DISCLAIMER: This recap of Harley Quinn Season 4 Episode 7, “The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, Harlivy lovers! This week’s outing is a trip and a half. Harley Quinn dives headfirst into the space-time continuum, y’all. It gets sci-fi and post-apocalyptic as all get-out, and I love it. I’m always a fan of genre-bending, which this show does well. Plus, Harlivy mends fences and airs their grievances. And that cliffhanger! The future is now.
However, the most significant plot twist of all is the reveal of Harley and Ivy’s daughter, Princess Ladyfingers. I’m so tickled that our fave girlfriends have a child. I hope the series dives into that at some point to offer more context. “The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time” might not be about the most culturally impactful film franchise of all time. Still, it’s a hilarious (and badass) entry in the Harley-verse that bursts at the seams with so much heart and DC goodness.
Ready to delve into episode seven? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Gordon (Christopher Meloni) trimming his nose hairs with tweezers while using the security camera as a mirror. Harley (Kaley Cuoco) bursts into the room and orders Gordon to play the footage from Nightwing’s death party. She looks disheveled. Harley reveals she saw another version of herself at said party and needs confirmation that she isn’t losing her grip on reality. They watch one of King Shark’s babies play with Gordon’s gun. Then, the little dude shoots at the camera. Gordon admits he taped over the rest of the evening’s footage, much to Harley’s irritation.
Meanwhile, Ivy (Lake Bell), Terra (Kerry Knuppe), Volcana (Jeannie Tirado) and Tefe (Vico Ortiz) brainstorm their next move as The Natural Disasters. Ivy reveals they’re going to steal the Time Sphere. While Ivy’s mentees daydream about where they’ll go once the Time Sphere is in their possession, Ivy claims she only wants to have it just because. It’ll look snazzy on her shelf.
HARLEY QUINN Season 4 Episode 7, “The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time.” Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery/Max.
Nora (Rachel Dratch) bursts into the room to reveal she’s hangry, so they need to order lunch soon. Oh, and the Time Sphere’s transfer is happening sooner rather than later. Ivy and the others leave in a hurry to stop it. At the Batcave, Harley tries to ask Batgirl (Briana Cuoco) for assistance assessing her mental state. Batgirl is too consumed in her search for Nightwing’s killer. She doesn’t believe Joker did it.
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If he murdered Nightwing, why did he take so long to admit to it? Harley agrees, revealing an example that proves Joker’s inability to keep secrets. Batgirl states she doesn’t have the bandwidth to help Harley. Side note: nice Riddler University mug. And Etsy sellers will make this a tangible item in three, two, one…
Next, we see Joker (Alan Tudyk) playing poker at his house with Dr. Psycho (Tony Hale), Gorilla Grodd, Killer Croc and Metallo. It’s the return of Psycho! I’ve missed that little b. Joker’s star is on the rise again. Everyone wants a piece of Mista J. James Corden calls him and asks him to host one of his “musical comedy traffic jams.” Joker turns it down, though.
Side note number two: looking closely at the pile of items the group is wagering, you can see The Flash’s ring, bananas (from Gorilla Grodd, naturally), a punch card for Lazarus Hot Springs (where Ivy was with her girlies in last week’s episode), a Batarang, various diamonds, cash and a copy of Giant Women magazine.
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Anyway, Joker wins the poker game. At the Legion of Doom, Harley asks a red-wig-clad Nora where Ivy is. Nora claims Ivy doesn’t have time to chat with her; however, Nora can pencil Harley in for a 4 a.m. hallway chat. Ouch. Harley notices Ivy outside with The Natural Disasters as they attempt to steal the Time Sphere. But Superman and Wonder Woman are hot on their tails. Harley staples Nora’s hair to her desk before departing.
HARLEY QUINN Season 4 Episode 7, “The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time.” Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery/Max.
Thus, Harley inserts herself into Ivy’s battle against Superman and Wonder Woman. Ivy set work boundaries for a reason — so incidents like this don’t happen. After batting away at the heroes, Harley seizes control of the Time Sphere, hoping to travel to the future where she’ll seek advice from an older Ivy. But is the space-time continuum ready for Harley Quinn? Ivy jumps in with her. Next, we see Harlivy travel through time, winding up in Gotham’s desolate, post-apocalyptic future.
Suddenly, a handful of drones detect their presence. They steal the Time Sphere while some underground people pull Harley and Ivy, well, under. The underground people scold Harlivy for killing the last hot guy. One of them is an older Cheryl (Bell) and King Baby (Gary Anthony Williams), one of King Shark’s children. Apparently, the year is 2048.
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At this juncture, Harley and Ivy are dead. We learn that in 2024, the world was submerged in darkness. Crops died out. Gotham became a police state ruled by the Bat Fam’s last surviving member, Robin. The resistance was essentially wiped out, save for a tiny group of rebel fighters.
HARLEY QUINN Season 4 Episode 7, “The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time.” Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery/Max.
They have the key to saving the world, and it’s none other than Harley and Ivy’s daughter, Neytiri (Zosia Mamet). She even boasts a “Cobb Squad” tattoo. Our fave couple has a kid! While Harlivy is ecstatic about this development, they’re not a fan of the name. Yes, it’s Neytiri, as in the Avatar movies, aka “the most culturally impactful film franchise of all time.” Even King Baby (which is a super cute name) agrees. Listen, about that…
Meanwhile, in the current timeline, Joker goes on Psycho’s podcast, Psycho Not Crazy with Dr. Psycho. Joker reveals he’s in line to be the guest of honor at next year’s MalCon. Psycho asks for the deets regarding Nightwing’s murder. How did he kill the Bat Fam member? What were Nightwing’s last words? Suddenly, Batgirl appears as an anonymous caller. She presents evidence that Joker didn’t murder Nightwing; instead, he was getting a sleep apnea test. Uh-oh.
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An onslaught of Psycho’s fans calls out Joker for being a joke. Is he officially canceled? Will Joker recover from this and be reinstated as Gotham’s only Clown Prince of Crime? We’ll find out soon enough, but first, a word from our sponsors!
HARLEY QUINN Season 4 Episode 7, “The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time.” Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery/Max.
Then, Neytiri leads the group in a brainstorming session. They’re going to break into Wayne Tech to kill Robin. While preparing for the mission, Neytiri embraces her mothers. I’m not crying; you are. They climb the side of the building in fancy robots.
They burst into the new Batcave (Robincave?) to find a middle-aged Robin (Jacob Tremblay) looking like he’s seen better days. A floating Alfred robot accompanies him. When it seems like Neytiri and Cheryl will deliver the killing blow, they turn on Harlivy. Apparently, Neytiri devised a plan with Robin to turn Harley and Ivy over to him so he could complete his collection.
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We see various familiar Gotham faces adorning his wall, including Superman, Joker, Bane, etc. In exchange for Neytiri’s compliance, Robin gives her a bag of dirt. Well, she calls it “unobtainium.” Harley and Ivy learn from their daughter that they never named her — in fact, she gave herself the moniker “Neytiri.” Harley and Ivy are shuffled toward the freezing chamber. Robin intends to freeze them and add them to his heroes and villains display case.
Before they freeze, Harley changes Neytiri’s name to “Princess Ladyfingers.” I support this. As they sit in the chamber, Harley and Ivy unload their feelings. Harley admits to sleepwalking more frequently and seeing herself at Nightwing’s death party. She feels like she’s losing it … more than normal. Ivy reveals she should’ve supported Harley more. They emphatically state their love for each other before the freezing commences.
HARLEY QUINN Season 4 Episode 7, “The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time.” Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery/Max.
Thankfully, King Baby swoops in to save the day. He stops the freezing so Harley and Ivy can escape. They kick Princess Ladyfingers’ unobtainium so it spills, falling into a grate. Then, they send older Cheryl flying into the chasm, separating the main floor from the massive display case. After mending fences and sharing a smooch, Harlivy kicks their daughter’s ass. Seriously, she needs to be grounded for her insolence. I think a one-year grounding sentence will suffice for betraying your moms to a middle-aged Robin so he can freeze them.
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After knocking Princess Ladyfingers unconscious, King Baby reveals he retrieved the Time Sphere. He opens it for Harley and Ivy. They hop inside and invite him to join them in the past. However, he encourages Harlivy to make impactful choices in their timeline so they can change the future for the better. Perhaps Princess Ladyfingers will become an upstanding member of society.
While heading home, Ivy and Harley are grateful for the inadvertent trip to the future. They realize they’re stronger together, and they were able to work through their issues. Side note number three: I love watching my girls kick butt together.
Suddenly, they land on September 27, 2023, which is actually six days after their departure date. Harley got the “1” and the “7” mixed up. We see people fighting in the streets of Gotham. Frankly, it doesn’t look that different than when they arrived in 2048. And the world supposedly goes down the crapper in 2024. Uh-oh.
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Do you think Harley and Ivy can save Gotham from the apocalypse? Who will replace Joker as the mayor? Will someone un-staple Nora’s hair from her desk? Only time (and more episodes) will tell.
Harley Quinn streams new episodes every Thursday on Max.
Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: HARLEY QUINN
Melody.McCune@geekgirlauthority.com
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
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