‘Harley Quinn’ Kills off a Major Character

Max‘s adult animated series delivered a gut punch to viewers as one of Harley’s closest companions met a shocking and bloody demise on stage.

Episode 6 of Harley Quinn season 5, titled “Bottle My Heart,” concluded with a devastating twist when Frank the Plant, voiced by JB Smoove, was murdered during a musical performance. The foul-mouthed vegetation, who has been a staple of the series since its inception, bled out on stage while uttering the heartbreaking final words, “I love you, Mom,” to a distraught Poison Ivy.

This dramatic development serves as a major catalyst for the following episode, “Frankette,” where the emotional fallout is immediately apparent. The installment begins with a funeral for Frank, featuring over 500 mourners in attendance. A grief-stricken Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) vows revenge for her plant companion’s death, ultimately leading to the creation of “Frankette” – a plant-human hybrid made from the combined DNA of Frank and Ivy herself.

Initially, the characters believe supervillain Brainiac was responsible for Frank’s murder. Lena Luthor points the finger at the alien collector, offering her teleporter technology to help Harley (Kaley Cuoco) and Ivy confront him. However, as the episode progresses, a shocking revelation turns the narrative on its head – Lena herself was the actual killer, having orchestrated Frank’s demise to motivate the protagonists into taking the Brainiac threat seriously.

This twist establishes Lena Luthor as the true antagonist. After Harley and Ivy successfully shrink Brainiac using his own technology, Lena seizes control of his advanced alien ship and plugs herself in, essentially becoming a new Brainiac. To further cement her position and keep the heroic duo divided, she takes baby Frankette hostage in the episode’s closing moments.

The death of Frank is a significant emotional blow for the series, which has balanced outrageous comedy with surprising moments of heart throughout its run. The character’s demise occurs during a particularly chaotic sequence where Harley, Clayface, and Bane have staged a musical about Brainiac – a typical example of the show’s meta-humor that quickly transforms into tragedy.

Frank’s death marks a tonal shift for the latter half of the season, with only three episodes remaining. His murder has fractured the relationship between Harley and Ivy, with Ivy blaming Harley for accepting Lena’s help to save Metropolis, unaware of her true intentions.

The episode concludes with the ghost of Frank appearing to Ivy in “The Green,” urging her to abandon her revenge quest against Lena and instead focus on protecting Frankette, demonstrating that even in death, the character continues to influence the storyline.

Harley Quinn season 5 releases new episodes every Thursday on Max, with the fallout from Frank’s death clearly driving the narrative toward its season finale.