'Harley Quinn' Season 2 Episode 11 Review: Joker manages to save the day and Harley's love life too
Spoiler for 'Harley Quinn' Season 2 Episode 11 'A Fight Worth Fighting For'
It's a mark of just how badly things have gotten that Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) is turning to the Joker (Alan Tudyk) for help, but bizarrely, he actually manages to help her. Maybe his time as a normal person has got him to change his ways or maybe it's the bomb in his head, but Harley and the Joker are teaming up one more time to figure out just what it is that's worth fighting for.
While it seemed that this season had been building up towards once again revolving around the Joker, it appears that his reappearance is more of a one-shot than the new series' focus. With that in mind, the series is making the most of it, cramming the episode with as many Easter eggs and great Joker moments as it can fit. The Joker may be returning, but his role in the show has changed significantly, as has his dynamic with Harley. Any hint of romantic tension is gone — Harley has her own crisis to deal with and the Joker is just one of the many problematic tools at her disposal.
The dynamic between the two is a blast and makes a strong case for why the Joker deserves a return. He's as egoistic as ever, but is smart enough to recognize this time that Harley is in charge. What's more, his time as the goody-two-shoes version of himself seems to have softened his misogyny somewhat, making him a much more palatable character to see on screen. It brushes a lot of his past crimes under the rug, but that's standard practice for bringing back a villain as entertaining as Tudyk's Joker.
It's an episode that makes use of the extended cast of the world of 'Harley Quinn', as Doctor Psycho (Tony Hale) plots with Darkseid (Michael Ironside), a clueless Batman (Diedrich Bader) drops in, and the Justice League returns — to say nothing of the brainwashing of Poison Ivy (Lake Bell). With only two episodes left for the season, things are ramping up for a big finale. Through all that though, it never loses sight of its heart, or specifically, Harley's.
The end of the world might be on hand, but the most important thing for Harley — to say nothing of the show's fans — is whether or not she and Ivy have a future together. Harley's going to be fighting for a life with Ivy, assuming, of course, she survives her fight against a brainwashed Ivy.
The next episode of 'Harley Quinn' airs on June 19 on DC Universe.