Harley Quinn’s eponymous animated series focused on her break-up with the Joker and working to become her own supervillain, with a little help (and sarcasm) from her best friend Poison Ivy, who eventually becomes her girlfriend. Full of humor, heart, action, and very lovable characters, the series has proven to be popular among Batman fans and beyond.
However, there are some aspects of Harley Quinn that have not appealed to some, be it relationships, plotlines, or certain characters. Reddit users have discussed what they don’t enjoy about the show, and it is fair to say that some have a unique opinion on it.
10 Dr. Psycho Should Rejoin Harley’s Crew
Kicked out of the Legion of Doom for calling Wonder Woman and Giganta the c-word, the disgraced Dr. Psycho joins Harley’s crew in an attempt to redeem himself. However, in season 2, Dr. Psycho betrayed Harley and the rest of her crew, and nearly succeeded in ruling Gotham.
Although perhaps not the most surprising twist, Psycho’s betrayal is considerably unforgivable. However, Redditor Morganbanefort comments that they “hope he rejoins the crew one day.” Considering Dr. Psycho’s misogynistic personality, and Harley being the type to not easily forgive someone, the chances of Psycho rejoining the crew are slim and would be out of character for both Psycho and Harley. Regardless, Dr. Psycho is one of Harley Quinn‘s funniest characters so it would be great to see him return in season 3 somehow.
9 Clayface Is Annoying
Another member of Harley’s crew is the shapeshifting Clayface. Unlike most versions of the character, who are usually rather tragic, Harley Quinn‘s Clayface is an aspiring actor. His comical attempts to be a great actor and his infectious enthusiasm have made him one of the show’s most popular characters.
But not every watcher of the show liked Clayface. Redditor zelderonMorningstar called Clayface annoying, claiming he “drags the show down. They should have just axed him.” While he could be too much for some, Clayface has proven to be a valuable asset to Harley’s team beyond comic relief, as a loyal and caring friend to the crew. Furthermore, this version of Clayface is perhaps one of the most unique versions of the character.
8 Commissioner Gordon Needed Growth
One of the most prominent supporting characters in Harley Quinn was Commissioner Gordon. In a unique twist to the normally no-nonsense character, Gordon is portrayed as a rather tragi-comical figure in need of friendship.
Redditor CharacterApricot commented how Gordon was a potentially great character and needed consistent growth but instead “he’s continually reset so he can be the show’s butt monkey.” The Redditor is correct about Gordon having potential. But considering Gordon was on the decline for most of the first season, to see him get back on his feet in season 2 was great. Unfortunately, not receiving recognition for saving Gotham pushed him back in the wrong direction.
7 Nora Fries And Zeus Are A Good Couple
In one of the show’s most bittersweet moments, Mr. Freeze sacrifices himself to save Nora, his beloved wife. Naturally, Nora is heartbroken by this but she drunkenly hooks up with Maxie Zeus at Ivy’s bachelorette party, and later they become a couple.
As one of Harley Quinn’s most wholesome characters, it is sad that viewers did not get to see Mr. Freeze finally able to live happily ever after. But Redditor zelderonMorningstar comments: “I really liked Nora x Zeus.” While it is nice to see Nora happy after grieving, she could have done better than Maxie Zeus, who has shown to be a rather obnoxious and arrogant character in the first season.
6 Sy Borgman Was Also Annoying
Geriatric Sy Borgman started the show as Poison Ivy’s cantankerous landlord before eventually joining Harley’s crew. With a number of gadgets and surprises due to his in-built robotics, Sy Borgman is one of the best-designed characters in Harley Quinn.
While Sy Borgman was a joy to watch for many, he didn’t quite win over everyone. Redditor random_reddit_bot found Sy Borgman annoying, going as far as to say “when he got killed, I was happy but then he came back and I was sad.” Aside from being a great addition to the crew and providing some funny moments, Sy Borgman has shown to be a very heartfelt character. This is most evident when reconciling with his mutated sister and his sacrifice to help stop Dr. Psycho.
5 Ripper Riddler Isn’t Funny
As one of Batman’s most popular villains, it is only natural that the Riddler would show up in the series. But in an unexpected turn of events towards the end of season 2, the Riddler became ripped and muscular after being forced (at first) to run on a hamster wheel for a long time by Harley.
The joke of the normally skinny Riddler who uses brains over brawn becoming muscular was not well-received by some. Redditor CheruthCutestory comments how they don’t like ripped Riddler and that they “want him back to normal.” It might be understandable why fans were not happy with this, especially fans of the Riddler. However, this should be acknowledged that while this is a different take on Riddler, he still hasn’t lost his intelligence.
4 Joker As A Surburban Dad Was Rubbish
As Harley’s abusive ex and Batman’s most famous nemesis, Joker played an important role in season 1 and served as the season’s main villain. After seemingly dying in the season finale, it is later revealed that he is alive but with no recollection of his life. In fact, he is found living as an everyday suburban man with Bethany, a nurse he had fallen in love with.
Whilst a very different and unexpected turn for the Clown Prince of Crime. Redditor savage011 called “Joker being a suburban dad” a “huge waste”. Whilst, on one hand, Joker’s relationship with Bethany ultimately urged Harley to fight for Ivy, it equally seems out of character from him, especially as Joker was an ultimately abhorrent irredeemable character.
3 There Was Too Much Kite Man In Season 2
One of the great things about Harley Quinn is that it gave a chance for lesser-known characters to shine. One such example is D-list villain Kite Man. Initially treated as a joke, Kite Man soon ends up in a relationship with Ivy and becomes one of Harley Quinn‘s best-supporting characters.
However, Redditor Capricornist2436 felt there was too much of Kite Man in season 2: “In season 1 he was funny but season 2 he was annoying.” This may be a little unfair as Kite Man was given a chance to grow as a character across both seasons, becoming more than comedic relief and Harley’s love rival. In fact, it is fair to say that Kite Man broke walls for the himbo trope, growing in maturity as he finally realized how he shouldn’t be with Ivy.
2 Harl-Ivy Came Out Of Nowhere
One of the show’s biggest factors is Harley and Ivy’s relationship, be it friendship or romance. Yet Redditor Freddi0 commented that they felt Harley and Ivy’s romantic relationship came out of nowhere: “Before the pit episode, I didn’t see a single hint at it.”
This is a very surprising opinion for many. Throughout the series, there were various moments of foreshadowing, such as Harley being Ivy’s biggest fear and how loyal they are to one another. But even for those who haven’t seen the show, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are undoubtedly one of the most iconic couples not only in Batman but in LGBTQ+ culture (despite their recent split in the comics), so the two friends getting together in the series was almost inevitable. Even the Redditor admitted, “maybe it’s because I’m blind.”
1 Less Love Triangle, More Taking Over Gotham
Season 1 of Harley Quinn started with Harley ending things with Joker and embarking on a mission to become her own supervillain and join the Legion of Doom. Her relationship with Ivy was a key factor but this soon became the main plotline midway through season 2.
Not many fans were happy with this switch. Redditor joelasojoel commented how “the love triangle took up way too much of season 2” and that they wish that “they spent more time doing cool takeovers of Gotham … than the will-they-won’t-they stuff.” On one hand, Harley and Ivy’s relationship is adored by many, and the love triangle plot only took up half of season 2 at the most. On the other hand, one of the best things about the show was looking into the life of the supervillain, especially in the Legion of Doom. It would have been brilliant to have seen more of that.
NEXT: 10 Characters That Deserved More Screen Time In The Harley Quinn Animated Series
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About The Author
Emily Whittingham (83 Articles Published)
Emily is a new Screen Rant list writer hailing from the UK. An Animation graduate from UCA Farnham, Emily is passionate when it comes to writing about and researching films, particulary old Disney films and its history, Jim Henson, and Tim Burton. Emily is also a freelance artist, and often trades at shows and conventions. When not writing about Disney or painting spooky art, Emily can be found baking or working out.