REVIEW: ‘Suicide Squad ISEKAI’ — Episode 4

Harley Quinn and the rest of the Suicide Squad’s journey into another world continues in Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episode 4. The gang struck a deal with Queen Aldora in the last episode, but will the icy queen stay true to her word and help deactivate the bombs inside their necks?

Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episode 4 starts off by letting viewers know that the Suicide Squad only has 12 hours left until their bombs explode. They are still stuck in prison and need to either be let out or have their bombs removed if they want to complete their mission. Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S. won’t be lenient, so they are running out of time.

It seems like everyone is against the Suicide Squad except for Princess Fione. These otherworlders mystify Fione, and she is the only one who treats them with any real decency. Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episode 4 gives some backstory on Fione and shows her spending time with commoners as a child. This is a really neat moment that helps show why she is more willing to treat the Suicide Squad well. She is an empathetic person, so when she sees people suffering she naturally wants to help.

She also sees the Suicide Squad as a way to help end the war. What war, you ask? Well, thankfully Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episode 4 gives a nice explanation of what the war is and who is fighting in it. It is a pretty generic war, but the details are less important than the role the Suicide Squad plays in it. The Suicide Squad brings a new perspective on the way the kingdom is waging the war and their knowledge of enemies like the Ratcatcher makes them a valuable tool.

Rick Flag offers for the Suicide Squad to fight in order for their freedom. The problem is, Queen Aldora has already reneged once on her promise to help them. The rest of the war council is against using their help, but Fione comes to the rescue. Harley specifically steps up as more of a leader, which is fitting since she has been the centerpiece of the series so far.

This whole scenario is great because the Suicide Squad never takes anything too seriously. Cecil makes a comment that the Suicide Squad seems like criminals, and people like Flag should be bothered by having to fight alongside them. Flag isn’t happy with the arrangement, but even he realizes how helpful the Squad can be. They just have really unorthodox ways of doing things. Instead of coming in like serious heroes, they are laid-back and only interested in surviving and doing things their way.

That attitude gives Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episode 4 a more comedic balance in line with the rest of the series. The war is supposed to be serious, it is supposed to be this horrible thing that is wrecking the kingdom. But the Suicide Squad’s tone helps keep things from ever feeling overly grim. It is a nice twist on the familiar isekai tropes, where the newfound heroes often try way too hard to be serious and make their way in their new world.

Just as the main battle is about to take place, Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episode 4 flips expectations again. Deadshot has been absent for much of the episode but finally shows up to target Ratcatcher. Instead of hitting him, however, he destroys the staff he has been using to control his beast men. The plan gets explained after it is enacted, which is a bit unnecessary and disjointed, but it does give more added context.

Once the beast men turn on Ratcatcher, the battle is over before it even starts. Wit Studio doesn’t get a chance to flex its creative muscle with a battle scene which is a bummer, but seeing the Suicide Squad’s plan work without fighting is still interesting. The plan is a callback to something Joker taught Harley in the real world. This lesson is shown at the start of the episode and then finished after the plan actually works. It is nice to see Joker get some more screen time. This rendition of the supervillain is really neat and it would be great to see more of him later on.

In the end, though, there isn’t really any resolution. The Suicide Squad helps defeat the enemies and has their freedom, but the bombs are still ticking. There is a brief hint at the very end that something we don’t know is about to happen and make things worse, but no details are shared. It would have been good to have some sort of information here, but it will have to wait until the next episode.

Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episode 4 has some neat character moments and sets the seeds for the plot to grow going forward. The pacing is a little off, but the way the Suicide Squad handles the situation is entertaining enough to make up for it.

Suicide Squad ISEKAI Episode 4 is streaming now on Max and Hulu