History Recap / HarleyQuinn2019S3E6JokerTheKillingVote

->'''The Joker:''' Some mayoral candidates take bribes from big money. I'm skipping the bribe part and just taking the money!

* KickTheSonOfABitch: While he's definitely motivated to help his family, it's clear that Joker runs for mayor to get back at Debbie for all of her nonsense. Granted, this kind of vengeance is far less AxCrazy than his usual schtick, but she still has it coming.
--> '''Joker:''' I'm your nightmare now, bitch. ''[=[=][[EvilLaugh Cackles Maniacally]][=]=]''

* StabTheSalad: While at home, Joker appears to be maniacally butchering someone as his face is splattered with blood, only for the camera to zoom out, revealing that he's bludgeoning a steak with a meat hammer.

** A subtle one. The theme song includes a reference to every live-action portrayal of The Joker, except for Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse [[note]]and Film/TheBatman2022, but more likely due to him barely having a role in that movie [[/note]].

* TyrantTakesTheHelm: ''The Joker'' becomes the mayor of Gotham in the end. Granted, he's motivated by giving his family the support they need ([[KickTheSonOfABitch and to spite Debbie]]), but he's still a lunatic with a body count. Hell, the first decision he makes after Gordon forfeits but before he's even sworn into office is to dismantle Gotham's entire police department. Though, considering just how corrupt and incompetent Gordon and the Gotham police can be, [[VillainHasAPoint he may have a point]].

* StabTheSalad: While at home, Joker appears to be maniacally butchering someone as his face is splattered with blood, only for the camera to zoom out, revealing that he's bludgeoning a steak with a steak hammer.

* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: Granted, the Joker has been called a psychopathic narcissist in the past, but his attentiveness towards his new family momentarily takes a hit due to him achieving unexpected success as a mayoral candidate. However, he chooses to abandon his campaign when Two-Face holds Benicio hostage and apologizes to his step-son for letting the campaign get to his head.

* BigEater: Even though she insults the tray of arroz-con-pollo the Joker brought for her, Debbie still eats it during their short conversation. He is aghast afterwards to find that she polished the whole thing off, despite it being enough for an entire family, moreso that there were bones in the dish she didn't pick out ''that aren't there anymore''.
* BrickJoke: Debbie pulls some strings to get her kids into the Dual-Immersion Program because she wants to know what the maids are saying about her. Later on, she ignorantly repeats a Spanish phrase she heard from her maid -- "''Escupo en tu comida''," which means "I spit in your food." -- showing that the maids really are talking crap about her.

* CuttingTheKnot: Joker decides to cut out the middleman and just steal money to directly bribe constituents, rather than looking for donors to fund his campaign. It helps that his policies are also genuinely popular, and that he gives the money out in the open instead of "under the table".

* FoodAsBribe: Joker cooks ''arroz con pollo'' for Debbie to bribe her into helping get his kids into the Dual-Immersion Program. Debbie doesn't help, but does indicate that he'll have to talk to the mayor, giving Joker the idea to run for the position himself.
* FreudianTrio: Jim, Barbara and Two-Face end up becoming this. While [[TheKirk Jim Gordon]] runs for mayor, [[TheMcCoy Two-Face]] tries making him into a SleazyPolitician who runs entirely on superficiality, while [[TheSpock Barbara]] tries encouraging him to run on policies that he genuinely believes in. Since [[AdaptationalWimp this version of Jim is a loser]], he almost always defaults to Two-Face's advice.
* HeelRealization: It's only when Two-Face admits to poisoning the former mayor and kidnapping Joker's step-son does Gordon realize that he isn't the good guy this time.
* KarmaHoudini: In spite of literally ''everything'' the Joker has ever done, he instantly becomes the more popular mayoral candidate. Both because the policies he gives are popular and because he looks way better compared to Jim Gordon...
* KarmicJackpot: ...And then when the Joker has to abandon his campaign in order to save his step-son from Two-Face, Gordon backs out in disgust at Two-Face's actions before the Joker can do it, leaving the Joker as the Mayor of Gotham by default.

** Another from ''The Dark Knight'', Jim is being held at gunpoint by Two-Face, while the life a young boy is on the line.

-->'''Debbie:''' Better luck next year, or as my maid says, "''Escupo en tu comida.''"[[note]]"I spit in your food."[[/note]]

** Joker wonders whether one of the interviewed Gothamites compared him to Creator/DavidSpade or Creator/DavidTennant. Eventually he decides that it was probably Creator/DavidBoreanaz.

--->'''Two-Face:''' 'Cause I'm in too deep, and I'm trying to keep up above in my head, instead of going under instead of going under!\\

** A subtle one. The theme song includes a reference to every live action portrayal of The Joker, except for Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse [[note]]and Film/TheBatman2022, but more likely due to him barely having a role in that move [[/note]].

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Debbie tells Joker that the only person who has the authority to expand the Dual-Immersion Program is the Mayor of Gotham City. Since he had just died and it's still election season, it's here Joker gets the idea to run for Mayor.

** The opening theme song [[https://mashable.com/article/harley-quinn-joker-bottle-episode uses several quotes from other Jokers]]. [[note]]Specifically Series/Batman1966, ComicBook/TheKillingJoke, Film/Batman1989, Film/TheDarkKnight, and Film/{{Joker}} [[/note]]
** During the sitcom parody opening, Joker does the famous stair-dance from ''Film/Joker2019''.

** Another subtle one. The theme song includes a reference to every live action portrayal of The Joker, except for Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse [[note]]and Film/TheBatman2022, but more likely due to him barely having a role in that move [[/note]].

** Subtle one; the comics Catwoman infamously walked away from marrying Batman, ostensibly because he'd lose his edge and motivation in crime fighting. Last episode she broke up with him, and now it seems like Batman didn't care about the elections.

** Joker's campaign parade is very similar to the one in ''Film/Batman1989''. In this case, they throw ''actual'' money into the audience instead of the fake kind with his face on it.

--> '''Joker:''' I'm your nightmare now, bitch. ''[=[=][[EvilPlan Cackles Maniacally]][=]=]''

** Another subtle one. The theme song includes a reference to every live action portrayal of The Joker, except for Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse [[note]]and [[spoiler:Film/TheBatman2022]], but more likely due to him barely having a role in that move [[/note]].

** The opening theme song [[https://mashable.com/article/harley-quinn-joker-bottle-episode uses several quotes from other Jokers]].

** Subtle one; the comics Catwoman infamously walked away from marrying Batman, ostensibly because he'd lose his edge and motivation in crime fighting. Last episode she broke up with him, and now it seems like Batman didn't give a fuck about the entire elections.

* KarmaHoudini: In spite of literally ''everything'' the Joker has ever done, he instantly becomes the more popular candidate. Both because the policies he gives are popular and because he looks way better compared to Jim Gordon.

** Penguin also ran for mayor of Gotham in ''Film/BatmanReturns'' and nearly won, except Batman prevented it. Here, Batman doesn't do anything whatsoever.

* EtTuBrute: Gordon's incompetence as a candidate, plus his dependence on Two-Face, so disillusions Barbara that she abandons her own dad's candidacy and takes to carrying a placard cheering for Joker's.