"Batman: Caped Crusader" Season One Talkback (Spoilers)

[b.t.]

ngl when the first glimpses of nocturna were leaked, i totes’ expected her to be an adult who turned batman into a vampire, considering this was one of the things timm was so adamant on back then

i still wonder if they’re gonna do that actually

It WAS my original intent for Nocturna to be an adult. The idea was that she‘d be one of the biggest donors to the Gotham Orphanage and taking advantage of her access to the children to prey on them after dark like Bram Stoker’s ‘Bloofer Lady’, but the story just wasn’t gelling in the Writers Room.

Eventually someone suggested making her a child herself and I immediately thought of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (and Matt Reeves’ American remake) and then somehow we ended up with the carnival setting and making all of Natalia’s orphan victims Robins and Biff-Bam-Pow, suddenly it all came together. I think it’s much better than the version we started with. I had about five seconds of hesitation when I realized it meant that I had to ditch that old abandoned BTAS model, but I got over it.

 

[-batmat-]

Started my rewatch and now it feels like it's all settling in. I feel like, considering DC animation in recent years, this show looks the best it can possibly look in 2024 considering current budgets. Show looks really nice.

"In Treacherous Waters"

Loved that first Batman scene. Part of me wishes that would have been the very first scene in the show. The blue purple ish dark lightning just looks so good, that's great color choice right there.

Not a big fan of Bruce being so distant to Alfred. On this first episode we only get a glimpse of this, by Bruce calling him "Pennyworth" but it gets much worse down the line. I guess this is a page from Matt Reeve's Batman movie book. It's just not an arc I enjoy, I feel Bruce should feel close to Alfred from the start, but as a different take, it's not bad either.

I wonder if Harvey Dent's design was made with a young Jack Nicholson in mind? He reminds me of him, specially those eyebrows! Harvey usually starts out as a good guy, but I liked this take on him being a sleazy politician already. He's one of those characters you love to hate. I think Diedrich Bader plays him very well, but his voice kinda takes me out of it because I just finished watching JL Action for the first time, and he's very fresh in my mind as Green Lant-- Booster Gold, and of course, being Batman himself in TBATB.

Classic and enjoyable interrogation scene. I wonder if the very first scene would have been cut it might have worked better for the reveal that the Pengiun is behind this. But then you'd miss one of Pengiun's sons comment about Clarence taking the fall.

And on to the controversy of the week! Not only is Pengiun a woman, but her full reveal is with a musical number! Having seen the episode twice, I think the character works great, I loved the dynamic with her sons (wasn't there a similar Batman Beyond villain that was kinda like a mom and her family?) and how she started being legitimate with the Iceberg Lounge (it's a boat now.. Iceberg... get it?) but being a criminal in secret and going to great lenghts to keep that a secret. Honestly, the character completely works, but the gender swap still feels a bit weird. But give it time to get used to it and people will see there's nothing wrong with, in fact, it's great. People sadly like to complain at anything these days and start shouting words like "woke" and "agenda" left and right. Oh well.

I've always loved Rupert Thorne so I love that he's the main mob guy here instead of Falcone or Maroni. I do feel that his design and voice, as good as they are, are not as rememberable as BTAS. And I say this knowing that it's unfair to compare to BTAS with all the weight it has, but I make the comparison as fairly as possible. Still, he fits the mob boss part well. Loved the "itty bitty" talk with Pengiun.

Bruce doing the falling off the yatch line twice until he gets a laugh is just so funny.

I love how the episode escalates from here, with Pengiun trying to silence her remaining son and the police trying to protect him.

My main dislike of this episode is the car chase scene. While a great action scene (loved Barbara shootin out of the car), the CG just feels really out of place with the "old" look of the show and it takes me out of it sadly. I'm sure there's a reason why vehicles are now always done in CG, but I really dislike it. If needed, I'd love for CG to be kept to a minimum in 2D animation, blending in as much as possible. This just puts CG in the forefront and its not my thing.

I like how unstopabble this batmobile feels. Design is interesting. Not loving it so far, but it's definitely interesting and fits with the world around it.

The old BTAS police head quarters... what a beautiful sight!

John Di Maggio does a great Bullock, but same as Bader, his voice is too recognizable and it takes me out of it. Specially since I'm currently rewatching Adventure Time.

I love when "60s Batman" ridiculous stuff like the giant umbrella gun makes its way into "serious" Batman stuff. IMO it works all too well! Batman shouldn't be THAT serious!

Batman's fight on the Iceberg Lounge and the destruction of the Police HQ was an intense sequence and a great climax to the episode.

-----

I saw people, both here and elsewhere on the internet, saying they'd love the show to be in black and white like the intro. I turned off the color during some scenes in this episode and it looks SO GOOD! I think a special edition of this series in black and white with even more film noise , dust and scratches would be very interesting!

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Ladies and gentlemen... the Gentleman Ghost!

I like the inclusion of Gentleman Jim Craddock, but I do miss the monocle!

 

[Yojimbo]

I saw people, both here and elsewhere on the internet, saying they'd love the show to be in black and white like the intro. I turned off the color during some scenes in this episode and it looks SO GOOD! I think a special edition of this series in black and white with even more film noise , dust and scratches would be very interesting!

I wonder if that was considered at any point. Like the Strange Days short.

 

[Millicay]

It WAS my original intent for Nocturna to be an adult. The idea was that she‘d be one of the biggest donors to the Gotham Orphanage and taking advantage of her access to the children to prey on them after dark like Bram Stoker’s ‘Bloofer Lady’, but the story just wasn’t gelling in the Writers Room.

Eventually someone suggested making her a child herself and I immediately thought of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (and Matt Reeves’ American remake) and then somehow we ended up with the carnival setting and making all of Natalia’s orphan victims Robins and Biff-Bam-Pow, suddenly it all came together. I think it’s much better than the version we started with. I had about five seconds of hesitation when I realized it meant that I had to ditch that old abandoned BTAS model, but I got over it.

On the one hand it did take me by surprise that the story was so different from what I've heard was planned for BTAS, on the other this still gives me hope that the original Nocturna story can someday be adapted in comic form for the BTAS continuity, along with other unproduced scripts like the one with the gun that killed Batman's parents and the one with the Endless.

For what it's worth, the final scene of that episode is one of my favorites and I just don't think it would've worked as well with an adult Nocturna.

 

[-batmat-]

I wonder if that was considered at any point. Like the Strange Days short.

Maybe, but I'm sure the higher ups would have never gone for it. But as a separate special edition? Maybe as extras in a physical release... you never know!

 

[Frontier]

Episode 2: And Be a Villain

I like how they start of the episode like we're straight into an old school slasher film! Really felt on-brand for the tone of the episode .

Bruce Wayne in a GCPD interrogation room? And it's only episode 2! Although I do like the moments where the mask comes off, for a second, like when Bruce is eyeing Renee as a possible resource and then he slips into his Batman voice just a smidge to give off the EXACT time Yvonne vanished .

Renee Montoya folks! Still as serious and dedicated a police officer as ever but now she talks, courtessy of Michelle Bonilla, like she's a dedicated spitfire of a 60's dame .

Oh hey, Lucius Fox! Always nice to see him. I guess Wayne Enterprises doesn't exist (and this Bruce wouldn't really own a company) so we need Lucius as...a lawyer? I mean, okay I guess (kind of neat to think that we now have two black lawyer characters on the good guys' side). Not sure if that's a step-down from being a big time exec in a multi-million dollar company, but Lucius is known for adapting. I'm guessing he also is not aware of his clients' nightly escapades, though I also guess we won't be seeing him much unless Bruce gets into trouble with the law .

Jeez, Bruce was so caught up in Renee possibly being an asset that he needed Alfred to remind him that a woman's life was at stake. A woman he KNEW .

I love Jim Gordon being the dad of the police force and mentoring Renee, and giving her the emotional support she needs. It also probably helps that she's likely one of the only detectives on the force he can rely on .

A tale of two detectives, with the most detective work in the show so far! It's kind of neat watching Batman and Renee work in tandem to really bring this case together .

I didn't expect Renee to clue into Karlo that quick...but then he's dead! You never know quite how a case in Gotham is going to develop .

Dan Donohue was the perfect choice to portray Basil Karlo, the Golden Age Clayface, as he gets adapted pretty much 99% accurately from his original comic book story. Donohue just injected so much graviatas and genuine theatricality into Karlo that you really felt that he was an old, experienced, actor with weight and also delivered just as satisfactorily with the reveal of his more unhinged and insane Clayface persona. When a man commits to being a villain, he commits to being a villain .

Man, Batman really does not talk much in this show unless he needs to REALLY make a point or during an investigation. Like in B:TAS he'd usually at least try to reason with the villain of the week or maybe strike at least one or two sardonic quips but here he's pretty much a Silent Knight .

Oh thank goodness, Batman actually prioritized saving civilians! If he really only cared about the mission he would have chased after Clayface and not stopped that ladder from hitting that dude. He also made sure the director got away .

Honestly I have to admire the commitment to the bit by chaining up the leading lady to a bed. Karlo really spared no expense to make this real life "movie" play out exactly like it would have in the era .

It seems like Harvey is pretty chummy with ALL the corrupt detectives in the GCPD...and can't go an episode without mentioning his mayoral campaign. Just like this show can't go an episode without someone making fun of Bullock .

I love John DiMaggio using his high-strung voice .

Was Manning actually gay (assuming that's why Yvonne wasn't his type) or was that Karlo trying to throw off suspicion and also discredit his romantic rival? Then again I could kind of see Karlo wanting to portray Manning as accurately as possible. Also, Yuri Lowenthal !

I love how the director is all calm and sipping tea and then on the set he's a massive raging primadonna. I feel like Basil was probably one of the few actors he could always work with successfully...which makes it all the more ironic when Basil tries to kill him .

Swordfight! How very...theatrical. Though it does make me wonder about the extent of Bruce's training in this continuity .

Dang, explicit murder is one thing but explicit corpses? Definitely not your dad's Batman cartoon .

The Batcave has a home theater system! Though Batman making it clear just from his tone of voice that he's not paying Alfred to do movie critiques .

Honestly the real tragedy of the episode is seeing Harvey Bullock not have Renee Montoya's back. Renee would have given him that pickle! Maybe! Probably .

Honestly I think we can blame everything on mad science, it never ends well. Though I wonder if Karlo was always going to end up disfigured even if Yvonne had rejected him. It seems like his face morphing is connected to his mood, so the moment he was upset his face fell apart. Also it's kind of neat that they adapted Golden Age Clayface, down to the design, but gave him a bit of Matt Hagen's powers .

Can we get more Yvonne, please? Girl was tied up in a death trap but that still didn't stop her from immediately calling out Karlo's entire motivation and ethos for being shallow and bad acting. And she was still able to be mostly glib even when she was about to be sliced in two! Plus, you can never have enough Lacey Chabert in a DC cartoon .

Karlo being an actor dedicated to being the "heavy" or "antagonist" and feeling pigenholed and underappreciated, especially when he never got to play the leading man, is straight out of the comics. Though it's also kind of funny that what really spurred him on to become a Supervillain was his crush just not being interested in him that way .

They never actually called Karlo "Clayface." Though now that I think about it, I don't think Matt Hagen was called Clayface in his first appearance in B:TAS either .

I'm honestly amazed Flass and Bullock actually bothered to show up. I hope they weren't planning to take all credit for the arrest from Renee, even if they immediately tried to discredit her involvement since Batman saved her...which, okay, yeah, he really helped, but still .

Okay, honestly, I think they need to arrest Yvonne too. "I've had enough horror in the past few days." - Girl just straight up murdered Harvey Bullock .

So like, where are they going to send Karlo? Normal prison? Does Arkham exist in this universe ?

Ah, the classic "you may have just saved me, but I'm still going to arrest you!" though admittedly him bugging her probably ticked her off a little...but he wouldn't have found her otherwise .

Episode 3: Kiss of the Catwoman

Was anyone expecting Tom Kenny to reprise Eel O'Brian in this show? Was anyone expecting Eel O'Brian!? The only thing that throws me off, other than actually seeing O'Brian's eyes without his usual Plastic Man shades, is that he's a generally clean and honest photographer for the Gotham Gazette (well, as clean as you can be when you take photos of affairs for the tabloids). Is it really Eel if he's not a former criminal who then cleans up his act after getting powers? I was half-expecting him to be one of Selina's accomplices. Not that I'm really expecting him to become Plastic Man, but still. Wouldn't Jack Ryder have made more sense, even if he's not a photographer ?

Selina Kyle is in the building ready to pilfer some jewels! I feel like every new Batman show people most look forward to seeing how the world and iconic characters will be interpreteted, and especially look forward to seeing how they handle one of the most iconic ladies in comics AND in Gotham City...Selina Kyle/Catwoman. And I would say overall that this version was pretty pure Catwoman in most respects, being a drop-dead gorgeous woman who oozes class and sophistication, loves cats as much as she does the finer things in life, flirts as easily as she breathes (and steals things), loves the thrill of crime, and doesn't care a whit about a silly little thing called the law when it comes to getting what she wants. And Christina Ricci utterly killed it in the role, coming off so naturally with the role that I'm amazed she hadn't played her before now! You could tell she was enjoying every minute of voicing Selina !

I love it when Bruce and Selina flirt as much as Batman and Catwoman do. I honestly wanted to see them develop something on their civlian side, especially when Selina was clearly interested (especially when Bruce slugged a guy), but this version of Bruce would probably never pursue it .

It figures that the one thing that would make Bruce break character is someone making light of his mother. Good thing he's buddies with the DA and rich so he can get off the hook, even if it means dealing with the one thing Bruce Wayne hates the most...therapy !

I know there's the somberness of the aftermath of the Wayne murder playing out but I love seeing Alfred in his driver clothes like in the DCAU .

Dr. Harleen Quinzel, everybody! She may not be blonde, Jewish, or have the accent, but you have to admit she comes off like a pretty professional, affable, and competent therapist (even if we all know better that that's not likely to last). It was interesting to see her try to get through to Bruce and cut through as much of his mask as possible, seemingly for his sake, even if Bruce wouldn't bite. And it's always nice to hear Jamie Chung, and I felt like at times I could detect just a hint of a more traditional, high-pitched, Harley voice in her performance .

I liked the detail that you could see the trophies in Selina's apartment, probably from gymnastics, to explain how she's so agile and quick on her feet as Catwoman (even in heels!). Though it's also kind of funny to do that with Catwoman when being an Olympic level athlete is more Harley's thing .

Selina Kyle was always a kleptomaniac but it was Batman who inspired her to take up a costume to become a career criminal! Did Batman in the paper look like the live-action serial version of him to anybody else ?

So often we've gotten versions of Catwoman who have justifiable and reasonable motives for her thefts or treat it like the thefts are only a means to an end for a better cause...whether it be animal rights, abused women, or a personal vendetta against someone who wronged her. So much so that she's practically part of the Batfamily. Here we just get a Catwoman who steals things because she enjoys it and because she enjoys being rich. Does that make this version of Selina more shallow and immature? Yeah, but she's still so utterly charming and carefree and quite frankly FUN about it that it's hard to dislike her and before you know it you find yourself enjoying every minute of her .

I do kind of wonder how Ed Brubaker felt writing this episode because this version of Selina is so dramatically different both personality and ethics wise to the version he wrote in his famous Catwoman run. Not that he didn't still make her come off memorably and appealing, just in an entirely different way .

The Golden Age Catwoman costume in all its glory! Is it practical for a cat burglar to be sporting a dress and high heels as she commits crimes? Nope, but Selina makes it work because she's so utterly glamorous and energetic (at least when she's not nearly falling off rooftops). Plus she's got amazing legs to show off with that leg slit .

Batman has fought gangsters, thugs, Supervillains, and serial killers...which is probably why he's so thrown off by a lady in a cat dress who is immediately flirting with him within minutes of meeting him. He's definitely not used to that .

I feel like they set up Bruce and Selina to be both mirrors and foils for each other...both come from prestigious families, only Bruces' are the legendary and revered Waynes' while Selina's family was disgraced after her fathers' Arrest. Both were born to priviledge but Bruce sees it as a means to an end while Selina drowns in the excess of it. Both lost parents, though while Bruce lost his parents to crime Selina lost her father to his OWN crime. Bruce has a long-suffering butler who tries to talk some sense into him, Selina has a long-suffering maid who tries to talk some sense into her (and gets paid less for it). As Batman, Bruce dresses as an animal, wears a cape, and prowls the streets of Gotham in a themed automobile. As Catwoman Selina dresses as an animal, wears a cape, and prowls the streets of Gotham in a themed automobile. But whereas Batman is serious, no-nonsesne, and dedicated to justice, Catwoman is flighty, flirty, and enjoys committing crimes. They're the perfect pair .

This week on bullying Harvey Bullock, Bullock gets the Carmine Falcone facial treament, courtesy of Catwoman .

It's interesting that Selina's father is not only alive but not a crime boss, just in prison for embezzlment. I guess that might partially explain why his daughters' answer to her financial problems is to just...commit more crimes. I am kind of curious about Selina's relationship with him because he calls her "daddy" which implies they're pretty close, so I wonder if we'll ever get to meet him or see how he responds to her being Catwoman. Be kind of funny if they end up locked up at the same prison !

Wow, that has to be a record for the fastest Catwoman has been caught, arrested, and unmasked. They usually save that for the end of the episode! But I guess it shows that not even getting busted will be enough to deter Selina when she wants to do something .

Though I guess it also probably helps that she knows how to charm her way out of legal problems and she's such a pretty face that Harvey doesn't think she's worth convicting (if only he could extent that leniency to any of Barbara's clients) .

I love how her immediate thought after narrowly escaping justice is...she needs to spend more money on a Catmobile. Obviously her father taught her how to use money wisely. I'm only disappointed we didn't get to see the Batmobile go up against Selina's ride .

I like how Selina comes off like this spoiled and shallow rich girl but she was still smart enough to clear out of her apartment once she started committing crimes again .

Was that Summer Gleeson!? I do like how they had Grey Griffin reporting on Catwoman, knowing she's also voiced Catwoman a bunch of times .

Was Selina going to catnap that cat if Batman hadn't shown up? Honestly, I wouldn't it past her. And the cats love her too much .

Is there anything more romantic than Batman chasing Catwoman across rooftops? Especailly when he narrowly saves her and she gives him their first kiss ?

The way the creators described it I was actually expecting Batman to be more overtly thrown off by Catwoman's advances and be a little more flustered around her. As it is it feels like he treats her like just another criminal and her charms had no effect on him. But mabe they were going for something more subtle than usual? Like it seems like he was really focused on catching her, which one could dismiss as just his dedication to the mission and he treats all criminals equally, but even Alfred was surprised he was so intend on apprehending someone who was ultimately just a mere cat burglar and who only got violent (but not lethally so) were to the authorities trying to catch her. Why the determination? And the way he described the whole adventure as "frivolous" gave off the impression that...maybe, just maybe, a part of him was actually enjoying chasing her as much as she was enjoying being chased by him? I also felt it was noticeable that Dr. Q brought up his inability to connect with women on a deeper level in the same episode introducing the one woman who most consistently across the franchise is able to get through to his heart. I mean, he's already said more to her than he has every other criminal in this show, even if it's just three lines .

I'm starting to feel like Catwoman stealing Martha Wayne's pearls is now a thing between her and Batman .

I love how she pulls a panther from out of nowhere. Did she steal that from the zoo !?

It's probably just me hoping, but when Bullock immediately took out the handcuffs to arrest Selina, a part of me saw that as a good thing that his first instinct was to act like a cop instead of a thug. Of course he still went along with Flass' plan to kill her, but at least it's something .

Honestly the biggest crime of the episode was Flass grazing Selina's luscious legs. It made Batman giving him a beatdown all the more satisfying .

I couldn't count the amount of times Batman has killed the romantic mood between him and Catwoman by handcuffing her and leaving her for the police .

I feel like a lot of people are going to ask by the end of the episode: where was the whip? How could you do an episode about Catwoman and not feature her signature weapon? And then I thought to myself that, compared to every other character in the show so far, this version of Selina is constantly evolving. When she found out Batman uses gadgets, she started using gadgets as well. When she found out Batman had a "nice ride," she made one for herself. When she realized how difficult it is to elude Batman, she brought in the panther. I'm going to assume her takeaway from the end of the episode is that she wouldn't have gotten caught if she hadn't got shot, so she'll have to figure out a way to deal with ranged attackers...hence, the whip .

That scene of Selina handcuffed to a tough, serious, policewoman (jail matron?) reminded me of an episode of Batman '66 where she was ALSO handcuffed to a tough, serious, policewoman. Only now instead of giving Batman purring ASMR, she's using her one phone call to get bailed out of jail .

Honestly the character who ended this episode the happiest was probably Greta after selling all of Selina's stuff (and probably the cats too) and heading off to a much-deserved vacation. See, this is why Bruce pays Alfred (I assume). My only disappointment is the possibility that we won't see Greta in future Catwoman crime escapades, but Selina calling her "that little crook!" to the officer she's handcuffed too without even a HINT of irony was the perfect punchline .

This episode really dived deeper into Bruce's headspace (a place he tends to not dwell in as much) as we see him as a boy so traumatized from his parents' murder that he can't handle it, and the only way he can process it is to basically kill his child self and swear revenge on all criminals. Not a vow to wage war on all criminals, a plan to get "back at them" for what they did to his family, which I think sets a different tone to other versions of Batman. Especially when he saw Alfred as a means of achieving that and not a person, leading to probably the coldest relationship we've seen between Bruce and Alfred ever in a media adaption. And the real tragedy of this is Alfred, who has been trying to be there for Bruce this whole time even when his job has never been moer thankless, and has tried to bring back the REAL Bruce Wayne, but so far none of his efforts have amounted to anything .

I like how even Batman realizes Selina is not likely to stay locked up for long, though it'll be interesting to see how she bounces back from having no money and from serving hard time. Either way, I'm eagerly awaiting the cat getting out of her cage and prowling the streets of Gotham, as well as her developing relationship with The Batman .

 

[TheGuy]

So saw some episodes and I dig the detective vibe, gotta watch more episodes but solid so far

 

[Yojimbo]

Some other references/nods in ...And Be A Villain:
-Batman vs. Clayface on the castle stairs - matches a fight in Dread Castle in Detective Comics #40
-Some posters in the b.g. in one scene were nods to "Return of Doctor X" and "Mystery of the Wax Museum"
-That scene with the stand-in actor where the director throws a fit looked like "The Lodger" which featured Jack the Ripper and starred Merle Oberon from The Dark Angel, George Sanders as the Inspector, and Laird Cregar as Jack. At first I thought London After Midnight but that was a '20s movie.

And Catwoman did have panthers in the comics. Diablo and Lover. I knew I confused myself on that.

 

[-batmat-]

"...And Be a Villain"

Great episode, but unlike Episode 1, I liked this one better on the first watch. Dan Donohue as Basil Karlo was a highlight of the episode.

Not sure what was the point of Lucius taking Bruce out of there if he was helping with the investigation, other than making it a "status" thing as if someone of Bruce Wayne's calibre shouldn't have to do something as "low" as being in police HQ for interrogation, when he could have been visited at "his estate"

Following up on my comments regarding CG, this episode does it well. It's on the background while the main focus are the characters inside cars for example. Works perfectly and you only notice it if you intentionally look for it.

I liked the twist of Karlo being the obvious suspect but turning up dead, killed by some unknown monster. Of course we know best, but it was intriguing the first time around to find out how he had pulled that off.

I enjoyed Gordon's reaffirming to Montoya, and Montoya's disregard for Dent.

Did Clayface wanted to kill Batman with that sword and missed, or did he wanted to have a sword fight and he gave Batman one? Seeing as Karlo seemes to love drama, I'd say it's the latter! Loved the swashbuckler style sword fight.

One of my favorite things from the episode were the clay-faced visuals. Karlo's face melting when he gets rejected, Montoya's punch and then Batman scrambling Karlo's face were pretty cool.

I'm still not quite getting why Karlo did all this. He gets revenge on the guy who injected the serum on him, ok. Abducts Ivonne when she rejects him, alright. But why kill the other actor, the producer and trying to kill the director? He didn't even try again with him. "At first revenge..." then "he gets a taste for murder and being a villain? I don't know, I don't really get it. Not sure what was the point of Ivonne calling him out either. So is he really "a villain" or is he just playing a part? Either way those people are dead, so it could be both... but I found the whole thing a bit confusing.

I'm liking the focus on Montoya. On to the next one.

EDIT

Something I forgot to mention, so did the police head quarters got rebuilt or was this a different pre existing building? If it was rebuilt, one would assume there was a lot of time between episodes 1 and 2.

"Kiss Of The Catwoman"

I honestly didn't remember O'Brian was Plastic Man's civilian name, but I think references like this are cool. There's more down the line!

Man, b.t. wasn't kidding when he was talking about Ricci's Catwoman. Great voice acting, really sells the sexy flirty vibe. I like the she was the one going for Bruce this time instead of the other way around.

Jamie Chung as Harleen is also a hit. She seems like a real good shrink, reading Bruce perfectly, I liked this. Which made her villanous twist in her later episode a bit jarring to me. More on that later.

So did Bruce steal his file or did Harleen give it to him? Didn't really get why was the file empty, too. And hey! I also go to therapy on tuesdays

Greta is hilarious! Gave me Edna Mode vibes, but of course not the same. "More bills..." "Put it with the others" hahaha!

Batman's sketch in the paper lifted directly from the old comic book that explained his origin. Lovely tribute!

I like how Selina is just a bad girl. No emotional or psychological motives. Sometimes we love a bad guy who's just bad!

Batman's and Catwoman's first encounter. Sexual tension off the roof! How it should be!

Bullock's reaction to Dent's "since we have no evidence..." was hilarious!

Batman and Catwoman running in front of the red letter sign... beautiful.. and then that catch and kiss... impossible not to think about "The Cat and The Claw". I do wonder what Batman's feelings on Catwoman are. He seems to say she's just a distraction she wants out of the way, but I think the subtext is that he's attracted to her, and he can't have something like that distract him from his mission. Wish they would have made Batman's feelings more clear.

"Thief smelled nice" on the paper... this episode is bringing the laughs!

Poor "Pennyworth"... doesn't deserve this kind of treatment by Bruce! Coffee's cold line at the end was... well, cold!

Young Bruce mentions he didn't see the mugger or the gun, but in his flashbacks, he sees both clearly. Hmmm. Really leaning on his creepy side by showing up to Alfred sleeping and saying those things. Not sure I'm a big fan of this, but it shows how emotionally scarred Bruce is, and how much he's distanced from the world.

And Greta getting the last laugh... hilarious again!

Heartbreaking final scene. The Wayne's murder from Alfred's perspective. Hits hard.
----

Definitely want to see more of Catwoman in future episodes, and Bruce accepting his romantic feelings, perhaps getting a real love interest.

 

[b.t.]

The makeup and costuming on the actor who gets chewed out by the director is meant to somewhat resemble Lon Chaney‘s get-up in the famously lost silent film LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT.

But Karlo’s origin story does have faint echoes of Laird Cregar’s relationship with Merle Oberon while they were filming THE LODGER. Cregar became obsessed with losing weight after Oberon suggested that he could be a romantic leading man instead of always being typecast as villains. The stress that the crash-dieting put on his body probably led to his tragically early death from a massive heart attack. Karlo’s address on ‘Slade Terrace’ is an oblique nod to Cregar and THE LODGER, Slade being the name of Cregar’s Jack the Ripper-like character in that movie.

 

[-batmat-]

Some general thoughts

I wish they would have shown the episodes names in the actual episodes. I even thought the episode names illustrations they uploaded before the premiere might actually be the title cards. I wouldn't have minded at least having the episode name titled like the DCAU sans BTAS! Specially since b.t. mentioned that there was a lot of thought into naming the episodes.

I enjoy Linklater's voice acting. His Batman voice is "soft" and calm, but it works in the context. From what I remember from my first watch, the only moment I didn't like was when he switched quickly between Bruce and Batman, it felt jarring, not that natural. Jason Watkins as Alfred is also really good.

"The Night Of The Hunters"

Jack Ryder! Cool. Lovely tribute to Max Fleischer's Superman with their Lois Lane design, plus Jimmy!

So this was basically this show's version of Year One. I loved how they did the conference room scene, specially with Montoya having a laugh about Bullock and Flass. Corrigan, huh? This episode is bringing all the cameos!

I liked that Batman didn't storm off when Gordon found him. As if Batman knows Gordon's a good cop and he wants to be involved with him as he considered Montoya earlier. Only after Gordon goes for him he runs away...

Hmmm, batsignal?

Again, Harleen showing she's a great psychiatrist....

I thought for some reason they wanted to change Firefly and made him Firebug. But turns out Firebug is an existing character already. I wonder if Flass calling him Firefly means there's a Firefly out there already or if it's just a reference for us. And since Firebug ends up dead, maybe they wanted to be able to bring another arsenist villain down the line?

I liked Firebug though. Again not a psyochologically motivated villain , just someone who's just nuts for fire and burning everything.

Batman jumping out of the window and using the grappling gun to go to another floor was a tasty move!

Bullock killing Firebug was shocking. Seems like he's beyond redemption for now. So frustrating that they end up being hailed as heroes.

Batman and Gordon having their first moment where they start to work together and slowly bond into a partnership was nice.

Overall a great episode.

"The Stress Of Her Regard"

That opening shot... WOW! New desktop wallpaper...

Hilarious and creative way to bring a character like King Tut into this world.

Jamie Chung's Harley voice... creepy! Sooo good! I'm all for this "serious" version of Harley. Honestly, other than BTAS, I've found most if not all Harley's a bit annoying, specially with the voice actresses they'd cast. This 180 on her works wonders imo. And her design is... *chef's kiss*

Couple of things I didn't like. First, it feels a bit excessive and seems to be missing some motivation for Harleen to go that bad. I get it, her patients are horrible persons and she does everything in her power to help them and it's no use. But going from that, to kidnap and torture? I felt there was something missing in the middle to help explain why Harley became like this. "I'll answer all your questions later" Harley says to Barbara... was JJ Abrams in charge of this one? This bothered me since as I mentioned in earlier episodes, Harleen seems a great psychiatrist and a very level minded person.

And, is no one looking for the kidnapped patients? They all seemed to be important and rich people, and their disappearance wouldn't go unnoticed.

"Hastings"? Would that be a tribute to Bob Hastings? It would be sweet!

"Puddin'..." ouch! Dark twist on the famous catchphrase.

All the newspaper BTAS references are GOLD. Look up Serum Lake's video on it. Also, is the gibberish to fillout papers in the show latin?

Well, Arkham looks nice and clean this time! Reminded me of the Justice Lord's universe!

"Ha... ha..." I see what you did there...

Boy, Harley is really fast if she went to the Playpen from the restaurant and changed all while Batman barely made it in and looked around a bit! Also she's tough if she survived that fall!

Batman showing some humanity and feelings. Step in the right direction.

I don't seem to recall if Montoya comments about Harley in later episodes, finding out about what she had been secretly up to.

 

[MatthewP]

It WAS my original intent for Nocturna to be an adult. The idea was that she‘d be one of the biggest donors to the Gotham Orphanage and taking advantage of her access to the children to prey on them after dark like Bram Stoker’s ‘Bloofer Lady’, but the story just wasn’t gelling in the Writers Room.

Eventually someone suggested making her a child herself and I immediately thought of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (and Matt Reeves’ American remake) and then somehow we ended up with the carnival setting and making all of Natalia’s orphan victims Robins and Biff-Bam-Pow, suddenly it all came together. I think it’s much better than the version we started with. I had about five seconds of hesitation when I realized it meant that I had to ditch that old abandoned BTAS model, but I got over it.

...i see
nevertheless, it's still got me wonderin', is there any chance of still doing that "vampire batman" episode or d'ya think there's enough of that on another series? (koff) brave and the bold (koff)

 

[Otaku-sempai]

...i see
nevertheless, it's still got me wonderin', is there any chance of still doing that "vampire batman" episode or d'ya think there's enough of that on another series? (koff) brave and the bold (koff)

Well, there's still the possibility of adapting the old "Mad Monk" story. We already have our precedent for including supernatural horror elements in Caped Crusader.

 

[Millicay]

Agreed, both Mad Monk and Hugo Strange would be great fits for the series. I know that Hugo already appeared in Strange Days, but hopefully that doesn't necessarily dissuade them from using him for a full episode or two.

Which reminds me, for anyone who wants an extra dose of Caped Crusader, Matt Wagner's Batman & The Monster Men and Batman & The Mad Monk are both really good modern reimaginings of the Golden Age stories, and feel like they could fit right in with the world of this series. Highly recommend.

 

[RoyalRubble]

"Nocturne"

Another nice, creepy episode. Natalia's condition made for some interesting visuals. And an ending scene reminiscent of how DCAU Batman treated Ace from the Royal Flush Gang.

Seeing the kids who would be Robins together, was pretty cool. Similar to the street urchins in Gotham By Gaslight or The Doom That Came To Gotham.

Nice seeing Julie Madison, too. Another surprising cameo, from Killer Croc. It seems he's happier here as part of a carnival than he was on Batman TAS.

And another good cliff-hanger ending with Dent's accident...

"The Killer Inside Me"

Dent becoming Two-Face was handled well. Him wanting revenge on Thorne is understandable and he seemed pretty unstoppable at first. I don't have a lot to comment but this was another intense, suspenseful and entertaining episode.

"Savage Night"

The season finale was likewise, intense. Most of the big recurring characters played their roles well here. And it also worked as some sort of payoff to some of the ideals presented throughout the earlier episodes. The odds are against them but Batman and a few of the Gotham Police won't stop.

I wasn't expecting Dent's final fate but it did leave a pretty big impact. Batman with a gun, you never really know what to expect next. I am kind of glad he didn't cross a line though. Maybe that image of him aiming a gun should have been used more as promotional material for the series to keep people guessing and debating things online.

The final scene with Batman confronting Thorne from afar was great. The lightning in the background was a nice touch. Also, really happy how Batman corrects himself and says "Alfred" instead of addressing him formally. I was thinking it might happen in the Natalia Knight episode but better late than never.

Not sure what to make of the ending Joker teaser but it should be interesting seeing a new take on the character.

All in all, this was a pretty entertaining first season and I look forward to more. I'll also probably comment more as I remember or come up with more thoughts for these episodes. There's probably a lot more stuff, Easter Eggs and whatever else. Though I'm sure others have probably found more than I did.

 

[Frontier]

Episode 4: Night of the Hunters

It's not easy being a police commissioner in Gotham City. Not only do you have to work around a department that's 90-95% corrupt, but you also have to deal with the mayor forcing you to waste manpower hunting a "boogeyman" with your job on the line. All the while Jim Gordon is just trying to do his best .

Nothing hit me quite in the nostalgia quite so hard as hearing Harvey Bullock call Jim "Commish" .

Major Year One vibes with the anti-Batman task force (complete with a sketch of him looking straight out of his first comic appearance) and a dirty cop in a neck brace...only it's Bullock instead of Flass. Even the tactics they used to capture Batman were the same as Year One .

Do you know how I realized Ed Brubaker wrote this episode without even needing to see his name in the credits? Because this episode was so...Gotham Central. I'm not just talking about the focus on the inner workings of the GCPD, but that we even got to see some of the officers from Gotham Central actually in the episode. We even got another race-bent redhead in Romy Chandler! Though not Jim Corrigan .

But this is the Jim Corrigan who would go on to become host to The Spectre right, not the complete tool from Gotham Central? I hope for the shows' sake it's the former and not the latter, and the fact that he seems like a genuinely decent cop is a good sign he's OG!Corrigan...even if it also means he might be fated to die and get possessed by the Spirit of God's Vengeance. Though honestly it would be interesting to see this version of Batman encounter The Spectre and see what a being that truly lives only for brutal and harsh punishment to criminals looks like .

Also, it was funny seeing him voiced by Roger Craig Smith because now you've got Batman hunting Batman while Batman is also dismissing the whole thing and still promoting his mayoral campaign. Also, James Arnold Taylor is in the episode too .

First episode without Bruce Wayne, just Batman. Though we also didn't see Alfred outside hearing his voice .

I love how the first time Jim Gordon and Batman meet it's because Batman is just in the squad room, at night, thinking no one was going to walk in...and Jim walks in with his coffee. That brief bit of them both being frozen in place before the chase was priceless. Also, was it symbolic foreshadowing that Gordon chased Batman right past the spotlight on the roof of the GCPD? You know, the future Bat-Signal ?

Imagine bringing in Harleen Quinzel to psychoanalyze Batman by the police. Ha! If only they knew. Though Harleen definitely seems to enjoy having an audience....and flirting with Renee Montoya. Don't think Jim doesn't see what's going on Renee .

Oh, and she was taught by "Professor Crane?" Yeah, that might explain a few things .

Honestly this was the last show I expected to see them lift the friendship between Babs and Harleen from DC Super Hero Girls. And it shows how close they are that Harleen is probably the only person who can get away with calling Babs "Barbie" .

Oh hey, Arkham actually exists! Fittingly in an episode that introduces someone who seems genuinely mentally unwell. Like, Firebug was a very dangerous individual, he only saw the world in fire and thought it should be its natural form no matter how many lives got caught in the process, but he deserved pschiatric help not to be used as a scapegoat for Flass and Bullock's plot to catch Batman...let alone get killed by them to cover their tracks .

I do like how they acknowledged the elephant in the room that most people are going to be watching this episode and thinking "wait, shouldn't this be Firefly?" and they keep mistakenly calling him Firefly. Now I want them to introduce Firefly in season 2 and everyone mistakenly calls him "Firebug" .

No self-respecting Batman would abandon children in need. This was probably the episode with the most screentime of Batman just being a hero. And fittingly it's also the same episode where he first really teams-up with his futureb best bud Jim Gordon. I also like how working together in the fire we had Batman just...talking. Not an interrogation, not a cold matter-of-fact statement, just genuinely conversing with Jim to try and figure out a way out of there and save the kids .

Honestly I've seen Harvey Bullock pull skeevy stuff in the comics and media before, but this...this was straight up murder. Is there any going back from this for him ?

HE DID IT! HE PULLED THE DISAPPEARING ACT ON GORDON FOR THE FIRST TIME !!!

Ugh. If only I could step into the screen and wipe that smug smirk of Flass and Bullocks' faces. I know Jim wishes he could, even if he still got to keep his job. It's a balancing act .

Episode 5: Stress of Her Regard

Gotta be honest, the last thing I expected to see was KING TUT of all characters. I'm almost disappointed that they didn't have Harley's other "patients" turn into the goofier original villains from Batman '66 but that honestly probably would have been less embarassing for them than what she actually did. Though was the baby guy meant to be Babyface from Brave and the Bold ?

(Also why did they change his name to William McElroy to Fletcher Demming ?)

I do find it kind of funny that Demming gave up all his finances but he still had enough to create a secret King Tut lair in his office. I doubt Harley told him to do that. But still, gotta admire the commitment .

Is there anything more satisfying than watching Batman take out Bullock and Flass' entire squad? They never stood a chance .

Everyone knows Harley Quinn, she and her success is literally one of the biggest legacies of B:TAS and the DCAU as a whole, and she's in practically everything. With that in mind that probably also spurred one of her co-creators to go back and do something really different with her, flip her entire character on her head, and reinvent her in a way far more dramatic than any of the other characters in the show so far (even with a gender-flipped Penguin). Does it work ?

Personally I'm kind of...mixed about it. I mean, I like to think I'm open to new interpretations even if I recognize my own hypocrisy when I prefer characters look and feel recognizable, so I'm probably the wrong person to be commenting on this, yet it felt to me like this version of Harley was in constant debate with herself in terms of trying to BE Harley without BEING Harley. So we get the jester costume (but with a different color scheme that's not red and black but a slightly more garish yellow and black), we get the bubbly and high-pitched persona in her civilian identity (with just a slight hint of her traditional accent), we get the psycholigist who is secretly more of a nutjob than even she is willing to admit...but they try so hard to make her come off as this serious, cold, and uncompromising villain who tortures people and breaks them for her own warped sense of justice. And a part of me was just left asking...did they maybe try a little too hard here and miss what the character is about ?

Like, yeah, she dresses up like a harlequin jester but I feel like what defines Harley is the basis of her most famous story...Mad Love, this kind of excessive and freeing openness to the world and her emotions that causes her to barrel her way through everything without regard for the law or common sense. And I just didn't get that here. It felt like the heart of the character was missing to me. It's like taking a funny (if tragic) character and trying to make them dark and serious like you would've seen in the 90's .

Don't get me wrong, Jamie Chung has a really nice and sensual "serious" voice...but it just didn't feel like Harley to me. She felt more at home with the more fun and flirtatious Harley .

And also, I'm still trying to understand her motivations. Like, okay, she was playing therapist to a bunch of corrupt rich people until she finally had enough and tried to mold them into a warped version of their vice as she saw it and remold them to fit better into society...but when did she start doing it? Especially if this has been going on for years starting with her first patient and loyal servant? Why the jester outfit? I feel like we're just missing a few pieces/steps here. Is this connected to Crane/Scarecrow? Maybe this is why she got away in the end ?

Look, Harley with a hammer! Not that she does anything with it herself .

Well, I guess one thing never changes about Harley. She looks good in skintight spandex. Although she doesn't seem to have a gymnast' build so I'm guessing she's not as physically fit as she usually is? It stood out that she never tried to directly fight Batman in this episode .

Wow, this has got to be the nicest Arkham Asylum has ever looked in a cartoon. It seems like a genuinely clean and professionally run mental institute. I mean, sure they still can't keep their patients secured, but at least it's nice to look at! At least before it starts getting filled up with Batman's Rogues Gallery .

Barbara Gordon chasing after crazy people to save them from themselves in high heels? Are we seeing foreshadowing of her future career as Batgirl? She already wants her own grappling hook !

I see Babs knows the good sense to not be wearing heels while sneaking into a place. Only Catwoman could get away with that .

You know, I'm happy Renee Montoya can finally have an explicit romantic relationship and kiss a girl in a Batman cartoon now. I just wish her love interest wasn't...Harley Quinn. Though it is kind of funny that Renee was previously romantically attached to Harley's OTHER love interest Poison Ivy in Batwoman. It's like how Harvey Dent has been romantically linked to Ivy and Selina in two separate Batman adaptions. It's like the Gotham City Sirens are swingers, almost! Next thing you know Selina will be confirmed to be one of Renee's exes in season 2 .

Was Harley really expecting those mentally broken rich manchildren would be able to stop Batman? It was pure luck they were able to get him into a cell. Though it's kind of on-point that the one dude who was able to trip over Batman was the one dressed as a clown. Batman has no luck with those guys .

Just like in DCSHG, Harleen's friendship with Barbara Gordon is one of her only redeeming virtues, so much so that she's willing to risk herself to save "Barbie" .

Harley might not be linked to The Joker here, but her dropping into the water and surviving is a pure Joker move .

I feel like this is one episode where everybody but Harleen kind of lost. I mean, she got away with all her captives to do who knows what with them, Barbara lost a friend, Batman lost the crook, Renee lost a girlfriend, and Harleen lost...well, being in Gotham City but frankly she doesn't seem that worked up about it .

Batman's bedside manner is obviously...not great, but when he saw how much Barbara was hurt he was clearly uncomfortable and actually said "I'm sorry." That's the most tender thing he's done all series aside from saving kids. And if you listen to the tone of voice, and how different it is from how he usually sounds, you have to wonder...was that Batman's voice....or the real Bruce Wayne ?

I'm kind of not all that interested in some kind of tragic ReneexHarley romance, Renee deserves better. I'd frankly rather see this version of Harley get paired with a new take on Joker (presuming we get one) or Poison Ivy that bring out the worst in her, and Renee gets to arrest her. Though it should be interesting to see Barbara and Renee commisserate over what happened with Harleen .

 

[-batmat-]

Maybe that image of him aiming a gun should have been used more as promotional material for the series to keep people guessing and debating things online.

Can you imagine the outrage?! People would have gone mad xD

 

[Revelator]

I watched five episodes on the night of the premiere and the remaining five the next night, then took some time to collect my thoughts. Now I'm looking forward to season two, and since the show is currently the number one series on Amazon, so we might have further seasons to look forward to. Caped Crusader is a intelligent, handsome show, and its period furnishings and settings look meticulously right. The voice work is excellent all around, with no weak links. Hamish Linklater's Batman is even more alienated than Conroy's, and I was pleased by his deliberately fatuous Bruce Wayne. Jason Watkins makes a crisp, stoic Alfred, and Cedric Yarbrough is a very imposing Thorne (though I wondered why the character wasn't called Falcone--to avoid any connection to Catwoman?).

The rethinkings of the classic villains are neccesary and intriguing, though I sometimes appreciated the conception more than the execution. The zaftig mama ogre Penguin was good fun but whether she'll prove less of a stunt and more of a serious recurring threat wil be determined by future episodes. I enjoyed the nod to the Golden Age Clayface, though this version tried incorporating a bit of Matt Hagen and came off as a compromise, with less zip than Clayface's first comic appearances (one could argue that the series generally lacks that quality). The more serious Harley Quinn works very well in the first several episodes, but her starring episode turns goofy once it enters into the playroom, and if we're meant to buy her as a skilled pyschologist than her methods of messing with the millionaires are disappointingly crude.

Catwoman is probably the most successful re-thought villain--she seems to be having more fun than anyone else in this sombre show, and she's got more life in her too. Greta was a hoot, and we could use more of that dry humor. Gentleman Ghost also clicked; I was initially suprised to see him unambiguously portrayed him as a genuine ghost, but his snobby backstory was effective. The episode's Batman/Alfred interplay was also more interesting than many of the character moments elsewhere. I was expecting Nocturna to resemble the femme fatale proposed for BTAS and found the child version underwhelming. Jim Corrigan was wasted--if the show can have ghosts, why not an appearance from the Spectre? And I think the series waited too long to make Harvey Dent sympathetic; halfway through we're suddenly informed that this shallow sleaze cares about justice after all. But to be fair, in the concluding episodes we get one of the most plausible and pyschologically credible versions of Two Face.

Despite its overall visual accuracy, the show takes the Bridgerton approach to dodging the racial and sexual attitudes of a now distant era; the characters are 21st century people playing dress-up. But one can hardly argue for less diversity in a 21st century show that is meant to be escapist anyway. Suffice to say that while the show is set somewhere in the 1940s the social issues of the era are unaddressed and it's painted in brighter colors than reality's. The attempts at period dialogue are mostly acceptable but occasionally howlers slip in: Harley tells Batman she'd love to help him unpack his childhood trauma, but the figurative use of "unpack" only recently became popular. Still, most of the audience for this show isn't going to be attuned to how people talked 80 years ago, so it's a minor issue. (Another nitpick: overuse of "crap.")

But there are more serious criticisms to make. There's an element of predictability to the proceedings in Caped Crusader. I didn't feel much suspense or surprise, nor the sort of edge-of-the-seat excitement I got from, say, Justice League Unlimited. And I don't think the show has enough visual invention, or bravura visual set-pieces, whereas a first-time viewer of BTAS would have been treated to the aerial Man-Bat/Batman chase in "On Leather Wings." Caped Crusader is a talky show, and the action isn't spectacular enough, nor the staging and direction vigorous enough, to avoid a feeling of constriction and lowered vitality. There's a periodic slowness and stiffness to the animation that doesn't do justice to its pulp/noir roots. And with Batman often taking a backseat in his own show, this leaves Barbara, Montoya, Gordon to take up the slack. While those characters may be virtuous, they're not terribly compelling or even all that interesting. I'd rather hang out with Batman and Alfred, or the reimagined villains. And I think the concept of Batman slowly but painfully learning how to be a human being--whether through interacting with the taken-for-granted Alfred, mashing on Catwoman, or feeling guilt for helping push Harvey over the edge--is clearly the most interesting part of this program. We're only 10 episodes in, so I'm sure the best is yet to come.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Episode 3 - Kiss of the Catwoman

I had an awful lot of fun with this one. The one thing I really didn't like was the fact that Selina's identity was revealed right away in the first story she features in. B:TAS did the same thing and I believe it just limits what the writers can do with her. Keep the mystery a little longer, but I guess what's done is done. I have made no secret that I never liked this costume for Catwoman, and this show hasn't really changed my mind on this matter. What I do love is Christina Ricci's magnetic performance and the character's fun, bubbly personality.

I was surprised to see the, shall we say, ''goofier'' elements of the character making it into the show, but it did provide an excellent contrast the heavy (and creepy) flashbacks to the death of Bruce's parents. It was also nice to see Batman appear more dismissive of Catwoman than we usually see him. I assume we'll be seeing a lot of her (and their possible relationship) in the future.

I hate when Bruce is cheeky to Alfred.

Oh... Greta was everything. My vote goes to her for a spin-off.

Episode 4 - The Night of the Hunters

I feel this is when the series is really getting into it's stride. No surprised considering Ed Brubaker scripted this one. I loved the focus on the GCPD and the corrupt mayor throughout. The overwhelming sense of frustration Gordon feels can certainly be extended to the audience.

The visuals were spectacular in this one and the music really notched up another level. Smart, engaging storytelling all around. I absolutely hate Bullock and Flass in this series (good writing!) I think they might try to redeem Bullock down the road, but there's no redeeming Flass in my eyes.

Episode 5 - The Stress of her Regard

After a slow burn with Dr Harleen Quinzel, we finally get to meet the new version of Harley Quinn. She is downright creepy in this show and I am loving the interpretation. I was wondering how far they were willing to go with her morality, but it seems she does have a heart after all considering she went back for ''Barbie''. Lots of future possibilities with Harley in the future and I hope the crew take full advantage of it.

Also, loved the ''puddin'' nod. RIP Arleen Sorkin.

At least Batman showed a little bit of humanity at the end towards Barbara. Another fantastic episode.