Click here for my ranking of episodes 103-82 of Batman: The Animated Series.
The dork knight is back! We have gone through the worst of the worst of everyone’s favourite superhero cartoon! With the bottom 20 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series out of the way, now it’s time to keep this party going! Things are going to get a little bit tougher from here on out. This is the grey area where certain episodes could almost land anywhere on my list. I think from here on out, I like every single episode I’m about to rank, but they all can’t be winners. So without further adieu here are numbers 82-63!
82 – Girls Night Out: Season 4, Episode 20 Director: Curt Geda Story: Hilary J Bader
So here’s a bad idea, let’s not put Batman in an episode of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES!! While he doesn’t need to be in every episode, I’m just saying that it would have been nice to see him interact with Supergirl. The only episode where we really get the “shared universe” experience and Batman isn’t even around. Kind of a kiddy episode, where Supergirl comes to Gotham to help out Batgirl, after Livewire wreaks some havoc on the city, and semi-teams up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. This should be lower on my list, because I just don’t think it’s a great episode, it merely ranked higher, due to the coolness factor or Supergirl being in it, and this being the first episode that we really got the idea of a larger universe. Grade: D
“Sure. How hard can it be? Two against one, right?” – Supergirl
81 – Eternal Youth: Season 2, Episode 1 Director: Kevin Altieri Story: Beth Bernstein
So Poison Ivy turns people into trees……..I can’t even make this stuff up sometimes. She gets all pissy, about some of Gotham’s elite hurting the environment, so she invites them to her “spa” called Eternal Youth, where she feeds them, makes them bathe in this chemical and ultimately sprays them, so they turn into helpless trees. Lucky for Bruce Wayne he ditches the spa retreat but sends Alfred and his friend Maggie instead. They leave the spa, but feel the urge to go back, and when they do, poor Alfie and Maggie get turned into trees. Batman comes and saves the day! This episode isn’t as bad as the premise might suggest, I enjoy episodes that focus a little more on Alfred, because Batman: The Animated Series does a fantastic job in its depiction of the character, and the voice acting is mere perfect. Poison Ivy is so great before the revamp, but I couldn’t stand her look afterwards, so I can’t even imagine how I would feel about this episode if it came during season 4, it’s the stuff that nightmares are made of. Grade: C-
“Of course, I have the patience of a redwood.” – Poison Ivy
80 – The Terrible Trio: Season 3, Episode 15 Director: Frank Paur Story: Alan Burnett
MAAAAN. I have a big love/hate relationship with this episode. I have a feeling people HATE this one. I don’t know what it is but I almost wanted to rank it much higher. The more times I watch the terrible trio, the more I like it. Simply put, three rich brats have done it all in life. So they decide to turn to a life of crime, just for the fun of it, and guess what – they are good at it! Masters of land, sea and air, these guys are friends of Bruce Wayne (shocker!!!) and when things get a little personal, a few of this trio start to bite off a little more than they can chew. It’s also hilarious how easily it is for Batman to take these clowns down, always makes me laugh! Grade: C+
“Because we were good at it!” – Warren Lawford
79 – Terror In The Sky: Season 2, Episode 17 Director: Boyd Kirkland Story: Steve Perry
The Man-Bats back and there’s going to be trouble! Well I guess Woman-Bat, they never really address that situation. I’m a huge fan of this villain and it’s a damn shame he/she are only in two episodes. I’ve always wanted to see this character on the big screen because even though they’re kind of a B-villain, they would look incredible in live action. So this time it’s Dr. Langstrom’ wife who gets infected and his terrorizing Gotham. Even Batman has a hard time figuring out who this bat is. The biggest downfall for this episode is simply it’s just not as good as the original Man-Bat episode, and it’s not even close, that’s my reasoning for my ranking. Grade: C-
“Is this what it’s going to take? Your daughter’s life, before you end this insanity?” – Batman
78 – The Mechanic: Season 2, Episode 27 Director: Kevin Altieri Story: Laren Bright
This is a weird episode of Batman: The Animated Series. It’s like not bad, but I’ve seen it before in Batman Returns and it’s way better in live action. So the batmobile gets smashed to shit no thanks to The Penguin, so Batman needs to repair his precious ride. Penguin gets some inside information from a cars part dealer, so he decides to hunt down Batman’s mechanic and sabotage the batmobile. I like the backstory of how Batman and his mechanic came to be, it shows that he enjoys helping out people with big hearts. But it’s like I said, we’ve seen this already, so it’s hard for me to really enjoy this episode. I’ll admit, the first ever batmobile that they show, is so terrible and hilarious and I refuse to believe billionaire Bruce Wayne would ride around in such a piece of crap. Seriously it’s god awful. Grade: C-
(See’s the damaged car) “You been letting the kid drive again?” – Earl Cooper
77 – Jokers Wild: Season 2, Episode 13 Director: Boyd Kirkland Story: Paul Dini
Boy, does the Joker ever make it seem easy to escape from Arkham. He does it with so little effort in this episode that I wonder how he even spends anytime in that place. It’s actually funny, just how terrible its security is, for a place holding the worlds craziest villains. So Cameron Kaiser opens a new casino, and he calls it “Jokers Wild” and well Mr. J isn’t too happy about this, so that’s why he breaks out, so he can go teach this guy a lesson. Here’s the thing, that’s exactly what the guy wants. The guy sunk so much money into opening the casino, that he’s broke. So he figures that if he builds it with a joker theme, the clown prince of crime is bound to shows up and destroy the place. Therefore he will collect all the insurance money. Smart guy, but Batman is on to this little scheme and kind of works with The Joker to make sure that doesn’t happen. In the end, Mr J goes back to jail and hopefully they kept him there for more than a few days. Overall not a terrible episode, just not one of the strongest Joker stories. Out of his 20 appearances across Batman: The Animated Series, this could end up being the one that is the most mis-ranked. Grade: C
“Jumpin’ Jimmy Christmas! It’s a homage to me! I’m kind of sorry I have to blow it up!” – The Joker
76 – Be A Clown: Season 1, Episode 9 Director: Frank Paur Story: Ted Pedersen
The Joker is a clown, and in this one, he pretends to be a clown…….Maybe this should be lower on the list. Thinking about this episode, there really isn’t any good to talk about. Mayor Hill is throwing a birthday party for his son who wants to be the next great magician and well Daddy isn’t having any of that nonsense. He bashes Joker on the news, so he decides it’s time to teach him a lesson and plans to bring a pretty big party favour, – a bomb. Of course Bruce Wayne is at the party and saves the day, but not before the mayor’s son hitches a ride with Joker, obviously not realizing it’s him. Again, just not a great Joker story. There’s a decent part where he traps Batman in a tank full of water, but it’s Batman so of course he gets out!! They fight on a roller-coaster, which is pretty cool because actually sometimes Joker can go toe-to-toe with Batman, that guy can actually throw some haymakers. Also you know you’re a sick and twisted bastard when you want to blow up a bunch of kids at a birthday party, man Joker really needed more hugs in his life when he was a child. Grade: C
“They don’t make straight jackets like they used to. I should know.” – The Joker
75 – Batgirl Returns: Season 3, Episode 29 Director: Dan Riba Story: Michael Reaves
THIS EPISODE MAKES ME MAD ALRIGHT? This is the very last episode of Batman: The Animated Series before the animation revamp and it doesn’t even have Batman in it. You heard me, the last episode with perfect animation and style doesn’t even feature our guy. And guess what? It’s not even a great episode. It also is the last episode before they ruined Batgirl, she sucks in the revamp, THERE I SAID IT! She teams up with Catwoman and Robin and it’s just not a great episode. They are trying to take down Roland Dagget, who’s finally back and then is gone, vanishing like a fart in the wind. I get so sad every time I get to the last episode of season 3, because it’s this episode and I know I have to deal with season 4 afterwards. So maybe I’m letting that cloud my judgement, but it’s just not the best episode. I loved Batgirl during season 3, she was almost perfect and again she’s just ruined in season 4, they change her voice and the way she looks and it’s just really upsetting to me. This episode is just really bittersweet. Actually wait, the opening scene of this episode is so incredible, that it makes what follows even worse. I just wish that would of actually been the climax of this one, instead of some fantasy dream of Batgirls. Grade: C+
“Bats are just mice with wings, little girl” – Catwoman
74 – P.O.V: Season 1, Episode 7 Director: Kevin Altieri Story: Mitch Brian
This episode is about a sting gone wrong, and three different stories from three different GCPD officers. Detective Harvey Bullock, Renee Montoya and “Wilkes,” another character created for Batman: The Animated Series. Montoya (created by Mitch Brian and Bruce Timm) became another foil and thorn in the side of Harvey Bullock and another alley for our Batman. She’s a good cop, who thinks Batman is doing good, and wants to help anyway she can. This was one of the first episodes where you see just how shady Bullock can be. Here he’s lying to cover his own ass, where all three stories aren’t lining up properly, and Commissioner Gordon doesn’t know who to believe. One of the great things about this series, was its understanding of the need for strong female characters, and Montoya is just that. She’s a strong and brave character and they build her character and her story throughout the series. Overall its a pretty good episode, but we are getting to the point where maybe tomorrow I would rank it 20 spots higher, maybe it’s just the mood I’m in. Grade: C
“Freeze maggots, you’re all under arrest!” – Harvey Bullock
73 – The Forgotten: Season 1, Episode 8 Director: Boyd Kirkland Story: Jules Dennis
Am I the only one who thinks that piece of cartoon chicken looks delicious? Maybe this episode should have ranked this episode higher because of it. Also I happen to think this man has style, but that’s not the purpose of this list now is it! Homeless people are disappearing at the shelter Bruce Wayne volunteers at, even some of its employees have gone missing. So while investigating and going undercover, BOOM! He gets knocked on the head pretty good, and when he recovers, he’s got a case of old bat brain, or well amnesia. See this fat guy up here in this photo is taking them and making them mine for gold. While trying to get his memory back, he meets a few guys, one who happens to work at the same soup kitchen he volunteers at, and still he can’t remember a thing. He can still kick all sorts of ass, but it’s not until a he hears the word family when everything comes rushing back. I will admit, this episode has a classic scene in it. When Alfred is flying the Batwing, and he wants it to land, but it’s refusing to, is some of the funniest stuff from Batman: The Animated Series. Batman shows up, saves the day and everyone at the camp, and even gives those two guys proper jobs at Wayne Enterprises. I love happy endings! Grade: C
“Land you bucket of bolts!” – Alfred
72 – I’ve Got Batman In My Basement: Season 1, Episode 13 Director: Frank Paur Story: Sam Graham
Why do I have a funny feeling that everyone hates this episode. You know what. I kind of like it! Wouldn’t it be cool to have Batman hanging out in your basement, fight the Penguin, and drive the batmobile. These are all things I wanted when I was a kid and still do today! So Penguin steals a rare jewel and these two kids who want to be detectives happen to stumble upon this. Batman shows up and he gets gassed, so it’s up to the kids to save the day. They bring Batman home and stash him in their basement. I enjoy this episode, it’s awesome when the kids get their hands on some of Batman’s stuff and fight off Penguin and some of his thugs. I’ve always thought Penguin was done so well in Batman: The Animated Series. Grade: C-
“Say, Batman, you wouldn’t happen to be single, would you?” – Sherman.
71 – Avatar: Season 3, Episode 13 Director: Kevin Altieri Story: Michael Reaves
Batman gets bit by a poisonous snake and takes it like a champ!!! That utility belt, it really does have everything. A mystic Egyptian scroll is stolen by Ra’s Al Ghul from a Gotham museum. Ra’s wants to hunt down a sorceress and bring her back to her glory days. See he’s been searching for her, for a very long time. When he arrives, he doesn’t realize what he has unleashed, and she sucks the life from him. It’s up the Batman to stop her, with a little help from his beloved Talia. I like this episode until the end, there’s like this green goo that tries to kill everyone and it’s just super weird. Again after his first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series, every episode that follows with Ra’s Al Ghul is kind of a letdown, but admittedly it is pretty awesome when Batman saves Ubu’s life. He is so rattled, yet so grateful, that it makes for a really great scene. Grade: C
“You sound like a bad afternoon serial, Ra’s.”- Batman
70 – The Ultimate Thrill: Season 4, Episode 11 Director: Dan Riba Story: Hilary J. Bader
Okay, I know it’s a cartoon, but this chick was all sorts of horny in this episode! It’s kind of weird, I’m not going to lie to you people, and her name is Roxy Rocket, LIKE COME ON! Once the best stunt women in the movie business, Roxanne got bored, so she turned to a life of crime though with a twist. She loves adrenaline more than life itself, so all of her crimes are crazy and that’s how she is able to pull them off. Working for Penguin, she soon realizes that maybe she’s not in it for the crime, but rather just the adrenaline itself. This was the first time I ever watched this episode, and I enjoyed it, maybe that’s why its not towards the bottom of the list. It’s nothing special, but when it comes to season 4, there really aren’t too many great episodes to choose from. Grade: C-
“You missed your calling, Batman. You should have been in the movies!” – Roxy Rocket
69 – Judgement Day: Season 4, Episode 24 Director: Curt Geda Story: Rich Fogel
The last episode ever……It features this guy above……..So many emotions, so many problems, just so many questions. REALLY??? That’s how you wanted to end Batman: The Animated Series, the worst part about season 4, is there is no final episode, no wrapping everything up nicely, NOTHING! Kind of sad, actually it’s really sad. Like being dumped on your birthday sad. So “The Judge” is going around Gotham and dealing his own type of justice to Batman’s rogues gallery. Turns out he was just Two-Face! He’s some how developed a third personality, and this is him! So he doesn’t know what’s going on, and man does Harvey Dent really have some deep rooted issues. I liked the Judge, don’t get me wrong here, he’s cool and I kind of liked the idea of Two-Face becoming Three-Face, or maybe Tri-Face. But the fact that when you pop in season 4, and this is the last episode you watch, it kind of makes season 4 that much more frustrating. The first time I watched this episode, I actually didn’t know who it was going to be, I thought it was probably Joker, but they really pull one over on you! He carries a sword, so he’s kind of a badass! Also, quick rant. I’m pretty sure this episode features the only dialogue from The Riddler in season 4. Can you believe they went 24 episodes and didn’t give that guy one freakin’ episode! What a joke, and he looks awful, he looks like a Conehead…. Grade: C
“Hey, diddle diddle, time for a riddle” – The Riddler
68 – Off Balance: Season 2, Episode 22 Director: Kevin Altieri Story: Len Wein
The introduction to the Al Ghul family!! So Count Vertigo is on the loose, and he’s got some crazy eye piece that makes everyone lose their balance. He steals some important sonic drill, and when Batman goes to investigate he mights some of the Secret Shadow gang, and quickly realizes there is more at play here. There he meets Talia, who actually is the first person in Batman: The Animated Series to discover Bruce Wayne is Batman, when she needs to take off his mask to clean his wounds. There’s such a great scene in this episode, where Batman and Talia have to walk across a room full of traps while they are “off balance” and when they reach the other end, they get by without a scratch. Talia asks how they did it, and Batman simply tells her, he closed his eyes! Such a badass Batman moment, he let his other senses do all the work, what a genius. In the end Talia turns on Batman, shocker, only to find that Batman had destroyed the drill without her knowing. The ending is pretty cool too, because they set up Ra’s Al Ghul! Grade: C+
“One of these days, I’m going to nail his feet to the ground” – Commissioner Gordon
67 – Holiday Knights: Season 4, Episode 1 Director: Dan Riba Story: Paul Dini
Three Christmas stories in one episode! So we got Clayface running around a mall which was by far the worst of the three stories. Clayface makes a bunch of kids and has them shoplift, what a waste of 7 minutes. Next is the best, Ivy and Harley team up once more, and this time they take Bruce Wayne and his credit cards hostage. It’s actually a really funny bit, they even think they kill him at one point when they anciently make Bruce Wayne fall down an elevator shaft. They seem sad at first, but realize who they are. Lastly is Joker is going to drop a bomb when the clock strikes midnight on NYE, but not before Batman and Robin can foil his plans. It’s an alright bit, actually this is the first episode of the revamp and they show blood for the first time which threw me off. But the best part and one of the best scenes of Batman: The Animated Series comes at the very end. Batman and Commission Gordon meet for coffee every year after the new year rings in. They sit have a cup of coffee and wish each safety for the next year and hope they will be in the same place a year from now. Batman always bails early but always pays. What a guy! It’s actually a really touching scene and makes you realize the friendship between these two men, but this one scene alone can’t make it go higher on my list. You can thank the Clayface part for that! Grade: C-
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! We-we killed him!… Oh well.” Harley Quinn
66 – Make Em Laugh: Season 3, Episode 27 Director: Boyd Kirkland Story: Paul Dini
Introducing some of Batman’s greatest rogues ever!!! My personal favourite villain of all time, in movies, comics or video games. The Condiment King!!! Kidding guys, but he’s actually pretty jokes, and uses all sorts of food puns, and who doesn’t like a good mustard pun every once and awhile. All Joker wants is to be a funny guy. When he gets tossed from a comedian competition, he seeks revenge on the judges. So he steals some microchips from Mad Hatter, and makes these famous comedians commit crazy crimes, and that’s how we get introduced to some of the weirdest villains ever. I don’t know if the year prior, the Joker was in costume or not, and I would love to know if this is part of his origin story kind of. They never really tell you, and that kind of pisses me off! Robin also gets spanked by one of the judges turned bad, and it’s a sight for sore eyes. They really should have put Condiment King in the new Injustice video game! Grade: C+
“Now listen Mustard Man, or whatever you call yourself!” – Batman
65 – Joker’s Millions: Season 4, Episode 7 Director: Dan Riba Story: Paul Dini
So one of Joker’s arch-rivals dies and leaves him with his entire fortune of 250 million dollars. Joker was broke, he had nothing, he even fired Harley Quinn, and when he gets this money and is the happiest guy in Gotham. King Barlowe, the man who gave him all this money, well lets just say he got the last laugh on old Mr. J. See most of the money was fake, so now the Joker is in even more trouble, and he’s super pissed. At one point he holds auditions for a new Harley and it’s pretty damn funny. He hires some air head girl who turns out to be a real dud. I feel like this is a well respected episode and people really like it. For me, it just gets a mehhhhh. The new Harley bit is hilarious, but other than that there really isn’t too much to say when it comes to Joker’s Millions. Grade: C
“I may be crazy enough to take on Batman, but the IRS? No thank you!” – Joker
62 – Torch Song: Season 4, Episode 10 Director: Curt Geda Story: Rich Fogel
Guess what? This episode isn’t that good at all! Guess what again? I happen to really like FireFly, so that’s why I have it so high on my list! The pyro-maniac Garfield Lynns is super pissed about being dumped by his rockstar girlfriend Cassidy. So he decides, hey I’m just going to set you on fire and watch you burn. What a psycho!!! It’s a bad breakup episode, but with fire! Maybe if Maury came on the series, this could have been easily resolved, and you know, without fire and a crazy person. I like FireFly, he’s a unique bad guy, and I really enjoy him in the Arkham games and maybe that is clouding my judgment a bit when it comes to this episode. But another awesome thing with this episode, is we get to see a pretty kickass batsuit at the end of it. So he can take on FireFly, something we never get to see again in Batman: The Animated Series! So when I really think about it, it’s all not that bad, because that suit is straight fire. Grade: C+
“Hey! You’re the expert on burning people, you little tramp!” Garfield Lynns
63 – Paging The Crime Doctor: Season 2, Episode 25 Director: Frank Paur Story: Mike W. Barr
So Rupert Thorn is kind of fat right? He decides to have himself a little heart attack, and lucky for him, his brother is a doctor well (used to be, still kind of is I guess). His brother Matthew, once was a great doctor but got his medical license revoked and now is known as the crime doctor. He deals with shady people, and criminals and mostly people involved with his brother Rupert, but Matthew can’t do the surgery alone, so he turns to an old friend, Leslie Thompkins. She wants no part in helping, but she must. When Matthew finds out after the surgery is successful, Rupert planned on having her killed though even he won’t let that happen. Batman is around too, he finds out she’s missing and goes to search for her. Matthew is connected to Batman because he went to the same medical school as Thomas Wayne. This episode does something so special in the last scene. It features one of the best emotional moments in the Batman: The Animated Series, everything about it, it’s just perfect. After everything is settled, Bruce Wayne goes to help and talk with Matthew Thorn, and asks him for a favor. Matthew takes this the wrong way and think he wants money, but instead Bruce tells him that he simply wants to know more about his father. He just wants him to tell him what his father was like. You can see it on Bruce’s face and hear the pain in his voice. Conroy is brilliant in this scene, all he ever wants us to know was as much as he can about his parents. It really is a beautiful moment in Batman mythos. The more I watch this episode, the more I will come to appreciate all of it and just not that incredible ending. Grade: B-
“Your father, God rest him, he called you stubborn from the day you were born. Always used to say you had a hard head. He didn’t know the half of it” – Leslie Thompkins
Another 20 is in the books folks! We are getting there, slowly but surely! Feel free to comment below on anything I might have missed or if you care to discuss your favourite episodes! Check ya later!
*still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures*
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