WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Suicide Squad, now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
The Suicide Squad focuses on a large roster of characters, spending time delving into the psychologies of Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher (Daniela Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and more. Perhaps the most high-profile character, however, is Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), who gets an entire solo story aside from the rest of the Squad.
But while Harley’s side-story in The Suicide Squad is a strong aspect of the film, a great piece of character development for the DC Extended Universe mainstay and overall an entertaining sequence, it doesn’t really need to be in the film.
The Suicide Squad opens with the titular team split apart into two groups. While the second group (Bloodsport, Ratcatcher II, King Shark, Peacemaker and Polka-Dot Man) are successful in breaching the Corto Maltese beach, the majority of the other group are wiped out by an ambush from the local army. Only Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and Harley Quinn survive the slaughter, with Flag being taken in by the rebels led by Sol Soria (Alice Braga) while Harley is captured by the local army. Brought to the palace of Silvio Luna (Juan Diego Botto), Harley learns that Luna has developed an affection for Harley, and the pair quickly develops an attraction during a brief love montage. Luna even reveals he wants to wed Harley, out of hope this will cement his place as the leader of the nation.
And Harley is tempted by the idea — at least until she learns about Luna’s plans for Jotunheim. The base, which contains Project Starfish (aka a captured Starro), has long been used to silence the enemies of the ruling family of Corto Maltese. Anytime someone was a threat to their rule, they simply sent them to Jotunheim to be used as fodder for the Thinker (Peter Capaldi) and his experiments. Luna brags about how now it will be their enemies who suffer this fate, only to be shot in the chest by Harley. She explains that while she’s sad to kill him, she’s promised herself to keep an eye out for men with “red flags,” even if it gets her captured and tortured by Luna’s partner Mateo Suárez (Joaquín Cosío).
It’s a major moment of development for Harley, proving how far she’s come from her days with the Joker. She can see the danger inherent in someone like Luna, and can’t allow herself to simply let him loose onto a world he intends to bring death and suffering to. It cements her growth into an anti-hero — an arc which began in Suicide Squad and continued on into Birds of Prey — who has lines and morals she just can’t cross. Even if it costs her the nominally tempting chance to be rich and powerful and loved, Harley just doesn’t have it in her to be with another Joker, regardless of how charming and handsome and powerful he is on the outside. In terms of growth for the character, it’s a major step forward and perhaps the greatest tie to the overall DCEU within the film in terms of actual story development.
However, it’s also an unnecessary thread for the actual story of The Suicide Squad to pick up. This digression has little impact on the overall plot of the film besides removing Luna from power — something that could have more or less been accomplished off-screen. Her torture at the hands of Suárez also could’ve been what happened to her as soon as she was captured, without altering the narrative of the film in the slightest. Harley’s growth isn’t necessary for the film in terms of plot, as her escape and rampage could’ve carried on the same way without any connection to Luna.
That doesn’t make Harley’s sub-story bad, though. In fact, Harley’s digression is one of the film’s better sequences, a silly and revealing slice of life for the typically bombastic and larger-than-life Harley that’s full of color, comedy and character development. It’s just odd that it has no genuine impact on the film as a whole, and more or less gives Harley her own little side-mission in the middle of the otherwise globally endangering storyline.
To see Harley Quinn’s subplot, The Suicide Squad is in theaters now and streaming on HBO Max.
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