With Jerome, the proto-Joker, returning to Gotham for certain in the not too distant future, one has to wonder when Harley Quinn will pop up as well. I mean, we’ve already gotten word that she’ll likely show up at some point, but in what capacity?
The prevailing theory shared by many, myself included, is that Barbara Kean (Erin Richards) will make the transition to becoming the Clown Princess of Crime at some point. After all, her character does already have a certain gleefulness to her madness, something that’s become even more apparent in Richards’ performances in season 3.
Cinema Blend recently caught up with her and asked about this very subject. While she did confirm that it’s been discussed, she admits it’s a bit of a challenge to work it into the story that’s been constructed.
“There have been conversations. I think something major would have to happen to Barbara for her to fully become Harley Quinn. Because Harley Quinn is kind of…she doesn’t, to me, have the motivation that Babs has. Harley Quinn seems to like destruction for destruction’s sake, and that’s wonderful, but I feel like Barbara has more of a plan. She’s a little bit more intellectual in her approach toward climbing the ladder and taking over the underworld. And I think if she was to then morph into Harley Quinn, there would have to be something that happened that sort of stripped away that kind of scheming side of her so that she would just become, I guess, unhinged in the world. That, to me, is what Harley Quinn represents. That madness and mayhem that comes along with The Joker, because obviously they’re a team.”
I must agree that Barbara is indeed a goal oriented woman, but let’s not forget that the Harley Quinn we’re all familiar with was once a normal therapist and, as The Joker would say, “all it takes is one bad day.” Gotham, like many other TV shows and movies, strays from comic book canon when appropriate and sometimes you just have to decide what fits with your particular story. This situation seems like a prime example, to say the least.
Gotham airs on Mondays on Fox.