This is the ep I’ve been most waiting for. I think this is my favorite version of Harley to ever exist, and the sheer brilliance of it stems from two seemingly simple decisions: 1. Remove the joker entirely from her backstory. Give her her own agency and motivations from jump. 2. Flip flopping her personas - where Dr. Quinzel is more chaotic and flighty and fun, while Harley Quinn is super dark and serious - is particularly brilliant. Super hyped to watch with y’all!
It was stated that her mentor was Dr Crane. I wonder if that's why she is like this, Crane teaching her more than just psychology. If Scarecrow appears in season 2, it might with Harley in tow, teacher and student coming to take down Batman.
At first I thought Jamie Chung was exaggerating when she said her version of Harley was partially inspired by a dominatrix… I guess she was telling the truth
I know nobody likes the "Actually" guy, but just for once. The gibberish text ist actually called "Lorem Ipsum" and is meant to be a placeholder text in publishing. It's a corrupted version of a text by the great Cicero, a roman statesman, called "De finibus bonorum et malorum" And it has been in use for over 50 years now and basically every filler text since the 60s has been a version of that. And maybe you already know all of that and I'm making a fool out of myself, but it was worth it. Love you guys, you're the best. 😊😊
One of the fun things about this show is that Bruce Timm is allowed to pursue ideas he wasn't allowed to pursue in his original animated series. Having a darker Harley Quinn was one of them (and one of the upcoming episodes, "Nocturne", is another).
I think that it's kind of hilarious that this show is effectively a redux of BTAS by Bruce Timm with input from two of the best writers who have worked on Batman related things (Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka), and there are still multiple people who seem weirdly mad the show tried something new instead of just being a 1:1 remake or sequel to BTAS (which without Kevin Conroy feels criminal?).
the gibberish is called Lorem Ipsum, its a sort fo fake latin used as placeholder text in movies and media. i've never seen it THIS noticable in a media so i understand it freakin you out jay lol
Love the reference to the PBS early 1990s kids game show " Where in the World is Carmen San Diego", Adam!! Singing the Rockapella theme song. Used to love that show! Also, this is my fave interpretation of Harley Quinn!
I like how this series depicts Arkham as clean and orderly, not rundown and in a state of disrepair like other versions of it have been, but Alfred and Batman's dialogue implies it still has a bad reputation. It helps to sell that Arkham was never actually equipped to help any of the Villains who get sent there deal with their issues, even before they started dealing with the super-powered ones and repeated breakouts.
my one person contribution to the study of whether gen z likes this is yes. i am gen z and this is soooooooo me . also batman is really popular with younger gen ppl rn i think so
Fellow Gen Z here, I concur lol. All the Gen Z guys I know love this show. Even though we’re from one of the younger generations, I personally grew up watching Batman The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, X-Men, and all the spider man shows we got. So yeah, that was a sorta long winded way of saying this show is for multiple gens of Batman fans
Another member of Gen Z and I also grew up watching JL/JLU, The Batman (tv show), Young Justice, and Spectacular Spider-Man. I grew up watching almost all the 2000s hero shows and that's how I fell in love with DC. This is probably my fave Harley Quinn interpretation and I'm so in love with her 💕
You're right, the new Harley IS really attractive....I mean SCARY. The new Harley is SCARY. But seriously, it's the best depiction of her I've ever seen. Intelligent, cunning, self-motivated Harley is so much more interesting than "dumb stooge for Joker to talk to". She's a doctor, respect her initials! She stands toe-to-toe with Batman, intellectually, who in other depictions has literally called her an idiot. And I love that she doesn't turn bitter when she's foiled by Barbara, she remains loyal to her friends. And let's be honest, we all agree with her mission, right?
I'm Gex X and love this show. I don't know if it's meant for a specific audience but, for me, who loves DC but not the DCEU, this hits all the right notes. I love the Harley Quinn show on MAX, but I REALLY love this version of Harley -- seeing her use her intelligence and skillset to manipulate billionaires is pretty sweet. #eattherich
I think honestly, people baby kids too much. We were watching the Goonies as kids, with swears, guns and deaths. We were watching cartoons where they killed, where stories were tough. Even at a surface level as kids we were watching dragon ball z where people were sliced, exploded, and more. So this isn't a show for adults... It's for kids too. We just sort of forgot what we used to watch as kids.
people usually bring up classic movies when mentioning this type of opinion, but even recent kids shows have darker elements that kids dont mind at all. i grew up with avatar, where three episodes in the main character discovers the aftermath of a genocide on his people, and my younger cousins love shows like gravity falls and adventure time. adults are worried about their kids being terrified by tv without even realizing the kids have already seen it
That's right, folks, “Caped Crusader” has hit us with what is arguably the creepiest version of Harley Quinn ever put to screen. While in her psychiatrist role of Dr. Harleen Quinzel, we clearly get the more playful, bubbly side of Harley that we’ve seen from every other incarnation of the character (and that we’ve all come to expect at this point), when she goes into full-on Villain Mode, she’s a completely different animal. And yes, that’s primarily because we don’t have the Joker to thank for her creation this time, but a completely different Batman villain. While the reveal in the previous episode that her Psychology Professor was Jonothan Crane may have started out as just an amusing little Easter Egg, you can DEFINITELY see the Scarecrow's influence in the way she operates. In addition to the physical and psychological torture she inflicts on her victims, she's also placing them in their worst nightmare. See, these are all ludicrously wealthy men who only care about one thing...being ludicrously wealthy. And Harley basically takes all that away from them, trapping them in an situation where their treasure and influence amount to absolutely NOTHING. And for these men, what could POSSIBLY be more terrifying than THAT?
Reminder to Jay, the people Harley was keeping prisoner were abusers; millionaires who were torturing their children and exploiting their workers. She's not evil, she's just The Punisher. (also, Batman regularly gives concussions to thugs and goons for a personal vendetta, why draw a line for Harley and not him?)
I think the show is showing that, too. Why let Batman basically run three thugs down episode 1 n the villains actions be watched over(but thats vigilante batman not hero batman we are seeing here) , but also we are shown every batman villain has a limit or a code to follow
@@christopherbacon1077The thing is though Batman does want to help citizens and criminals (which we will see very soon), while Harley is shown to be mentally torturing these rich guys (for pleasure or not, I’m not sure).
@@zeldagameryt4018 Harley is arguably doing more to help society, because she's making them donate their ill gotten wealth to social causes. Batman is mostly just going around beating up two-bit crooks. Both have their place, but to say one is ok and the other isn't simply because one is the Hero™ and the other is the Villain™ is a hollow form of morality.
This was my favorite episode of Season One. I love this take on Harley (which BTW apparently was the original plan for her for the 90s Batman: The Animated Series, but was shot down by WB.) While I love "traditional Harley," and all the slight variations of that portrayal, THIS one is her own person, has self agency, made her own choices and decisions, and is SCARY AF! I still love me the "puddin Harley," and that one is a force to be reckoned with, but THIS Harley...This Harley is a true adversary for Batman and not just a side kick gone solo.
I dunno, I guess maybe cause I’ve had to deal with people like that myself that I don’t think Harley is any different than Batman, her targets are just different kinds of criminals and monsters. You might as well compare Castle to Murdock. That’s how I see it.
If Ive learned anything about the harp from Emily Hopkins the serial harpist of Long Island, it’s that the hand flow is essential when harping on something.
Now I wonder what Jay and Adam's favorite episodes were from the 90's animated series. There were many to choose from, but I particularly loved how they turned Mr. Freeze into an A-list villain of pathos.
I love that this show is taking references from the Adam West Batman show and putting a dark spin on it. Seriously, whoever came up with the idea to psychologically torture grown men into becoming silly caricatures was brilliant. It's so silly, yet at the same time super dark AND makes sense.
I’m starting to think that all the visible text being jiberish is a call back to the trope that if you’re dreaming the writing doesn’t make cohesive sentences (which isnt true, but it is a popular trope). They used it in the old Batman TAS (the episode where the Mad Hatter traps batman in a dream). Now this could just be a stylistic choice, or it’s a plot point for later. Can you imagine if this whole season is all Batman’s life flashing before his eyes after he got rattled by a big explosion of Scarecrow Gas. The writing is his brain noticing he’s been through this all already.
This show made me go back and start rewatching the original animated series, which made me want to start replaying the games. I guess this could be called a bat-spiral, or bat-a-rang. Either way, I'm loving every bit of it.
I've been a fan of Batman and BTAS since i was a child and think that series was as perfect as you can get. Ive had to reconsile with some of the re-imagined villain designs throughout the show but the new Harley design is amazing.
I mean, I don’t think that the original Harley was just joker’s girlfriend/lackey she was a victim of the joker in general and the reason reason why we like her now as an antihero is because she was able to overcome that. But I do think this version was decent It was a solid episode, but I do prefer the original.
I think I said this on an earlier video, but Paul Dini said this was his ORIGINAL concept for Harley, but the network said it was too dark for the kids’ show vibe they wanted for BTAS. Hence what we got. So with this, he said “Screw it, this ain’t for kids.”
You were right to be looking closer at the newspaper. The headlines are all references to at least 7 specific Batman: the Animated Series episodes as well as Mask of the Phantasm.
Additionally, Harleen's line about meeting at the corner of Wilson and Lowery is a reference to the first two actors to play Batman in the black and white serials.
A Dr. Quinzel thats portrayed as someone capable of acquiring an advanced medical degree & who has her own agency from the jump.❤ Her romantic interest is a nice touch as well.
I think this is one of the few sane versions of Harley we have seen. What she was doing wasn't crazy, she was intense, and a narcissist, but not insane. She enjoyed the power she held over the kings of Gotham and loved being the Jester Queen. The fact that she tortured these men, gave away their fortunes, and then had them kill themselves, was just evil. What they deserved was irrelevant, she enjoyed the power and torturing them. I think she was being more hopeful when saying she would go into Arkham, after what she had done, she would likely go to Blackgate, and wouldn't have survived very long given her choice of victims.
Harley was arguably one of the highlights for me this season and it just makes me wonder what would other Batman games/shows/movies be like with this Harley instead of the Harley we all know? In my opinion it would make KTJL a way different game
The changes to Harley make me hope that when they introduce The Riddler they won't make him a villian but a foil for Batman. a consulting detective the GCPD bring in to figure out who Batman is and allows them to introduce a world of detectives to Bruce that includes Ralph and Sue Dibney a la the Thin Man and a trenchcoat wearing private detective named John Jones
My only gripe about this version of Harley is that her more quiet demeanor "in character" makes me think of Poison Ivy, and if that's the case, will they actually be *able* to do our girl Pam justice if she shows up in Season 2? Also, fuck her for breaking Renee's heart!
hey jay ! if you're stressed out about the gibberish text... this is probably meant to look like a dream. In dreams, you can't read. If you try, you rationalize the dream and wake up. hope it helps.
as a gen-z teen i am VERY attracted to this show, i’ve always liked dc, x-men, marvel that kind of thing i think because of my mom (she was born in the early 70s and a teen in the late 80s) so it could but be because of that but 🤷🏽♀️
I still don't know what this harley's motivations are, but I feel like she is the best 'anti-batman' we've seen, complete with the fake smilie persona and the 'real' her being the costume.
mmmmm. pudding. i love this Harley. i mean, i love Harley, period, but this variant is just so delicious. and she's got a point. and i must say, even though i knew it wouldn't last, i was still hoping for Renee and Harleen to have some kind of happy ending.
They are really leaning into the alternate 1930's history, they've kept the corruption but no racism, no sexism, court ordered therapy sessions decades early, open bi-sexual dating. I like Harley without the Joker but I was really hoping for another switch and she wasn't the "Jester". I guess she's supposed to be more like Batman, a fun public persona and a dark alt personality, but instead of punching she uses psychological reconditioning.
The text of the paper's is written in Latin for some reason, but when I try to translate it there's nothing interesting. Just what I might expect from a newspaper article...I think. It's been over 15 years since I took Latin and what I have translated is pretty sloppy.
I didn't notice until I watched your reaction, but when Batman is going through newspapers at 5:36 there is a headline that says "Valestra Associate Skips Town" Salvatore Valestra was the mob boss that The Mask of the Phantasm was centered around, and (Spoiler warning) That film revealed that the DCAU's Joker had previously been one of Valestra's hired guns before his accident at Ace Chemicals. I wonder if the man pictured in the article is supposed to be this timeline's Joker or Carl Beaumont, Phantasm's father.
My biggest hit take for this show ended up being that I’m not the biggest fan of this version of Harley. I think she’s a good character, just not a good version of Harley if that makes sense.
Me before watching the video (will edit after): Idk I'm not against this version of Harley. If I remove the context of Harley Quinn as an established character, I love everything going on here because its very interesting and cool and stuff. In the context of the Harley we know, this isn't Harley. It's certainly a character called Harley but it isn't actually Harley. Which is fine, im not hating on that and again I really like what this character was doing. I think I woulda just liked it more if it was a brand new character instead of an established character where the only things that remain the same are clown aesthestic and the name Me after watching the video: But Jay, why would someone take the time to write the words just large enough for us to see them if they meant nothing?? There must be some reason, some code. You must dig deeper, find the truth! And then donate all your money to a charity
The established character was never much of a character, though. She was just another stooge for Joker to play off of. She was literally just another one of his victims, with Stockholm syndrome, and only existed to be loyal to him. It wasn't until writers took her away from that and gave her more agency, and partnering with Ivy, that she actually became more of a worthwhile character. That fact that you say the only thing that remains of the character are the name and costume proves the point. Harley was always a doctor. She was a psychiatrist at Arkham. But that almost never comes up because she's always being portrayed as another "idiot" in the rogues gallery, her actual character is all but ignored in the usual portrayals. This is the first time that she gets to be more than just set dressing for Joker.
It's not a popular opinion here, but I agree with you @jackstutz2860. It's basically a different character to the point I think of her as "The Jester", a term she actually uses, rather than Harley Quinn. Is The Jester a better character though? Time will tell. She could be, someday. Although so far she feels, to me, a bit too much like Poison Ivy. But I feel like most here praising her are doing Harley Quinn a bit short. The late Arleen Sorkin was really fun in the role. And that her character grew into something can be seen as a good thing not a bad thing. She came to have a lot of empathy for other mentally damaged people. And her being fun and funny is not bad. Dour is also not automatically good. (If I were to make a Harley whose origin is independent of the Joker I may have made her someone who say worked at Arkham, but became irate about how ineffective it is for its patients so becomes like a mental health avenger.)
This is the ep I’ve been most waiting for. I think this is my favorite version of Harley to ever exist, and the sheer brilliance of it stems from two seemingly simple decisions:
1. Remove the joker entirely from her backstory. Give her her own agency and motivations from jump.
2. Flip flopping her personas - where Dr. Quinzel is more chaotic and flighty and fun, while Harley Quinn is super dark and serious - is particularly brilliant.
Super hyped to watch with y’all!
"Psychiatrist with a grudge against abusers" is so much more interesting than "Joker abuse victim with Stockholm syndrome".
@@bastien- yes, so much so that I genuinely have to question people who prefer the other version of Harley
I read somewhere that Bruce Timm said that this was one of the original plans for her but was deemed too dark for BAS at the time.
@@dasimac7c yeah I did too, though I haven’t been able to find it again later when I went to look for it to show someone else.
It was stated that her mentor was Dr Crane. I wonder if that's why she is like this, Crane teaching her more than just psychology. If Scarecrow appears in season 2, it might with Harley in tow, teacher and student coming to take down Batman.
At first I thought Jamie Chung was exaggerating when she said her version of Harley was partially inspired by a dominatrix… I guess she was telling the truth
I can understand why. This version of Harley is a whole new level of disturbing!
I know nobody likes the "Actually" guy, but just for once. The gibberish text ist actually called "Lorem Ipsum" and is meant to be a placeholder text in publishing.
It's a corrupted version of a text by the great Cicero, a roman statesman, called "De finibus bonorum et malorum"
And it has been in use for over 50 years now and basically every filler text since the 60s has been a version of that.
And maybe you already know all of that and I'm making a fool out of myself, but it was worth it.
Love you guys, you're the best. 😊😊
NO WAY?! IS THIS JAY AND ADAM?! FROM THE CHANNEL PREVIEW’D?! WHERE FRIENDS DONT LET FRIENDS WATCH TELEVISION ALONE?!
I’m with Adam on this one. Eat the rich 😄
One of the fun things about this show is that Bruce Timm is allowed to pursue ideas he wasn't allowed to pursue in his original animated series. Having a darker Harley Quinn was one of them (and one of the upcoming episodes, "Nocturne", is another).
I think that it's kind of hilarious that this show is effectively a redux of BTAS by Bruce Timm with input from two of the best writers who have worked on Batman related things (Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka), and there are still multiple people who seem weirdly mad the show tried something new instead of just being a 1:1 remake or sequel to BTAS (which without Kevin Conroy feels criminal?).
the gibberish is called Lorem Ipsum, its a sort fo fake latin used as placeholder text in movies and media. i've never seen it THIS noticable in a media so i understand it freakin you out jay lol
Love the reference to the PBS early 1990s kids game show " Where in the World is Carmen San Diego", Adam!! Singing the Rockapella theme song. Used to love that show!
Also, this is my fave interpretation of Harley Quinn!
I like how this series depicts Arkham as clean and orderly, not rundown and in a state of disrepair like other versions of it have been, but Alfred and Batman's dialogue implies it still has a bad reputation.
It helps to sell that Arkham was never actually equipped to help any of the Villains who get sent there deal with their issues, even before they started dealing with the super-powered ones and repeated breakouts.
It would be cool if this show introduced Lady Arkham into the mix to add to the bad reputation of Arkham Asylum
my one person contribution to the study of whether gen z likes this is yes. i am gen z and this is soooooooo me . also batman is really popular with younger gen ppl rn i think so
Fellow Gen Z here, I concur lol. All the Gen Z guys I know love this show. Even though we’re from one of the younger generations, I personally grew up watching Batman The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, X-Men, and all the spider man shows we got. So yeah, that was a sorta long winded way of saying this show is for multiple gens of Batman fans
Another member of Gen Z and I also grew up watching JL/JLU, The Batman (tv show), Young Justice, and Spectacular Spider-Man. I grew up watching almost all the 2000s hero shows and that's how I fell in love with DC. This is probably my fave Harley Quinn interpretation and I'm so in love with her 💕
You're right, the new Harley IS really attractive....I mean SCARY. The new Harley is SCARY.
But seriously, it's the best depiction of her I've ever seen. Intelligent, cunning, self-motivated Harley is so much more interesting than "dumb stooge for Joker to talk to". She's a doctor, respect her initials! She stands toe-to-toe with Batman, intellectually, who in other depictions has literally called her an idiot.
And I love that she doesn't turn bitter when she's foiled by Barbara, she remains loyal to her friends.
And let's be honest, we all agree with her mission, right?
I'm Gex X and love this show. I don't know if it's meant for a specific audience but, for me, who loves DC but not the DCEU, this hits all the right notes. I love the Harley Quinn show on MAX, but I REALLY love this version of Harley -- seeing her use her intelligence and skillset to manipulate billionaires is pretty sweet. #eattherich
As a teenager (technically) this show was definitely for me! I love it!
I like how the house collapse and "I can pull you up" scene subverted the cliches of how that kind of thing often goes.
I think honestly, people baby kids too much. We were watching the Goonies as kids, with swears, guns and deaths. We were watching cartoons where they killed, where stories were tough. Even at a surface level as kids we were watching dragon ball z where people were sliced, exploded, and more. So this isn't a show for adults... It's for kids too. We just sort of forgot what we used to watch as kids.
people usually bring up classic movies when mentioning this type of opinion, but even recent kids shows have darker elements that kids dont mind at all. i grew up with avatar, where three episodes in the main character discovers the aftermath of a genocide on his people, and my younger cousins love shows like gravity falls and adventure time. adults are worried about their kids being terrified by tv without even realizing the kids have already seen it
That's right, folks, “Caped Crusader” has hit us with what is arguably the creepiest version of Harley Quinn ever put to screen. While in her psychiatrist role of Dr. Harleen Quinzel, we clearly get the more playful, bubbly side of Harley that we’ve seen from every other incarnation of the character (and that we’ve all come to expect at this point), when she goes into full-on Villain Mode, she’s a completely different animal. And yes, that’s primarily because we don’t have the Joker to thank for her creation this time, but a completely different Batman villain.
While the reveal in the previous episode that her Psychology Professor was Jonothan Crane may have started out as just an amusing little Easter Egg, you can DEFINITELY see the Scarecrow's influence in the way she operates. In addition to the physical and psychological torture she inflicts on her victims, she's also placing them in their worst nightmare. See, these are all ludicrously wealthy men who only care about one thing...being ludicrously wealthy. And Harley basically takes all that away from them, trapping them in an situation where their treasure and influence amount to absolutely NOTHING. And for these men, what could POSSIBLY be more terrifying than THAT?
She isn't evil. She is like anti-hero alignment like Punisher or Deadpool. Not good but not exactly wrong.
Thank you. I was thinking the same thing, she's not "killed" anyone yet while the ones you mentioned however 😅......
As a 19 year old member of Gen Z, this is my favorite Batman show.
Reminder to Jay, the people Harley was keeping prisoner were abusers; millionaires who were torturing their children and exploiting their workers. She's not evil, she's just The Punisher.
(also, Batman regularly gives concussions to thugs and goons for a personal vendetta, why draw a line for Harley and not him?)
I think the show is showing that, too. Why let Batman basically run three thugs down episode 1 n the villains actions be watched over(but thats vigilante batman not hero batman we are seeing here) , but also we are shown every batman villain has a limit or a code to follow
Her intentions are good but her methos are questionable and the same goes for Batman and to a certain extent any costumed crime fighter
@@christopherbacon1077The thing is though Batman does want to help citizens and criminals (which we will see very soon), while Harley is shown to be mentally torturing these rich guys (for pleasure or not, I’m not sure).
@@zeldagameryt4018 Harley is arguably doing more to help society, because she's making them donate their ill gotten wealth to social causes. Batman is mostly just going around beating up two-bit crooks. Both have their place, but to say one is ok and the other isn't simply because one is the Hero™ and the other is the Villain™ is a hollow form of morality.
But she's literally torturing them.
They're obviously evil men, and need their comeuppance, but torture as justice?
No, it is not justice.
I'm also enjoyed Jay continuing to flesh out his decent into villainy arc.
it's very funny seeing Adam getting the reference-jokes and looking over to Jay like "I get it, do you get it?"
This is a great version of Harley. Really powerful in her own right
I still can't get over hearing Jake the Dog/Benders voice actor in this! Its great!
This was my favorite episode of Season One. I love this take on Harley (which BTW apparently was the original plan for her for the 90s Batman: The Animated Series, but was shot down by WB.) While I love "traditional Harley," and all the slight variations of that portrayal, THIS one is her own person, has self agency, made her own choices and decisions, and is SCARY AF! I still love me the "puddin Harley," and that one is a force to be reckoned with, but THIS Harley...This Harley is a true adversary for Batman and not just a side kick gone solo.
A Harley Quinn origin story without Joker? What an interesting change of pace!
It's so cool to see these golden-age-ish interpretations of more modern characters
Tons of references to old BTAS episodes in the newspaper scene (Heart of Ice for one), as well as easter eggs for future episodes this season. :)
Using psychiatry to influence millionaires into giving away their fortune: ethically wrong, morally right. Psychological torture, bad.
I dunno, I guess maybe cause I’ve had to deal with people like that myself that I don’t think Harley is any different than Batman, her targets are just different kinds of criminals and monsters. You might as well compare Castle to Murdock. That’s how I see it.
If Ive learned anything about the harp from Emily Hopkins the serial harpist of Long Island, it’s that the hand flow is essential when harping on something.
Now I wonder what Jay and Adam's favorite episodes were from the 90's animated series. There were many to choose from, but I particularly loved how they turned Mr. Freeze into an A-list villain of pathos.
I'm 18 and I loved this show watched it all in an entire sitting
This show truly appeals all generations
“I don’t exactly know who this is for but I’m glad that it’s here” -my feelings on the show exactly 😁
shoutout to comrade Adam!
Harley yes.😂❤
Just because a show is animated doesn't automatically mean it's for kids 😊
Mate I'm 39 and I'm enjoying it.
Batman fan for life
I love that this show is taking references from the Adam West Batman show and putting a dark spin on it. Seriously, whoever came up with the idea to psychologically torture grown men into becoming silly caricatures was brilliant. It's so silly, yet at the same time super dark AND makes sense.
I’m starting to think that all the visible text being jiberish is a call back to the trope that if you’re dreaming the writing doesn’t make cohesive sentences (which isnt true, but it is a popular trope). They used it in the old Batman TAS (the episode where the Mad Hatter traps batman in a dream). Now this could just be a stylistic choice, or it’s a plot point for later. Can you imagine if this whole season is all Batman’s life flashing before his eyes after he got rattled by a big explosion of Scarecrow Gas. The writing is his brain noticing he’s been through this all already.
Gibberish to Jay is mephisto to new rockstars
This show made me go back and start rewatching the original animated series, which made me want to start replaying the games. I guess this could be called a bat-spiral, or bat-a-rang. Either way, I'm loving every bit of it.
I've been a fan of Batman and BTAS since i was a child and think that series was as perfect as you can get. Ive had to reconsile with some of the re-imagined villain designs throughout the show but the new Harley design is amazing.
4:39 Well, this therapy session just took an alarming back alley turn….
I mean, I don’t think that the original Harley was just joker’s girlfriend/lackey she was a victim of the joker in general and the reason reason why we like her now as an antihero is because she was able to overcome that.
But I do think this version was decent It was a solid episode, but I do prefer the original.
Since Bruce had those required sessions with Harley, he came scarily close to ending up like the other rich guys.
I think I said this on an earlier video, but Paul Dini said this was his ORIGINAL concept for Harley, but the network said it was too dark for the kids’ show vibe they wanted for BTAS. Hence what we got.
So with this, he said “Screw it, this ain’t for kids.”
You were right to be looking closer at the newspaper. The headlines are all references to at least 7 specific Batman: the Animated Series episodes as well as Mask of the Phantasm.
Additionally, Harleen's line about meeting at the corner of Wilson and Lowery is a reference to the first two actors to play Batman in the black and white serials.
A Dr. Quinzel thats portrayed as someone capable of acquiring an advanced medical degree & who has her own agency from the jump.❤
Her romantic interest is a nice touch as well.
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YALL TO KEEP WATCHING CAPED CRUSADER RAHHH 🎉
I think this is one of the few sane versions of Harley we have seen. What she was doing wasn't crazy, she was intense, and a narcissist, but not insane. She enjoyed the power she held over the kings of Gotham and loved being the Jester Queen. The fact that she tortured these men, gave away their fortunes, and then had them kill themselves, was just evil. What they deserved was irrelevant, she enjoyed the power and torturing them. I think she was being more hopeful when saying she would go into Arkham, after what she had done, she would likely go to Blackgate, and wouldn't have survived very long given her choice of victims.
Honestly I loved this Harley, the slow and husky - and ngl kinda sexy - voice is a nice touch. Best ep of the season too for me
I loved what they did with Harley here
Harley was arguably one of the highlights for me this season and it just makes me wonder what would other Batman games/shows/movies be like with this Harley instead of the Harley we all know? In my opinion it would make KTJL a way different game
Yes this is by Far My Favorite episode thus far!! ❤❤❤❤
The changes to Harley make me hope that when they introduce The Riddler they won't make him a villian but a foil for Batman. a consulting detective the GCPD bring in to figure out who Batman is and allows them to introduce a world of detectives to Bruce that includes Ralph and Sue Dibney a la the Thin Man and a trenchcoat wearing private detective named John Jones
King Tut!? Yeah Adam
11:23 "Say hi to ya fatha for me"
The Latin gibberish is gonna haunt Jay for weeks.
I put Jay as my emergency contact bc i thought he was my mom…he is my mom right?😂
My only gripe about this version of Harley is that her more quiet demeanor "in character" makes me think of Poison Ivy, and if that's the case, will they actually be *able* to do our girl Pam justice if she shows up in Season 2?
Also, fuck her for breaking Renee's heart!
hey jay ! if you're stressed out about the gibberish text... this is probably meant to look like a dream. In dreams, you can't read. If you try, you rationalize the dream and wake up. hope it helps.
as a gen-z teen i am VERY attracted to this show, i’ve always liked dc, x-men, marvel that kind of thing i think because of my mom (she was born in the early 70s and a teen in the late 80s) so it could but be because of that but 🤷🏽♀️
I still don't know what this harley's motivations are, but I feel like she is the best 'anti-batman' we've seen, complete with the fake smilie persona and the 'real' her being the costume.
mmmmm. pudding. i love this Harley. i mean, i love Harley, period, but this variant is just so delicious. and she's got a point.
and i must say, even though i knew it wouldn't last, i was still hoping for Renee and Harleen to have some kind of happy ending.
just a thought about the gibberish text, text in dreams is gibberish. Mad Hatter foreshadowing? Wishful thinking?
The gibberish is called "Lorem Ipsum". It's a filler text in publishing since the 60s, I wrote a comment on it earlier.🙂
I loved this version of Harley Quinn.
As a member of Gen Z, I can say I absolutely love this show!
They are really leaning into the alternate 1930's history, they've kept the corruption but no racism, no sexism, court ordered therapy sessions decades early, open bi-sexual dating.
I like Harley without the Joker but I was really hoping for another switch and she wasn't the "Jester". I guess she's supposed to be more like Batman, a fun public persona and a dark alt personality, but instead of punching she uses psychological reconditioning.
I actually prefer this Harley! Her bring scary and an actual threat and villain. Nowadays DC has just overplayed her to the point of annoyance
Its taken me a bit to start the show but I am liking it. Its not BTAS but no cartoon in the world is
The text of the paper's is written in Latin for some reason, but when I try to translate it there's nothing interesting. Just what I might expect from a newspaper article...I think. It's been over 15 years since I took Latin and what I have translated is pretty sloppy.
is it the Lorem Ipsum? (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum)
Interesting! I think it's exactly that.
This episode was the one that really had Bruce Timm written all over it, and I mean that in the worst way possible.
I wonder if Ra's Al Ghul will be in this? Or Talia?
I can confirm as a Gen Z that I at least watch and enjoy the show and i’m awaiting season two
She seems more like a Hugo Strange.
I'm sure it's been done, but I'd laugh so hard if instead of growling the "rifffff" you went uwu with it. XD
Jay all the words in gibberish are Latin 😂
I didn't notice until I watched your reaction, but when Batman is going through newspapers at 5:36 there is a headline that says "Valestra Associate Skips Town"
Salvatore Valestra was the mob boss that The Mask of the Phantasm was centered around, and (Spoiler warning)
That film revealed that the DCAU's Joker had previously been one of Valestra's hired guns before his accident at Ace Chemicals.
I wonder if the man pictured in the article is supposed to be this timeline's Joker or Carl Beaumont, Phantasm's father.
1 word ... Supacell
I don't see no body
Shills gonna shill.
😄
Anecdotal, but I can tell you my 14yo son wasn't really into this show. Didn't _hate_ it, but didn't hold his interest like it did me.
My biggest hit take for this show ended up being that I’m not the biggest fan of this version of Harley. I think she’s a good character, just not a good version of Harley if that makes sense.
Me before watching the video (will edit after): Idk I'm not against this version of Harley. If I remove the context of Harley Quinn as an established character, I love everything going on here because its very interesting and cool and stuff. In the context of the Harley we know, this isn't Harley. It's certainly a character called Harley but it isn't actually Harley. Which is fine, im not hating on that and again I really like what this character was doing. I think I woulda just liked it more if it was a brand new character instead of an established character where the only things that remain the same are clown aesthestic and the name
Me after watching the video: But Jay, why would someone take the time to write the words just large enough for us to see them if they meant nothing?? There must be some reason, some code. You must dig deeper, find the truth! And then donate all your money to a charity
The established character was never much of a character, though. She was just another stooge for Joker to play off of. She was literally just another one of his victims, with Stockholm syndrome, and only existed to be loyal to him.
It wasn't until writers took her away from that and gave her more agency, and partnering with Ivy, that she actually became more of a worthwhile character.
That fact that you say the only thing that remains of the character are the name and costume proves the point. Harley was always a doctor. She was a psychiatrist at Arkham. But that almost never comes up because she's always being portrayed as another "idiot" in the rogues gallery, her actual character is all but ignored in the usual portrayals.
This is the first time that she gets to be more than just set dressing for Joker.
It's not a popular opinion here, but I agree with you @jackstutz2860. It's basically a different character to the point I think of her as "The Jester", a term she actually uses, rather than Harley Quinn.
Is The Jester a better character though? Time will tell. She could be, someday. Although so far she feels, to me, a bit too much like Poison Ivy. But I feel like most here praising her are doing Harley Quinn a bit short. The late Arleen Sorkin was really fun in the role. And that her character grew into something can be seen as a good thing not a bad thing. She came to have a lot of empathy for other mentally damaged people. And her being fun and funny is not bad. Dour is also not automatically good. (If I were to make a Harley whose origin is independent of the Joker I may have made her someone who say worked at Arkham, but became irate about how ineffective it is for its patients so becomes like a mental health avenger.)