3x04 A Thief, A Mole, An Orgy

[7.8/10] This one started off a little meh for my tastes. There’s some well-observed relationship drama to Ivy being annoyed by many of Harley’s antics, but being too non confrontational in the relationship to say anything to her adoring girlfriend. There’s the root of something worthwhile there.

But turning it into a broad, sitcom-y, “It’s not me, it’s Catwoman telling you not to do those things!” matched with Harley smashing up the surveillance cameras and blaming it on the thieves who stole Frank, is a bridge too far for me. The two going around in circles with their petty lies about petty stuff doesn’t work.

But honestly, through them into a Eyes Wide Shut-style secret meeting and orgy, where everything comes spilling out, so to speak, and intersects with everything else, is a masterstroke. I love Jim Gordon going into the party, being his awkward and sweaty self, and inadvertently coming out with the blackmail material he needs to fund his campaign. I love Bane still being on his quest for the fabled pasta maker and missing all the fun. And I love HarlIvy getting a bit freaked out when all of these villains and upper crusters start getting their freak on.

But my favorite part of the whole thing is how the episode eventually swerves us away from the goofy sitcom stuff. Instead, when harley thinks she’s caught Ivy in a lie about Catwoamn’s “text messages”, she accidentally gets a confession that Ivy and Selina used to hook up. Now that’s a believable relationship conflict.

Harley’s shock that Ivy’s manipulative friend is also her ex is relatable, and could easily change Harley’s comfort level with staying in Catwoman's house. But so is Ivy’s story about the hookup meaning more to Ivy than it did to Selina, and Ivy holding out for things to blossom into something more even knowing that Selina wasn’t interested in that, and wincing to remember the pain and stupidity of that now when she’s found such a healthier and more fulfilling relationship that she just wants to leave that nonsense behind. The two of them coming out of this wacky misunderstanding and Court of Owls omnibus hook-up fest a stronger couple is an unexpectedly wholesome place to end this bonkers but clockwork episode.

Overall, this one starts off a little weak, but finds more and more gears the longer it goes on with the intersecting plots and gags, until it pays everything off with a nice bit of humanity and vulnerability from Harley and Ivy.