Season 5 of Harley Quinn came with all of the ruckus, shenanigans, and love that you’ve come to expect and enjoy from the Harley, Poison Ivy, and the rest of the crew. The one thing that differed was the villain. This season, Lena Luthor was the toughest opponent the “heroes” have faced. With people like Joker and Brainiac in the midst, it’s a surprising statement to make. Nevertheless, it’s true.
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 5 FINALE OF HARLEY QUINN AHEAD!
Lena Luthor managed to trick Brainiac, shrink and trap him, and take control of his ship. Then, she shrunk and bottled Metropolis and later did the same to Harley and Ivy (after reconciling with her brother, Lex). It took a turn of phrase from Harley’s mother Sharon to make Brainiac help them and turn the tide in their favor. Even then, Brainiac needed to go into a hallucination for him to truly see how wrong he's been.
After being saved by Superman, the crew makes their way back home and celebrates. Bane, his partner, and their adopted daughter Goldilocks were happy. Joker and Bruce Wayne seemed to have developed a friendship. And Clayface was working on his gruff Batman voice (we can assume that’s his next role).
While their crew celebrates, Harley and Ivy sit back and enjoy being together. Ivy points out that the people Brainiac captured will need therapy leading Harley (and her inside personality, Harleen) to realize that they’d finally have a purpose in life. Something she’s looked for since the first episode of the series. And with that, Harley and Ivy jump out of the window to mess things up (they use language that can’t be used here).
And that was it. There was no cliffhanger or mid or end-credit scene. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy ride off into the moonlight with a bat and thorned vine. If this is the end of the series (which hopefully it isn’t) this isn’t a bad thing.
As this article is being written, there’s no news on the future of Harley Quinn on Max. There have been rumors that the next season would be bolder, but that’s just hearsay. After the way things ended, the creative team did the smart thing by closing the book. Thankfully, you can always start a new volume of a book. But, if this is it, I can leave happy.
Sometimes a show can go on too long and ruin a legacy. Then there are projects like The Good Place which did 53 amazing episodes and concluded with the best series finale of all time (I said what I said). With Warner Bros ending or not releasing complete projects, the creative team may have seen this as an opportunity to leave fans happy instead of a cliffhanger that’s never resolved.
If this is it, Harley Quinn will leave a heck of a legacy. It was one of the most creative comic book shows ever with goofier versions of DC Comics characters, deep moments within the nonsense, and unpredictable storylines. There were strong women characters, an emphasis on the rights of LGBTQ+ people, and so much more. Its success will once again prove that a show with a woman lead can be more than successful. It can be profitable, entertaining, and iconic.
Stay tuned to BamSmackPow.com and our social media sites Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more on the future of Harley Quinn and other DC Comics news and rumors as they come out.