[7.0/10] This is another one where I was a little mixed on the main plot, but the comedy really buoyed things for me. I love the concept of Villigans. Mixing the usual rogue’s gallery and *Harley Quinn* nonsense with a cheesy themed restaurant is a perfect launching pad for comedy. I love all the silly touches, from the proprietary birthday song to the off-brand villain themed waiters.
But as is often the case, the best part of it all is Bane. I love the fact that he earnestly goes to the restaurant to give the manager a piece of his mind, only to realize that the fake Bane is a piss-poor server who’s giving him a bad name. The fact that he instantly falls ass-backwards into being a legitimately good and enthusiastic employee is hilarious.
I’m also a big fan of making Baby Doll a cutthroat franchise manager of the place. I’m a big fan of both the character and Maria Bamford from past projects, so seeing performer and role come together in this twisted universe is a hoot. The blend between faux-cutesy schtick and a legitimate ruthless business acumen does that great *Harley Quinn* trick of taking legit character traits previously used for pathos and putting them in a funny, sideways new mode.
Where I run into trouble is with the Kite Man/Golden Glider side of things. Again, we have a kind of tepid sitcom setup with the whole “Will you move in with me?” misunderstanding and kerfuffle.
On the Kite Man side of things, I will say that it’s nice to get Jonathan Banks more in the mix for an episode. Him giving Kite Man antiquated backwards advice about earning Golden Glider’s love by solving this business problem isn’t the worst setup. But Kite Man having to gin up the courage to beat up Baby Doll is pretty weak, and the show doesn't wring much humor from it.
The same goes for the Golden Glider half of the main story. Glider being reluctant to move in with Kite Man, not out of a sense of being hesitant to take a big step in their relationship, but because she’s afraid minor household snarls will get her emotional and provoke her deadly powers is actually a really fascinating concept! I wish we got more time to dig into it than quickly pivoting to a cheap, half-nude rumble at the spa. It is nice to give the girls some time (and Malice and Queen of Fables get the most laughs here), but this part of the episode comes off as feeble as well.
There’s a minor cleverness to the finish, with both Kite Man and Golden Glider believing the other is dead thanks to Baby Doll’s assassination attempts, which puts what they really want in focus. But the realization of the idea is too hokey to work in my book.
Overall, that's two in a row where the major character stories aren’t quite up to snuff, but some silly gags and good side bits liven things up.