‘Harley Quinn’ Season 4 Review: Harley Tries to Be a Hero in This Hilarious New Season
It has been proven that Batman has the most amazing cast of secondary characters in the history of comic books. The entire Bat Family and even his rogues’ gallery are plagued with all sorts of interesting characters that are able to stand on their own and have their own stories play out and still be compelling to audiences. Harley Quinn, of course, is one of those characters, and since her introduction in 1992, she has become one of the most popular Batman characters in history. Her own show is now in its fourth season on Max, and it seems like the writers are just at the top of their game in this one.
‘Harley Quinn’ is a show developed by Justine Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Deal Lorey. It stars Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Briana Cuoco, Rachel Dratch, Harvey Guillen, Tom Hollander, and Giancarlo Esposito. This fourth season of the show continues from the events of the third and sees Harley taking a place among the Bat Family, which means she is now a hero. However, Harley’s girlfriend, Poison Ivy, also has a new job. She is now the CEO of the League of Doom. The two will try to balance their work schedules and their personal lives, as now they seem to be on opposite sides of justice.
‘Harley Quinn’ reaches its fourth season, and in this case, that can only mean one thing. The show is good, as simple as that. I don’t think there is any show on the air right now that serves better as a parody of the superhero genre and still manages to be exciting, funny, and touching on the same level.
The writers and animators have excelled so far in creating a vibrant world that gives the DC characters an entirely new life. The jokes are still hilarious, and the situations become even crazier and crazier as the season progresses.
However, while the frantic pacing and the crazy plot of each episode keep things moving, somehow, the show never goes off the rails. It would be easy for ‘Harley Quinn’ to be just one more show that just throws things at the wall to see what sticks, and, indeed, the show sometimes might give you that feeling.
But, it becomes clear that there is a plan, that the writers want to take the characters to a final destination, and that makes every wacky sidetrack meaningful because it feeds into the characters’ arcs instead of just being throwaway lines or funny beats. Nothing ever feels just random.
Season 4 throws our characters into situations of their own making. By the time season 3 ended, Batman was in jail, Joker became the mayor of Gotham, and Harley just ends up becoming part of the Bat Family.
It all seems backward to what we normally understand as the status quo of the DC universe, but that makes this season so interesting. ‘Harley Quinn’ was one of the few surviving shows from the failure of the DC Universe streaming service, and it did it by being a quality show that always pushes to be as good as possible.
The season’s main conflict seems to be Harley’s and Ivy’s relationship. As they take on new responsibilities that clash with each other, it seems our protagonists might have difficulty keeping the flame of their love bright. It is quite cute to see them now being separated most of the time but still finding time to say how much they love each other and share small details that say they are always on each other’s minds.
As the season progresses, it becomes harder and harder, of course, and some surprise developments will put the relationship to the test.
Harley’s relationship with the Bat Family is fully explored, as they are now her new partners in crime or justice. The heroes need to adapt to having Harley in their crew; she is just too crazy sometimes and about to disrupt the peace and protocols they have been enjoying so far. It is pretty great to see how Harley breaks the ice with each member of the Bat Family.
Barbara, Damian, Dick, and even Alfred, all react to and relate to Harley differently. Most of the interactions between the characters end up being hilarious, and they are some of this season’s best highlights.
Meanwhile, Ivy is dealing with her own issues as the CEO of the League of Doom, a job that is a lot more corporate than she imagined. Ivy will have to deal with all sorts of corporate culture business and will have to win the respect of all other villains who are members of the League, as well as try to work with Lex Luthor on more equal terms than he might have hoped.
It is hilarious and puts Ivy in a very difficult situation, as she has to go out of her comfort zone to deal with all the needs and responsibilities of running a major corporation. The show is all about how these two women will deal with their new job situation and how that will influence the rest of their lives.
Animation keeps being colorful and fun. The designs for all new villains and heroes all feel classic, and the action sequences, while simple, have enough impact, especially when the blood and gore start pouring endlessly.
‘Harley Quinn’ is a violent show, but it knows when to deliver these moments to cause the most impact. You won’t just be seeing blood and guts everywhere in every other scene. There is a good balance between the classic cartoony DC style from the 90s and today’s more modern and edgier style.
‘Harley Quinn’ Season 4 is an outstanding success. The story is hilarious, touching, and exciting, while the performances from the voice cast are just incredible. The show has survived two dead streaming services today, and it seems it will keep going. We couldn’t be happier that quality has been rewarded.
The show might still feel a bit too crazy for some people, but we assure you that if you give the show a chance, you will spend an amazing time in Gotham in ways you never really thought you wanted.
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