It's a Swamp Thing

Season 3
Episode 5

## All Season 3 Episodes

"**It's a Swamp Thing**" is the fifth episode of the third season of *Harley Quinn*, and the thirty-first episode of the series overall. It was released on August 11, 2022 on HBO Max.

## Synopsis

Harley, Ivy and Nora travel to New Orleans in search of Swamp Thing, who just might be able to help them find Frank.

## Plot

Ivy tries to find Frank through the network of plant consciousness known as the Green, but struggles to maintain her connection. Harley suggests she rest, and says that Nora Freeze is coming to hang out with them (a commitment made two months ago that both Harley and Ivy forgot). The widow arrives noisily with a driver, both high on cocaine.

At Wayne Manor, Selina rejects Bruce’s attempts to deepen their relationship, finding him clingy. She departs for her penthouse, leaving Bruce very disappointed.

Meanwhile, Ivy is more worried about Frank than entertaining Nora, and offhandedly mentions that hypothetically, the plant empath Swamp Thing could help, but she and him had a falling out. Nora offers to extort Swamp Thing by freezing him. While King Shark offers to take care of Selina’s cats and Clayface has to stay in Gotham for his movie, Harley, Ivy, and Nora depart for New Orleans.

Wanting some alone time, Selina kicks King Shark out of her penthouse. Bruce visits her, offering a gift of two Persian cats, but she rebuffs him again.

At a bar in New Orleans, the warlock John Constantine offers to direct Ivy to Swamp Thing if she can outdrink him. With the alternative being talking about her feelings like Nora (who says she wishes she had friends like Ivy is to Frank), Ivy begrudgingly accepts Constantine’s challenge. Nora outdrinks all of them, gets directions to Swamp Thing, and makes it to his swamp by herself. The next morning, she phones Harley and Ivy, telling them to swipe Constantine’s map. Harley and Ivy arrive at the swamp and are invited by Swamp Thing — an upbeat, hippie-like being — to his hut.

Alfred is concerned that Bruce, who named the Persian cats after his late parents, has dressed them up and is talking to them. The butler drugs his master, then arranges for Bruce and Selina to see a “therapist”, Music Meister.

Prior to Harley and Ivy’s arrival, Nora and Swamp Thing had a sexual encounter. Ivy tasks Nora with using this relationship to recruit Swamp Thing’s help with finding Frank, but Nora gets sidetracked and they all end up going out for beignets.

Back in Gotham, with his hypnotic powers, Music Meister forces Bruce and Selina to open up their feelings in song. Selina prefers solitude, while Bruce needs companionship, spelling out a disparity that ends their relationship.

While waiting at a beignet truck, party animal Nora denies that Swamp Thing is her boyfriend. Severely hurt, Swamp Thing’s emotions kick up a hurricane-like storm. Ivy tells him to muffle his “tantrum”, but Swamp Thing snaps that Ivy is selfish and was a bad friend for never letting him express himself. Ivy earnestly retorts that she treasures Frank dearly, and proceeds to break down in tears because she is worried for him. Swamp Thing is moved by Ivy’s vulnerability, and ceases his rampage.

Back at Swamp Thing’s hut, Nora discerns that she can slowly find her way back into how she was prior to her husband’s death, and thanks Ivy and Harley before leaving. Harley congratulates Ivy on embracing her vulnerability. Swamp Thing reassures Ivy that without apprehension from her fears, her connection to the Green will be seamless. Ivy dives into the Green once more, and sees Frank has been abducted by Bruce Wayne. In a lab, the heartbroken Bruce is now laser-focused on deciphering Ivy’s intentions with the plant.

## Cast and Characters

### Main Cast

* Kaley Cuoco as Harley Quinn
* Lake Bell as Poison Ivy, Lyn
* Ron Funches as King Shark
* JB Smoove as Frank the Plant
* Alan Tudyk as Clayface

### Guest Cast

* Diedrich Bader as Batman
* Rachel Dratch as Nora Freeze
* Tom Hollander as Alfred
* Sanaa Lathan as Catwoman
* Larry Owens as Music Meister
* Sam Richardson as Swamp Thing
* Matt Ryan as Constantine

### Cameos

* Billy Bob Thornton *(Uncredited)* (impersonated by Clayface/on TV screen)
* Thomas and Martha
* Asmodeus (pictured)
* Bane (vision)

## Trivia

* This episode aired on Adult Swim on August 27, 2022.
* Billy Bob Thornton is uncredited despite his voice being used in the "*A Hard Wayne's Gonna Fall*" trailer.
* A small inconsistency can be found in this episode as Harley does not seem to know who Swamp Thing is, despite mentioning him in "There's No Place to Go But Down".
* The design of Wayne Manor seen in this episode is based on that from *Batman: The Animated Series*.
* Constantine is voiced by Matt Ryan who is well-known for portraying the character in different pieces of media. This is the 12th piece of media where he appears as Constantine and 4th unique version of the character portrayed by him.
* Constantine's shirt reading "I tanked the shark" is possibly a reference to the movie *Justice League Dark: Apokolips War* where Constantine states he and King Shark used to date.
* Ivy wears a shirt reading "Team Brangelina" referring to the couple name of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
* The character listed as "Lyn" in the credits refers to an off-screen voice whispering in the background while Ivy is accessing the Green.
* Goof: In "Harlivy" Ivy's green tights are shown to cover her feet but, in this episode, her bare feet are shown when she is trying to find Frank.
* While the idea of Swamp Thing having sex with a human is presented as a joke, he has done that in the original comics, having "bonded" intimately with Abigal Arcane using a sort of hallucinogenic fruit.

## Gallery

*See also: All images from "It's a Swamp Thing"*

Teaser imageKing Shark caring for Catwoman's cats
"Swamps are awesome!"Nora and Swamp ThingBatman and Catwoman forced to singHarley tied upNora tied upIvy vs. Swamp ThingReconcilingIvy accessing the greenBruce Wayne revealed as Frank's kidnapper
### Video

Catwoman & Batman Need Couples Therapy ﻿- Harley Quinn - HBO Max
## References

1. ↑ *In case you thought it looked a little familiar #HarleyParty* @dcharleyquinn, *Twitter* (August 12, 2022).
2. ↑ *Literally on off-screen voice whispering while Ivy is accessing the Green. I don’t even know if it’s audible any more!* Patrick Schumacker, *Twitter* (August 12, 2022).