Harley Quinn Season 5, Episode 6 Review: I Can't Believe Harley Quinn Actually Killed Off One Of Its Best Characters
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Harley Quinn Season 5, Episode 6Harley Quinn season 5 has taken a dark turn, with the DC series killing one of my favorite characters. One of the aspects I have loved the most is related to how the show treats its characters. Live-action DC projects, especially those that came from the old DCEU, often tried to go for a more serious tone. Due to that, I think we haven't really had the opportunity to just have fun with DC characters over the last few years, with James Gunn's projects and a couple of others escaping that norm.
While live-action DC projects focused on serious elements and realism, Harley Quinn thrives on the absurd. The show is hilarious, violent, and does not hold back. That style has led to some very different takes on DC characters. Harley Quinn season 5, episode 6 does great with the show's fresh spin on classic villains like Brainiac, Clayface, and Bane. However, famous DC characters are mixed with a select group of original players, and season 5 just took away a major character.
Harley Quinn's Usual Comedy Takes Center Stage
Episode 6 Features Some Absurd Moments
Harley Quinn season 5's episode 5 had a murder mystery that included familiar Gotham City faces — Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, and the Joker among them. Episode 6 isn't as good as its predecessor, but it is a fun addition to season 5. I liked how Harley Quinn could see through Clayface's bad Perry White disguise. While Lois Lane and others are unfamiliar with Clayface, Harley has known him for a long time, so it's only natural she can catch his lie.
Brainiac sends Lena back to Earth, and she decides to tell Harley, Clayface, and Bane about his plans.
What I did not expect were two events that would follow. The first is Lena Luthor and Brainiac fighting so soon. I fully expected the duo to work together until at least the season 5 finale, with one making a move to take out the other. However, Brainiac sends Lena back to Earth, and she decides to tell Harley, Clayface, and Bane about his plans. I enjoyed that development, as it put more urgency into the story, but then things got absurd.
Harley Quinn Season 5 Review: DC's Most Interesting Series Cleverly Reinvents Itself & Makes A Case For Its Continued Existence
Harley Quinn season 5 makes the most of its new setting with major DC characters and a thrilling story leading to one of the show's best seasons.
In true Clayface fashion, his answer to take down Brainiac was a play about the character's life. It was not at all the epic showdown I thought was on the way, which is a bit disappointing. However, there is still plenty of time for that to happen throughout the season, and the play did have a couple of hilarious moments despite it being somewhat cringeworthy. If anything, the whole ordeal was true to the show's DNA, and the absurdity of seeing Brainiac weep as Harley and the gang sang about his life was hilarious.
One Of Harley Quinn's Best Characters Is Killed Off
I Couldn't Believe It When The Curtains Rose To Reveal The Bloody Scene
Frank the plant's death gives new context to his appearances in Harley Quinn season 5. They showed how Frank was created and protected by Poison Ivy from the moment he was born, how the character was becoming afraid of dying as he grew older, and how proud Ivy was of him during the play. In retrospect, there were clues he was going to die throughout the season, which makes me consider rewatching to catch them all.
The character is extremely powerful and I believe Frank's death is the catalyst to kick the Brainiac plot into high gear...
Episode 6 makes it seem like Brainiac was responsible for Frank's death. After dealing with the fact that his pet monkey, Coco, has been dead for a long time and has grown insane talking to Coco's bones, Brainiac makes a dark statement. After Poison Ivy goes to the dying Frank, Brainiac says she now knows true loss like he did after his family and Coco's deaths. The moment brought forth a nice tonal change for Brainiac, going from a sobbing mess to his usual sinister demeanor.
If there is no way to bring Frank back and he is truly dead, then I see it as a major loss for the show. As Ivy's son, essentially, he had a strong and unique relationship with her. Frank's foul mouth also delivered some of the funniest one-liners of the DC series. I want to see what kind of fire that builds inside Ivy. The character is extremely powerful and I believe Frank's death is the catalyst to kick the Brainiac plot into high gear, with a physical confrontation on the horizon.
New episodes of Harley Quinn season 5 stream on Max each Thursday.
Harley Quinn is a 2019 animated series focusing on the titular character's evolution after severing ties with the Joker. As she seeks to establish herself as an independent force in Gotham City's criminal underworld, the film explores her journey toward becoming Gotham's criminal Queenpin.
- Cast
- Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Ron Funches, Tony Hale, Jason Alexander, Giancarlo Esposito, Sean Giambrone, Wayne Knight, Howie Mandel, George Lopez, Billy Bob Thornton, James Gunn, Cathy Ang, Alfred Molina, Sanaa Lathan, Larry Owens, Sam Richardson, Matt Ryan, Krizia Bajos, James Corleto, Amy Sedaris, Larissa Gallager, Griffin Newman, Jack Stanton, Briana Cuoco, Rory Scovel
- Creator(s)
- Dean Lorey, Patrick Schumacker, Justin Halpern
- Seasons
- 5
- Brainiac's reactions to the play are hilarious
- The episode's ending was shocking and sets up a tonal change
- The plot is serviceable but could have been better handled
