs?

[Visitor]

Well we get to see who assumes the mantle of Batman in episode 1.

I'm guessing part of this is based on No-Man's Land with Gotham effectively cut off from the US. It's funnier with just a limited supply of heroes left in Gotham and more of the villains establishing their version of order. Because once you rob the citizens, the greatest sources of wealth and basic supplies is each other.

[Dogfish]

Seems like the first season was about five minutes ago, but I'm not complaining. All caught up now and I love that the show is just going off into being its own thing.

[Visitor]

Episode 2 - Next villain on Harley Quinn's kill board - The Riddler

We find out what happened to Barbara Gordon. Her roommate isn't pretty. The Wayne Enterprise's version of Alexa. Batgirl doesn't exist, yet.

Let's here it for that awkward Batman obsession phase.

[shevek]

This series continues to be a wild ride of lol-so-random humor, and dudes whose purpose is either to look like a fool, a villain or a flunkie to be killed. Still entertaining enough, though. I don't quite understand how Kite-Man randomly appears, and then you don't see him for a while. Why isn't he living with the Harley Gang for protection in these dangerous times?

They really did not make Barbara particularly cute. So far she looks a bit too Burnsidey, but we'll see what happens I guess.

Don't know if anyone realized this, but all three writer/producers on this show worked together on the show Powerless, which we talked about briefly in this forum back in 2017. The only episodes of that show which were really worthwhile were the pilot (which included Crimson Fox), the Green Fury (aka Fire) episode, and the finale with Adam West's last appearance before he passed. These three guys have gotten a bit better with their humor since then, but it's still very much 'throw a bunch of fast one-liners against the wall and see what sticks, and if you don't like this one, you'll like the next one coming up in ten seconds' kind of barrage approach.

[Mr. X]

The show definitely has a Venture Brothers feel to it. Even the villains seem to act like the villains on venture brothers. Commissioner Gordon is fantastic. And I loved Wonder Woman sitting in front of her TV eating a bowl of her own super cereal Wonder-Os.

[Dogfish]

I love the version of Catwoman in this show, in one episode they managed to essentially nail the key points to her character, that she is cool as fuck but she always steals everything all the time. I feel that's been downplayed too much in recent years and recent incarnations of the character, it's like if you're an A-List Batman adversary, and all you do is steal things, then you really need to be stealing all kinds of things all the time at a prodigious rate, because otherwise why are you even on anybody's radar?

I like that Riddler didn't die as well. Penguin is kind of generic in a lot of modern incarnations so no worries about whacking him and maybe replacing him with his nephew or whatever, but this Riddler is fun, and having him played by Jim Rash is great casting. I liked the B Plot with him escaping just for the sake of it and messing with Harley's goons, it's important to establish why the A-listers are A-list after all.

[Visitor]

The Riddler and most of the Rogues need an audience, because being the smartest person in the room is no fun if you aren't appreciated. So even if he didn't go where Harley told Barbara he was going, he's taking advantage of his current situation until he's ready to retake new New Gotham.

The only thing I didn't like was how Ivy was treated as a doormat in this episode. She accepted most of what was happening to her until the end when she had her moments. The catty conversation between Harley and Ivy while waiting for Catwoman to make their lunch meeting was fine until you got to the end where Catwoman agreed to help them. Seeing Ivy make excuses for Catwoman stealing the jacket off her back was pitiful.

[Dazzle1]

The Riddler and most of the Rogues need an audience, because being the smartest person in the room is no fun if you aren't appreciated. So even if he didn't go where Harley told Barbara he was going, he's taking advantage of his current situation until he's ready to retake new New Gotham.

The only thing I didn't like was how Ivy was treated as a doormat in this episode. She accepted most of what was happening to her until the end when she had her moments. The catty conversation between Harley and Ivy while waiting for Catwoman to make their lunch meeting was fine until you got to the end where Catwoman agreed to help them. Seeing Ivy make excuses for Catwoman stealing the jacket off her back was pitiful.

The whole show is pretty pitiful , but IVY being tounge tied with Catwoman was unwatchable.

[Visitor]

Episode 4 made Episode 3 look better than I thought when I watched it. Harley now is going after Mr. Freeze using Firefly's plasma gun. Stupid fights, stupid plans, and then there was the wedding venue for the Ivy and Kiteman. It's a shame that the minor subplot getting the venue was better than the main plot.

[batgirl1969]

I LOVE this HQ...she is my kinda chic!!! I still can't believe the whole finger bang discussion....to hear her say finger bang made me weak

[Visitor]

Episode 5 - The Return of Batman

An episode without Harley Quinn and it's still funny. Mocking social media and Iron Man movies makes up for Harley and Ivy's absence. Alfred mocking Bruce. Then there was where Lucius put the missile launcher.

[Mr. X]

Man, Batman gets busted up real bad. Loved the computer voice constantly recommending he run away and he just keeps attacking. Those busted legs... OW!

[shevek]

The first season of this show was at least enjoyable because of the humorous interaction among Harley's crew and some of the Seinfeld-style humor.

But this season has become an utter disappointment. They turned Batman into a complete laughing stock. Why have him in the show at all if you're only going to reduce him to a simpering punching bag?

Is there any chance that this show will improve thematically within the next few episodes? I'm guessing probably not.

[Dogfish]

Is somebody feeling awkward about their Release The Snyder Cut t-shirt today? :P

[Dogfish]

So the most recent episode of this was pretty fucking great no? Just basically massive fights all the way through, and then at the end there was a neat subversion of the 'True Loves Kiss Saves The Day' trope.Going to miss this when the season ends.

[Visitor]

I can't wait for the next season now that Mr. J. is back with a new outlook and Harley Quinn is revising what she is. Plus the wedding is paid for and they don't do refunds in Gotham.

[shevek]

Come on Dogfish, this isn't exactly subverting anyone's expectations - for anyone paying attention to the show's overall arc and agenda, it was pretty clear from the beginning exactly who would get ultimately kicked to the curb.

But anyway, sure - probably the best episode of the season in terms of sheer action, number of great beloved characters, and various levels of hotness-on-hotness. Next week's finale will almost be anti-climactic in comparison.

Favorite pop-cultural moment: Sy Borgman channeling a certain Reagan-era TV icon.

Watch Episode 12 if you haven't already. A lot of improvement did take place - the middle of the season was some nasty filler. I still stand by my claim that they're still making Batman look relatively incompetent.

[Visitor]

I still stand by my claim that they're still making Batman look relatively incompetent.

This goes back to them telling Tina Louise that the show was called "Gilligan's Island" for a reason. Gilligan was the lead and not Ginger.

This show is about Harley Quinn and is mostly from her viewpoint. The "heroes" are shown to be jerks and incompetent. Just look at how Superman was treated in Episode 12 with citizen reactions and him being cut off in mid sentence.

[Dazzle1]

I still stand by my claim that they're still making Batman look relatively incompetent.

This goes back to them telling Tina Louise that the show was called "Gilligan's Island" for a reason. Gilligan was the lead and not Ginger.

This show is about Harley Quinn and is mostly from her viewpoint. The "heroes" are shown to be jerks and incompetent. Just look at how Superman was treated in Episode 12 with citizen reactions and him being cut off in mid sentence.

True, thats the point of the show.

It is a niche program

[Dogfish]

Come on Dogfish, this isn't exactly subverting anyone's expectations - for anyone paying attention to the show's overall arc and agenda, it was pretty clear from the beginning exactly who would get ultimately kicked to the curb.

But anyway, sure - probably the best episode of the season in terms of sheer action, number of great beloved characters, and various levels of hotness-on-hotness. Next week's finale will almost be anti-climactic in comparison.

Favorite pop-cultural moment: Sy Borgman channeling a certain Reagan-era TV icon.

Watch Episode 12 if you haven't already. A lot of improvement did take place - the middle of the season was some nasty filler. I still stand by my claim that they're still making Batman look relatively incompetent.

I meant it was a subversion in that normally true loves kiss breaks the spell because of 'TRUE LOVE YAY' and in this case it broke the spell because 'HOLY SHIT HOT GIRL ON GIRL ACTION'. Which is probably the most practical way it's ever going to work.

Sy Borgman going all Max Headroom was very cool. Also I'm glad he might not be completely dead.

I think they do a good job with Batman, he's clearly very capable, he's an A-Lister for a reason, but of course he's kind of goofy. It's kind of a goofy show. Also Batman is supposed to be kind of goofy himself. I grew up on reruns of Adam West as Batman, the WB animated version and Michael Keaton's movies, so to me goofy Batman is the default and all this ultra-serious gravel-voiced stuff is a new direction that I'm hoping we might get past eventually.

Fingers crossed the next episode sets up another season.

[Shakeshift]

Batman is no A-lister when it comes to superheroes. The man can't even bend a steel bar in half or expect to survive a gunshot wound. So yeah... he's not A-list.

[Visitor]

"You can take out either Green Lantern with a Number 2 yellow pencil" - The Big Bang Theory.

Another second string player in the JLA.

[Dogfish]

Batman is no A-lister when it comes to superheroes. The man can't even bend a steel bar in half or expect to survive a gunshot wound. So yeah... he's not A-list.

Well that's kind of why the Justice League is rubbish and extending a hero beyond their immediate city is bad.

[Visitor]

The Wedding of Poison Ivy and Kiteman, Trump style. A great way to end the season with the event that they've been building up to and we finally get to see with a surprise guest, Tim Burton. You won't see this anywhere else as they get to have so many tropes mocked.

[Mr. X]

Condiment King could definitely beat Darksied in a fair fight.

[shevek]

Season finale was a bit of a letdown compared to the penultimate episode. Didn't hate it, but very little happened that wasn't already telegraphed from afar.

Surprised not to see Batgirl in it. Her dad goes off half-cocked, and she's not there to either help him or offer him advice.
Apparently they felt it more important to include sexy versions of Killer Frost, Livewire and Cheetah as cameo bits.

It's interesting that two successful seasons of a Harley Quinn animated series are what's going to set the tone for DC's adult cartoon efforts like this in the future (and probably series from other studios, as well). Socially conscious quippage and over-the-top violence...blended with art that melds beauty and camp, like a Batman: The Animated Series updated for the millennial crowd.

[Visitor]

Massive spoilers in recap article:
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/har ... 55757.html

[Mr. X]

They did use chloroform in a quick scene but it was a caterer.