‘Harley Quinn’: S02.E01. “New Gotham”
By: Shain E. Thomas
Tags: LGBTQ, DC Comics, Harley Quinn, Television

The second season premiere, landing online Friday, 3 April 2020, sees the series take an unexpected twist when Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin (Wayne Knight) does survive the episode. Dr Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) stabbing The Penguin through the throat, whilst it was satisfyingly gruesome, is something we should have seen coming.

With how the episode focused more on The Penguin than other villains, not that this character isn’t liked by comic book aficionados, the narrative pointed us in this direction. Showrunners needed to kick the second season off with a death that would be memorable.

This isn’t the first time we have seen a major comic book character killed off. The Joker (Alan Tudyk), having become annoyed with a certain villain, killed Dr Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow (Rahul Kohli). With the Injustice League filling the void the Legion of Doom left vacant, more prominent deaths may follow during this second season.

Image Credit: IMDb.com

With the President of these United States determining Gotham City no longer part of the country, given what went down in the first season finale, the city is overrun with villains, goons, and henchmen. It would have been funnier if the episode had an orange idiot giving his address from the White House’s Oval Office.

If you’re wondering if there is a comic book storyline where Gotham is abandoned by the United States Federal Government, you only need to look to Batman: No Man’s Land. Published in 1999, Batman: No Man’s Land saw various villains Batman had previously battled carve up the city and claim it for nefarious purposes. Imaging Berlin after the Second World War. It’s not a stretch.

The second season episode, set three weeks after Harley took down The Joker, sees a massive void where the Legion of Doom once dominated. Further, with Bruce Wayne / Batman (Diedrich Bader) being nowhere in sight, Gotham is beyond saving. There is literally anarchy in Gotham City’s streets. When two henchmen tell the gang that they’re on Penguin turf, because he called “dibs” on the mall, Harley finds herself having to explain the situation in no uncertain terms.

New Gotham, an episode that doesn’t pander to the family-friendly crowd, has King Shark (Ron Funches) biting the head off The Penguin’s henchmen. The Penguin isn’t the only villain calling “dibs” on the mall. Shortly thereafter, confirming Dr Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) belief about the villains, three goons representing Harvey Dent / Two-Face (Andrew Daly) show up at the mall and claims the property.

Sy Borgman (Jason Alexander) having flashbacks to his time in Viet Nam, whilst it doesn’t add anything meaningful to the season premiere, gives us a brief glimpse into the character’s backstory.

Instead of unifying the disenfranchised city under one banner, something Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) recommends, Harley unleashes the goons and henchmen on Gotham’s elite villains. None of the villains expresses amusement at the uprising. Two-Face, during a bank robbery, finds himself being rubbered by his goons. Edward Nygma / The Riddler (Jim Rash), whilst he interrupts a television broadcast with one of his own, is interrupted by now-former goon Craig / The Inquisitor. Harley, not amused by what she’s seeing, takes over the broadcast and puts the boys in their place.

The Penguin, Two-Face, Bane (James Adomian), The Riddler, and Dr Victor Fries / Mr Freeze (Alfred Molina) recognise that Harley’s so-called Goon Rebellion is ruining their way of life and they’re not happy about it. Is there a reason they would be happy? They have grown accustomed to being at the top of the food chain. The villains, referencing Bane’s inability to operate the coffee maker without assistance, are seemingly incapable of doing anything without their goons.

Commissioner James Gordon (Christopher Meloni), hoping to see Batman return, is still a drunk. What do you expect? Gordon drinks whisky directly from the bottle. That’s something I’d do.

The actor that voices the commission, Chris Meloni, is returning to the Law & Order franchise with a new series. Previously seen on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Detective Elliot Stabler, the actor is reprising that character for the coming yet-untitled Law & Order series. There have been questions about whether Meloni will have enough time in his schedule to keep voicing Gordon and play Stabler.