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The Queen isn't a Queen, and much of the dramatic tension with the bombs doesn't apply to our characters. Some things in this episode felt a bit like a bit of a narrative letdown. In a way, the writers were giving some of their setups a clean slate instead of dealing with them with the usual balls-to-the-wall energy we've seen before. Still, I think a show like this needs an episode where the characters show how they act at their lowest point.
There are two main highlights of this episode. The first is the bar scene, which is the kind of chaotic chaos that I love about the show. Everyone is drunk, throwing caution to the wind, not really examining themselves. They're all projecting how bad they feel, but no one wants to admit it. The irony is that they're projecting how bad they feel onto everyone else, and they're projecting how bad they feel back onto each other. Harley doesn't get into these messy fights nearly as much as the others. Maybe it's because the show still puts her on a pedestal, but I would have liked to have had someone delve deeper into her since she's arguably the messiest member of the group. Then again, maybe that's why no one connects with her because she's so much more unpredictable.
The second major highlight of the episode is Rick standing up to Waller at the end. He’s a soldier and believes in doing his duty, but he’s seen firsthand what people in positions of absolute power will do when they’re overtaken for the most benign of reasons. That’s the Rick Flag I’ve always known and loved in the comics. Usually he’s the scout dad who tries to keep his crazy kids together, but that’s because he always tries to see the good in a situation. He knows his team is in trouble but sees them as the lesser of two evils. I love the little smile Harley gives him when she asks why he’s trying so hard to make sure they’re okay because it’s probably the first time in a long time that someone has openly evaluated her as a person. If there's one person I don't want to die by the end of this movie, it's probably Rick, but given my history of reading Suicide Squad comics, that probably means he's the most likely to die now. Bonus points if it ends in a dramatic sacrifice. Still, I expect the tension and pacing to pick up considerably in these final few episodes given how tight the deadline is.
PS I know I'm just complaining about it, but the bomb not affecting Clay Face is still probably one of the funniest scenes on the show. I love how it cuts to everyone's reactions (especially Peacemaker's subtle head shake as he tries to stay calm) and how even though he knows the bomb won't affect him, he still takes it all in because he has one of the biggest cases of protagonist syndrome I've ever seen. I hope to see this version of Clay Face in other media besides this show.
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Suicide Squad ISEKAI is now streaming on Hulu and Max.
