One of the biggest concerns any TV show fan has is if the show they love starts to lose its momentum. Watching a show die a slow death till you forget about it is worse than a show being abruptly canceled. With Harley Quinn season four last year, it felt like that the show, while not bad, was starting spinning its wheels a bit. But with season five, Harley Quinn has come roaring back with its insane energy, great comedy, and some heartfelt moments.
I have never been that invested in Harley and Ivy’s relationship (in this show and in the larger DC universe), but this season they feel more like a couple then ever before. Season 4 kept them apart a lot with them both trying to find an identity for themselves. This season with moving them to Metropolis we see them more as a unit. They fight and hide things from each other but they understand each other, and work to make the other person feel better. With Harley’s crew no longer a focus of the plot and Harley’s time with the Batman family last year not having the same camaraderie, really seeing these two take on the world together has been incredibly fun.
That said, we still see a lot of the extended cast end up in Metropolis, and it is a testament of how well the writers know these characters to make the move feel realistic instead of just needing the cast to be there. Clayface taking the appearance of Perry White, the editor taking over the Daily Planet to make certain they write good reviews for his one man show, is perfect. Bane, who has spent most seasons picked on and alone, now with a girlfriend and adopted daughter moving to Metropolis for better schooling also fits with this version. Also props for making us feel sorry for Bane for four seasons and now finally giving him some happiness feels really satisfying.
Harley Quinn has always taken DC characters and played around with their personalities and motivations. Batman being a bit of a loser who takes people for granted and sucks at relationships so is depressed is a great play up on the “real” Batman’s personality. But what they have done with a new character for the show, Brainiac, a villain known for being all intelligence and no emotion who bottles cities and destroys the planet to keep their knowledge for himself, was truly inspiring. Not only did they give him an incredibly tragic backstory about why he is alone in the universe trying to create “perfection,” they then add a new level of sadness for him with a pet alien monkey that survived the devastation with him. They have played emotional whiplash with us all season with this character making us feel sorry for him and then making us think he killed a fan favorite character. Another great addition is Lena Luthor as Bruce Wayne’s new girlfriend and a very obvious villain for the show, but who has been so damn fun to watch. Aisha Tyler gives her such great energy and, as she has shown on Archer, is just perfect in the way she swears. She herself also has a bit of a tragic backstory, which gives us some sympathy for her before also showing us that she’s a megalomaniac.
It is that kind of detail that makes the show so damn funny. Characters can be tragic one minute and then homicidal and then giving us witty banter. What other show can have Lois Lane and Joker giving props to each other as they beat up robots and insult Bruce Wayne and Batman (who they do not know is the same person). Harley and Ivy go through this as well all the time, with Ivy going after her ex who truly hurt her, where these two will have no problem killing him and then go back to being a loving couple talking about communication being key to their relationship. The balance this season has done in terms of throwing out its jokes while still having some of its most intense emotional moments from so many different characters places this maybe as the best season the show has ever done.
Will the Emmys finally acknowledge this show? Probably not, as much praise as I give it and the fans seeming just as happy, it is not breaking outside of that bubble. Perennial nominees The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers are currently airing, previous winner Arcane is eligible and, while not quite as loved as season 1, is still a strong contender. Then Rick and Morty and Primal are potentially coming out in time for Emmy eligibility. Besides that, there is also Invincible, another comic book show that has yet to be acknowledged by the Emmys, and the new series by Mike Judge, Common Side Effects could get some love this year. While Emmy love might not come its way, I am just happy that a show I was worried about proved me wrong in the best way possible.
Harley Quin airs Thursdays on Max.
