In season two, Harley Quinn gets to set up and explore season long plot threads, taking full advantage of the new status quo set up at the end of the first season. Gotham is in a state of anarchy, with both the Joker and Batman missing, and old foes have come together to form the Injustice League, dividing up Gotham between themselves. Harley takes it upon herself to go after them, and soon, starts exploring her motivations and the nature of her relationship with Poison Ivy.
With Harley going after the Injustice League, we get to see more of some Batman villains, especially Mr. Freeze who, it turns out, is only doing supervillain-y things to save his sick wife. Riddler gets his own university to control, while Bane, predictably, gets to run a prison.
Season two balances plot and character moments effectively, following multiple threads, such as Batman’s slow recovery and Joker’s eventual return. Gordon also gets a lot more screen time, getting to evolve beyond pining for Batman’s approval and becoming a competent character in his own right. We get to see characters like Batgirl and Kite Man get more screen time and development, as well as more spotlight on villains like Doctor Psycho, the Riddler and surprisingly, Darkseid.
Harley matures in this season, becoming less self centered and more appreciative of her friendship with Ivy.
For once, her decisions don’t center around Joker, and we get to see Harley explore if she wants to continue down her path into villainy. Ivy also tries to chase certainty and domestic bliss of her own, ignoring obvious signals from both Harley and herself.
There are several standout episodes, such as where Harley arranges a bachelorette party on Themyscira and where Batman tries to return to crime-fighting despite his injuries. There’s another episode where Harley and Ivy are trapped inside a pit which turns out to be Bane’s rehabilitation program, where he tries his best to turn around the lives of inmates.
The eventual centerpiece of the season turns out to be the budding romance between Harley and Ivy, which is unfortunate for Kite Man as he tried his best to be good for Ivy and was sincere about marrying her. Still, his dreams about a suburban life don’t really suit Ivy. The season ends with Harley and Ivy literally riding into the sunset. At the moment, the future is uncertain for the series, so this might very well be the series finale.
If this is the end, then it’s not a bad note to leave the show on.
Harley still has her crew of criminal goofballs, and with Ivy by her side, she has the world to explore. There’s a lot to explore on the heroes side as well, from the returned Justice League to Batman’s possible partnership with Batgirl. Hopefully, the show gets renewed for a third season, possibly on HBO Max, where the second season of Doom Patrol has already premiered.
