By Melissa Antoinette Garza
In-between comic book fans running to the theater to watch and re-watch SUICIDE SQUAD an old friend is always ready to be enjoyed. BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN are among the best animated series of all time. The top 20 were pulled from both series.
Even if you don’t own the episodes on DVD, Amazon prime members have the shows at their fingertips. I can watch them all day long; and sadly I have. When BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES first aired, I was 13 years old. I would catch the show here and there, but certainly didn’t appreciate the work as I do now. It isn’t just the amazing animation or the riveting dialogue. It isn’t only the comedic moments or the flawed characters – both villains and heroes alike. It was everything. It was magic and still is.
There are some who are going to disagree with the episodes on this list. Those people are wrong (kidding). Nearly every episode is great and each fan will find something they love and relate to. The twenty episodes I’ve listed capture the best moments within the most riveting incarnations of the beloved characters.
TOP 20
(20) JOKER’S MILLIONS
The Joker is one of my favorite characters of all time and Mark Hamill’s voice work is perfection. In this episode, The Joker almost goes straight. Penniless, he is miserable. He can’t afford bullets. The potion in his flower lapel is gone and during a heist, Batman captures Harley and brings her to Arkham. Just as things can’t get worse, The Joker’s sworn enemy King Barlowe dies and surprisingly leaves him millions.
He buys of attorneys and psychiatrists to clear his record and begins going out to the Penguin’s expensive club. Rather than breaking out Harley, he opts to hire another. In one hilarious scene, as The Joker peruses the women in Harley’s uniform, he comes across a large man. He thinks about it for a minute and thinks better. The punchline is that the man was drawn to look like creator Paul Dini.
Harley gets word that she’s been replaced and plots her revenge. Things get much worse when the Joker finds out most of the cash is fake and was a dying prank by Barlowe.
(19) PRETTY POISON
I absolutely adore Poison Ivy in this. She’s a strong, capable feminist who uses men while laughing at their stupidity. It boggles my mind that this came out in 1992 and BATMAN & ROBIN came out five years later. Joel Schumacher should have modeled the live action version after the animated series. It downright bizarre that Uma Thurman’s performance was more cartoonish than the actual cartoon. PRETTY POISON introduces Poison Ivy. Pamela Isley (aka Poison Ivy) lures District Attorney Harvey Dent (prior to him being Two-Face) into an engagement. On a date, she gives him the kiss of death in front of Bruce Wayne. She’s not without motive. She views Dent as a murderer for plowing a field of roses and plant life to build a penitentiary. Harvey is in the hospital on death’s door while Batman puts 2 and 2 together. He tracks down Poison Ivy who is less than repentant and ready to fight. This episode solidified Ivy as a main villain and one that could fight just as good as the boys.
(18) NOTHING TO FEAR
Admittedly, until later seasons The Scarecrow was never a favorite of mine. His original costume was blah and unmasked he looks like a wimp and is a crybaby. Though they did make him much darker and cooler later on, in this episode he whined and looked like a geek. He panics when his fear gas is used on him.
Still, the visuals are phenomenal. The internal struggle of Batman also makes this an episode to watch. Batman begins to think that he is dishonoring the memory of his father. He fears that Thomas would have been disappointed in him. Alfred tries to reassure him, but his fears are heightened when he is trapped by The Scarecrow and the gas is used on him. He hallucinates and sees a large skeleton telling him how disappointed he is. He faces his own fears and for the first time says the iconic line “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman!” When he escapes and uses the gas on Dr. Crane (aka The Scarecrow), Crane panics. He first sees a bat and then when Batman shows up, instead of a man in a bat suit, he looks like a demonic bat creature. There is so many great aspects to this show. Generally, I root for the villains, but since I dislike The Scarecrow, it gave me a great opportunity to be on the side of Batman and empathize with his struggles.
(17) HARLEY’S HOLIDAY
God, I love Harley Quinn. In this episode, Quinn is released from the asylum. Oddly, The Scarecrow who is only in a few seconds, is hilarious. Crane is being brought in as Quinn is being released. He’s screaming and ranting until Harley says hello. He then turns very calm and kind – not flirtatious, just respectful. Then, he goes right back to ranting and raving. I wish we saw more of that Scarecrow.
Quinn’s intentions are actually really good. She has Bud and Lou, her hyenas on a leash and is walking them down the street. When passerby gasp, she thinks it’s her clothing rather than her unusual pets. She decides to go into a store and buy a dress. Harley is just so damn cute in this one. Bruce Wayne is out with his date Veronica Vreeland. He’s trying on clothing. Harley, not seeing Veronica, flirts with Bruce. Upon seeing her, she reintroduces herself and tells Veronica not to worry that she had previously held a gun to her head. She’s cured and proudly displays her sanity certificate.
Things go bad when Harley buys the dress but doesn’t wait for the security tag to be taken off. Believing she’s being set up, she kidnaps Veronica and goes on the run. Batman knows Quinn is so close to being rehabilitated and actually tries to help her and get Veronica back in the process.
Harley’s Holiday showed that Harley didn’t need another villain. She wasn’t a sideline character at all. She could take center stage and own it.
(16) BEWARE THE GRAY GHOST
This may be on the list for sentimentality alone. Still, I enjoy it and watch it quite often. Adam West voices Simon Trent. Trent portrayed an old TV super hero The Gray Ghost. Wayne loved it as a child and is reminded of it as crimes reminiscent of the show begin occurring in Gotham.
Meanwhile, Trent visits comic book shops to buy The Gray Ghost merchandise and is saddened how little interest there is in it. Batman enlists his help when bombs begin going off. When he finds evidence linking Trent to the crimes, Trent realizes who the real villain is.
West is a comic icon. I anxiously await the animated feature he and Burt Ward are doing. If only Cesar Romero were alive!
The best part of this episode is at the end when Bruce says that Trent was his hero and then looks at the camera and says, “and he still is.” It’s a great use of breaking the fourth wall as it paid homage to the best Batman ever portrayed live action
(15) OVER THE EDGE
What happens when Commissioner Gordon finds out that his daughter is Batgirl and believes she has died in front of his eyes. He decides to take down Batman. He has his men shoot at him, blow him up, and anything else that he can do to kill him. Gordon goes as far as to enlist the help of Bane to take down Batman.
Now, this episode shows The Scarecrow’s potential. He’s dark, skeletal looking and downright horrifying. That design could easily be used and made into an amazing horror icon.
Nightwing is another one who really gets to shine as he nearly takes down the entire force. Sadly, he is taken into custody and despite Robin wanting to keep fighting, Batman insists he give up.
How did it start? Barbara Gordon as Batgirl chases The Scarecrow and is pushed off the building. The Commissioner is angry that Batman never told him. Soon, Bruce’s identity is revealed. Harley and The Mad Hatter hire a lawyer and discuss suing Wayne for violating their civil rights.
This episode would be higher on the list if not for the weak ending. Understandably, I’m sure they did it for continuation purposes, but they pulled a Bobby Ewing on the audience (younger folks, Google Dallas). Though, it did culminate in Barbara having a nice heart-to-heart with her dad, I certainly wish there were real ramifications to the early plot.
Still, Bane is awesome in this. He pretty much talks like a normal person, is snarky and out for himself. Harley is hilarious. I love her. On a talk show, she feigns crying and pretends that The Batman haunts her, hinting at some sort of PTSD.
(14) BE A CLOWN
Is it odd that I find the cartoon Joker sexy? Men in make-up just do it for me. I’m a RHPS gal and I love villains so the Joker is too gorgeous for words.
BE A CLOWN focuses on Mayor Hill. Hill is an overall jerk who really needs to be punched in the face. After being shot at by criminals, he tells reporters that he dislikes Batman and then compares him to the Joker. The Joker is watching at home and is understandably offended. He says while walking to a mirror, “What? Compare me to Batman? I got more style…more brains and am certainly a better dresser.” All three are valid points! The Joker decides to break into Hill’s mansion.
It just so happens that Hill’s son Jordan is having a birthday party. Jordan is in his room doing magic tricks when Hill comes up and reprimands him. He orders his son to come down, but Jordan is upset that the only kids that were invited were the ones the mayor invited – his friends’ children.
The Joker shows up dressed like a clown and does magic tricks. Jordan is enthralled with him. He asks The Joker how to be a great magician and the advice he receives is to run away, find a magician with a good act and to steal it.
Jordan takes his advice and hides in the stolen truck the Joker is driving. At first, Mister J isn’t sure about the whole kid thing – but he decides to make Jordan his protégé.
Hill finally starts acting like a father and enlists the help of Batman to get his son back. Meanwhile, Jordan soon learns that The Joker’s tricks generally mean someone gets hurt. Sadly, he turns on The Joker and wants to go home.
It’s a fun episode that shows off The Joker’s warped insanity. He tries to get Jordan to swallow a sword, but he refuses. One of the best lines is when Jordan tells The Joker that his dad doesn’t like Batman. “Well, I guess your dad isn’t a total idiot,” Mister J replies. HILARIOUS!
This is one of those where I’m always saying “Mind your own business, Batman..” and my hubby who always roots for the good guys shakes his head and tells me, “be nice.”
(13) ON LEATHERWINGS
I’ve always been a fan of JEKYLL AND HYDE style stories. One of my favorites is a little know comedy called JEKYLL AND HYDE: TOGETHER AGAIN. I must’ve watched that a billion times as a kid. I watched that before I even knew the actual story.
ON LEATHERWINGS is definitely a more serious homage to the classic. Dr. March is a zoologist who believes that eventually bats will be the only animal to survive. His son-n-law, Dr. Kirk Langstrom becomes obsessed with March’s theory and drinks a concoction he formulated. This turns him into a man-bat.
When the man-bat starts robbing pharmaceuticals to get the ingredients he needs, Batman is blamed. Batman finds out about Kirk and sees that he is addicted to the formula. His goal is to make his transformation permanent. Batman sets out to stop and cure him.
This is an underrated episode. It was the second in the series and the first produced. It’s filled with action, drama and intensity. I also loved Kirk’s wife Dr. Francine Langstrom. When Wayne meets her and is a bit flirtatious she politely but quickly cuts him off saying that she is both married and a doctor. She’s a strong ambitious woman. The entire series of BATMAN ensured that most of the women were portrayed as capable, smart and straight-forward.
That’s why I prefer BATMAN over SUPERMAN. Lois Lane in nearly every incarnation is a damsel-in-distress needing to be saved. It was such a trope that MEGAMIND (2010) poked fun at it. BATMAN is a progressive show that never really got the kudos it deserved. Even in minor roles, like Dr. Francine Langstrom, they made sure the audience knew she was a feminist who deserved respect.
The animation is superb and the Bat creature looked amazing. No wonder, Kirk wanted to be that forever. I would too.
(12) GIRLS NIGHT OUT
Now, I may be bias because I am a girl. Women rarely get to be action stars who are the primary focus. DC women are typically badass. Hero or villain, they can fight as hard as the men and look better doing it.
Livewire generally lives in Metropolis. She was once a shock jock who hosted a concert during a storm. Lightning struck and though Superman attempted to save her, she was struck. She has blue hair, white skin and the powers of electricity run through her.
She’s in Gotham for treatment but escapes. Supergirl tries to attack but Livewire kicks her ass. I don’t like Supergirl. She’s too goody-goody. Batgirl has some pizazz to her, but Supergirl is just too nice.
Meanwhile, Harley and Poison Ivy are living together. They’re bored out of their mind, but have to keep a low profile. Livewire appears and encourages them to break into a bank. Harley tries to break the door down with her mallet, but when Livewire interferes and uses her power to open it immediately, Harley gets jealous. The jealousy grows as her best friend, Ivy seems impressed with her. Livewire can break any ATM with a flash of lightening.
Livewire starts ordering Harley around which further irritates her. Meanwhile, Supergirl and Batgirl form a friendship. Batgirl envies Supergirl’s country way while Supergirl is bored with it.
Harley has a special place in my heart and I will always root for her, but Livewire has pretty badass powers. She actually uses lightning to rise above the ground. It’s an awesome visual.
When Livewire is attacked by Supergirl, Batgirl interferes and uses a concoction to take away her electricity. Poison Ivy and Harley rescue her. It’s a great scene where Harley is able to shine. Livewire is less than appreciative but Harley still helps her.
Livewire begins fighting with Harley and Ivy at the Penguin’s club. When the Penguin comes over and tells them to behave themselves, they ruin the club and beat him to a pulp. Reluctantly the Penguin gives info to Supergirl and Batgirl so that they can capture the three women.
This is definitely one of my favorites. I would’ve loved to have Livewire on BATMAN more. She doesn’t work well with others, but seeing all of the women – heroes and villains going at it, was awesome. At one point, Harley turns plants into an elephant she rides and dogs that attack Supergirl.
Great episode, great action, great gals. The final showdown is filled with great animation and a combat scene that is wonderfully insane.
I know there’s a DC kids show with all of the women, but I wish we had one more like this. I’m not saying this is adult oriented but it certainly appeals to people of all ages and it shows that women can do whatever men can.
(11) TWO-FACE
In this two-part episode we see Harvey Dent’s transformation into one of Batman’s greatest villains.
It begins as District Attorney Dent dreams of being confronted by a man who looks just like him – a different darker side of him – but outside of him. I really wish Christopher Nolan had made the third BATMAN film with Two-Face alive and running amuck. Aaron Eckhart was fantastic in the role.
Thankfully, the animated series delved into every aspect of Dent.
When a handcuffed criminal taunts Dent he attacks him on camera. The news later gives him the nickname “HOTHEAD HARVEY.” Dent tries to explain himself to Gordon who is sympathetic but suspect. Later at a fundraiser for his campaign, Harvey finds out that the criminals were let free on a bad warrant. He goes nuts at the party and even attacks Bruce who was only trying to calm him down. He only relaxes when his fiancé Grace Lemont steps forward.
He goes to therapy where Dr. Nora Crest hypnotizes him. A split personality named Big Bad Harv emerges. This is the Two-Face we all know. He flips a coin and grows angry at Nora and nearly throws her from a window. Crest snaps her fingers and brings back Dent.
Harvey’s enemy Rupert Thorne wants leverage on Dent who is trying to get reelected. He gets a member of his gang, Candice to spy on him and hears the whole thing.
The cause of Big Bad Harv is revealed. As a child he beat up a bully who ended up in the hospital. He thought it was due to a fight but it was an appendicitis.
While battling with the thugs, Batman tries to help when Dent is being shot at. The bullet hits an electrical wire which falls into chemicals. The chemicals splashed on half of his face, thus starting Two-Face.
Grace is willing to still be with him and he wants her too, but in many ways he is his own worst enemy and now relies only on the flip of a coin.
The depth of the character and the transformation of Harvey Dent is amazing. Richard Moll is the voice of Two-Face. He’s amazing. I loved him on NIGHT COURT, he was great in NIGHT TRAIN TO TERROR, and brilliant as Harvey Dent. I hope they bring this show back. With the popularity of SUICIDE SQUAD, there’s no reason why this can’t return. There are so many great stories that are left untold.
(10) BEWARE THE CREEPER
This is one of the funniest episode in the series. It begins when reporter Jack Ryder narrates a special about The Joker. Ryder stands at ACE CHEMICALS explaining how The Joker was changed when Batman accidentally pushed him into the vat.
Batman meanwhile watches it live with Robin who wants to change the channel. That is, until The Joker is seen waving in the background.
Harley, two members of The Circus and The Joker throw laughing gas on Ryder. He then picks up Ryder and reenacts falling into the vat, only this time Ryder plays Mister J.
Batman shows up and a fight ensues. Meanwhile. as Ryder reemerges The Joker shoves an explosive cigar in his mouth. He surprisingly lives through it and changes into a villain known as The Creeper.
The Creeper wants to steal all that is the Joker. He commits the same sort of acts and even hits on Harley. Harley is adamant about being with Mister J. The Creeper becomes downright rape-y, but Quinn can handle herself. The Joker even laughs as she beats him up.
This is one of the times when Harley gets to really show off her skills. It also has a few very cute scenes between her and Mister J. Naysayers will complain about him throwing her out and they’ll cry foul and domestic violence, but it’s a fucking cartoon. If you want to see domestic violence watch THE BURNING BED (1984) or WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT (1993). This is two villains acting villainous. I don’t know what people expect. Is the Joker supposed to be insane, manipulative, crazy and violent but at home with Harley act like he’s Ryan Gosling in THE NOTEBOOK (2004)? He’s a bad guy who does bad things and Harley likes that. She does start to fight back and even tries to shoot him (mentioned later on the list) and he loves it. They have a wonderfully dysfunctional relationship. I’m a feminist who believes that women are allowed to do whatever they want to. They can dress sexy, they can be with bad guys they can be into BDSM (as seen in THE SECRETARY – not that abomination known as FIFTY SHADES OF GREY). I hate people who demonize feminism by trashing women who appear nude in print or in film, dress sexy, or expresses her sexuality in ways that she wants to. Margot Robbie got a lot of shit for her portrayal of Harley in SUICIDE SQUAD (2016). It’s so stupid. It’s a different incarnation than the animated series, but it’s fantastic. “Feminists’ who call her Whorley Quinn should be ashamed of themselves.
Here, people complain because Harley swoons when The Joker says, “That’s okay Pooh, I know you’re a one man loon.” Harley has a thing for powerful crazy men in make-up, but she can also beat the hell out of someone if she wants to. Feminists should focus on the fact that The Creeper was forcing himself on her and she was strong enough not only to escape but to beat the hell out of him.
This is a great fun episode with a lot of cool lines and even a nod to THE ANIMANIACS.
(9) JOKER’S FAVOR
This started it all. It was the introduction of Miss Harley Quinn. The show begins with normal ol’ Charlie Collins sick of being walked on. When The Joker speeds down the street like a maniac, Collins tells him off. He immediately apologizes when he realizes who he’s talking to.
The Joker, being a reasonable man, doesn’t kill him. He just informs Charlie that one day he will call upon him for a favor. Scared, he changes his name and moves out of Gotham, but unbeknownst to Collins, The Joker is aware of his every move.
When The Joker finds out about a party being thrown in the honor of Commissioner Gordon, he calls upon Collins. Reluctantly, Charles returns to Gotham. All he has to do is open the door when Harley wheels in the cake.
That beautiful cake is the reason Harley Quinn exists. God bless Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. They didn’t want The Joker to wheel in the cake and decided to make a woman dressed like a clown. She was supposed to be a throw away character, but instead became a comic icon.
After wheeling in the cake, Charlie tries to leave but his hand is glued to the door. Harley provides him with a gas mask. After she puts on hers, the candle dispenses a gas that paralyzes everyone in the room. When Charlie escapes he creates a makeshift bat signal with the hope that Batman sees it.
He shows up to save the day – of course. Charlie learns how to fight back and The Joker actually shows fear for his life.
One great part of this episode is that it shows The Joker and Harley doing mundane activities while planning and threatening. Quinn is casually cutting his hair while he’s convincing Charlie to come back to Gotham.
It’s also just hilarious. When Charlie returns The Joker hugs him and acts as though he hadn’t seen him in years – as if they were high school friends. It’s all sarcastic, but like everything he does, it’s a joke and it’s a damn funny one.
(8) THE MAN WHO KILLED BATMAN
What if Gotham’s biggest super hero and arch-nemesis to The Joker was murdered by an average nobody crook? That’s the premise of this episode and it’s a must-see.
Sidney Debris wanted to move up in the crime world. He looked more like a science teacher than a criminal, but nonetheless he agreed to go receive a drug shipment with Eddie G. Eddie is just using Sid. He’s hoping Batman will be too busy beating poor Debris up to bother with them.
Batman does show up and Sid is scared to death. The entire “death” of Batman was accidental. Sid slips on a flashlight and when he catches his grip he accidentally kicks Batman. He nearly falls off the roof as a brick falls and breaks open a propane tank. Batman tries to help him up and Sid climbs over the hero. Batman falls into the tank as it bursts in flames.
After a barroom fight, Sid gets arrested. Harley shows up and pretends to be his lawyer. She sets his bail and bring him to The Joker. The Joker doesn’t want to believe that Batman is dead. He has grown accustom to the fights. He enjoys them. He sets up a heist at a jewelry store and when Batman doesn’t show up, he becomes sad. In one scene that I’m sure upsets a small percentage of individuals who like to get angry at everything, The Joker hits Harley to the ground when she is about to walk out with a ton of gold. He insists that they take nothing, and go back to his layer where he holds a mock funeral.
The Joker puts Batman’s cape, cowl and a kick-me sign in the coffin. After delivering a eulogy which Harley compliments him for, the henchmen put Sidney in the coffin intending to kill him.
The Joker is sweet and affectionate to Harley. It actually gives insight into what happens behind closed doors. Sure, at times he’s a violent sociopath, but there is something inside of him that cares about her. In a 1999 comic entitled HARLEY QUINN, The Joker tries to kill her because he’s starting to have feelings toward her – and he hates it. It’s a great comic and in the end, he apologizes for his own self-interests, but it’s ever so cute.
In, THE MAN WHO KILLED BATMAN, Harley tells him that he puts the “fun in funeral.” He gently touches her cheek and shows genuine affection. For a brief moment, he appreciated her loyalty and willingness to compliment him when he was at his worst. It’s a touching scene despite The Joker’s intentions toward Sid.
Does Harley have some sort of Stockholm Syndrome or Battered Wife Syndrome – maybe, but who cares. It’s a cartoon and the duo are magnificent together. I’m so sick of columnists (primarily men) who mansplain why Harley is a bad role model for women – as if any woman watches the cartoon or reads the comic and says, “I need to find a guy who beats me.” I’m married to the nicest most gentle man in the universe, and that’s not by accident. Women are smart enough to know the difference between fiction and reality. Give us some credit! The DC Universe is typically very good at portraying strong independent women. Don’t get your panties in a bunch because a comic book crazy clown, who commits crimes, tosses around another comic book clown, who commits crimes.
(7) JOKER’S WILD
I’ve shown this episode to everyone. It’s just hilarious. For people who have never watched BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES, I suggest starting with this one. It brings out the wacky and amusing side of him.
The Joker, in Arkham Asylum, sits on a couch with Poison Ivy. He intentionally gets under her skin. The argumentative dynamic between these two is hilarious. Ivy is enjoying a show on plants, when The Joker changes the channel to something funny. Irritated, the guard puts on the news.
He becomes furious when the news covers a new casino. Billionaire Cameron Kaiser opened a three million dollar casino, but it’s not just any casino. Kaiser cuts the bow and removes the covering to show that the theme is The Joker. The name of the casino is Joker’s Wild. Despite all the pictures looking exactly like The Joker, Kaiser denies it has anything to do with him and that it’s about the symbol that historically was related to cards.
Bruce Wayne suspects something is awry and he’s right. Secretly, Kaiser is broke and knows The Joker would react and do something drastic when he saw the casino. The insurance Kaiser had on the place would make him richer than he was before. The Joker escapes Arkham and heads to Joker’s Wild to blow it up.
My favorite scene is when The Joker is mistaken for a card dealer. Rather than correct him, he goes to the table and not only cheats but gloats and reveals he’s cheating. He then sticks his tongue out. I love that. He could’ve just cheated, but he wanted to brag.
When Batman tells the Joker Kaiser’s plan, he decides that Kaiser is going to be his target. He leaves Batman to die and jumps in Kaiser’s getaway plane.
If I had to guess, I’d say Kaiser is based on Donald Trump. Obviously, this was way before he ran for president so there wasn’t any ill intent. I think that Trump’s boldness, grit, and determination was borrowed. The character actually wasn’t horrible looking nor did he have bad hair, so Trump should really be flattered by the portrayal.
The Joker shines in this episode. I love everything about it. If you’re having a bad day and just want to laugh, throw this on.
(6) HEART OF ICE
Mr. Freeze was made into a laughable so-bad-it’s-good disaster when portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The story within BATMAN AND ROBIN have similarities to this plot but the execution within the film was disrespectful and such a letdown.
This episode, however, won a Daytime Emmy Award for best writing. The late Michael Ansara added so much to the character with his dark cold tone. It was as if the sound of his voice added credence and believability to his abilities.
Mr. Freeze aka Victor Fries is probably the most sympathetic of all Batman’s rivals. The show begins when Freeze is staring at a snow globe with a dancing ballerina. The ballerina was made in the image of his wife who he placed in a cryogenic stage after she succumbed to an illness. His mission is to get revenge.
He begins stealing from GothCorp and uses a gun that when shot freezes the target. When Batman shows up at one of the crimes, Freeze attempts to reason with him advising it’s a personal vendetta and that he’s not involved. Batman insists that he’s involved now making him an enemy of Freeze.
Batman sneaks into Gothcorp and grabs an old videotape that explains Mr. Freeze’s anger. Victor Fries had worked for GothCorp. On the tape, he explains into the camera that he is keeping his wife in a cryogenic state to keep her alive.
CEO Ferris Boyle breaks in and demands he disconnect his wife as the equipment he used was company property. When Fries grabs a gun, Boyle kicks him into chemicals that turned him into Mr. Freeze.
The writing definitely deserved an Emmy and any other accolades presented. The dialogue, rational and explanations Freeze offers is so relatable yet written like poetry. When he walks in on Batman watching the video he says, “It would move me to tears, if I still had tears to shed.”
Paul Dini is brilliant. I’m not sure if there will ever be another like him. He never spoke down to the audience. He demanded more and in-turn provided insight and humanity into the good and bad guys alike. I can’t say enough about this episode.
(5) HARLEQUINADE
An illegal auction is being held for an insanely large bomb. The criminals are bidding, when The Joker shows up and steals it. Mayor Hill doesn’t want to cause a city wide panic, but Batman and Commissioner Gordon know how insane Mister J is.
They reluctantly make a deal with Harley. If she helps them, she’ll be pardoned. She accepts and promises no tricks. She goes back to their old hide out, greets the hyenas and changes into her outfit. She helps Batman and Robin find The Joker but then turns on them and jumps in The Joker’s arms. The Joker lies and says he had every intention of getting her before setting off the bomb.
She begins thinking of Poison Ivy, Two Face and her babies – Bud and Lou. He tries to push her in saying that he’ll buy her a gold fish.
That’s when Harley gets physical. She hits and punches and then pulls a gun on him. It is here that we see the wonderfully dysfunction of their relationship. He tells her that she doesn’t have it in her to shoot, but she does. The gun however was a fake and a flag showed up that said ‘bang.’
Harley gives the look of a cat that just ate the canary and The Joker starts laughing. He responds with “baby you’re the greatest!”
He was proud of her for taking the shot. It wasn’t about abuse, but just pure craziness. It was about tricks and dares and confidence – and she passed the test.
Harley is amazing as usual. She even gives insight into why she loves The Joker. He listened to her and made everything fun. When she was a doctor, she listened to everyone else – but he, he always listened to her. Batman even understood it. He still thought it was a sick infatuation, but he got it.
There are a ton of funny scenes. In 22 minutes, I probably laughed 22 times. I swear this show makes me want to get a hyena every time I see Bud and Lou.
(4) THE TRIAL
What make someone bad? Is it nature, nurture, environment, instinct, selfishness or a super hero who pushes small time hoods into the worst of the worst? That’s the question that THE TRIAL answers. The episode pulls no punches and gives a definitive answer. Most shows would attempt a pretentious It’s a little of everything approach, but not BATMAN. Bruce W. Timm and Paul Dini hit this one out of the park.
DA Janet Van Dorn hates Batman. She believes he has created a lunatic fringe that is ruining Gotham. Ironically, she’s dating Bruce Wayne and complains about Batman to him. He tries to rationalize with her, but she is convinced it’s his fault.
While on a date with Bruce, Janet is kidnapped. The criminals at Arkham have decided that Janet is right. They are putting Batman on trial for making them who they are. Janet is forced to defend Batman who is now in a straight-jacket.
The Joker is the judge and the villains are the jury. The Joker takes the stand and wears a British Courtroom Wig (nice touch.) As soon as he sits, he hits the gavel and declares guilty. Janet protests so the Joker allows the trial to continue.
They are also the witnesses, takes the stand and badmouths him.
The Mad Hatter blames Batman for taking his ladylove, Alice Pleasance away from him, even though she never wanted to be with him. To see an extended version of this watch MAD AS A HATTER. It would certainly be in the top 25 episodes. One of my favorite actors, Roddy McDowell voiced the Hatter. I’m so sad he died. He shined even in the worst films. He always made every production worth watching and he was perfect as the Hatter.
In THE TRIAL, when Harley takes the stand she nuzzles up to the Joker and flirts with him. He throws her a kiss and she swoons, but then Janet ruins it when she reveals the Joker ratted on Harley in order to get a lesser sentence. The fighter came out in her and she was ready to attack him. She was temporarily removed from the courtroom.
Poison Ivy insists that Batman should’ve allowed her to kill Harvey Dent, but when faced with a flower The Joker was wearing, her obsession for plant life was revealed.
The Ventriloquist, Croc, Harlequin, The Scarecrow, Two-Face, the Mad Hatter, The Riddler and Poison Ivy all listen to the testimony. In the end, even the villains have to admit that Batman had nothing to do with their crimes.
It’s a powerful episode with a great message and a bunch of funny and cool moments.
(3) BABY-DOLL
If anyone can give Mr. Freeze a run for his money on empathy, it would be the villain Baby-Doll. Mary Louise Dahl was a famous TV star on the show LOVE THAT BABY. Her catchphrase was always “I didn’t mean to.”
She was burdened with a physical ailment which made her always appear young. Even in the show, she looked as though she was five, but in reality she was twenty.
After her sitcom was cancelled, she tried dramatic acting but the critics and audiences weren’t interested. She was soon forgotten. The best years of her life were over and she would do anything to get them back – even kidnap the cast. She brought them to the old set and had men with guns hold them there.
She wanted them to stay with her and she wanted to play her part forever.
This is just an amazing episode. It’s sad and depressing but perfectly executed. It has a WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE (1962) feel, but also speaks to the awful treatment that little people endured. I thought of DIFF’RENT STROKES (1978) and WEBSTER (1983).
(2) HARLEY AND IVY
Once again, I love this incarnation of Poison Ivy. This episode developed the friendship between Harley and Ivy.
The Joker blames Harley Quinn for ruining their latest heist even though it was his directions that caused the hiccup. When he grabs the gun to shoot Batman, he realizes it’s the fake gun. That was her fault, but in her defense, The Joker does love those bang guns.
When they get home, he kicks her out again She is completely depressed, but soon the depression turns to anger. She decides that she’s going to get the diamond that The Joker wanted. She breaks into the museum and there she meets Poison Ivy.
The two go on heists together and become great friends while The Joker begins missing Harley. His clothes aren’t clean, the hyenas aren’t fed. Every other time he kicked her out, she came back.
Ivy builds her self-esteem and self-worth. Still, Harley misses The Joker terribly. She loves him.
When a newspaper puts Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn on the front page and talks about how much they’ve stolen, The Joker wants his piece. Quinn calls him to see if he misses her or if he’s still angry. He uses his manipulation and traces the call.
He shows up at Ivy’s and Harley runs into his arms, until The Joker goes to attack Ivy. The girls fight back and stick together.
I love these two as friends. I hate them as lovers. This is one time I’m playing the feminist card. Women can be best friends and not screw each other. It doesn’t need to be sexual. I think giving Ivy a girlfriend that Harley disliked would be interesting. Even having Harley display jealousy over the time Ivy spent with her girlfriend would be cool; but Harley and Ivy are much better friends than lovers.
Harley (in certain universes) was made in The Joker’s image when she was pushed into the vat of Ace Chemicals. She’s made FOR him and I don’t want her with anyone else. I don’t want her with Deadshot or anybody else.
I really wish there was a comic where The Joker and Harley went on adventures. I’d love to see Poison Ivy included in that and her and The Joker bickering while Harley tried to intervene.
(1) MAD LOVE
As much as I pondered over the rest of the episodes as so many are close to my heart, there was never any question as to what would be #1. MAD LOVE is the story of Dr. Harleen Quinzel falling for The Joker. The comic is my Bible and the episode is my warm blanket on a bad day.
Is there any BATMAN fan that doesn’t know this story? Quinzel was a psychiatrist who took an internship at Arkham with the hope of writing a book on the most violent and unstable criminals. She was out to make a buck.
The Joker sent her a rose telling her to come see him. He tells her that he loves her name – it could be changed to Harley Quinn. She was unimpressed and was going to walk away when he said that he felt he could relate to her and reveal his secrets.
He lied and said he was beaten by his father and she bought ever word. She began hating Batman and told The Joker about her affection.
One of my favorite scenes is when she’s reading the newspaper and it says, The Joker Escapes: Body Count Rises and she’s worried about him. She sees him with rose colored glasses where he’s always the victim and Batman is always the bad guy. It’s entertainment and it’s fun. It also speaks to the girl inside who loves bad boys.
It’s quite obvious that if Harley really searched her soul, she’d know that The Joker was messed up and lying; but she didn’t want to. She wanted to buy what he was selling. She was a willing participant in the madness – and that’s what people don’t understand.
Yes, The Joker is abusive. We’re talking about a man who uses grenades, guns and even a bomb that would blow Gotham up. He was even prepared to blow himself up. He didn’t care. So, yes – when he and Harley are alone, he’s a bad boy. Think of him as early Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich) from DANGEROUS LIAISONS (1988) or Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) after he went crazy in THE SHINING (1980). One can’t expect that The Joker would be like Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) from GHOST (1990) or Forney Hull (James Frain) from WHERE THE HEART IS (2000).
That said, there’s room for both gentle and caring men – and rough and mean men. It’s unrealistic and unfair to the character to have The Joker single because of his insanity. There are women drawn to the worst behaviors one can have.
The Joker desires control, he has anger problems, and he lies through his teeth. That said, in some incarnations, he really does care for Harley. In the recent, BATMAN: ASSAULT ON ARKHAM (2014), he thought of her constantly. He even missed her calling him ‘puddin.’
I love Harley when she fights back. I love when she gets the best of the Joker. Mostly, I love them together.
I’m an intelligent woman and I understand the difference between fantasy and reality. If DC wants to appeal to a female audience, put out more comics and movies with Harley and The Joker together. Also, bring back BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. It’s one of the best shows of all time.
In the meantime, we have both the comic and episode of MAD LOVE. The ending is priceless. When Harley traps Batman and tries to pull off a scheme to anger the Joker, things don’t go quite as planned. She gets roughed up again, and convinces herself she’s done with him – until she sees he sent a rose.
Amazon Prime members, you’re in luck. You can watch every episode for free. Get on that and have some fun! Those who don’t have Amazon, some of these are on YOUTUBE. If you have the cash, I would ask that you buy the DVDs or get Prime as seeing massive sales or views, may encourage them to bring back the show.
