The Funniest Moments From Harley Quinn Season 3
The HBO Max series "Harley Quinn" is one of the most unpredictable and unflinching DC offerings to date. This addictive animated show is definitely not intended for kids, yet the animation style is incredibly reminiscent of "Batman: The Animated Series." As such, the show evokes a certain sense of nostalgia for viewers while simultaneously subverting their expectations of Gotham's many iconic heroes and villains.
"Harley Quinn" has been received with near-unanimous acclaim, earning excellent critic and viewer scores on Rotten Tomatoes. The show has garnered particular praise for its queer representation, with Harley (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy's (Lake Bell) romantic relationship taking center stage in Season 3. Unlike many animated shows, the adventures of Harley, Ivy, and her loyal crew are largely serialized, allowing for refreshing and comedic character developments.
Season 3 in particular is laced with an abundance of hilarious moments that we've compiled for you right here. These are the funniest moments from "Harley Quinn" Season 3. Spoilers ahead.
Harley and Ivy in the Fortress of Solitude
Season 3 starts off on a priceless high note, picking up right where we left off in Season 2 — with Harley and Ivy as a couple. The first episode opens with what appears to be a love scene between Harley and Ivy, but it's quickly revealed to be a parody adult film. The two villains are actually watching the movie in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. It could have easily ended there and left viewers to recover from the gut-busting moment. However, it gets even better when Superman's father Jor-El (Jim Rash) appears in hologram form to scorn the lovebirds over their intrusion.
As Harley and Ivy laugh even harder while trying to lie their way out of the situation, stating they have Superman's approval to be there, the Man of Steel (James Wolk) himself appears and joins in the scolding. On an ending note, as Harley and Ivy use Wonder Woman's stolen Invisible Jet, Superman makes a silly but panicked comment about the young couple signing him up for HBO Max. It's a hilarious opening to a very funny third season of "Harley Quinn."
The joke-filled prison escape
Before any more fun can be had, Harley needs to break out her faithful friends Clayface and King Shark (voiced by Alan Tudyk and Ron Funches). In Episode 2, following the silly viewing party in the premiere, Harley and Ivy utilize their seductive counterpart actors as a diversion to trick the inept Commissioner Gordon (Christopher Meloni). Though this moment is humorous in itself, the dialogue that follows is even more amusing.
After a heartwarming reunion, Harley's friends compliment her on how refreshed she looks. She tells them it's a consequence of all the celebratory lovemaking she's been doing with Ivy. Though this may seem like a comical throwaway comment, the show's depiction of agency and sexual ownership is a revitalizing move towards representation in the DC universe. This perspective is one of the many qualities that propels "Harley Quinn" further than some unsuccessful DC installments that have oozed toxic masculinity.
The scene gets even funnier when a freak accident kills the mayor in a "Final Destination" style series of mishaps. The hysterical sequence is perfectly topped off with a new take on the oft-repeated Batman origin story, this time depicted with mice.
Harley makes her opinion on brooding men known
Speaking of toxic masculinity, Episode 2 wastes no time letting viewers know how Harley feels about brooding men. In an overly dramatic monologue, Nightwing (voiced by "What We Do in the Shadows" standout Harvey Guillén) vows to protect Gotham and assume a leadership role. Harley, however, doesn't care about any of this and cuts him off midway, reminding him that this is her show. She even calls him an expletive dork in the process.
This interaction feels like a loving poke at the depressingly dark and brooding nature of projects like 2021's "The Batman." In the almost-three hour film, the new iteration of The Dark Knight (played by Robert Pattinson) is self-serious and distant. This emotional unavailability leads to the division of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), who literally go their separate ways at the end of the movie. These toxic traits, typically found in DC's masculine characters, are frequently flipped around in "Harley Quinn," with entertaining results that undercut outdated attitudes.
Bane at the bank
What could have easily been a gruff and unapproachable display of traditional masculinity is completely subverted in the overly muscular portrayal of the big softy Bane (voiced by James Adomian). At the end of Episode 2, we overhear Bane being asked about a possible case of identity fraud at Gotham's bank due to suspicious activity on his account. The activity in question: Bane purchased Sarah Jessica Parker's dress from "Sex and the City" for a staggering $50,000.
This leads Bane to an existential crisis, which is played for background laughs as "Harley Quinn" marches on. As central as Bane could be to the plot, his constant sidelining has become a running joke of the series, which depicts the towering muscleman as completely unthreatening to the fully capable Harley. His ability to embrace traditionally feminine elements further juxtaposes his character, and this particular moment is one of the funniest in the whole third season.
The Joker's hosting gig at the Villy Awards
No character is made fun of more than Harley's abusive ex-boyfriend The Joker (also voiced by Alan Tudyk). The Clown Prince of Crime gets the spotlight centered directly on him (literally) as the host of Gotham's annual Villy awards. He hysterically breaks into song after a brutal opening alluding to his pivotal murder of Robin. This is a clever Easter egg relating to Jason Todd, who becomes the anarchist Red Hood in Season 3 of "Titans," another DC/HBO Max original.
Joker's musical sequence, "Like Joker Do," extravagantly illustrates his extreme narcissism, especially with his back up dancers dressed up as Harley in her codependent years. This shifts the attention onto Harley, who is able to further rise up from his immature actions and stay focused on Ivy and their chances of winning the "best couple" award. The memorable and dazzling scene further makes fun of Bane and even takes a shot at disgraced actor Kevin Spacey by adding him to the list of appearing villains.
A very familiar bathroom fight sequence
The DC Extended Universe has faced a multitude of embarrassing snafus in its attempts to keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These mistakes are often easily detectable (like Henry Cavill's mustache being removed with CGI in "Justice League") and hang as low-bearing fruit that are easy to use to discredit DC films. However, instead of taking the high road, "Harley Quinn" dives low and smashes those fruits with her bloody baseball bat.
The mustache incident is referenced repeatedly throughout Season 3, including the amusing bathroom fight scene, which is pulled straight from "Mission: Impossible – Fallout." To get the reference, you have to know that the Superman actor was actually under contract with the Tom Cruise-led action flick. This legal binding meant Cavill couldn't shave the infamous mustache when he was called back for "Justice League" reshoots, as he explained to Empire magazine. As such, a distracting blur tool was hastily employed to remove the hair from his upper lip.
Harley and Ivy interrupt Joker's homework time
Of the many exhilarating moments in "Harley Quinn," The Joker's jovial turn to supportive father and community citizen has to be one of the most insane. After his stepson Benicio (James Daniel Corleto) is unable to get into a bilingual program (because of a Karen-esque bully with privileged connections), he takes political action and runs for mayor himself. This results in a revealing moment for The Joker's new personality when we see him at home in full dad mode.
In our first scene with the sweater-wearing Clown Prince, his psychotic persona is dangerously close to breaking free over his frustrations with online learning and the Common Core State Standards. The specificity of this creates even more humor because of the realism, likely echoing the cries of other frustrated parents across the United States. Because of this, he's already pretty testy when Harley and Ivy come knocking about the Court of Owls pin they found. He even humorously laments that the once exclusive organization is now grossly mismanaged by a "bunch of old straight white dudes" performing explicit actions on each other.
James Gordon recognizes Bruce Wayne
It's probably a good thing Commissioner Gordon isn't an investigator in "Harley Quinn," because his skills could use some work. At the Court of Owls, ahem, "community party," Gordon is out to spread his name as an up-and-coming mayoral candidate. He's unsurprisingly terrible at this, but luckily for him, he recognizes a familiar face in the crowd, even through the mandatory owl mask.
In a heart-pounding moment for Bruce (Diedrich Bader) and the audience, it seems for a moment as if he's put two and two together, realizing that he is also The Dark Knight out of costume. The framing even leads the audience to believe Gordon sees Bruce's alter ego as the owl mask gives Bruce a Batman-like silhouette, making the obvious connection even funnier when he continues to miss it. Their awkward encounter takes an even more uncomfortable turn when they run into each other again and Bruce writes him a check so he'll leave him alone, allowing him to continue working undercover.
Batman's desperate gift to Catwoman
The show's ability to fondly make fun of typically serious DC characters injects an irresistible freshness into "Harley Quinn." Bruce Wayne/Batman's portrayal as super clingy in his relationship with Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Sanaa Lathan) has to be one of the funniest subversions on the series. The fact that it exposes Bruce's unresolved trauma (a major plot point for Season 3) is a clever bonus that jabs at "The Batman."
After Catwoman takes some time for herself, Bruce becomes obsessed with validating the status of their relationship and bringing her back to Wayne Manor. She's engaging in the most important form of self-care (watching trash TV in the bathtub and eating Cheetos) when Batman stops by with a bizarre gift. He brings her two pristine and fluffy white cats gifted with names that highlight The Dark Knight's aforementioned unresolved trauma. He names them Thomas and Martha (after his murdered parents) which immediately turns off the sly thief, who's known for more than just her love of cats.
The Joker's Debbie nightmare
In his new maniacal state of fatherhood, The Joker takes on his toughest enemy yet: A desperate housewife named Debbie Shirley (Amy Sedaris). In Episode 6, "Joker: The Killing Vote" (playing on the title of Alan Moore's acclaimed "The Killing Joke"), she constantly undercuts The Joker and hits him with passive aggressive jabs. In a side-splitting nightmare sequence, we see just how deeply Debbie is getting under the Clown Prince's once thick skin.
The Joker is chased through the streets of Gotham late at night after picking up groceries for his new family (Benicio needs his almond milk) by a Batman-esque figure. In a dark, dead end, he pleads with his pursuer, telling them that he has changed his ways and only wants to be a good parent. However, when the cowl is uncovered, we see that it's Debbie haunting The Joker, not Batman. She rudely tells him the other parents all agree that his lemon squares suck and bullies him so severely that he wakes up in terror. The laughs continue when we see the once horrifying Joker bolt up with a sleep apnea machine strapped to his head.
Clayface takes over Billy Bob Thornton's life
Clayface is painted as a goofy character in "Harley Quinn." His love of acting makes for a fresh portrayal of an underused Batman villain. His thespian dreams are referenced in prior seasons and finally come to fruition in Season 3. When Billy Bob Thornton (voicing himself in an unforgettable turn) is tragically mauled by a tiger, Clayface assumes his form and duties of portraying Thomas Wayne in an upcoming biopic film.
The storyline is a running gag all season, which ends with the movie premiere in the season finale. After another witty "Justice League" mustache joke, Billy Bob Thornton receives unanimous acclaim and a standing ovation with deafening applause. This sets Clayface's pride ablaze and he finally reveals himself to the unaffected audience that still chants Thornton's name in celebration. His inability to get recognized despite his obvious talent is one of the best running gags of "Harley Quinn" Season 3.
Harley and Batgirl's reluctant friendship
Harley's story took an unprecedented turn in Season 3 when the chaotic villain slowly began easing her way towards vigilante heroism. The most apparent indication of this comes from her surprising team up with the overly enthusiastic Batgirl (Briana Cuoco). Harley reluctantly pairs up with the plucky Batgirl to eradicate the perverted Mad Hatter (Griffin Newman) and his creepy, rabbit-masked associates.
At first, Harley was happy to let Mad Hatter torture Batgirl like her sociopathic former boyfriend would have done. However, after some intense reflection in the elevator, she comes around and decides to rescue her one-time foe. They fight together in harmony in a bloody showdown, resulting in a grim end for Mad Hatter. Batgirl takes a moment to gloat and even teases Harley's new admirable and heroic nature — before she viciously beats the Mad Hatter with her prized baseball bat. Though he probably deserved it, this shocking and funny moment foreshadows her heroic choice in the season finale.
Thomas Wayne's most precious item
A wildly inventive episode led to two of the most comical scenes in "Harley Quinn" Season 3. In Episode 8, "Batman Begins Forever," we enter Bruce's deep subconscious and delve into his singular most traumatic life event. This, of course, is the murder of his parents Thomas and Martha Wayne after they attended a movie at Gotham's local theater. The tragedy also ties together Batman's antagonistic role in Season 3, as well as the Thomas Wayne biopic that Clayface is starring in as Billy Bob Thornton.
In an effort to find inspiration for his critical role, Clayface chases down the doomed Thomas Wayne to find out what his most precious item was. The way he asks is actually an Easter egg for the masterful "Citizen Kane." In the film, Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) has accumulated a huge amount of material wealth. However, his favorite item of all is actually a sled from his childhood named "Rosebud" which was unknown to anyone but him.
Clayface takes this and desperately asks the patriarchal Wayne what his Rosebud was in an effort to know his character better. As he dies, he gets cut off before he can reveal his item is also a sled. The hilarious replication also gives a bit of insight into his character, which Clayface was denied, making the moment even funnier.
Batman's nostalgic memories
In Batman's never-ending nightmare sequence, we get even more references to the rich vigilante's expansive past. After Harley changes the loop of Martha and Thomas' murder by empathetically shielding his eyes from the horror, we dive into Batman's other memories, including some we're already familiar with. These are just a few of the many welcome DC references "Harley Quinn" often indulges in.
One memory in particular stands out to longtime "Batman" fans while also honoring the late Adam West. We see Batman in an iconic pose with his hands over his head running through people holding a bomb. This is a direct reference to the beloved 1966 "Batman" film, based on the successful television series. The self-reflection continues as Batman battles The Penguin while admitting that he "had a few weird years." This is also a loving nod to how far Batman has come and how there's still more of his character to explore beyond the riotous third season of "Harley Quinn."