Topic: Batman: The Animated Series

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76. Baby Doll
A former child star named Mary Dahl has become bitter and insane after falling into obscurity and realizing she has a disorder that prevents her body from growing to adulthood, thus biologically cursed with literal eternal youth. She kidnaps her TV family, who all led more successful lives and careers than her, and holds them prisoner on an abandoned sound stage.
 

My Thoughts:
 
Baby Doll looks and sounds funny, but the story behind it is really kind of sad. A grown woman trapped forever in a puny body. You can hear her real age in her voice, though more some times than others. The episode is a mix of humor and grit, a nice combination. Some may like the psychology behind Baby Doll wanting to live as a child forever, I just like how they made fun of classic TV. 
 
 

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77. The Lion and the Unicorn
The Red Claw organization kidnaps Alfred, seeking a code they need to arm a weapon of mass destruction that Alfred knows from his days as a British secret agent.

My Thoughts:
 
Alfred as a secret agent for London. Who woulda figured it?

SO MANY things in this episode that reminded me of either Sherlock Holmes or James Bond. Which, I suppose, is indeed a very good way to describe this one. I never really liked the Red Claw, but in this setting it totally works.

 
 

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78. Showdown
Ra's al Ghul narrates a story from his past in which Jonah Hex stops his plan to destroy the new transcontinental railroad using a blimp. 

My Thoughts:
 
Wow, never knew Jonah Hex was a DC character. Now I’m starting to regret not watching the movie, though with some reviews I read I think I’ll get over it.

I really think I’d like Jonah Hex if I saw him in more episodes or cartoon of his own or something. Maybe I’ll look up some comics later. The end tied in nicely with the Batman story, though this really wouldn’t be a Batman episode. Hex really stole the show!


 
 

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79. Riddler's Reform
The Riddler is hired to work for a toy company, vowing to turn over a new leaf.

My Thoughts:
 
I’m particularly fond of brain-teasers. I love to test myself. Half the episode I was pretending to be Batman and find the clues in what the Riddler says. I think that’s what made this episode fun. That, and it was funny to see the Riddler freak out towards the end.


 
 

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80. Second Chance
Just before he is to undergo the operation that will restore his face, and possibly his sanity, Two-Face is kidnapped by a mysterious villain. Batman and Robin split up to nab the criminal mastermind behind the scheme. Is it the Penguin, Rupert Thorne, or someone with a more personal reason for hating Harvey Dent?

My Thoughts:
 
Another one where you really feel sad for Two Face. That split personality has caused so much trouble for him. A certain scene with a trick coin nearly had me laughing, but it really is a good reflective piece for what Hervey had to be put through with the classic theme of him being his own worst enemy. 


 
 

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81. Harley's Holiday
Harley Quinn is released back into society, proved to be sane. After a misunderstanding at a clothing store, however, a snowball of comedic chaos builds around her. 

My Thoughts:
 
How many times do I have to go over that Harley is by far my favorite character? The only question in my mind is what lunatic doctor at Arkham would ever declare Harley sane?!

The humor with her never disappoints and seeing her try to reform really is something different. She could have at least had a guideline-normal life if she didn’t make a simple enough mistake. I was nearly cracking up!

 
 

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82. Lock-Up
Lyle Bolton, the new head of security at Arkham, is fired for his atrocious mistreatment of the inmates. Six months later, Bolton becomes the vigilante Lock-Up, and decides to put who he feels responsible for the ruin of the city behind bars. It's up to Batman and Robin to save his victims. 

My Thoughts:
 
If a man can scare the Scarecrow, then he is clearly a lunatic who should be locked up himself. 

Seriously, this dude was starting to even creep me out. Seriously. This was just fun to watch because he is quite possibly the most insane security guard in existence. Nothing he did really surprised me, but the part was played very well.


 
 

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83. Lock-Up
Gotham City is plagued by a rash of oddball crimes, all committed by bizarre villains. Batman and Robin investigate, discovering the "criminals" are actually famous comedians brainwashed by the Joker. It seems the comedians had the disguised Joker tossed out of the annual Gotham Comedy Competition the year before and the jealous clown has sworn to destroy their reputations in return. 

My Thoughts:
 
The Condiment King. The Pack Rat. So many new villains that make me cringe. I mean, it’s not like people like these are published into real comics.

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A “Joker’s past” story. Sad really. His crimes are funnier than his jokes. Episode was kind of funny just because of the lame villains and a pantsing scene.

 
 

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84. Deep Freeze
Mr. Freeze is sprung from Arkham by aging billionaire Grant Walker, who is looking to freeze the world and recreate it according to his own design. Batman and Robin infiltrate the billionaire's underwater city and combat both high-tech robots and Mr. Freeze himself, who has personal reasons to do Walker's bidding and cover the Earth in a new ice age.

My Thoughts:
 
Hidden Image time!  Lol, in one scene I spotted Bat-Gnat (obvious), Mr. Mixelplix (I have no idea how to spell that name), Krypto the Superdog and Streaky the Supercat.

As with any episode with Mr. Freeze, it is centered around his hopes of bringing his ill wife back to consciousness. Still, to be honest most of this episode was idealistic belief for a new civilization and that just didn’t keep up to par with the usual Mr. Freeze motives. True, there are only so many different ways you can go over the same plot line, but this new person who is pretty much bribing the frozen man with his wife just has a seriously facepalm-worthy plan for the future. If I was in the cartoon I’d slap him upside the head before a regular beat-down

 
 

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86. Batgirl Returns
While Bruce is in Europe on a Wayne Enterprises business trip, the theft of a jade cat statue occurs at Gotham State University. Barbara Gordon again becomes Batgirl to investigate, only to run into Catwoman, who is also investigating, pointing out that the acid residue used to destroy the security system is not her style. The two team up to find the statue, with Robin tailing them, and things go from bad to worse when Roland Daggett is revealed to be involved.

My Thoughts:
 
Yay! Batgirl’s back!!  Haha, and I love that here she has a crush on Batman when she and Robin went canon.

Seeing her work together with Robin and Catwoman was about as fun as you would expect. You really see how Batgirl grew as a crime fighter, getting to know her cases well and a little better at fighting too. The best aspect of the episode though was, of course, the growing relationship between Batgirl and Robin. Not too much Batman here except in a daydream, but still good to watch.

 
 

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87. Holiday Knights
Three holiday-themed vignettes. (1) Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn kidnap Bruce Wayne and use his credit cards for a shopping spree. (2) While shopping for a gift for her father, Barbara Gordon spots a group of shoplifters that turn out to be portions of Clayface. (3) Batman and Robin race to stop the Joker from killing the crowd at the Gotham City New Year Celebration. 

My Thoughts:
 
Yay, Christmas!! And Harley and Ivy again!! But poor Harls still can’t get a tree for the holidays 

This is actually three stories, all of which I have seen before when I accidentally brought the wrong volumes of DVDs to my grandmother’s house and got through this one without realizing what happened. What’s more, I have no problem watching it again. I love holiday episodes and this brings me three!! Short and sweet!!

I am totally loving this, almost seems to end too soon.

 
 

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88. Sins of the Father
Young orphan Tim Drake becomes Batman's new ward when he becomes involved in one of Two-Face's deadly plots. 

My Thoughts:
 
I never really knew this Robin’s origin, so this was a bit of a change for me. It sure wasn’t the usual trauma-induced childhood or anything like that. [spoilers]Tim having a criminal life at so young was somewhat unique, and the ending where both of the Robins met was wonderful. “No one can stay a boy wonder forever.”[/spoilers] Grayson grew up. I knew that much from him going to college, it leads to the idea of having him taking over, which I guess is why he was made so old in the first place: so Tim could be added to the series. Personally, I wouldn’t have made that decision since I barely know Drake, but things are somewhat clearer now.

 
 

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89. Cold Comfort
After the events in "SubZero" Mr. Freeze has been forced to be bound to a new robotic body. His wife Nora has been revived, but believing him dead, she has remarried and left Gotham. If Freeze can't have a life of happiness, nobody can, so he begins lashing out at the city by destroying what people care about so they can feel the same pain he feels.

My Thoughts:
 
 [spoilers]HOLY CRUD MR FREEZE IS JUST A HEAD!!!![/spoilers]

It got to be a very sad story as to how Mr. Freeze couldn’t be with Nora. And he pieced together Bruce’s psychology (losing his parents then filling the void through adoption), which something I think I overlooked before. The episode was a bit of an eye-opener, yet still average when concerned with the crimes and action.


 
 

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90. Double Talk
Arnold Wesker is released from Arkham, completely free of his Scarface persona. But Scarface's old gang, needing their old boss back, begin working to drive Wesker back to his old ways.

My Thoughts:
 
Typically I like the psychological stuff, but forcing a split personality out was just wrong! Usually that would translate to a fun episode!! But…..meh. It was fine. I’m really at a loss for words at this point. It’s just what you’d expect from Scarface, and more specifically people who would want him back.


 
 

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92. You Scratch My Back
In an effort to further distance himself from Batman, Nightwing tries to go it alone to stop a smuggling ring and gets unexpected help from the seductive Catwoman, who attempts a somewhat sensual relationship with him.

My Thoughts:
 
And the first Nightwing episode!! I loved how they worked in his romance with Barbara, but him and Catwoman? Considering she was with Bats first….and I assume Grayson was a kid at that point…..just…just no. Regardless of whether or not Richard grew up  - and it’s very evident that he did – that is just a staggering age difference in my eyes! Not that there’s much wrong with that, given its mutual in the relationship as it is, but they’d have enough problems between the hero/villainess thing, As far as an actual action-esque plot, it was very thin. Just another jewel for Catwoman. Not a big surprise.