DCAU #252: Girl's Night Out

IN THIS ONE... Batgirl and Supergirl vs. Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Livewire.

CREDITS: Written by Hilary J. Bader; directed by Curt Geda.

REVIEW: It's the all-female World's Finest vs. all-female World's Worst, and aside from a scene or two, amounts to a series of fights as is the show's wont in this period. Sigh. Some are imaginative (we'll get to them), some are not (Livewire throws a lot of electricity around and it all looks the same). So I'm disappointed, a feeling I'm getting used to, that the story wasn't afforded more thought than that basic premise. Put characters X, Y and Z in the same episode, they fight, the end. Two of those characters I didn't think would be tolerable together because they were similarly cast - Harley Quinn and Livewire - and they do dislike each other. Harley is much less competent than her "sister" from Metropolis, and thus initially jealous of her, but Livewire is also much more disagreeable, so she's no threat to the Harley-Ivy relationship. There's a plentiful lack of team work and respecting each other's abilities and weaknesses that will break up the trio eventually, but no real follow-through, with Harley even helping Livewire at some point where prevalent attitudes would have dictated differently.

One of the episode's saving graces is that, from time to time, it gets us a character moment. Batgirl and Supergirl gab in Babs' apartment, and envy each other's realities. It's simple and surface-level, but it's quiet and nice to see characters from two very different worlds compare notes. Harley's expressions when she fails to mallet her way into the mall. Livewire teleporting from outfit to outfit. The Penguin asking for the girls' IDs at his club. And of course, Bullock calling them rookies on TV, but throwing them a bone. Cute reaction between the two, instant BFFs.

And there are, yes, some fun action moments. The "animal park" where Poison Ivy's animal-shaped shrubs live makes for some pretty weird moments (including some violent, fiery deaths; keep the younger kids out of the room!). I also like Batgirl escaping the electrified Batmobile with a rocket propelled ROOF (nice twist!), and to some extent, Ivy's attempt to turn Supergirl into a skeleton frame for one of her plant monsters. Alas, it so often turns into more zapping after that.

IN THE COMICS: Batgirl is presented as a computer expert, which is a reference to Barbara Gordon's days as Oracle.

REWATCHABILITY: Barely Medium - Cut down on the fighting and focus more on the relationships, and you have a stupendous episode.

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