'Harley Quinn' is about 'a girl and her best friend going through a break-up,' says show writer Jordan Weiss
For the longest time, Harley Quinn has been defined by her relationship with the Joker. Which to be honest has been a serious disservice to the character who has so much more to her than her toxic love story. Not only does this obsession with Harley and the Joker's "romance" push a dangerous narrative that romanticizes abusive relationships like theirs, but it also gives people the message that any relationship, even one as messed up as theirs, is better than being alone.
'Harley Quinn', the DC Universe animated series, will be taking a huge step towards changing all that as it focuses on the hyper-violent anti-hero at a point in her life where she has cut all ties with her former lover. Jordan Weiss, a writer for 'Harley Quinn' and also the creator of Hulu's 'Dollface', spoke to MEA WorldWide in an exclusive interview during Paley Fest and revealed that the two shows do have quite a bit in common, especially with their similar stories about women navigating catastrophic break-ups.
"It's so different from this and also weirdly very similar because Harley is going through a break-up from the Joker," Weiss said. "And so it was sort of funny working on that right before 'Dollface',"
"This is still a girl and her best friend going through a break-up, Harley and Poison Ivy," she added.
Weiss further explained that with both 'Harley Quinn' and 'Dollface', she wanted to break the stereotype that only romantic love can bring fulfillment and show that sometimes friendship can be the greatest love story.
"I think a lot of girls and women feel like 'If I don't have a romantic love story if I don't have 'The Notebook' happening in my life, I'm unfulfilled'," Weiss explained. "And I think that's because there's a million love songs and movies and television shows that are dedicated to that. And so, I would love to just do something that goes into a platonic female friendship with that level of detail because maybe the greatest love story of your life is with your best friend, and that's okay."
'Harley Quinn' will be arriving on DC Universe in October while 'Dollface' will be landing on Hulu on November 15.
