IR TV Review: HARLEY QUINN - EPISODE 4 (“A Thief, A Mole, An Orgy”) [HBO Max-S3]
Harley Quinn simply wants to be the perfect girlfriend but she tends to get her wires crossed with a lack of empathy, ignorance and, by extension, jealousy that overtakes her conscious being despite her best efforts. Episode 4 of Season 3: “A Thief, A Mole, An Orgy” is Quinn's world going further down the rabbit hole since the HBO Max settings right now allow for it. The ode to “Eyes Wide Shut” is not lost but the connotations really go there in a way that a Kubrick film would not per se. There is however some really interesting buried character moments and traits in it, that while very adult, are very telling in a way that would never be told in a regular DC film. The way Selena Kyle interacts with Bruce Wayne in this scenario and their eventual angle of escape says a lot. The way Harley finds a way to complete sabotage Ivy's intent to lie to her in this setting is really crucial. The connection they make in such a sordid situation is actually redeeming.
Add to that, the only way leading into this scenario to figure out how to unravel it is to get an invitation to this underground party through her old beau in Joker. In an ironic twist, Joker will not attend or seems to have any desire to. He is trying to make his son do his homework before throwing a laptop against a wall. Odd but again telling in a reverse psychological kind of way. Add to this, Quinn's technology friend has found an interface to answer any question on the internet which leads to some interesting questions. Ivy,at the inset, is working on a way to mutate the city through one of her plant friends, Jimmy (who is basically Aubrey from “Little Shop Of Horrors”). This episode is completely off the walls and tries to make connections from many of the previous episodes in some pretty outlandish ways. For the most part it ends up in a way more confusing than when it starts despite one clear fact: Ivy still loves Harley and vice versa. B-
By Tim Wassberg
