The reviews for Harley Quinn Season 3 are in and the critics are loving the chaotic misadventures of the new couple Harlivy.
The acclaimed HBO Max animated series returns as Harley (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) expand their relationship by engaging in all kinds of bloody, action-packed hijinks. Writing for The AV Club, Jenna Scherer notes that Harley Quinn‘s “emotional honesty, filthy humor, and graphic violence” make it one of the most underrated TV series currently available, going so far as to describe it as “the best Batman-related property of the modern age.” These sentiments were shared by Collider’s Carly Lane, who writes that while Harley Quinn shouldn’t work, the show is able to carry its more impactful moments with irreverent comedy that successfully pokes fun at the entire superhero genre.
Alex Stedman, who reviewed the series for IGN, notes that Harley and Ivy’s relationship serves as a compelling throughline for the series, carrying the narrative through some of the less interesting arcs. “[Season 3] may sag a little in its various subplots, but when its focus is on our new favorite Gotham couple, it, like Harley herself, is hard not to love,” writes Stedman. Discussing Film critic Ferdosa praised Harley Quinn’s strong writing which manages to champion notably character growth and development without losing sight of the zany, ridiculous action that keeps viewers coming back for more.
Harley Quinn Season 3 picks up mere days after the titular supervillain interrupts Ivy’s reluctant wedding to Kite Man and chronicles the couple as they embark on a new chapter in their lives. The show has made a name for itself by parodying many elements of DC’s sprawling universe, taking shots at well-established figures like Jim Gordon, Batman and the DC Extended Universe film franchise. Even James Gunn, who directed the 2021 blockbuster The Suicide Squad, cameos as himself to drive home the self-referential humor.
Another aspect of Harley Quinn is the show’s adult-oriented sense of humor which results in plenty of crude jokes at the expense of iconic superheroes and villains. Writer Tom Hyndman revealed that Warner Bros. had to place a cap on the amount of profanity featured in the series. “One time, Warner Animation gave us a ‘fuck count’ because we were using fuck too much,” he said. “And we got annoyed and then watched the pilot again and were like, ‘wow, we really do use fuck a lot.'”
Harley Quinn Season 3 debuts on HBO Max on July 28.
Source: IGN, Discussing Film, The AV Club, Collider