You hear that? That’s the sound of wedding bells. That’s right, folks, the big day is finally here for Ivy and Kite Man – and it’s about as messy, emotional, and chaotic as you’d expect.
Harley’s back in Arkham after the fallout of last episode, but only for a moment: following a swift breakout and a tip-off from Two-Face, she’s off to the wedding to stop Jim Gordon and his men (and Cheryl) busting in and arresting everyone there (itself a plot devised by Two-Face). There’s no B-plot this week to give the main arc room to breathe – but there are plenty of excellent background gags and side jokes worth keeping your eyes and ears open for.
Naturally, hijinks ensue when Harley arrives at the wedding, only to be swiftly told by most people present that no one wants her there. Her conversation with Ivy is particularly brutal, as Ivy tells her to just leave before she ruins anything else. Ouch. It’s the dual performances of Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell that make this exchange work: the two have always been excellent together, but they’ve never been better than they are here – and they only get more room to grow as the episode grows on.
Something Borrowed, Something Green is lighter on blood than most of the show’s instalments, but every bit as entertaining: the Arkham breakout provides an initial shot of adrenaline, and the rest of the episode glides by merrily on excellent character work – until the finale’s bombastic shootout.
It’s a shootout that’s bombastic for a variety of reasons: bullets are flying everywhere, supervillains are on the loose, Clayface is belting out some opera to impress Tim Burton (one of the best running gags of the episode), and emotions are high between Kite Man, Ivy, and Harley. The latter of these is easily the episode’s highlight: not only is it well-written and earnest, but it finally grapples with the fact that Kite Man went overboard when he asked Ivy out in season one. The guy proposed three times, and asked her out countless times before that – it’s all a bit much, and it’s nice to see the show acknowledge that fact and allow Kite Man to grow beyond it.
His moving on also means we get room for the romance we’ve all been waiting for, and goodness was it worth it. In true Harley Quinn fashion it isn’t a quiet conversation or a tender moment that brings the romance about – because where’s the fun in that? In a perfect ending to a damn-near perfect season, Harley and Ivy confess their love to each other on the run from the cops, evading gunfire in a stolen car. It’s beautiful in its own chaotic way, and closes out the season with full hearts for its audience.
It’s been a great sophomore run for Harley Quinn, and we’re beyond excited for the show’s future. A third season of the show is currently in production for HBO Max – though based on how slowly we get it here in the UK, it could be years before it graces our screens. We don’t know where the show’s going or what the third season will involve, but we do know it won’t involve Batman going down on Catwoman, because apparently “heroes don’t do that,” which is… a conversation for another time. But regardless of where it’s going, the journey so far has been a pleasure and a riot, and we can’t wait to see what happens next.
Season 2 of HARLEY QUINN is currently streaming on ALL4, and is available to buy via Amazon and Apple.
