Riddler U: A Fun College for a Fun Episode

Harley Quinn Season 2, Episode 2 Review

Harley Quinn’s back in the game and she’s on a warpath! After season two opened with the villains carving up Gotham and putting her on ice (literally), the clown princess vows to take them all down and rule the city. She’s off to a great start, having killed Penguin. Now she’s going after Riddler’s new school, Riddler U! It’s back to college for Harley Quinn

Welcome to Riddler U

So, despite Gotham being cut off from the outside world, somehow Riddler has access to electricity and clean water. Neither of which Harley’s Crew have. So Harley and Ivy sneak into Riddler U to figure out how he has that. Too bad they stick out like sore thumbs since they haven’t been to college in years.

Ironically, the member of Harley’s Crew that helps the most this episode is Clayface, who Alan Tudyk is killing it as! His hammy nature and dedication to acting helps him fit right in at Riddler U. Nobody questions him as “Stephanie” as they chalk his/her mannerisms to college drama. He’s actually the one who learns how Riddler’s got power:

TRUST ME, THIS IS A VERY ACCURATE IMAGE REGARDING RIDDLER’S POWER PLAN

Meanwhile, Psycho and King Shark try to get a water purifier for the hideout. However, they run afoul of Two-Face and Bane’s men. As a result, they get chased across Gotham in a Mad Max inspired vehicle. There’s not much to it, but it’s still funny

Out With the Old Gordon, In with the New Gordon

Last episode we saw Gordon hit rock bottom as he lost everything he knows. Batman’s missing, the GCPD’s joined up with the villains, and his wife divorced him. As a result, he’s now sponging off his daughter Barbara at Riddler U and eating chips out his chest hair. Gross.

That’s right! Barbara Gordon makes her big debut this episode as a student at Riddler U. While she’s every bit as capable as she is in most media, the show makes it how her worldview contrasts with those around her. Whereas her Dad’s a cynic who’s given up all hope, Babs is this wide-eyed idealist who still wants to make a difference in the world. So even though they supervillains, she jumps at the chance to help Harley and Ivy take down Riddler.

I personally like this version of Barbara Gordon. She’s sunny and optimistic in a world where everyone seems to be acting like a jerk. She doesn’t even swear. However, she’s also naive, as she lets the Gotham Girls take Riddler. Still, as Harley notes, the whole experience lit a fire in her. As a result, she becomes Batgirl and sets out to clean up Gotham.

I can’t wait to see if she can save the city or if Gotham breaks her. Either way, this is going to be fun!

I Love This Show

So, Harley’s now taken down Penguin and the Riddler and has clean water and electricity. It’s only the second episode, though, so I can imagine plenty of ways for things to go wrong for her. However, if the episodes remain as strong as they are here, then I think that I’m going to be entertained for quite some time. Plus, this episode sets up a future dynamic between Batgirl, Harley, and Ivy and I can’t wait to see it pay off!

I Give “Riddler U” A 4.5/5

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