While it's so brief you could potentially miss it, in Captain Boomerang's last moments, he gives Harley a genuine, warm smile. While an asshole, through and through, he really had come to like her from their experiences in the previous movie.
When the others are on the helicopter taking off to their mission, he even seems surprised that Harley ended up back in prison, but is nonetheless happy to see a familiar face. Harley herself even affectionately calls him "Boomer" and it's clear from Birds of Prey (2020) that she sees Captain Boomerang as a friend.
There's something to be said about Flag defending Weasel on the plane, saying he's due the same amount of respect as the rest of the team.
Something should be said about Savant going out of his way to try and save Weasel from drowning, even if it (apparently) was all for naught.
Javelin passes his signature weapon to Harley as he's dying, saying that she's the only one worthy of it, and while she initially doesn't know what to do with it, she still honors his Last Request and carries his javelin around throughout the film, even going back to grab it at one point after she accidentally dropped it.
When Polka Dot Man first shows off his powers, he apologizes for it being "so flamboyant" but Ratcatcher 2 is quick to reassure him that she thinks it looks cool.
Later, when he confides in the team the origin behind his powers, Ratcatcher asks what became of his mother in a tone that indicates concern.
Harley highlights what she's learned from her past relationships and does not hesitate to shoot the new guy she's taken to once she finds out he would not hesitate to harm children for Project Starfish. While she does seem genuinely apologetic about killing him, Harley makes it clear she will never fall back into another toxic relationship.
Harley: I made a promise to myself that the next time I got a boyfriend, I'd be on the look out for red flags, and if I saw any I'd do the healthy thing. And I would murder him.
Even with the scene Played for Laughs, Harley is clearly deeply moved that the entire Squad came to rescue her, and is near tears as she offers to go back inside so their plan doesn't go to waste. She even gives Flag a big hug.
When Peacemaker questions why they're jeopardizing the mission to save Harley, Flag responds No One Gets Left Behind.
Flag seems to have come a long way from the guy who had yelled at Harley to shut up back in the first movie. Now, he tries to look out for her and refuses to leave her behind. Special mention goes to the Team Power Walk in the rain, where they share a look and he has a genuinely amused smirk when he sees that Harley is casually munching on an apple.
King Shark adorably chasing fish around an aquarium, guffawing with childish glee.
King Shark's interaction with Ratcatcher 2 after he tried to eat her. Ratcatcher gently explains to him that you should not eat your friends, and when Nanaue states he has no friends, she offers to be his friend, much to King Shark's clear appreciation. And he does take her advice at heart and does not attempt to eat any other of his Squad mates afterwards (and apparently refrains from eating rats as well).
Throughout the film, Ratcatcher 2's interactions with King Shark are very sweet and nurturing. She calls him by his real name (Nanaue), indulges in his flights of fancy (such as wanting to wear a disguise) and treats him more like a sibling than an annoyance. Given her relationship and understanding of rats, this makes sense as she seems to approach him as an animal capable of communicating with humans, and engages him on his own terms.
When King Shark and Peacemaker are planting C-4, King Shark shows Peacemaker that he made his C-4 into a little person. At first Peacemaker angrily tells him to stop messing around, but then King Shark says it's suppose to be Peacemaker. Then in a much soft tone, he tells King Shark that's really nice of him, but to stay focused.
Before the squad goes to La Gatita Amable, Sol Soria and Flag have a small moment together. Soria shows concern that they will be ambushed by the soldiers watching Jotunheim, but Flag tells her that this will leave the government house vulnerable to allow the Resistance to attack the generals without their protection. It's a small scene that shows how Flag is willing to help those in need.
Sol Soria: [appears touched by Flag's advice] You're a good man, Colonel Flag.
Ratcatcher 2's flashbacks to her life with her father; them sleeping together under a mass of rats might sound disturbing, but it's presented in a surprisingly touching manner. Though her story ends in tragedy with her father's death, it leads to a quiet moment between Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2, where both promise that they'll get the other out alive. Miraculously, they both succeed.
When Bloodsport initially deflects Cleo's question on why he hates rats by claiming she has daddy issues, Cleo angrily says she has no issues with her father. Throughout her flashback and even now, it's clear she loved him dearly and he loved her back.
Another creepy yet sweet moment is when she asked her father why he used rats.
Ratcatcher 1: Rats are the lowliest and most depised of all creatures, my love. If they have purpose, so do we all. [He hands her a rat and wraps his arm around her.]
A sentiment which is as applicable to the Squad itself as to rats, hence all the more appropriate.
The Squad (except King Shark) drinking and dancing while waiting to pick up Thinker - Flag and Bloodsport reminisce about old times and Ratcatcher 2 and Polka Dot Man dance where Peacemaker has an attempt.
In the same scene, the team is having drinks. The waitress walks away after taking their orders and Peacemaker reminds her that she forgot to take an order for Sebastian, Cleo's main rat. One of the few Pet the Dog moments for an otherwise antagonistic character.
Especially heartwarming in Polka Dot Man's case, since he ends up getting in such a great mood that not even his hallucinations could ruin the night for him or snap him out from it.
What makes the whole scene at the bar even more touching is that it seems to be building up to the Squad bungling it up because they loosened too much, but nothing of the sort happens and their plan would have worked without a hitch if not for the army's intervention. It was simply them relaxing and having fun together before the next tense moment.
Bloodsport crashing into Peacemaker holding Cleo down with his foot and prepared to shoot her. Bloodsport barely registers Peacemaker, doesn't ask what was going on and is only focused on the fact that Cleo is tearfully pleading towards him with her eyes. He does not hesitate to shoot Peacemaker.
While the squad witnesses Starro's rampage through the city, Robert's heroic side shines through as he turns around with a gun in his hand, ready to die from either the monster terrorizing Corto Maltese or from the woman he's been forced to take orders from. Cleo and the others, inspired by his heroism, decide to follow suit and be the heroes.
Also Amanda Waller threatening to detonate all of the Squad's chips when they disobey her, but her assistants think otherwise as they knock her out so the Squad could defeat Starro.
Harley yanking Polka Dot Man away from the explosion he caused by accidentally firing his dots at a stack of explosives, while there was no real incentive for her to do so apart from saving the life of one of her Squad mates.
It's even more heartwarming when she rushes over to save Nanaue who is getting attacked by small octopus like creatures and is shown taking them off him.
Bloodsport's estranged daughter seeing him save the world on the news and proudly saying that that's her dad. Not only his actions have saved her from being placed into prison, but she gets to see that he saved many people like a hero.
Tyla: [looks close to Tears of Joy] That's my dad.
Polka-Dot Man using his powers to weaken Starro and gets to be something more than a monster, but a "superhero".
When Ratcatcher 2 summons a final massive swarm of rats, she reflects on a memory of her childhood with her father, explaining why he chose rats to be his companions. Taika Waititi's delivery strikes the perfect blend of utterly hilarious and sincerely moving as he sums up the film's message.
Rats are the lowliest and most despised of all creatures, my love. If they have purpose, so do we all.
While summoning that same horde of rats to attack the titanic Starro, Ratcatcher 2 notices that she inadvertently caused Bloodsport to have a severe panic attack due to him now being surrounded by an endless legion of rodents, reducing him to a Nervous Wreck. So Cleo immediately throws herself on top of Robert to comfort him in his time of need while still carrying on with the attack. When she promised that she'll get Robert out of Corto Maltese alive, she meant it.
Just the way she reaches for his shoulder with her spare hand to clutch it in a reassuring outreach of comfort.
On the flip side, Bloodsport endures this. He knows what Ratcatcher can do, knows it's their best shot at the moment, and lets her proceed, even if she's triggering his phobia. He doesn't say anything, but you can almost hear him thinking "It'll be okay, it'll be worth it, it'll be okay. . ."
Before that, in summoning the massive rat army to take down Starro and its zombified humans, she fiercely declares that the city is theirs, not Starro's or the humans'. She's proclaiming, to herself as much as any, that she's better than Starro, because she and Sebastian are leading the brave little rodents so they can defend their own urban habitat, not slaving them to her will as mere cannon fodder.
When King Shark turns up alive and well after the battle, Ratcatcher 2 practically glomps him. Nanaue's smile at having a true friend who cares for him is bound to melt some hearts.
After the battle has been won, both Harley and Bloodsport mourn and refer to Flag as their friend.
The remaining squad members at the end being content that they are alive with Harley relaxing to fall asleep while Cleo rests near Nanaue.
Bloodsport petting Sebastian as he falls asleep on Bloodsport’s leg at the end of the film. It's the final shot of the film and shows that he's ready to start moving on from his fear and past trauma.
Pretty much anything Sebastian does, for that matter.
In a weird way, the fact that Bloodsport is still clearly terrified as Sebastian curls up in his lap, but still starts petting the rat anyway. A phobia, especially a trauma-induced one, isn't easy to overcome, some exposure and a different point of view won't make it magically go away. It takes effort and work. . . but Bloodsport is now willing and able to put in that work, and Sebastian wants to help him.
In a special bonus Heartwarming for rat lovers, Sebastian makes visible chewing motions with his mouth when Bloodsport pets him. This behavior is called "bruxing", and is typically seen in very happy rats.
Waller apparently accepting the judgement and insubordination of her staff. Probably because The Squad's actions turned out to be good PR. Even if they did still get stuck with petty little assignments they dislike, they're still alive and employed. Especially notable after Gunn revealed Waller was indeed trying to get Flag killed.
Weasel turning out to be perfectly alive and well. The audience spends the whole movie just accepting that he was a throwaway character to be killed off like the rest of his team, and then The Stinger reveals that he was revived from drowning after all. What's better, he revived after the entire massacre, so now he's free to joyfully dick around the island all he wants, free from the inhumane prison. Then again, he did murder 27 children...note Though James Gunn suggests Weasel may be innocent
