'Harley Quinn' Season 2 Episode 9 shows why it took Poison Ivy so long to kiss Harley, why they can't unite
Spoilers for 'Harley Quinn' Season 2, Episode 9 - 'Bachelorette'
Everyone wants Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) and Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) to be together. The fans want it, Harley Quinn wants it, even Kite Man (Matt Oberg) would probably want it if someone would clue him in, so what's taken so long for it to finally happen? On the latest episode of 'Harley Quinn,' we may have gotten our answer and it's something that the show has been hinting at from the very beginning.
After having given in to a mix of alcohol, attraction and bad decision making, Poison Ivy ends up spending not one but two nights having sex with Harley. Harley has been trying to be a good friend and support Ivy's decision to go through with her wedding to Kite Man, but after the second night, Harley decides there's no better time to ask Ivy to run away with her. After giving it some thought, Ivy returns with an answer that is both heartbreaking and revealing: she doesn't believe that she can depend on Harley to stay.
Ivy has noticed a pattern with Harley - how she focuses all her attention towards a single goal, then abandons it in favor of the next thing that catches her attention, abandoning her first goal entirely. Ivy can't bring herself to be in a situation where she might be abandoned like that and Harley has enough self-awareness to be unable to deny that Ivy has a point.
Last season, we saw Harley abandon her friends for her supervillain career and that career was abandoned in favor of the Joker (Alan Tudyk). Though Harley took up supervillainy again, Ivy's biggest frustration with Harley at the start of this season was Harley's switch to anarchy instead of leadership - which is what led to Harley's capture at the hands of the Injustice League. Even as recently as the last episode, Ivy sees Harley consumed with an all-new obsession that Ivy is able to talk her down from by asking the simple question, "Is this what you really want?" As Ivy sees it, Harley doesn't know what she wants - only what she wants in the moment.
Ivy's fear of abandonment has been well established. The show has frequently hinted at Ivy's unhappy childhood and her unloving father, all contributing to her misanthropy. A part of Ivy's villainy is all about lashing out against people before they have a chance to hurt her. It's the reason why she's been so terrified of forming close, personal relationships with people. We've seen how badly it hurt her when Harley let Ivy down last season. As Ivy puts it, she'll trust Harley with her life, but she can't bring herself to trust Harley with her heart.
Kite Man, in comparison, has always been there for Ivy. From day one, he's proven how dedicated he is to her and the lengths to which he'll go to make Ivy happy. He doesn't know Ivy as well as Harley does but he's proven how willing he is to put in the work and to learn. It's obvious how much Ivy appreciates Kite Man for that and it's an important part of every healthy relationship. Even with all that, Ivy makes it clear that she absolutely would run away with Harley - if only she could bring herself to trust Harley.
This episode leaves Harley broken-hearted and in tears, but Harley's never been the type to give up easily. Once she gets her bearings - and she will - Harley is going to be facing her biggest challenge ever in order to win Ivy's heart. Harley is going to have to prove just how dependable she can be - though for her part, Ivy needs to make a leap of faith of her own.
The next episode of 'Harley Quinn' airs June 5, on DC Universe.