History Recap / HarleyQuinn2019S2E5BatmansBackMan

** The two fanboys discussing the show are wearing shirts that say [[Film/JusticeLeague "Release the Snyder Cut"]] and "Film/TheLastJedi [[FanonDiscontinuity Is Not Canon]]".

* HateDumb: InUniverse, the DC fanboy at the beginning of the episode acts like a stereotypical right-wing Aesthetic Stalinist: an AngryWhiteMan who constantly grumbles about “virtue signaling” and “liberal agendas” and overall hates the show for not aligning with his politics.

* PeripheryHatedom: Discussed in-universe. The two nerds in the BookEnds opening and closing discuss the show's merits, with the AngryWhiteMan complaining about it supposedly being a "heavy-handed female empowerment story" and "an avalanche of 'virtue signalling'", and boasts that he's never seen it because he's "not a 12-year-old girl." While his hatred is depicted as extreme for carrying such venom for a show that was never meant to appeal to his politics anyway, his equally pedantic friend being able to enjoy the show on its own merits belies that it can appeal to people of all ages, and his irrational hatred is just an example of HateDumb.

* TakeThatCritics: The episode opens with two guys on a couch discussing watching ''Harley Quinn'' on DC Universe. One denies watching the show because he hates its vaguely feminist subtexts even though he's very familiar with the plot. Hypocritically so, because he says it's not worth watching for being set in Gotham without focusing on Batman even though he watched the entire live-action ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' series. The same guy complains that Batgirl should've "[[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 smiled more]]".

* VillainTeamUp: With Penguin and Freeze dead, Riddler in captivity, and Batman's apparent return, Bane suggests teaming up with Two-Face. The latter eventually relents, though goes out of his way to downplay it to the point that even Batman thinks Two-Face is running Gotham.

* HateDumb: InUniverse, the DC fanboy at the beginning of the episode acts like a stereotypical Un-PC Crusader: an AngryWhiteMan who constantly grumbles about “virtue signaling” and “liberal agendas” and overall hates the show for not aligning with his politics.

* AbsenteeActor: This is the first episode where Harley, Ivy, and her crew don't appear and instead focuses mainly on Batman. But despite the central focus on Batman, Damian doesn't appear anywhere either.

* MisplacedNamesPoster: Bane suggests one of these instead of Two-Face's "Two Faces", as in ''Film/{{Twins}}'' (though the film's poster didn't actually do this).

* RealityEnsues:
** Batman attempts to hide the PoweredArmor Lucius made for him by putting a cover over it. Alfred notices it anyway. Pretty hard to make sure someone doesn't notice something that obvious.
** Alfred attempts to put away the PoweredArmor like a father putting away his son's toy. He quickly sees that the suit and the mount it's on is extremely heavy so he has a hard time moving it.
** Despite having super-powered armor, Batman is still not in fighting shape and loses to a Venom-pumped Bane. The suit may compensate for Batman's physical weakness, but it simply isn't capable of overpowering Bane, who Batman usually beats with clever strategy.

* TakeThat: One of Bane's suggestions for naming he evil organization he and Two Face are equal partners in is Bane Capital, a reference to a real equity firm that gained infamy in the 2010s for its use of the leveraged buyout.

* NoSell: Once he starts using venom, Bane completely ignores the Batsuit's ShockAndAwe defense system.

** Batman attempts to hide the PoweredArmor Lucius made for him by putting a cover over it. Alfred notices it anyways. Pretty hard to make sure someone doesn't notice something that obvious.
** Alfred attempts to put away the PoweredArmor like a father putting away his son's toy. He quickly sees that the suit and the mount its on is extremely heavy so he has a hard time moving it.
** Despite having super-powered armor, Batman is still not in fighting shape and loses to a venom pumped Bane. The suit may compensate for Batman's physical weakness, but it simply isn't capable of overpowering Bane, who Batman usually beats with clever strategy.

* TakeThatCritics: The episode opens with two guys on a couch discussing watching Harley Quinn on DC Universe. One denies watching the show because he hates its vaguely feminist subtexts even though he's very familiar with the plot. Hypocritically so, because he says it's not worth watching for being set in Gotham without focusing on Batman even though he watched the entire live-action ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' series. The same guy complains that Batgirl should've "[[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 smiled more]]".

* AbsenteeActor: This is the first episode where Harley, Ivy, and her crew don't appear and instead focuses mainly on Batman. But despite the central focus on Batman and the Family, Damian doesn't appear anywhere either.

** Despite how goofy he is in this series, Bane lives up to his reputation as one of Batman's most dangerous foes, beating the hell out of Batman even with his new shiny PoweredArmor, and breaking both of his legs.

* ChekhovsGunman: The Macaroni turns out to be Alfred, and he along with Batgirl rescue Batman from Two Face's thugs.

** The new armor Batman gets from Lucius Fox is based on the Hellbat armor design.

* ChekhovsGunman: The Macaroni turns out to be Alfred, and he along with Batgirl rescue Batman from Two Face's thugs.

* MythologyGag: The new armor Batman gets from Lucius Fox is based on the Hellbat armor design.

** The two fanboys discussing the show are wearing shirts that say [[Film/JusticeLeague "Release the Snyder Cut"]] and "Film/TheLastJedi [[FanonDiscontinuity Is Not Canon"]].

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Bruce finds Batgirl as Batman in an attempt to talk her out of crimefighting. Instead, she livestreams his reappearance and gives the citizens of Gotham false hope.

** Batman's suit, with it assembling by separating into pieces before attaching to him, not to mention the shots from the inside of the helmet, are based on the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse's version of ComicBook/IronMan.