Harley Quinn : A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special follows from the third season of Harley Quinn, airing on Binge in Australia and HBO Max in the USA. It’s a show that has prided itself on being outrageously vulgar, taking beloved DC characters and pushing them to the limit of adult animation humour. But they’re not content to stop there, and this Valentine’s Day special takes those boundaries, smashes them open and goes so far beyond anything shown before. If you’re looking for something completely outrageous to watch with your love on Valentine’s Day, this just might be the special for you.
Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) are spending their first Valentine’s Day together as an official couple. Harley wants to make it the best Valentine’s Day that Ivy has ever had, planning the perfect dinner, a heist, and a fireworks spectacular that goes relatively unnoticed by the anti-social Ivy. Not satisfied with her attempts to make it a memorable day, Harley pays a visit to rhyming demon Etrigan, in search of a love potion guaranteed to give Ivy the best orgasm she has ever had. But, of course, things don’t go to plan and Gotham city becomes infected with Harley and Ivy’s love. Together, they must team up with some other DC characters to release Gotham from the love spell.
What makes A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special stand out is the inclusion of other DC characters celebrating Valentine’s Day, showcasing couples across the comic book universe in video diaries about how they fell in love. From heroes like Superman and Lois Lane, to Darkseid and a hilarious member of the Republican party, these are fun deviations from the plot, and it’s great to see some new characters brought into this hilarious adult version of the comics we all know and love. It truly makes it feel like a movie event, set outside of the regular antics of the television show.
There have been many TV specials made around events like Christmas and New Year’s, and having Valentine’s Day front and centre is a great way to allow for the filmmakers to push the envelope on the edgier humour and themes that make Harley Quinn so much fun. Expect the usual F bombs from Harley, bloody hijinx as the lovers pummel everything in their path, and a lot more sexual content in this than any episode of the show previously. Put simply, you’re going to want to make sure the kids are in bed before pressing play on this animated flick.
There are also some truly shocking and hilarious moments – don’t worry, no spoilers! – that stand out as some of the best in the show’s history. Some of these scenes feature Ted Lasso‘s Brett Goldstein who plays himself in an absolutely delightful cameo. His voice and performance are extremely fitting with the show and his scenes with Bane are among the highlights. It might just be one of the best animated cameos ever.
Harley Quinn : A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special takes all the vulgarity and fun from the TV series and dials it up to 11. Having a movie-length feature to explore Harley and Ivy’s first day of love together is a joy, and offers the perfect setting for other areas of the DC Universe to be introduced. While the traditional animation style looks largely the same as the TV show, there is a noticeably brighter colour palette on display here, and the cameo of Brett Goldstein to this world is a great way to make this Gotham feel like a part of the real world. This special will no doubt please fans of the series who relish in this style of supervillainy, and newcomers won’t feel totally bogged down by not watching three seasons of the TV show, making it the perfect Valentine’s Day viewing for you and your significant other.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Harley Quinn : A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special premieres February 9 on Binge.
