“All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues”

Written by: Jamiesen Borak

Directed by: Juan Meza-Leon

Starring: Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Ron Funches, J.B. Smoove, Jason Alexander, Tony Hale, Matt Oberg, Diedrich Bader, Christopher Meloni

Synopsis “When Harley and Ivy spot a seemingly sane Joker (after he fell into normalizing acid last season), they debate whether people can change at their core – revisiting a flashback about Harleen Quinzel’s first day at Arkham Asylum.”

This week gives us a trip down memory lane as we learn how Harley and Joker first meet. Conveniently this also ties in with how Harley and Ivy first meet. Daddy issues very much felt like a filler episode but it still managed to pack in the laughs.

I enjoyed seeing some characters in a way we haven’t seen before like Harvey Dent pre Two face and a semi stable Commissioner Gordon. Joker was as crazy as ever and Batman was, well Batman. The episode is designed to educate us on the love between Harley and Joker but It was the connection between Harley and Ivy I preferred to see. You can see the eternal bond between them even from the first day they meet.

daddy issues

MVP

For the first time this season Kaley Cuoco gets my episode MVP. As much as I enjoy crazy Harley, Kaley’s toned down version of a younger, naive Harleen Quinzel was a nice shift in tone. She changes from the past to present throughout the episode and distinctly keeps the two versions different. There are a few moments towards the end when you can hear Harley coming through in Harleen’s voice and you know whats to come. It would be interesting to see how long it took for Joker to break Dr Harleen Quinzel.

Thank you to Warner Bros Entertainment and DC Universe for access to review.

daddy issues