History Recap / TheNewBatmanAdventuresE21MadLove

* AbsenteeActor: Like with "Cult of the Cat" and "Judgment Day", Batman is operating solo, without Robin, Batgirl or Nightwing. This instance is due to the episode being based on a tie-in comic in which Batman's sidekicks don't appear.

* UngratefulBastard: Harley gave up her career and intern year at Arkham by busting an injured Joker out of the asylum. Joker at the end of this episode, set in the present sends her back to Arkham in a wheelchair, after giving her a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown. This ''almost'' snaps her back to sanity.

* NeverFoundTheBody: Discussed and invoked by Batman. He tells Harley that even if she did kill him, the Joker wouldn't believe it because his remains could appear faked, done specifically to have her tell the Joker to come over.

* MurderTheHypotenuse: This is Harley's truly deranged goal: without [[FoeRomanceSubtext the Batman]], she's convinced, the Joker can be hers at last!

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Batman tossing the Joker down a smokestack is ''completely'' justified after what he did to Harley. This is one of the few times he seems to break his ThouShaltNotKill rule, as throwing someone down a smokestack in real life would almost certainly be fatal. [[JokerImmunity being the Joker, he survives anyway.]]

-->'''Batman:''' She almost had me, you know. Arms and legs shackled, dizzy from the blood rushing to my head... I had no way out other than convincing her to call you. I knew [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou your massive ego would never allow anyone else the honor of killing me]], though I have to admit she came a lot closer than you ever did... ''[[IShallTauntYou puddin']]''!

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: A variation present in the flashback. In the graphic novel, Harley's original costume, worn when she busts the Joker out the first time, is an obvious rush job, shoddily pieced together from mismatched and ill-fitting clothing. In the animated version, however, it's her usual costume for this continuity, and fits perfectly.

* UsefulNotes/VictimBlaming: The comic version seems to unintentionally do this, implying that being slutty and cheating at school means Harley deserved to be abused and brainwashed. The intent was likely to explain why she would fall for the Joker's tricks despite being a brilliant psychiatrist, but it still comes off this way.

* BigWhat: How Joker answers the phone while he's going through all his plans.

-->'''Joker:''' Batman, eh? Well, you don't say... YOU HAVE WHO TIED UP WHERE!?!

* FoeYay: InUniverse, Harley sees this as the reason she must MurderTheHypotenuse: Batman being that hypotenuse.

* MurderTheHypotenuse: This is Harley's truly deranged goal: without [[FoeYay the Batman]], she's convinced, the Joker can be hers at last!

* FreudianExcuse: The Joker exploits this for all this is worth with Dr. Quinzel to win her over to his side. He claims that he had an abusive father, and only desires to make people laugh. Batman then reveals later to Harley that he has a "million" of those stories that he's told to various police officers and probation officers.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Early in the episode, scantily-clad Harley climbs onto a desk by which Joker is working, asks whether he wants to "rev up [his] old Harley" and makes a few "vroom, vroom" noises while taking a pose which admittedly does resemble someone riding a motorbike... but somewhat suggestive body thrusts she makes by the way may also revoke [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an image of someone riding... somebody else]]. Makes you wonder (or maybe not) what Joker and Harley are doing together when they're not making evil plans...

* AlasPoorVillain: Harley falls masly in love with The Joker who obviously doesn’t love her back and only plays with her emotions to [[ExtremeDoormat do whatever he wants]]. When she actually manages to capture Batman in an attempt to impress Joker, Batman crushes her heart by saying the Joker doesn’t love anything except himself. It's only confirmed when the Joker arrives and literally throws Harley out the window and almost kills her. And even ''then'' she blames herself.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Early in the episode, scantily-clad Harley climbs onto a desk by which Joker is working, asks whether he wants to "rev up [his] old Harley" and makes a few "vroom, vroom" noises while taking a pose which admittedly does resemble someone riding a motorbike... but somewhat suggestive body thrusts she makes by the way may also revoke [[DoubleEntendre an image of someone riding... somebody else]]. Makes you wonder (or maybe not) what Joker and Harley are doing together when they're not making evil plans...

** Dr. Joan Leland warns Dr. Harleen Quinzel that most of the residents would eat a young doctor like Harleen for breakfast. By the end of the episode, one of Arkham's former inmates has put Harleen in a wheelchair.

** He does flinch when the Joker first hits Harley.
* HAHAHANo: When Harley tells Batman that she and the Joker are in love, Batman's response is an uncharacteristic bout of hysterical laughter bordering on an EvilLaugh that actually terrifies Harley, before rather abruptly narrowing his eyes and saying "''You little fool''. The Joker doesn't love ''anything'' except himself."

** In a flashback, Joker sympathetically gives Harleen a harsh lesson in comedy to live by from his own abusive father (if he existed): ''You always take shots from folks who don't get the joke''. Fast-forward to Harley capturing Batman and hanging him over a piranha pool, she makes the mistake of explaining to Joker why it's funny. He repeats the same lesson to her in anger before [[DestinationDefenestration smacking her out of the building.]]
** Harley always calls Joker "Puddin'" with affection, though tends to annoy him. Batman calls him this is mocking fashion, which sets him off.

* MadLove: Adapted from the TropeNamer.

** Forced to run from the dentist's office, [[Creator/MarkHamill Joker]] says, "[[Franchise/StarWars May the floss be with you]]."
*** Doubles as an ActorAllusion, since this is the Mark Hamill Joker.

* AdaptedOut: Alfred appeared in the original graphic novel, where Batman [[MrExposition relayed]] the stuff about Harley which was cut out. Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya also appeared briefly, both in a scene where Gordon recieves a call about the Joker (racing on his way to Harley after she capture Batman) and being the ones who found Harley after the Joker knocked her through the window. Bullock also appeared in the scene where Gordon showed Batman Harley's video in the comic.

* DontExplainTheJoke: As Joker says while chewing out Harley, "If you have to explain the joke, there is no joke!"

* IgnoredEpiphany: At the end of the episode, Harley realizes the truth about the Joker - only to snap right back into her old infatuation when she sees a flower and note from him.

* NeverHeardThatOneBefore: During their first conversation, The Joker points out how Dr. Harleen Quinzel's name sounds [[StevenUlyssesPerhero especially like]] "Harlequin." The good doctor notes with some subdued annoyance that it's hardly the first time anyone's pointed that out to her.

* OriginsEpisode: For Harley Quinn.

** Batman ''never'' laughs, so Harley immediately detects something seriously amiss when he starts laughing.

* WhyDontYaJustShootHim: The TropeNamer.

* IgnoreTheFanservice: The Joker pays no attention to a hot blonde in a see-through negligee kneeling on the table in front of him, inviting him to "rev up [his] Harley."

* StockShoutOut: The [[{{demographically inappropriate humour}} notorious]] "rev up your Harley" scene has been alluded to over and over again in practically every ''Batman'' canon that has Harley and Joker together, using either the dialogue, or the red nightie, or both.