Boy, that escalated quickly. After the relatively low stakes of the season so far, Dye Hard really kicks things up a notch for Harley Quinn. Psycho is back with a vengeance after his disappearance the other week, and he is not messing around; poor Harley needs to try and get over Ivy, and Jim finally gets to fly the Batwing (and it’s glorious). It’s a big week, and every bit on par with the rest of the season.
The two big threats this week come from Psycho and his control of the remaining Parademons in Gotham, and the amnesiac Joker starting to remember his former life. They’re both incredibly compelling, with Joker only slightly edging out Psycho because he’s always been the bigger villain, and Harley’s genuinely terrified at the thought of him coming back.
It’s somewhat refreshing to see Psycho in full-on villain mode, and he certainly lives up to his name. The Parademons are a fun addition to the episode and make for some good action when the gang get to sink their teeth into them (literally, in King Shark’s case). Landlord Sy gets some fun moments and makes up for the fact that we’ve barely seen him all season, while Jim’s delight at taking control of the Batwing is a standout moment.
Alan Tudyk is on as incredible form as ever, even if he isn’t doing his usual evil scenery-chewing. This amnesiac version of the Joker initially seems warm and welcoming, but there’s a constant edge to him with the threat of his former memories returning – it’s a nice balance to have, and adds an extra slice of tension to the episode.
Harley’s feelings for Ivy take a bit of a back seat this week, but they’re still very much around: her conversations with the amnesiac Joker are almost like therapy for her, allowing her to get many of her feelings and worries off her chest without judgment. It’s nice for her, and almost sweet … until she decides to bring back the real Joker in the episode’s closing moments.
It’s a shocking move that lays some truly exciting groundwork for the final three episodes, and we’ll be waiting with bated breath to see what happens.
HARLEY QUINN continues on E4 on Mondays and is available via ALL4, Amazon, and Apple thereafter.
