Line #17 Recap/HarleyQuinn2019S3E10TheHorseAndTheSparrow


1	After her terraforming plan goes awry, Ivy is enticed by an offer to take over the Legion of Doom, while Harley questions her path forward.
2	----
3	!!Tropes:
4	* AmbiguousSituation: The Joker learned that Batman is Bruce Wayne at the end of Season 1, only to lose his memory in the same episode. Despite regaining his memories in Season 2, Joker hasn't indicated that he remembers that particular detail and him specifically targeting Bruce Wayne as a tax dodger could equally be petty revenge as it is punishing the 1%.
5	* ArmorPiercingQuestion: When Joker points out to Ivy that Harley is compromising herself to help her plans and has changed from being a villain, Ivy insists they're equals. Harley just had a lapse in judgment and it won't happen again. But Joker puts Ivy in her place by asking her this big question: "When did you ever see Harley forget her bat?". This makes Ivy realize Joker is right.
6	* ArmorPiercingResponse: In the confrontation that follows, Ivy insistently prods at Harley about why she's stressing herself out and denying that she's changed from being a supervillain. When Harley finally answers, her reason is that she doesn't want to lose her relationship with Ivy, leaving her dumbstruck. This causes Ivy to calm down and reassure Harley that this was never a danger, mending their relationship and encouraging Harley to find her own path.
7	* BittersweetEnding: This season ends with Bruce Wayne getting arrested, Harley and Ivy ending up on opposing sides in the battle between good and evil, and the original Harley crew getting permanently disbanded. However, Bruce entrusts Barbara Gordon to lead the Batfamily to fight crime in Gotham City while he’s behind bars, Harley gets accepted into the Batfamily, and Ivy reassures Harley that while they may be on opposing sides, they will always love each other and remain a happy couple.
8	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Annoyed at the deceased Billy Bob Thornton getting all the credit for his work, Clayface reverts to his default form to demonstrate that he was masquerading as Thornton the entire time. What does the crowd draw from this stunning revelation? That Billy Bob Thornton was secretly a shapeshifter!
9	* DisproportionateRetribution: Lex Luthor wants Ivy to kill Joker for his evil lair tax, despite Joker pointing out it's only half a percent and it all goes towards making Gotham College free.
10	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The way Harley admits to Ivy that she doesn't know what she really wants to be, either a villain or hero, but at least does not want to kill Joker and is content with no longer being called a villain but isn't ready to be labeled as a hero and is uncertain if she want to help people, is intriguingly reminiscent of people struggling with deciding their own sexuality or gender identity.
11	* DoNotAdjustYourSet: Lex Luthor hijacks the televisions at his store to talk to Ivy.
12	* DynamicCharacter: DiscussedTrope. While Joker is held captive by Ivy, he demonstrates that while he's still evil to the core, his motivations and methods have "evolved" over time. Joker's point to this is that Harley has similarly evolved and that she and Ivy need to confront this truth before she does something she'll regret.
13	* FemaleGaze: As Harley comments on Nightwing's rear, we see a shot focusing on it.
14	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: While Ivy is shopping and still dressed in her [[LeotardOfPower plant leotard]], a man gawks at her, which gets him a slap from his wife.
15	* HazyFeelTurn: Harley doesn't feel like being a villain anymore, and isn't even up for a chance to kill the Joker, but also isn't fully prepared to call herself a hero.
16	* IGaveMyWord: Harley sticks to her promise to be Bruce's therapist, planning to hold appointments with him while he's in prison.
17	* KarmaHoudini: Bruce may have started the zombie apocalypse but Poison Ivy was the one who undoubtedly made it worse. In the aftermath of it all, Bruce ends up getting arrested (albeit on totally different charges than starting an apocalypse). On the other hand, Poison Ivy can still go shopping freely in public, gets made the offer-of-a-lifetime by Lex Luthor, attends the same movie Bruce got arrested at without being arrested, and the only remotely negative thing she has to deal with is coming to terms with how her girlfriend's [[HazyFeelTurn villain/hero alignment is going through some changes]].
18	* KarmicNod: Bruce doesn't resist being sent to jail for tax evasion, since even though few people are aware he was the cause of the prior ZombieApocalypse, he accepts being arrested as his punishment for that and acknowledges that he shouldn't hold himself above the law just because he's the richest man in Gotham.
19	* LuredIntoATrap: Joker sent Bruce tickets to the movie debut so he'd attend and Joker (with [[RecurringExtra Cheryl]] as the arresting police officer) could arrest him publicly for tax evasion.
20	* TheMissusAndTheEx: Downplayed. Joker and Ivy aren't friends by the end of their conversation, but they still bond over dating Harley. Joker even helps her to realize Harley's relationship with her is just as toxic as it was with the Joker.
21	* MistakenForMisogynist: When a tow truck driver goes to Batgirl and said he needs a Bat''man'' to sign for his plane to be moved, Batgirl accuses him of being sexist. He points out that "Batman" is literally on the registration, making her look silly.
22	* MundaneSolution: How Joker ''finally'' gets rid of Batman after all these years, albeit possibly by accident -- He just calls the police and has Bruce Wayne arrested for all of the tax evasion he must have committed to creating all of his Bat-gadgets without anyone knowing. Bruce in turn doesn't fight the charges, since he's accepted that he should face the consequences for his role in the prior ZombieApocalypse. It's unclear if Joker truly remembers Bruce being Batman or if this is just a happy coincidence while he fights against the one percent.
23	* MythologyGag: In the credits for the Thomas Wayne movie, [[Characters/TeenTitansBeastBoy Garfield Logan]] is listed as the actor playing Young Bruce while [[ComicBook/DoomPatrol Rita Farr]] is listed as playing Martha Wayne, and [[ComicBook/BlueDevil Daniel Cassidy]] as Joe Chill. Along with Clayface, they're all DC characters with backstories as actors or former actors in civilian life.
24	* NotSoAboveItAll: Nightwing is willing to tolerate Harley joining the team because she compliments his ass.
25	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: While dealing with Ivy while he's tied up, Joker easily escapes the rope and points out Harley is never sloppy when tying people up and he believes Harley is having doubts about following Ivy's plan. His biggest point is when he points out Harley forgot to bring her iconic bat with her.
26	* PetTheDog:
27	** It's partly to save his own skin from Harley and Ivy and is steeped in his usual condescension, but Joker gives legitimately good advice that stops Harley from making a mistake and keeps their relationship from falling apart.
28	** While it seems like Selina Kyle is [[KickTheDog using Bruce Wayne to steal his mother's pearls on display at the movie theatre like always]], she (almost) admits that she's there to support him. At the end of the episode, Bruce finds the pearl necklace in his pocket.
29	* PreviouslyOn: Parodied; after making that announcement, it just repeats Ivy starting her AtomicFBomb / SkywardScream, and opens on her still at it for a couple of seconds longer.
30	* PyrrhicVictory: Clayface's performance as Thomas Wayne gets him the acclaim he's always craved, except the acclaim is all going to ''Billy Bob Thornton'', and [[CassandraTruth nobody believes him when he tells everyone]] that Thornton is dead. Even when Clayface reveals himself as a shapeshifter, they still think he's Thornton.
31	* RightHandCat: Parodied. Wealthy mastermind Lex Luthor hijacks some screens to give Ivy a villainous spiel while petting and cuddling a hairless, goofy-looking chihuahua.
32	* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: When Bruce is arrested for tax evasion (though his role in the ZombieApocalypse and identity as Batman remain a secret), he holds himself to the same laws he holds criminals to, and chooses to serve his time rather than resort to bribery, or let the Bat Family smuggle him away which Barbara suggests.
33	* SecretKeeper: Harley keeps her promise to keep Batman's true identity a secret.
34	* StealthPun: Joe Chill, the demon that haunts Bruce's psyche, is played on film by [[ComicBook/BlueDevil an actor who is (sort of) literally a demon]].
35	* WhamEpisode: Joker has Bruce Wayne arrested on tax evasion, but before he's hauled away, Bruce has Batgirl lead the Bat Family in his place. Harley finally embraces that she no longer wants to be a villain and tries to be a hero by joining the Bat Family as they patrol the city.
36	* WhamLine: When Ivy presses Harley on not being a villain anymore:
37	-->'''Ivy:''' Why won't you just admit it?\
38	'''Harley:''' Because I don't wanna lose you...\
39	'''Ivy:''' Do you really think... that you would lose me?\
40	'''Harley:''' If we don't want the same thing, what does that mean for us?
41	* YouAreInCommandNow: While being hauled away to jail, Bruce tells Barbara that she needs to step up and lead the Bat Family.

Context Recap / HarleyQuinn2019S3E10TheHorseAndTheSparrow