Warning! This post contains spoilers for Joker: Folie a DeuxJoker: Folie à Deux Features some very interesting Easter eggs and references, connections to the first JokerThe original DC comics, and more. Starring Joaquin Phoenix who returns as Arthur Fleck’s Joker, this Elseworlds version of the classic Batman villain is joined in the sequel by Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn. With Fleck facing both a new romance and his day in court, Joker: Folie a Deux Various ties and references are quite fascinating about the themes of the movie and the overall message it is trying to convey.
in Joker: Folie a Deux, It has been two years since the end of the first one Joker Movie where Arthur Fleck killed six people (although the public only knows about five). Now, Arthur is featured preparing for his trial, while also experiencing a brand new and very real romance with “Lee”, a fellow patient at Arkham State Hospital completely infatuated with Joker. To that end, here are the biggest Easter eggs and references in the dark and twisted ride Joker: Folie a Deux.
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Joker’s Looney Tunes opening
The fantasy of the Murray Franklin Show
remarkable, Joker: Folie a Deux Opens with an animated sequence in the style of Looney tunesOne that tells a fantasy version of the final events seen at the end of 2019 Joker. In the cartoon, an animated Joker arrives in a limo to cheering crowds in front of the Franklin Theatre. Arthur is also seen battling his own shadow who repeatedly steals the spotlight as the duo take the stage in front of a live audience. There is also a hallway with posters of classic Hollywood films and musicals included Sweet charity, My pal Joeyand Charlie Chaplin movies.
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moreover, The “Live! With Murray Franklin” sign of 2019s Joker which was written in the same font of Batman: The Animated Series is replaced in this fantasy with “Life! With Joker”. later in Foley and DukesThe sequence was confirmed as Arthur’s fabricated imagination, telling an interviewer that he believed it was his show and that Robert De Niro’s Murray was “a bad actor”.
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Colorful umbrellas in Arkham
Matching Joker’s suit
While transporting Arthur between buildings to a less intense wing in Arkham, Joker is shown enjoying the rain with a top-down camera angle. During this sequence, the guards’ umbrellas briefly change color, resembling the colors of Joker’s suit that he wears on The Murray Franklin Show. As such, this shows how Arthur still experiences a distorted reality within Foley and Dukes.
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Lady Gaga’s Harley debut with a finger gun
Mirroring Sophie Dumond
In Arkham’s less intense B wing, Arthur sees Lady Gaga’s “Lee” for the first time. As the guards keep moving Arthur to meet with his lawyer, Lee runs down the hall and calls out to Arthur, mimicking a gun with her finger and shooting herself in the head.. This is exactly how it is Joker’s Sophie Dumond (Zazi Beets), Arthur’s neighbor, with whom he formed a romantic relationship.
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Looney tunes all over Joker: Folie a Deux
Especially Pepé Le Pew
On several occasions in Joker: Folie a Deux, Actual Looney Tunes cartoons can be seen playing on various televisions in ArkhamSpecifically those with Pepé Le Pew, the skunk who is constantly looking for love from a black cat with a white stripe he thinks is a skunk like himself. This not only ties in with the movie’s opening animated sequence, but also ties into Arthur and Lee’s entire relationship.
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Arkham State Hospital & Corrections
Located on an island
As seen in Joker: Folie a Deux, Arkham State Hospital and Corrections is located on an island connected by a single bridge to the rest of Gotham City. This mirrors the original comics with Arkham Asylum and its location on Arkham Island.
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Joker 2 has his own Harvey Dent
Assistant DA (Before Two-Face)
Harry Lawtey plays Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent Joker: Folie a Deux, Served as the prosecutor during Arthur’s trial. Until the end of the movie and the explosion of the car bomb that blows up the room, Lawtey’s Dent is specifically shown with half of his face damaged. While there is a nice nod to the classic character from DC Comics and his transformation into two-phase, there is certainly not as much weight behind the disfigurement and the character overall compared to other depictions of Dent that have been seen in the past.
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“This is entertainment”
The Band Wagon (1953)
Setting a fire during a movie night in Arkham, Lee and Arthur get some time together before they are both arrested by guards. however, The movie playing is the 1953 musical Band wagonEspecially during the song “That’s Entertainment” performed by Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray. The song is also sung by Lady Gaga herself later in the film during the first day of Arthur’s trial, and the opening lyrics about “The Clown With His Pants Falling Down” Connects to the opening of the movie where Joker loses his pants during the animated sequence.
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Joker and Harley Dance in “Hotel Arkham”
Mirroring the classic Alex Ross cover
One of the imagined musical numbers between Joker and Lee is very reminiscent of The classic comic cover by Alex Ross of Harley Quinn and Joker Dancing (with Arthur similarly wearing a black tuxedo). Likewise, the two were seen dancing on a rooftop next to a large neon “Hotel Arkham” sign, providing audiences with a literal sign that the musical number is part of the duo’s shared delusion as Joker and Lee, otherwise known as a “foil a deux”.
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Gene Wolfland
Wrote the book that Joker signs
Before one of his first interviews, Arthur was asked by one of the Arkham guards to sign his book, “The Night Laughter Died” by Gene Ulfland. Ulfland was the producer on the Murray Franklin Show who was there the night Arthur killed Murray (played by Marc Maron).
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Wayne Tower
Wayne’s legacy lives on
Although Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered the night of the Joker riots, the family legacy lives on with their surviving son Bruce as well as Thomas Wayne’s company, Wayne Enterprises. Towards the end, Wayne Tower can be seen amidst the Gotham landscape while Arkham Corrections transports Arthur to and from his trial.
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Joker impersonates Nixon
V wonders on his first day in court
On the first day of his trial, Arthur presents two victory signs to the court. This is naturally a reference to President Nixon and the signature gesture he used even as he resigned and left the White House after the Watergate scandal. It also ties in with the season of the Joker Movies during the early 80s, saw Nixon resign in 1974.
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Joker 2’s judge resembles Martin Scorsese
Scorsese directed the first Joker
Bill Smitrovich plays Judge Herman Rothwax Joker: Folie a DeuxAnd it certainly seems that he was meant to resemble iconic director Martin ScorseseComplete with signature black-framed glasses. That would make sense, as Martin Scorsese went on to direct and produce the first one JokerAs well as the fact that Todd Phillips’ Joker Was directly inspired by Scorses past films such as Taxi driver And The king of comedyAnd Folie à Deux was likely inspired by Scorsese’s own musical drama New York, New York.
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Lee’s Origins Twist connects to Harley’s DC Comics history
grad school of psychiatry
While Lee initially claimed that she had a similar rough childhood full of abuse as Arthur’s, this was eventually revealed to be a lie by Arthur’s lawyer. so too, It was also revealed that Lee came from a wealthy background and went to grad school to study psychiatry. This connects to Lee’s original DC Comics origins, where Dr. Harleen Quinzel fell in love with and was gradually corrupted by the Joker after he was assigned to her as one of her patients. Instead, Lady Gaga’s Lee committed herself to Arkham to be closer to Joker, manipulating him to keep the Joker identity over Arthur.
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Lee claims she is pregnant with Joker’s child
A rare comics (and games) connection
Although it was more than likely another lie to keep close to Joker, Lee claims she is pregnant with Arthur’s child. This idea is something that is rarely seen in the comics, although some versions of Harley in both comics, 2016 Suicide SquadAnd Batman: The Animated Series See Queen Wish for Children with the Clown Prince of Crime. Notable exceptions where Harley Quinn is pregnant with Joker’s baby include the alternate queue Incorrect And White Knight Universes, as well as an Easter egg in the Batman: Arkham City Video game where positive pregnancy tests and a crib can be found in connection with Harley.
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Joker’s Southern accent
“A simple country lawyer”
Once Arthur fires his lawyer and chooses to introduce himself as the Joker, Fleck adopts a southern accent and drawl during his questioning of Gary PuddlesThe fellow clown-for-hire he lets live in 2019s Joker. This is a classic TV and movie trope evoking characters such as Matlock or Atticus Finch. As such, Arthur undoubtedly takes the “plain country lawyer” accent for comedic value Foley and Dukes.
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“That’s All People”
Another Looney Tunes reference
The Looney Tunes references continue in Joker: Folie a Deux When the judge asks if Arthur wants to give any final defense before closing statements are made. in response, Joker turns to the crowd with the classic porky pig stutter and “That’s all people!”Confirm that his defense rests.
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Joker’s White Suit
mirrors The Dark Knight returns
In another fancy musical number with Lee, Joke is shown wearing a striking white suit. As such, it closely resembles the classic white suit worn by the Joker The Dark Knight returns By Frank Miller When the Clown Prince of Crime fought Batman and received a batarang to the eye.
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Pogo S
The same comedy club from 2019 Joker
One of the final musical numbers with Lee and Joker takes place at Pogo’s. Pogo’s was the same club where Arthur performed his stand-up routine in 2019 JokerNamed after the serial killer John Wayne Gacy who was once an entertainer as “Pogo the Clown”.
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Lee’s final court outfit in Joker: Folie a Deux
Inspired by Harley’s classic red and black costume
Having worn black tights with diamonds on the first day of Arthur’s trial, and a black top with a diamond pattern the next, Lee goes all-out on the final day, wearing all red and black and makeup. how so This is meant to be Lee’s full transformation as Harley Quinn to show her full support for JokerMirroring Quinn’s very first and original red and black costume as seen in Batman: The Animated Series Where the character first debuted.
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Arthur and Lee’s relationship ends on Joker’s iconic staircase
of Joker (2019)
Arthur’s full confession and decision to turn away from the Joker persona at the end of the trial saw Lee leave the court in disgust just before the judge’s ruling and the car bomb explosion that led to Fleck’s escape. Running to find Lee, Fleck and Quinzel’s relationship ends on the same stairs first seen in 2019. JokerHow Lee had only ever been attracted to Joker and the fantasy that came with him. As such, the setting is incredibly poignant: the place where Arthur’s Joker persona truly dies is on the same steps where Joker was first born. A version of the now iconic Joker Stairs are also featured in Joker and Lee’s final musical number.