'Harley Quinn': The Harley-Ivy moment that fans have been waiting for all series has finally happened
Spoilers for 'Harley Quinn' Season 2 Episode 7 'No Place to Go But Down'
The final moment of this week's episode of 'Harley Quinn' was one that the fans have been waiting for since perhaps the very first teaser trailer for the series. It's been a long time coming, but it's finally happened: Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) finally succumbed to their feelings for each other and shared a kiss.
This romance has been in the works for a while. Showrunners Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern have repeatedly said in interviews that they didn't want Poison Ivy to just be a rebound relationship in the wake of Harley's break-up with the Joker (Alan Tudyk). That break up was an important part of the show, integral to Harley's reinvention of her brand, and cast a shadow over nearly all of Season 1.
With the Joker dealt with, however, and presumed dead, Harley and Ivy were free to begin inching out of friendship and towards a romance that reflects their comic-book counterparts - a relationship that also took far too long to happen. Fans have been shipping Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy together ever since the classic 'Harley & Ivy' episode of 'Batman: The Animated Series,' which saw Ivy take Harley under her wing and out from beneath the Joker's thumb. It struck a chord with the fans, and though Harley was soon back in a relationship with the Joker, Harley and Ivy remained close for years.
It was only after her break-up with the Joker, and her reinventing herself in the comics did DC Comics make the implied relationship between her an Poison Ivy canon. There has, however, been almost no hint of this on the show beyond subtext - Harley and Ivy are extremely close, yes, and share a love for each other, but there was nothing that clearly denoted that there was anything beyond a platonic friendship.
Adding to the complications was Ivy's surprising relationship with Kite Man (Matt Oberg), which by all accounts appeared to be a completely healthy, loving relationship that brought Ivy unreserved happiness. The two even got engaged, with Harley's approval. Though their relationship is a beautiful thing to behold, it's not the one the fans wanted - nor the ones that they'd been promised, as Halpern and Schumacker had confirmed in interviews that this would be the season Harley and Ivy finally got together.
Throughout this season, the show has been building up the love story of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn without overtly labeling it so. It's been a series of subtle moments - from the way Ivy dropped all she was doing to help Harley out in 'Thawing Hearts,' to a flashback to the pair's first twisted, violent cute meet featured in last week's episode, everything's been leading to this kiss.
This episode saw both Harley and Ivy sacrificing themselves for the other person. In the adrenaline rush of escaping Bane's (James Adomain) prison pit, the two can hold their feelings back no more.
However, the two quickly pull away after their kiss, looking not happy but conflicted. While their feelings for each other have finally been acknowledged, it's a long road yet to the two being in a happy relationship with each other - especially with Ivy's engagement to Kite Man hanging over both their heads. After two seasons worth of subtext, however, it's fantastic to see Harley and Ivy's mutual attraction finally put plainly out in the open on screen.
It might be a while before they can be comfortably happy together, but this start is exactly what the fans have been waiting for the show to get to.
The next episode of 'Harley Quinn' airs May 21, on DC Universe.