Harley Quinn season 3 episode 6 recap & review: Joker: The Killing Vote

The sixth episode of Harley Quinn revolves around the Joker’s suburban lifestyle while giving its own spin on an iconic comic storyline. The episode is now streaming on HBO Max.

Recap

Joker has a nightmare about another woman from the PTA, Debbie, whose children go to the same school as his stepchildren, Sophia and Benicio. He wakes up in fright and is calmed down by Bethany.

Cue a typical sit-com opening title sequence as the audience is given a humourous look into Joker’s life in the suburbs. He drops his children off at school and then chats with the receptionist to find out if the children got into the Spanish dual immersion program.

Debbie’s kids get in because she has connections and then rubs it in Joker’s face.

Jim Gordon is still being manipulated by Two-Face in the race for mayor and this causes some tension between him and his daughter, Barbara. Later that night, at the mayoral debate, the current mayor dies leaving Gordon as the only candidate left.

Joker is disappointed that Sophia and Benicio didn’t get into the dual immersion program because he wants them to be proud of their Latin heritage. He claims that he has a plan for Debbie and follows it up with his trademark maniacal laughter.

He bakes a dish to try and win over Debbie to use her connections but she brushes him off, suggesting that he file a complaint with the city about their underfunded education system which is robbing his children of a spot in the special program.

Gordon and Two-Face celebrate the fact that Gordon is now the front runner for mayor by being the only candidate and this pushes Barbara to walk out on her father in disappointment.

Their celebrations are cut short however when the Joker shows up on television announcing his candidacy for mayor, promoting progressive policies like free education and universal healthcare and even calling himself a socialist.

The campaign and all the attention it brings briefly gets into Joker’s head as he prioritizes becoming mayor over taking care of children.

While he’s at one of his rallies, Joker gets a call from Two-Face. Two-Face kidnaps Benicio and takes him to the abandoned amusement park. Once Joker and Gordon get there, Two-Face admits that he’s willing to go to any lengths to make Gordon mayor so that he can once again become District Attorney.

He even lets it slip that he poisoned the former mayor to give Gordon the edge. Joker agrees to withdraw his candidacy so that he can save Benicio, but Two-Face goes back on his word and traps them both in a ride to send them to their deaths.

Gordon fights off Two-Face and then manages to rescue Joker and Benicio. He tells Joker that he’ll willingly step out of the race because Joker will be a better mayor and he’s looking to continue working with him as commissioner.

Joker says that he’s actually dismantling the police department which means Gordon will lose his job. Two-Face gets back up and aims his gun at Gordon but Bethany hits him with her car.

Joker celebrates his victory as mayor just as Harley and Ivy return from a week in New Orleans, dreading the sight that they are greeted with.

Review

  • Joker as a suburban man living a simple family life while maintaining his unhinged behavioural traits is a pleasure to watch. It is one of the most unique depictions of the character and is very well written.
  • The dialogues in this episode of Harley Quinn are of the highest grade. The jokes about what Joker’s fanbase refers to themselves as, and another blunt segue spoken by Joker directed at Debbie are just two of the many standout moments.
  • The concept of Joker as the mayor of Gotham is something that has been told before but the trademark adaptations of established story arcs told on ‘Harley Quinn’ are always worth a watch.
  • They even include a version of the roller coaster ride with Gordon and Joker which is taken from ‘The Killing Joke’, the inspiration for the title of the episode. However, in this version, Gordon saves the Joker instead.
Harley Quinn season 3 episode 6
Harley Quinn season 3 episode 6 recap & review: Joker: The Killing Vote 1

Director: Joonki Park

Date Created: 2022-08-18 22:30

Editor's Rating:
4

Also Read: Harley Quinn season 3 episode 5 recap & review: It’s a Swamp Thing

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