"Harley Quinn" Season Five Talkback (Spoilers)

Rate season five

  • *****

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ****1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ****

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ***1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ***

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • **1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • **

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • *1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • *

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
59,009
Location
Shahdaroba
Harley Quinn Season 5

They're gonna grab Metropolis by the balls.


harleyquinns5keyart.jpg

Logline: The fifth season of HARLEY QUINN finds Harley (Kaley Cuoco) and Ivy (Lake Bell) in a new location: Metropolis! – the home of all things Superman, Lois Lane, and the Daily Planet. Harley and Ivy discover that something sinister is at play and all is not what it seems. Looming threats include Lex Luthor and his sister, Lena Luthor, plus fan-favorite Brainiac. But of course, Harley’s crew of misfits and allies will join her on this irreverent journey that takes no prisoners in having fun in the DC sandbox.

Cast: Kaley Cuoco as Harley Quinn, Lake Bell as Poison Ivy, James Adomian as Bane, Diedrich Bader as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Ron Funches as King Shark, Stephen Fry as Brainiac, Natalie Morales as Lois Lane, JB Smoove as Frank the Plant, Alan Tudyk as Clayface & Joker, and Aisha Tyler as Lena Luthor.

Credits: Based on characters from DC, HARLEY QUINN is produced by Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, Lorey Stories, and Yes, Norman Productions in association with Warner Bros. Animation. The series was developed by Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey. Dean Lorey serves as executive producer and showrunner. Executive producers are Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Kaley Cuoco, Sam Register, and Katie Rich. Co-executive producers are Chrissy Romero. Supervising producers are Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton and Ian Hamilton. Producer is Susan Ward. Consulting producers are Jamiesen Borak and Leslie Schapira. Co-producer is Vidhya Iyer.

Episode 1 (47) "The Big Apricot" - January 16, 2025
No longer Gotham's "...Most Exciting-est Couple Ever," Harley and Ivy decide to shake things up at Metropolis' event of the year.

External Links:
-Official Harley Quinn Max Website
-Official Kite Man Max Website

Related Threads:
-Harley Quinn News & Discussion Thread
-Harley Quinn Season One Talkback Thread
-Harley Quinn Season Two Talkback Thread
-Harley Quinn Season Three Talkback Thread
-Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special Talkback
-Harley Quinn Season Four Talkback Thread
-Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Season One Talkback Thread

Comments?

Mod Note: Please feel free to start discussing the episodes right away after it is released!


Discussion is encouraged, but please keep your posts civil, relevant and insightful. Feel free to comment as the episode streams, too, providing your own running commentary, though AVOID successive posting or posts with only three words and under. However, do not post any improper or inflammatory material, as we will issue warnings if we believe it necessary. And please remember to keep the discussion ON-TOPIC! Any mention or implication of viewing an episode through illegal means will not be tolerated - the post will be deleted and/or an infraction will be issued.
 
Last edited:

Frontier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
35,099
Location
Temecula California
Nothing says "we have a new creative team!" quite like quickly wrapping up and moving away from the big status quo change at the end of the last season. Hope you weren't excited for the Gotham City Sirens, because they're kaput. Again :sweat:.

I mean, I guess in a way it makes sense how things ended up. I mean, Selina was always looking for a score and would manipulate/lie her way into getting it (also she's really tired of living with Harley and Ivy). Babs was the only really heroic person in the group but because she wasn't in the field she was undervalued and ignored (and she wants to find Nightwing's body which does not bode well for Harley). It just was not conducive to a functional and capable team. But hey, it was nice to see Enchantress and her talking zombie army :anime:.

Although I did find it ironic that they so quickly did away with a partnership with Selina when they even recast her with Cherise Boothe :sweat:.

Well, Gotham's gone down the toilet with the Batfamily basically kaput and HQ Batman being...well, what he became in later seasons, but at least Harley and Ivy have really settled into their domestic couple vibes and relaxing. Complete with going perpetually commando all the time :p.

Clock King and Riddler, still couple goals :proud:.

Lex actually went to prison! About time! Also of course Tawny tries to turn Lois' interview into being about sex. Honestly Lois seems like she's set to be a perpetual straight woman to the craziness and raunchiness that is this show, especially when she's not all that funny on her own :rolleyes2:.

I really like how they've doubled down on Metropolis as the City of Tomorrow with it going full sci-fi! And they even make that a plot point :cool:.

Any excuse to get Harley and Ivy into dresses (especially ones that show off plenty of skin) is worth it in my boat, even if it's just to fuel Harley's massive ego. Although Lois' outfit felt like a nod to Power Girl with the boob window and white color scheme with a blue sash :).

So many references! The suits (New 52! Fleischer! Space Suit! Brave New Metropolis! Red and Blue! Solar Suit!), the rocket, the Kryptonian War Armor, the Fortress Key, a holographic representation of Krypton blowing up (kind of morbid, granted), Black Mercy, Death/Return headlines, the Phantom Zone Projector, and even the Cirque de Supes' outfits were Supergirls' blue top with red shorts look :D!

Did you think HQ Bruce Wayne actually cared about family? Of course not! He's just looking for business opportunities and dating strong-willed and dominating race-bent black women! That's right, Bruce Wayne and Lena Luthor is now a ship! I'm sure Lex is absolutely fuming from prison :rolleyes2:.

(Although it seems like she's genuinely oblivious about him being Batman? Unless she's acting that way for his sake :confused:).

Hard to really gauge Lena this early into the show. She does seem more reasonable and even-handed than her brother and just looking out for what can enrich Metropolis...but she is a Luthor. At the same time, her being evil would probably be too predictable ;).

Honestly I'm surprised I didn't immediately peg Harley and Ivy sneaking in as the acrobats when they first mentioned them, though Harley kind of hard carried Ivy through it. I mean, she is an Olympic level Gymnast :elle:.

Maybe Harley and Ivy should go back to pulling heists together! Though honestly I feel like losing the "spark" is less of an issue in their relationship so much as their individual plotlines always keeping them apart until it's time to bring them together again and wrap up their drama :oops:.

Harley and Ivy sex scene from the season premier alone! Place your bets how many more we'll get this season :melissa:.

Oh hey, Eclipso! Uh...bye Eclipso? Honestly, I feel like he should be harder to kill than that but I guess Harley is in her OP phase where she can kill anything :shrug:.

Last season was not kind to Superman, and now the Man of Tomorrow is dealing with a city that's turned him into a commodity and frankly doesn't seem to need him any more...but now Supes and his "bro" Clark Kent will go on a much needed sabbatical! And also the way Supes phrased it I knew almost immediately that Harley and Ivy were going to assume that he and Clark were knocking boots behind Lois' back. Only Lois knows the truth :murphy:.

So Ivy thinks she's finally found a city that will accept her desire to enrich it with plants and turn it into a natural paradise, Harley thinks she's found a city where she can have a lot of fun, all the while both are oblivious taht Ivy's work is being undone and Harley might have sent away Earth's greatest protector as Brainaiac is in control of the drones and seemingly keeping Metropolis "clean" of anything infesting it that doesn't meet his approval. Which obviously includes our leading ladies :eek:!
 

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
59,009
Location
Shahdaroba
Great start to the season. Figured out a way to get Superman out of the way like they do with Batman every season (but bonus points to them for also getting Lex out of the way in a lol way), established the main villain, focused on Harley and Ivy, introduced a new Luthor to suspect/serve as a red herring.

Had a feeling they'd get rid of the Sirens in a quick flashback. I was worried about Eclipso once they identified the diamond as the Heart of Darkness but of course killed off in the same episode unceremoniously, rofl.

And to add insult to injury, after all these years we learn Metropolis is pretty much right next to Gotham, lmao.

So whatever happens in season 5 is Clock King and Riddler's fault for getting in Harl's head.

Glad they didn't jam everything in the opener with check-ins and focused on the two leads. I suspect next week and the one after will get into the rest of the cast moving to Metropolis and Nightwing's revenge scheme.

Only thing that left me perplexed was Bruce, he's still Batman, right? They only said the Batfamily disbanded. And despite his vow in the S4 finale, Batman failed to save Gotham and it seems worse off - i.e. the unexplained giant rats so even he bailed. I guess Ratcatcher hatched an evil scheme o.s. and succeeded.

But hey, it was nice to see Enchantress and her talking zombie army :anime:.
Yeah, nice to see her without Croc or the Suicide Squad in the mix. Even the zombie not getting the Gotham City Sirens brand was gold.

Did you think HQ Bruce Wayne actually cared about family? Of course not! He's just looking for business opportunities and dating strong-willed and dominating race-bent black women! That's right, Bruce Wayne and Lena Luthor is now a ship!
Still not over Selina, lol.

Hard to really gauge Lena this early into the show. She does seem more reasonable and even-handed than her brother and just looking out for what can enrich Metropolis...but she is a Luthor. At the same time, her being evil would probably be too predictable ;).
I wanna think she's a unwitting pawn of Brainiac. It's looking like Lena introduced the automatron security bots to Metropolis and Brainiac is co-opting them and no one noticed. Or he uploaded the idea into the Lexcorp R&D computers, looking for a win Lena found them and implented them. With Superman rendered retired and now off-planet, Brainiac is free to perfect Metropolis then remove and shrink it for his collection.

But she's a Luthor. But she's voiced by Aisha Tyler. But she's a Luthor offering a sweat deal to Ivy. Oi...

Maybe Harley and Ivy should go back to pulling heists together! Though honestly I feel like losing the "spark" is less of an issue in their relationship so much as their individual plotlines always keeping them apart until it's time to bring them together again and wrap up their drama :oops:.
Do actual crimes? Perish the thought. :p

but now Supes and his "bro" Clark Kent will go on a much needed sabbatical! And also the way Supes phrased it I knew almost immediately that Harley and Ivy were going to assume that he and Clark were knocking boots behind Lois' back. Only Lois knows the truth :murphy:.
Gotta say that was a funny theory.
 

Neo Ultra Mike

Creeping Shadow of "15000"+ Posts
Joined
May 18, 2006
Messages
19,257
Location
East Northport
"The Big Apricot" - I have to say I am impressed how they actually were able to quickly sell me on this plot shift from how the last season ended. I kind of wanted to have more a focus on the Gotham City Sirens so when heard the logline here felt like "boy they just abandoned that interesting idea rather quickly" which I do feel in some aspect in the writer's room they probably weren't getting anywhere with but like within the story it worked well. I do really like the idea that Catwoman pretty much used the Sirens as a way of fooling Harley, Ivy and by extension Oracle into pretty much going around and committing various heists with her and her comments about her not needing the money being "you know I let you live at my place for free" and yeah after fighting in front of the Enchantress's forces that resulting in them breaking up. Like I'm sure in a lot of series that use Babs as Oracle her being annoyed she isn't included as part of the team would feel off considering well she wouldn't want villains to realize what she's doing but in this sort of world it makes sense and honestly it is clear especially if you saw the trailer for the 5th season the whole "what happened to the body of Dick Grayson" IS going to get revealed but just put here as a "yeah we are going to at least pay off that story bit later." I admit the whole "Gotham has fallen into such udder decay Bruce isn't really around as Batman anymore" even for this verse feels a bit off but honestly I buy the whole stuck in a rut vibe that Harl and Ive have here. Like that is a place of being comfortable and Harley sort of questioning it and wanting to do something about it we haven't yet gotten especially the idea they've been like this for a year so I'm sold on the move.

Also helps the new ideas in Metropolis are solid. I get the feeling the whole "Superman is feeling like he's not needed thus takes a vacation" is also a reason not to have him around that much this season but honestly how that's handled is done well and you know I do like it when Harley tries bonding and talking through with other heroes using her skills at that to make a breakthrough. And I do like this take on Lois Lane like yeah I do feel My Adventures With Superman has a lot better energy and fun to her (and though Stephen Fry's line as Brainiac is good I don't think he'll be as good as Michael Emerson was last year) but in this more supporting role it does work. And honestly I do like Lena's introduction as well like yeah pretty obvious there is going to be something more shady with her but the angle of "I know people have such a horrid opinion of the Luthors based on how Lex operates and I want to change that especially now that he's in jail" is a solid one and will be interesting to see what they do with her. And though it is sad some of the VAs weren't brought back (I have a feeling another reason Gotham City Sirens may have been a bust is not getting Saana Lathan back as Selina/Catwoman who really makes the character here) Aisha Tyler does a great job and feels like a really solid edition to the cast. And honestly the action was on point between fighting the Enchantress skeleton armies to those Luthor protection bots swinging around and like I do appreciate emphasizing how Ivy again is really a power house only when she has plants around her which probably won't take Brainiac too long to pick up on.

And honestly a lot of really good gags in this one; like in Kite Man even when getting into the plot there were only a few episodes I felt had some really funny bits and moments worth rewatching or even made me laugh a fair amount first time around and yeah the first few episodes of that were kind of rough but they did a good job hitting the jokes out well. From Harley looking like she was actually trying to guess Riddler's jab at her and Ivy and Clock King mentioning a c*ck ring and pointing out it wasn't a clock joke, Catwoman wanting the two to get out when Harley mentioned it, talking about how long it's been since they've had to properly wear underwear, Harley thinking Krypto had to be put down but him flying around fine, this version of Jimmy Olsen being such a weenie he got his bow tie caught in the door (obviously my adventures with Superman Jimmy is best Jimmy but hey this one is a different kind of comedy so I'm fine with them taking those kind of shots), Harley admitting she's into tentacles thinking they're like Ivy's vines, Harley wanting to ruin this big moment for Supes if she didn't get thanked and Ivy pointing out how obviously petty that is, "you know you can't trust a luthor" "she'll probably pay for the meal" "...oh god d*amn it fine we'll go", Eclipso being instantly taken out by Harley from the diamond and Harley and Ivy already having agreed to move to Metropolis really before asking the other. Honestly a really solid start but then again I feel season 4 also had a good start but I am glad this is a really good start with them together even more then 3 was so yeah on board with where they go next with this.
 

Frontier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
35,099
Location
Temecula California
Only thing that left me perplexed was Bruce, he's still Batman, right? They only said the Batfamily disbanded. And despite his vow in the S4 finale, Batman failed to save Gotham and it seems worse off - i.e. the unexplained giant rats so even he bailed. I guess Ratcatcher hatched an evil scheme o.s. and succeeded.
We've come a long way from the Batman in season 1 who was actually professional and genuinely cared enough about people to empathize with Harley and prioritize saving her and Ivy over himself o_O.
 

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
59,009
Location
Shahdaroba
Did a rewatch for the easter eggs and references.

Lot of nice nods to Superman lore in the museum: STAS space suit, AU Superman's suit from Brave New Metropolis, Power Armor from Action Comics #659, New 52 suit from Action Comics #1 ('01), Fleischer suit, Electric suits from Superman #123 ('97), Recovery suit from Action Comics #689 ('93), replicas of a bunch of Kryptonite - deadly green, random effects from red, loses powers from gold, blue cures effects red, white kills plants, pink swaps genders, the giant key, I think both the white and the blue ships are different versions of the rocket Kal-El came to Earth in (I think the white one could be based on the one in Super Friends?), the Kryptonian Warsuit from World of Krypton Vol. 2, headlines from the Death and Return of Superman, Black Mercy, destruction of Krypton, Phantom Zone Projector, Fortress of Solitude, Jor-El & Lara statues, and the Superman Diary (that is an entry about eating spinach and getting stuck in his teeth and he realizes he doesn't even like spinach and prefers romaine lettuce).

Naturally a lot of callbacks to "Killer's Block" with the Sirens, Barbara getting paralyzed, looking for Nightwing's body, Harley saving Superman's life, and Wayne Tower being hit by the Earth Saver (in the first shot, you can see Wayne Tower in the midst of repairs/in a derelict state). Even worked in a mention that Joker was officially impeached from the Mayor's office and a season 1 callback to "Being Harley Quinn" with the Suicide Squad T-shirt when Harley packs. Pastiches of Cirque du Soleil and New York's Tavern on the Green and a direct mention of the real world Sotheby's auction house. A mention of the Flash, Martha Wayne, and Superman's turning back time, a nod to "Superman" lol.

We see Centennial Park, Heart of Darkness, Krypto, Jimmy (in his classic color scheme even), Lena, Eclipso, and Brainiac debut proper (though Brainiac was previously seen in that season 1 story/lesson from Queen of Fables and of course his ship showed up at the end of Kite Man: Hell Yeah!). A couple recasts with Catwoman, Enchantress, and Clock King. Barb is officially going by Oracle now and is credited as in the voice credits.
 

-batmat-

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2010
Messages
1,074
Location
Argentina
I thought this show lost its touch on seasons 3 and 4, but I thought this was a pretty good episode. Laughed a handful of times which is more than I can say for the previous 2 seasons. The "Superman dead!" and "Superman alive!" newspapers were the funniest for me
 

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
59,009
Location
Shahdaroba
HarleyQuinnS5.jpg

Episode 2 (48) "Back to School" - January 23, 2025
While Ivy's first day of work brings an unwelcome surprise, Harley juggles babysitting, landing a club membership, and her new friendship with Lena.
 
Last edited:

RoyalRubble

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Reporter
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
19,966
Location
A Valid Location
I liked Ivy's plot here. Wasn't expecting Jason Woodrue to appear but once he did, the rest was fairly predictable. Still it was handled well and I presume we haven't seen the last of him.

Harley's plot was amusing enough. A bit too chaotic but that's to be expected with the hyper shark kids running around. It was nice seeing King Shark and Bane again.

Also liked Baby Frank, and the fake princess at the party.
 

Frontier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
35,099
Location
Temecula California
Nothing cements a move quite like a swanky new place! All the better because they're not crashing in Catwoman's digs (which she was never happy about). And what better way to break the place in than by having sex all over it? Or you could literally break it :p.

A HQ staple is back in King Shark and his numerous, ferocious, progeny! And like a great friend and father he pawns off his kids to their godmothers/aunts so he can attend a hot date! And Ivy, like the loving and compassionate woman we know her to be, immediately pawns them off to Harley. What great friends these people are :).

I get the vibe Lena is this hardcore Girl Boss where she's willing to be kind and accepting...to a point, but isn't big on true empathy. If you catch her interest and she likes what you bring to the table, she'll accept and support you over anything, but if you don't go along with what she wants/planned, it's a totally different story. How fast will she change her tune when Harley and Ivy do something she's not happy with :confused:?

Another HQ staple is back in Bane! And things are finally coming up Bane! He and Betty seem to be official and steady as a couple, and have basically adopted Goldilock! All the better because they seem to be the only people capable of making sure she's always got what's "just right." Until Harley shows up and causes a mess, that is :proud:.

Five seasons and we finally get Ivy's origin story. And just like in the comics it's courtesy of Jason Woodrue (John Slattery!) and a walking advisory to never get romantically involved with your professors. You'll be more emotionally invested in the relationship then they are, there's a serious power imbalance, they're likely to steal your work from you, and also potentially try to murder you o_O.

That being said, it was nice to see Pamela with human skin! I think even in the flashes we saw of her childhood she was green because it was in her mind :anime:.

Aw, Baby Frank! It's kind of sweet that all this came about because of how protective Pamela was of not only her work but her child :crying:.

I'm not surprised they condensed things down for the flashback, but I would've loved to have seen Alec Holland and Bella Garten show up to fill out Ivy's college life! But I guess it also worked that she was too caught up in her relationship with Woodrue to see beneath his charm :(.

I just want to say...animal control was totally in the right there. The kids were out of control and Shawn had literally chewed peoples' limbs off. This isn't like Weasel or Nina in CC, these shark kids were legitimately a threat to people. But of course it's Harley's show so she gets to beat up law enforcement doing their actual job. Just to remind you our main cast are not good people :rolleyes:.

"Vincent Edge?" Any relation to Morgan Edge :confused:?

Anyone who knows comics would know Woodrue wasn't going to die like that, because he's, y'know, Floronic Man. I wonder if he had taken a variant of Pamela's serum before this or if he concocted it before he was fully dead after Ivy left him to die? Either way, he's definitely coming after Ivy next :evil:.

What's the show got to do to properly portray a woman being pleasured on this show!? First the Batman/Catwoman thing, and now this :rolleyes2:.

I wonder what Ivy's reaction at the end there meant? Did killing Woodrue not satisfy her as much as she thought it would? Did she recognize the fact that she murdered someone would probably come back to bite them :oops:?

I'm betting Brainaic is going to be pretty ticked off that ever since Harley and Ivy came to Metropolis there's been more mayhem and violence in the City of Tomorrow :elle:.
 

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
59,009
Location
Shahdaroba
Wow, finally saw Ivy's true origin story and Frank's to boot! Not surprised Woodrue turned out to be another chauvinist jerk and tried to steal her work to get grants.

A HQ staple is back in King Shark and his numerous, ferocious, progeny! And like a great friend and father he pawns off his kids to their godmothers/aunts so he can attend a hot date! And Ivy, like the loving and compassionate woman we know her to be, immediately pawns them off to Harley. What great friends these people are :).
Definitely a theme of children this week. Pamela and Frank basically being her first child/protecting him from exploitation, King Shark and his children and King trying to date, Harley and Ivy getting to see what's like to have kids, Bane and Betty basically adopted Goldilocks as their daughter.

I get the vibe Lena is this hardcore Girl Boss where she's willing to be kind and accepting...to a point, but isn't big on true empathy. If you catch her interest and she likes what you bring to the table, she'll accept and support you over anything, but if you don't go along with what she wants/planned, it's a totally different story. How fast will she change her tune when Harley and Ivy do something she's not happy with :confused:?

Another HQ staple is back in Bane! And things are finally coming up Bane! He and Betty seem to be official and steady as a couple, and have basically adopted Goldilock! All the better because they seem to be the only people capable of making sure she's always got what's "just right." Until Harley shows up and causes a mess, that is :proud:.
Nice to see some developments from Kite Man bleed over into this season aside from Brainiac and also Bane's in a stable relationship at last and basically has a family.

"Vincent Edge?" Any relation to Morgan Edge :confused:?
Morgan's father in the comics.

Anyone who knows comics would know Woodrue wasn't going to die like that, because he's, y'know, Floronic Man. I wonder if he had taken a variant of Pamela's serum before this or if he concocted it before he was fully dead after Ivy left him to die?
Or keeping the really-an-alien angle.

I wonder what Ivy's reaction at the end there meant? Did killing Woodrue not satisfy her as much as she thought it would?
Revenge is rarely sweet. Or yeah could be regrets about not listening to what Lena told her-to work with Jason on the initiative. Or feeling guilty once again not telling Harley everything for the umpteenth time. Surprised they haven't voiced suspicion Lena is too nice and this is like when Lex made her the leader of the LOD or her plan to green up Gotham failed.

edit: neat blink-or-miss cameo at the 4:46 mark, to the left of the student looking up at Lena is a can of Kraka Thoom Energy Boost (seen in Bachelorette and Il Buffone).
 
Last edited:

Frontier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
35,099
Location
Temecula California
Wow, finally saw Ivy's true origin story and Frank's to boot! Not surprised Woodrue turned out to be another chauvinist jerk and tried to steal her work to get grants.
At least it's true to the comics :p.
Definitely a theme of children this week. Pamela and Frank basically being her first child/protecting him from exploitation, King Shark and his children and King trying to date, Harley and Ivy getting to see what's like to have kids, Bane and Betty basically adopted Goldilocks as their daughter.
I still wouldn't trust these two as parents...though I guess Frank more or less ended up okay o_O.
Morgan's father in the comics.
Learn something new every day :).
Or keeping the really-an-alien angle.
Which could tie-in to Brainiac :oops:.
 

Neo Ultra Mike

Creeping Shadow of "15000"+ Posts
Joined
May 18, 2006
Messages
19,257
Location
East Northport
"Back To School" - Though I was pretty eh on Kite Man, I actually did enjoy season 3 and 4 of Harley Quinn. Yeah there were some more meh episodes especially around the middle of the seasons but I did enjoy a fair amount of the arc and ideas those seasons had... granted they didn't always come together well but I wouldn't say they are bad seasons. I will say though Season 5 has been hit the ground running as being in this new environment allows them to expand and tell these new kind of stories that really expand on the characters and conflicts we haven't gotten before. I guess I'll start with the more humorous/goofy segment which isn't as good as the main plot but since that was a more serious story I get why it was there and still worked well. I really love the idea of King Shark dropping his kids on Pamela and Harleen as their godchildren/every other babysitter said no and them just wrecking the new apartment Harley just decorated the way they wanted and King Shark saying despite peanut allergies they'd probably kill her if she really tried killing them. I will say it is a risk having a bunch of dangerous psycho kids running around having to be taken care of as that can easily be annoying but if the attitude of the babysitter works well it usually is humorous as Harley's frustration with them even trying to talk on the phone with Lena is great. I also really am glad they are running with Bane and Betty now as a couple adopting Goldilocks and moving to Metropolis (I do feel Bane was overused in the Kite Man show but as more a neighbor who pops up every so often he'll work better) and having Goldilocks have this party with this not the real princess was an amusing set up. As was one of the kids tagging along and Harley crawling through the vent and then being in front of Vincent Edge and ranting about how there should be available masscuits after you whallop a foe and then him being overturned by Lena in the end. Like the joke seemed like it was going to be "oh for some stupid/goofy reason Vincent actually was somehow charmed even by Harley's mad rant and allows her in" which would only be there for the sake of a swerve but wouldn't make sense for how they really did the character but I do like him wanting to have her banned but being turned town by Lena who yeah obviously wants SOMETHING from the two beyond just Ivy growing the city but that is more in the air for now. It does make for an amusing ending and a lot of the jokes from "is this what is going to be like having kids not being able to have sex" (would have been funny to throw a reference to their future daughter in there but eh still funny) and harley's big eff off ending having 3 not 2 words to end it but again good stuff but... yeah not the reason this is such a good episode.

I will admit the Ivy plot had me and I knew it'd be the better one once I realized the person Lena wanted her to meet was Jason Woodrue. Which yeah if you don't remember after season 2 ended and we just found out we were getting season 3, I made a list of characters I wanted to see in the future of the series

Things You Want To See In Harley Quinn Season 3

Which... so far we've really only gotten 2 of those from season 3 and even those were more supporting roles not really even the focus of the story. But this was man and yeah I do really like how serious this was taken. They do a really good job showing how great Jason and Pamela had chemistry back in the day and you totally get why she would be smitten with him but yeah even if you don't know anything about her DC History and are just going by this show you do have to wonder "okay something happened considering he hasn't really been mentioned here". And then you get his whole betrayal which... yeah was expected but honestly was handled pretty perfectly for this kind of story. Like they made it clear before his annoyance in not having discovered anything and wanting some of that grad money and though obviously he liked Pamela that drive mattered to him more when he saw Frank as a way to get that despite how obviously Pamela saw him you know as a kid she needed taking care of not as an object especially HIS. And man Lake Bell really killed that sorrow and desperation seeing Jason lock her in the lab with that poison to try and kill her and Pamela managing to turn that around and give her the power needed to be Poison Ivy. Which obviously is the best take on this moment we've seen in any adaptation. I mean it's super easy to be better then Batman and Robin's overly rushed goofy take with Woodrue literally pushing her into a vat of chemicals with that "you have to die" line like it had to rush the Selina Kyle Catwoman transformation into like 5 minutes but I don't think any other take here comes close to this one. But as cool as that was it had nothing on the ending of Ivy coming back utterly owning Jason pointing out "I'm me DESPITE of what you did not because of it" and how she got her revenge. You know for a brief second I was wondering "man are they really going to have him somehow talk her out of killing this jerk when she really should have" but then we get her turning the tables on him and leaving him inside the lab with the gas going figuring "yeah that will kill him since I know he isn't as smart as me to figure out a way to cure himself." I was at first wondering at the end why she didn't at least tell Harley that but as much as she loves Harley she knows Quinn is a blabbermouth who would obviously not be able to keep that a secret and yeah if they are still trying to make good with Lena having one of those special scientists she lined up killed would look really bad on them. Though yeah as those who know the source material would guess Jason didn't die and instead became the Flourenic Man. I will say the one thing that bums me out about this is the fact that Jason is treated as this actual serious two faced creep who isn't kind of a pathetic joke. Yeah him weasling for his live in front of Ivy shows he isn't someone with like actual dignity but like there's that Shadow of the Bat story from the comics about him getting the world high I wanted to see this show adapt that yeah we can't really get here from this take on the character... maybe in the next season. Where we could also see Jason join the New Guardians and fight Snowflame... look NO other cartoon would ever have the cahoonies to do that plot which is why I look to this one but that doesn't take away from how this one worked so well. Seriously seeing that tragedy in the flashback but also how awesome Ivy was at getting revenge just really amped me up for this episode and despite how few laughs this story had that to me made it work even better and makes me hope whatever else they do with Woodrue here is at that level.

So yeah a really great episode probably even better then last week's like man if season 5 stays at this level of quality it really will be the best of the entire show to be honest. Probably doubtful they can capture the emotion/catharsis of the Woodrue plot throughout but again here's hoping they at least keep aiming for that in the remaining 8 weeks.
 

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
59,009
Location
Shahdaroba
HarleyQuinnS5.jpg

Episode 3 (49) "Floronic Man" - January 30, 2025
Despite closing the door on her academic trauma, Ivy's past still haunts her. Clayface confronts the Daily Planet's top brass after a bad review.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Neo Ultra Mike

Creeping Shadow of "15000"+ Posts
Joined
May 18, 2006
Messages
19,257
Location
East Northport
"Floronic Man" - Well like last week going to start out by covering the weaker "okay the main plot is fairly serious we need something much more goofy to bounce off of" story which is the Clayface one. I will say I found Clayface incredibly obnoxious in the Kite Man show and not really funny at all and I did find him a lot better here. I think it was after season 3 and 4 of Harley Quinn gave him plots about actually becoming part of an actual movie and then having his own Las Vegas show the idea of just sticking him back as a "oh he has to help out some other villain with his transformation abilities but is such a ham he has to make it all about himself" kind of character didn't really seem necessary at all and more a regression. Here it's him wanting a positive review of his awful play which honestly though nothing uproarious or anything is decently amusing. I think just seeing the few people there at this stupid "here's the story of an islander wondering about Pearl Harbor 20 years before it happened" one man story works and also helps they don't make this version of Perry very likeable based on his interactions with Lois Lane... actually most versions of Perry are pretty hard nose thinking about it but like in some I would feel sort of bad if he wound up being kidnapped and replaced and in this one not very much. Granted sans the silly pun feels they brought in Bane because again the team just love shoving in that character as much as they can and I did see they should back off from that and feels like giving him a job at the Daily Planet is the opposite but here in the lines he had interacting with Clayface or even trying to play nice with Lois are pretty good. Like I will say having this take on Lois having to interact with some obonxious idiots based just on her annoyance with Jimmy failing to take a picture or wondering why Bane is around could lead to some more good comedy so curious how the rest of that plot will play out though hopefully they'll put it in smaller incriments going forward.

The better stuff was obviously continuing last week's plot about Jason/Floronic Man. Again I think my biggest gripe is this super personal one where I really did want Jason back but also wanted him back more as this kind of pathetic loser referencing some of the most inane moments from DC comics no other series possibly could, which we likely aren't getting here. Now granted Jason in the comics has come back from being cut and dissected into pieces when he became the Floronic Man so it possible he's still around hard to say. But I don't know how his death is shown here does feel pretty definite plus you got like the biggest drama you possibly could from him in terms of our lead characters. Like I would normally feel in a lot of other shows it is rather silly of Ivy to try lying or playing it down to Harley about killing Jason but like we have seen even now this is a fatal flaw of Ivy of wanting to do things on her own and not wanting to involve a lot of other people in her messes that yeah this is history she thought she buried when that clearly wasn't the case. And you know it is done well in only having that as a focus in a few minor scenes when the main focus is Ivy's fears that Jason may still be around and then going into the Green to see he is. Again Batman and Harley Quinn actually did slow probably due to his more physical mutation Floronic Man has a stronger connection but I think it works here him managing to spook Ivy in to try and kill and showing how terrifying these powers are. Like when it's mostly just between them sans laughing at the name or him admitting "I could say this was all some sort of manipulative plan to get me powers to kill the world but no I just want to kill you" but like you do feel the legit hate the two have for one another. And having Ivy more on the backfoot getting taken down you do feel that tension and I also like Frank's inclusion a lot. It felt weird to have him more as an antagonist in the Kite Man show since yeah I get he's mostly loyal to Ivy but like that never registered well for me but showing him here especially in taunting Floronic Man and having no idea who Jason even is great. I also like the idea that this exploits that Green connection as a weakness of "if you are connected mentally your physical body is weak" and Harley takes advantage of that to take him out as her going "Timber oh always wanted to say that" and finally taking him out are great bits. Probably the funniest bit is her looking for the lab and coming across a second couple having intercourse and going "oh wow another sexual experiment" and them just going "no we're just having sex" and remembering her own grad school like that was a great bit. I also really like the ending that Braniac is using this to take the two to likely study and find a way to use considering he's not about like wasting elements so it makes sense to me why he wouldn't just kill them outright despite having them.

So yeah a good episode. Better fights this weak but the drama was better last time showing Ivy and Jason's backstory but I do like if this is the conclusion to Floronic Man that went well... Clayface stuff wasn't really too good but if it's not too intrusive going forward I'm fine cutting back to it every so often.
 
Last edited:

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
59,009
Location
Shahdaroba
Kinda glad they didn't forget Ivy is a natural loner but kinda annoyed she kept the Jason stuff from Harley at this point in the series. Not as good as last week but still an amusing episode.

Bane complaining about all the transportation he had to use to get to Clayface's place was my favorite bit. :D Then the dental plan question, lmao. So that's how he ends up working at the Planet.

Didn't expect it to resolve so soon with Jason but I'm skeptical he's dead dead despite how great Harley is at killing.

Nice seeing easter eggs in Clayface's place, Hard Wayne's Gonna Fall and Icons Only posters and his An Actor Prepares book.

Always happy to have Frank and how immediately he went to help Ivy. The lipstick confession was really funny, too, and Ivy griping about how much they cost esp the discontinued one all in the face of impending death. :D Also appreciated another Kite Man show wink, Frank is still at his La Planta Franca Resort & Spa from "Just Right, Hell Yeah!" and "To Get to the Other Side, Hell Yeah!"

Perry and Koko! Even Perry is kinda eh in this show (him and Lois talking). Shrug.
 

Frontier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
35,099
Location
Temecula California
Clayface returns! And he's as terrible and unsuccessful an actor as ever, even in a new city! But he'll never let that get him down or accept the truth of his own inadequacy :).

"Mr. Face" - So they're never going to confirm his real identity in this show, will they :sweat:.

I really have to appreciate how hard they committed to the body horror with Woodrue/Floronic Man :eek:.

I'm surprised Harley figured it out so quickly. I guess she already knew about Woodrue + a murder at the university Ivy was out would obviously seem suspicious, though I feel like I sometimes do forget how smart Harley is supposed to be at times when she's not reminded by Harleen. Also one of the rare times she actually gets mad at Ivy, though honestly would you want to get psycho-analyzed by your girlfriend :oops:?

Alan Tudyk as Perry White! And he's got the irritable, yelling, newsman down to pat (which when a lot of characters on this show get reduced to stereotyped version of themselves, is probably to be expected)! And when Clayface poses as him, it's one of the rare times he actually pulls off posing as somebody...because they're voiced by the same guy :proud:.

Honestly, imagine Perry had actually pushed Lois to pursue the Woodrue mystery and she would have totally busted Harley and Ivy. I honestly think it would've been interesting to see whether she was willing to publish the truth about it and follow her journalistic ethics while sympathizing with why Ivy did it...but this isn't that kind of show :rolleyes2:.

Returning to the scene of where you murdered a guy and then basically taking over his classes to promote your own ideas is such a Supervillain power move...but, also, never return to the scene of the crime (or bring Harley to a presentation) :ack:.

I appreciate that they really captured just how dangerous Floronic Man is, even if they still had to make fun of the name, but they really captured how he's basically this demonic, monstrous, plant monster who is basically Ivy but even MORE dangerous. And so it's the classic case of creating your Archenemy who is basically you but more powerful :evil:.

It was nice to see Frank going out of his way to protect Ivy and kind of redeem himself for his betrayal of Kite Man (even if obviously he would go to bat for Ivy more than he would Chuck, and I see that destroyed resort in the background!). Though I guess he really has no memories of Woodrue or Ivy never told him about the closest thing he had to a "father" (also Woodrue was totally going for an "I am your father!" moment) o_O.

I'm starting to question if Jimmy is a good photographer in this universe considering the fact that he forgot to take off the lenscap and Lois even calls him out for literally being unable to do his one job :sweat:.

Bane just came in to help proofread and write a review and suddenly he's working at the Daily Planet! Life be weird like that :proud:.

Man, poor Lois. Her boss has been replaced by a Supervillain who only cares about stroking his own ego and tastes, used nepotism to hire one of his buddies, and obviously does not value her as a reporter. Also the actual Perry is still probably stuck naked back at Perry's apartment :knd1:.

Can colleges legally condone research experiments that involve people just banging each other? But also, of course people already love banging at college anyways :coach:.

Honestly I'm still not convinced Woodrue is actually dead considering he's a plant monster...though I was also expecting the gunk he sprayed Ivy and Harley with would effect them but I guess not :confused:.

I mean, if you want to get technical, yes you were defending yourselves but this only happened because you murdered Woodrue...even if it was also in retaliation for Woodrue trying to murder you...ah, the cycle of violence :cool:.

I'm surprised Brainiac grabbed Harley and Ivy this early. Thought that would be mid to late season at beast. And hey, Koko :anime:.
 

Spotlight

Staff online

Who's on Discord?

Latest profile posts

Viper wrote on Light Lucario's profile.
Hi, Light Lucario. I just want to wish you a very Happy Valentine's Day. I really hope you & your family have a lovely Valentine's Day.
Will you be Mokey's valentine? Wrong answers only.
(animation by Sr. Pelo btw)
ulZJt3rwlRq7mkZftXLdsGG0V6KYzJHnTHj455BV_DIGn114CQHJ1vVmL87EVX0LTx6oUU8gNq-1DQ=s1257-nd-v1-rwa
The rival school from New Bedrock has some kids really "to be afraid about". They even cheated as part of Jellystone's annual Robo Battle Royale competition, by disguising themselves.
1pQg6eA.png
oJ5In1h.png
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Honey is sweet
And I love you all, too.

Happy Valentine's Day, ToonZone!
arcanine12 wrote on AlbanianCNfan's profile.
Hi! If you have Cartoon Network Pan-Euro schedule from 2003, could you please reply. Thanks!

Featured Posts

Top