Two of a Kind-Talkback and discussion

[November Rain]

Nice ep, probably the worst of the season though although some could see it as a light refreshment. it may come down to the piercing blue eyes of harley not being seen in her costume that put me off slightly although i do like the fact that masks have no pupils designed in on purpose in order to keep people's identities and it's not simply an unexplained design that makes pupils vanish for no reason.

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Part 2
Part 3

i also didn't think harley was obsessed with the joker than in tas which i thought was her greatest strength to be a glutten for abuse and punishment because of her obsession with him while in this one it seemed more mutual and sometimes joker's actions seemed more irrational...

meh, joker's had better eps in my opinion, especially in the laughing bat and also the batman vs dracula.

 

[Binker]

Two of a Kind

PLOT:
After Batman takes down Punch and Judy, Joker takes an interest in the TV pop psychologist Harley Quinn and decides to groom her as his new partner in crime.

REVIEW:
Since....season two, there had been a what-if kind of talk on Harley Quinn's appearence on The Batman. The beautiful, cute henchgirl to the Joker has been a fan favorite to many when she appeared in Batman: The Animated Series that she was added to the comics starting in No Man's Land. While many wanted to see her in the new series, the changes with the Joker for example had the question of what changes Harley qould have for the TB universe. We already got a Harley-like sidekick for the Joker in Prank back in season three and that character showed us what Harley most likely would look like, which wasn't far off from who she was. Now we have her, and her creator and beloved writer for BTAS Paul Dini was writing her episode. Nothing said it wouldn't be bad.

The rundown: Joker has lost Punch and Judy and escaped. Batman tells Robin & Batgirl to pick up Joker's trail while Bruce Wayne goes on Dr. Harleen Quinzel's talk show. Which Joker's loves. After some calls and a argument with the executive, she interviews Bruce Wayne. Harley isn't interested in the grant Bruce gave, but his secret life, where she brings on past lovers of Bruce who talk about all the time he left them. Harley gets a call from "Mr. J", unknown to her is the Joker, who makes fun of Bruce too, so he leaves. Trying to show him, Harley is told on camera by the executive that she is a joke and that her show is done. Taking adavntage of this, Joker meets Harley in her apartment and takes her back to his hideout. After some talk like switching places from the patient and the doctor (has soem lines from "Mad Love"), including a point with the hyenas, Harleen becomes Harley Quinn...

I gotta say, those who were worried about Harley Quinn on TB won't be worried anymore. Thanks to Dini, Harley is presented in a way that gives us what we love about her and at the same time, present a new look at her. I was expecting Hynden Walch to use her Starfire voice for Harley but she added a bit of brooklyn in her accent and she sounds similar to Arleen Sorkin. Herself before she is with the Joker is different from BTAS. In that, she wasn't a strict and normal doctor before her transformation, she's a talk show host who got an online degree. On the show, she discusses peoples' love lives and in turn humiliates them, although not badly. And its not just Joker, she calls everyone "puddin'". And she does have enemies, and not just one fo the callers, but an executive who threatens her to clean up her act and stop behaving like a gossiper. Who in turn fires her. This person si the reason why she decides to be with the Joker. At first its because someone like Joker could help out Harleen back her job back. But later on, she takes on the role of Joker's henchwoman. Despite some difference, this Harley was funny and cute. Now that we know there is a seaosn five, I want to see her again.

Joker here when he looks and is with Harley is reminiscent of "The Apprentice" from Season Three. In the similar fashion, Joker stalks and preys on any individual that has captured his attention. For Harley's case, Joker loves her because of Harleys' lack of professionalism and her inexperience. All leading up to the fact that she's a nut like him. However, he gets more than he bargained for with his new henchwench. There is an underlying dark side to the story, which is evident in Paul Dinis' superb dialogue and comedy. It gets dark and serious when the both are either at odds or Harley does or says something that Joker takes offensive. But then it turns in a comedic like the music number or after he says that he needed her only only when she was useful wheer a couple seconds later, they make up.

Overall, this was good, funny episode. Cudos for Paul Dini for writing this. Harley Quinn is as funny, cute, and just as like the Harley Quinn from the DCAU. The talk show idea was also a pretty nice one. The time where Bruce was on the show meeting his old dates had a feeling of Maury in it. The only big difference is that Harley here has a motive where the DCAU one didn't. The re-design is also pretty faithful and Joker had a darker edge. And the music number was funny and cute too. It wasn't, lets say "Say we're sweethearts again", it had a children's song feel to it. This was a nice episode and I want to see Harley again.

RATING: 8.5/10

 

[CLARKY]

Well, I enjoyed the episode a lot. Some things where poor but there were goods little things throughout the episode and that is what make me appreciate it.
I've noticed the body of Dr Quinzel AND H.Quinn was ... very .... appealing. Let's admit it : Harley was hot. I think the new design work but I have few difficulties to "accept" the big "ears".The music gaves a little feling of the 30es that suits perfectly IMO and reminds me of B:TAS.
At the beginning I was "wow, it is the same exact voice and then .... nah, sounds different" But I think the interpretation was good.
It may be a little out of the character but it was nice to see the Joker show a little interest for Harley, I mean, he finds her hot, he keep an eye on her, etc ... it changes a little bit, it's refreshing.
But in the mean time I was deceived. It was fun but not that deep, or 2-cents psychology. I agree with November Rain, her attachement to the Joker is not obvious and they look like two distinct villains. I find it a little bit caricatural.
It may be details but I liked a lot seing Bruce Wayne in an unconfortable situation when faced with an ex-girlfriend. It is something that is not brought into the light enough IMO.

Anyway the only thing I will remember from that episode is that I hope to see Harley again.

 

[November Rain]

yeah, they shouldn't have only had one girl but a few, including that reporter from the dracula movie to tie it into cannon continuity.

 

[Rockbottom]

I didnt think it was that bad, was actually written by Paul Dini, i watched it the other day and his name was there on the credits as 'Story by'.

 

[Ratcrawler]

I loved this ep. I feared for a while that it would finish without an opening to bring Harley back but there's hope. Those two were so f**king cute together!

 

[Dread]

Well, I'll be, a GOOD Joker episode of THE BATMAN. This season is officially unstoppable.

As the villian who has the most episodes devoted to him (although Penguin is about even), the Joker has had a wiggy track record on THE BATMAN; he's had some good episodes, but an equal or greater number of mediocre or downright terrible episodes (especially the pilot). But something has really clicked this season, either the writers are not officially settled into this new universe, or the network sees that the show is a stable hit and stopped being as insistant on some things (as happened with X-MEN EVOLUTION around Season 3), but Season 4 is blowing everything out of the water, even Season 2. Had THE BATMAN been this good from the get-go, it'd have gotten more respect and would have been better for us all. Better late than never, however. This episode not only had a good show for The Joker, but also sought to introduce Harley Quinn without evoking the memory of MAD LOVE so much that it couldn't be original. I must say they pulled it off.

Even Batgirl, usually annoying, isn't so bad here, although it may be because she doesn't have so many lines. We also have Batman vet Paul Dini writing this episode, and he provides a better story here than in some of his more recent JLU and STATIC SHOCK works. Guess you can go home again (he's also been writing a great run of DETECTIVE COMICS).

After the Dynamic Duo & Batgirl collar Joker's minions Punch & Judy as he went about stealing rare art (perhaps an homage to Burton's 1989 BATMAN film, which saw Joker as a "homicidal artist"), the Joker abandons his goons so he can tune in time to see his favorite TV show, a schlock romantic advice show run by "psuedo psychiatrist" Harleene Quinzelle ("Just call me Harley"). Hynden Walch (best known as Starfire from TEEN TITANS) gets the gig and does an uncanny job of imitating Arleen Sorkin, whose B:TAS vocals defined the character (originally created for that show years before she made the leap into DC comics). Kevin Micheal Richardson has improved vastly as the Joker even if he sometimes seems miscast, but he belts out a worthy tune here. Joker is an obsessed fan of Harley's loopy advice and bizarre stage antics, which cause her to be booted on live TV when she all but humilates guest Bruce Wayne. In a way it seems outdated to see a live nighttime talk show considering how rare those are these days, but it still works out. Sensing oppurtunity, Joker visits her and convinces her to hang out with him; Harley agrees to try to jumpstart her career with a book about Joker (she agrees to give him 50%). The two are deranged kismet as she dons a costume to hide her identity, which doesn't do the trick anyway. Joker seemed very chilling here, which is how he is best. From their homocidal romp (not even squirrels are safe!) to Harley asking "Does anyone survive a night out with you?" and his reply of, "First time for everything!", unlike a lot of his worse episodes, Joker seemed genuinely creepy here, which he has to be otherwise he's simply a rogue with a motif. Naturally, Harley wants revenge on her studio bosses (and the Dr. Phil clone who is given her timeslot), and Batman & the gang have to stop them. Harley is arrested, but Joker escapes to laugh another day while having her wrapped around his finger.

Harley wasn't annoying her and I found her new "ultimate" style origin to work really well for her. The old elements are there; her being involved in mental health, trying to hang with the Joker for her own gain (in MAD LOVE she also believed treating Joker would boost her career for a book) and eventually falling into a twisted love where she is mad for him but Joker is fond of her insomuch as he can keep her as a patsey. Batman knows better of course but she doesn't listen. Considering Joker tried unsuccessfully to recruit a partner in "The Apprentice" last season, it even fits in with that too. Out of all episodes this season, aside for maybe "Team Penguin", I wondered if this one would be the one to stumble, and it didn't. What a difference a season makes.

Next week's episode look good, and very familiar to Lock-Up's schtick.

 

[Ratcrawler]

sPeaking of Batgirl's few lines, that one about "Batman analyzes the Fruedean implications of Penguin's umbrella." was pure gold. That type of over-kids'-heads humor is what made Justice League great.

 

[Dread]

sPeaking of Batgirl's few lines, that one about "Batman analyzes the Fruedean implications of Penguin's umbrella." was pure gold. That type of over-kids'-heads humor is what made Justice League great.

Indeed. It was nice to see that type of thing again. Maybe it might inspire a kid to, gasp, "Reada book!" (to quote Handy).

 

[R-Taco]

This tops "Strange New World" as my favorite episode of the series so far. All the humor was spot on, and I was glad to see that Harley wasn't completely turned off from the Joker by the end (something kept making me think that she'd be a one-time character).

 

[Ratcrawler]

This was the only episode I've ever watched twice cuz I liked it so much. BTW, did Joker's feet shrink in this ep? I swore they were bigger last season.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

HARLEY: It's called, "When Animals Attack those that I HATE!" ...It's a comedy! t:

Great episode, I particularly like Harley's new origin and how she differs from the original--in a sense, she was a loon before she met Joker, but he inspired her to take on the regular folk and caused her love for him. She's almost completely an equal to him now, even if she doesn't see it that way.

 

[Charlie No-One]

This is the first episode I watched in a while, and I loved it. Great take on Harley.