Blu-ray TV reviews: ‘Harley Quinn’ and ‘Rick and Morty’

Here’s a look at a pair of mature-rated, cutting-edge animated series perfect for binge-watching on the Blu-ray format.

Harley Quinn: The Complete First and Second Seasons (Warner Home Video, rated TV-MA, 594-minutes, aspect ratio: 1.78:1, $29.99). — By far, and I mean “by far,” the best animated offering from the might of Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment stars the Joker’s gal pal and originated on the ill-fated DC Universe streaming service and then recently moved to a more potent new streaming service HBO Max.

The adult-themed series now arrives on high definition on three Blu-ray discs compiling the 26, roughly 23-minute episodes that gleefully ignore the currently super blandly animated PG-13 DC hero homages, produced by the antiquated Bruce Timm and his minions, and instead embraces with all of its appendages the bloody, uber-violent and profanity-loaded world of Harley’s Gotham City. 

For those who forgot, the odd twist here is Mr. Timm with Paul Dini actually created the character in comics back in 1992, but it took TV sitcom-writing veterans Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey to see her true potential.

The series beginnings define Harley’s toxic relationship with her Puddin’ that leads to a vicious break of the couple and the female villain empowered by her freedom.

She puts together a gang comprised of Clayface, King Shark, Dr. Psycho, Sy Borgman and Frank the Plant, and she befriends Poison Ivy for good measure.

The first season focused on Harley’s break with Joker, her obsessive craving for her gang to be part of the Legion of Doom (Joker is a founding member) and a battle with friend-turned-foe, the Queen of Fables, that eventually causes mayhem with the Justice League.

Season two had the gang deal with a Gotham City decimated by the Joker and run by supervillains the Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin and Bane; Harley getting help from Darkseid and his Parademons to take back the city; and Ivy’s budding love triangle.

Not surprising, the lunatics behind the show are hardcore DC Comics fans, and they never stop introducing both well-known and obscure from the world of comics.

They include Batman, Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon (eventually tossed out by his wife and living with his daughter Barbara in her college dorm), Alfred Pennyworth, Felix Faust, Granny Goodness, Mister Miracle, Kite Man and, I am not making this up, the Condiment King (reference “Batgirl: Year One, No. 8” and “Batman: The Animated Series,” episode “Make ’Em Laugh”).

If the above raving is not enough of a hook, the all-star, voice-over cast should cement the deal led by Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory”) as Harley Quinn; Lake Bell (“Childrens Hospital”) as Poison Ivy; Alan Tudyk (“Doom Patrol”) as Clayface and Joker; Tony Hale (“Veep”) as Doctor Psycho; Ron Funches (“Trolls”) as King Shark; Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) as Sy Borgman; and J. B. Smoove (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) as Frank the Plant.

And even guests stars shine such as Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carey Show”) as Batman; Alfred Molina (“Spider-Man 2”) as Mr. Freeze; Wanda Sykes (“Black-ish”) as the Queen of Fables;  Michael Ironside (“Starship Troopers”) as Darkseid; Wayne Knight (“Seinfeld”) as the Penguin; and topped off by an appearance by the practically irrelevant George Lopez as himself performing at a prison talent show.

Suffice it to report, this is what every fan wanted out of Harley Quinn, and the episodes are worth rewatching, again and again until HBO Max releases the third season of the show, hopefully this fall.

Best extras: Holy major miscues Batman, the discs offer nothing in bonus content, not even a digital code to restream the fun on one’s portable devices.

That’s almost unfathomable considering the cutting-edge lunacy being unleashed on the screen. I want to know more about its origins and the creators, and I want to know now.

Rick and Morty: The Complete Seasons 1-4 (Warner Home Video, rated TV-MA, 918-minutes, aspect ratio: 1.78:1, $89.99) — Cartoon Network allowing creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland to bring to its cable space whatever thoughts dribbled from their demented minds has given the world one of the smartest, dumbest and funniest animated series in the history of the planet.

For those looking to quickly catch-up on the interdimensional adventures of brilliant science manipulator Rick Sanchez (think a sarcastic, gassy and alcoholic version of Doc Brown) and his terrified grandson Morty, this four-disc set offers all 41 episodes of the show in its high definition, profanity-bleeping free glory.

When not conquering time and space, Rick lives on Earth with his daughter Beth, her clueless husband Jerry and prickly granddaughter Summer while perfecting outrageous inventions and dabbling in forbidden sciences in the family’s garage.

For those not understanding why they would waste time watching a show packed with sophomoric shenanigans, adult humor  and sci-fi-inspired, intellectual theories, I offer a trio of my favorite episodes so far.

“Pickle Rick” (third episode from season 3) finds Rick avoiding family counseling and preferring to live his life as a pickle. After getting knocked into a sewer and uncovering a secret agency up to no good, he becomes a warrior and action hero, even wearing an exoskeleton built from dead roaches and rat corpses and wielding a jetpack. However, he ultimately decides that family is more important than existing as a uber-violent condiment. The depths of bloody violence is only matched by the episode’s resolution to appreciate family. 

“The Old Man and the Seat” (second episode from season 4) offers an unabashed examination of shy pooper Rick’s existential crisis when confronted with a violation of his sacred space. I am still laughing.

“Total Rickall” (fourth episode from season 2) finds the family locked down in their home after being infected by extraterrestrial parasites that produce fake loved ones from fake memories. That translates into appearances by Frankenstein’s monster, a raptor photographer, Tickles the lamb, an Amish cyborg, a “Hamurai” warrior (a samurai with ham for armor), Elvis and, well, you get the idea. As always, remember to wash your hands when you get back from outer space.

The best part of the set is knowing that Mr. Harmon and Mr. Roiland are working diligently on the fifth season of the show. Hurry up boys.

Best extras: One of the best parts of owning any of the individual seasons on Blu-ray was the abundance of bonus content afforded  the creators for fans.

All of those extras are ported over to the collection and that bountifully translates into an optional commentary tracks on all of the episodes (sometimes multiples for each) offering perspective from high-profile cast and crew.

Expect plenty of ramblings from Mr. Harmon and Mr. Roiland as well as celebrity fans such as “Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman, goth musician Marilyn Manson, Hole leader Courtney Love, comedian Russell Brand and Simpsons creator Matt Groening.

Pile on deleted scenes, animatics for each episode (rough storyboard layouts), an insider’s look at half of the episodes, and a premiere party for the cast and crew for the second season.

The package also includes codes to own the shows through the digital streaming service Vudu and an exclusive, generously sized poster (24 inches by 18 inches) of the entire family hanging with a quadrupedal robot while a passed-out Rick points his bare bottom to the heavens.