Harley Quinn S3 Ep. 8, “Batman Begins Forever”, is, by far, one of the best! There is an incredible amount that makes me ecstatic. I would argue it’s a big chapter to not only Batman’s development but Harley’s too. There’s so much to discuss, so let’s go!!
Harley discovers Bruce Wayne is Batman, as we have seen many times before now. I think she had it figured out way back in the Batman: The Animated Series days. She’s smart enough to put two and two together. She’s known his identity in many adaptations and stories, now the show too!
Dr. Psycho is back too. The gang needs his help to enter the mind of Bruce Wayne and find Frank. Okay, but here’s the cool part; inside of Bruce’s mind looks exactly like classic Batman: The Animated Series style! Honestly an incredible addition to this ever-expanding universe of easter eggs! That unique iconic drawing style, drawn over black paper. Mmm, exquisite. It makes everything pop.
I found it sweet that Bruce’s subconscious wanted to keep Harley with him. He felt safe with her. She protected him. It’s not uncommon for Harley to show a soft side for children. Apart from that ONE time, but we won’t talk about it here. 99.9% of the time, she will protect children. From her 2000s run into her main New 52 and Rebirth continuity, and across the multiverse in Injustice.
Once more, the show reminds us of how Harley uses her degree in everyday life to help every situation. She may be manic, but she’s intelligent. Her skills definitely give her an advantage when observing what’s around her.
While going through Bruce’s memories, we see callbacks to Batman from his few “weird” years. We also have Harley as Robin! Something we’ve seen in concept a few times now. She’s actually one of my favorite Funkos I own; she is so adorable. We got an amazing shot of their silhouette, which I freaked out at! I love how Harley is enjoying being a good guy. In fact, she even finds Batman inspirational for once, as opposed to earlier years when she found him insufferable.
I found it rather sweet at the end of the episode where she promises to keep his secret; their relationship now evolved. Batman has always had a soft spot for Harley, constantly giving her second chances. Now it’s Harley’s turn to help Bruce overcome his extremely traumatic demons. Bruce may need a lot more than one therapy session as he’s already harvested Frank’s powers to resurrect his parents. Tune in next week for updates on the living undead fauna!