June 24, 2023 (watched June 23, 2023)
From the first moment I was hooked on this, I'm like a moth to a flame when it comes to camp, and that applies here. This show is just so goofy, I can't help but love it. This episode follows the Riddler, played like nothing before by Frank Gorshin. The Riddler is a favorite of mine, I love riddles come on, and Gorshin is just the best at it. He's downright excellent, full of energy, fully unpredictable and he goes from one high to another. One moment he'll be giggling and prancing about then the next he's still, and you see just how serious this all is. Gorshin is able to dance through these emotions in a way that feels totally natural and makes the Riddler a character that carries real tension with him. As an actor he's just excellent, seems to have a real care towards his work, quite skillful and enjoyable to just take in. I love him, just look at him, he's so good at laughing the Joker is ashamed. He's just a silly guy. And really gay acting. Ah yes on to the plot, there was like three of those things. First the Riddler sues Batman, but that kinda just gets left behind until the last minute. You'd think suing Batman, the Riddler would stay out of trouble, but he doesn't cause he like immediately kidnaps Robin for some reason. The second plot is sending the Pretty Lady Goon into the Batcave in disguise, but then she dies horrifically and somehow the plan isn't even nudged. Third plan is steal something, literally this is just the Riddler fucking around at this point this isn't even a scheme that's connected to anything, like these setbacks are not setbacks somehow. The mess of a plot doesn't bring down my enjoyment cause I didn't even notice how strange it was until now, I was just too giddy over the show to analyze. It's a good show you see. Right up my alley you see.
June 27, 2023 (watched June 26, 2023)
Now we are introduced to the Penguin, played by Burgess Meredith, who walks like I do after working the whole weekend as cashier. Seriously it's painful on the feet just give me a chair please. And through my own employee remark, let us look to the Penguin's employees. He calls them his Fine Feathered Finks, but not much about them is feathered. They wear simple outfits with their names printed on the front of their shirts, nothing remotely bird-like. You might call me a hypocrite, as the last episode featured goons which weren't even close to being riddle themed, but in that case their name wasn't attached to the theme, they were just guys underground, while here the name evokes the bird theme. A bit underutilized here, but all the umbrellas makes up for it. There are so many umbrellas, the Penguin has a very set style, very dapper and refined. As for the dynamic duo, I quite like how Bruce teaches Dick, even while they're doing crimefighting. The pursuit of justice is no excuse not to be a proper role model. In this episode Dick complains about his French verbs, which Bruce reminds him of the importance of communication. It's very cheesy when he gets into the random morals, but it's just so genuine I love it. Robin isn't just Batman's sidekick, but his son as well, and he takes that responsibility seriously. I don't think the comedy in this series will get old for me, it's obviously a very silly show and they lean into that. There's labels on EVERYTHING! Batman takes out a bugging device that he calls a "perfect, lifelike spider" all the while the viewer can see how plainly plastic it is. I should now review the plot (and perhaps work on my transitions and paragraph indents). The Penguin's plan of having Batman come up with his next crime is a bit nonsensical, he doesn't get anything out of it and Batman doesn't seem to care as he was shown when the idea first came up at the beginning. The attention grabbing free umbrellas of the scheme also didn't really tie in well. It didn't pay off! I understand the need for theatrics, but just rob them. You already had the dramatic part with the umbrellas exploding (or whatever it is they were doing) so just steal. I wasn't instantly enamoured with the Penguin as I was with Riddler, but perhaps in later appearances I'll feel more fondly for him. Still, he is cute, in a criminal grandpa way.
July 3, 2023 (watched July 2, 2023)
Our special villainous guest today is Cesar Romero, who I feel I used to get mixed up with both George Romero and Cesar Chavez, anyways he plays the Joker, who breaks out during a ball game using a giant spring to fling him over the prison walls. The Joker is a dedicated clown, but perhaps more dedicated in not shaving his mustache, people were not joking they literally just put that facepaint right over that man's mustache. I don't know what's going on with modern comics Joker, don't really want to know... but here he is a well-dressed clown, a really nice suit I have to say. He is definitely more into his gimmick, his goons are named after old comedians like Laurel and Hardy and he uses tricks like streamers and even posing as Pagliacci, the clown of the opera. He also returns with another lady minion, like Riddler's, I don't know why Penguin didn't have one maybe he's just a homosexual. There's someone else who will talk about the portrayal of these ladies better than me, but I do note that again, like the first one, Batman sees her as a deluded victim. Come on Batman, let her be a criminal on her own terms.
Like the previous episode, Dick is practicing something and complains and Bruce quickly tells him how important said thing is and how something something can get world peace. Today it is music, Dick just isn't picking up Chopin! Chopin is mentioned a couple more times, but Dick never comes around to his piano practice. The plot is a bit tighter than the previous episodes, but still isn't overly good. Joker gets out of jail, robs, realises that Batman has a utility belt which helps him out in all situations, so the Joker moves to make his own belt. The belt's importance is here and there, really only coming into play in the second episode despite the Joker already making one right after his first crime, not using it in his second crime which is at the second half of the first episode. His planning does make more sense overall, though he doesn't always focus on his end goal of stealing a yacht. He does some here and there random crimes inbetween, but they have to get this to 2 episodes somehow I guess. Overall, more solid plot, while the usual enjoyment is the same.
July 4, 2023
This episode we have George Sanders playing the sympathetic Mr. Freeze. Now I'm no Mr. Freeze historian, but I do know some things, and one is that he was called Mr. Zero in comics before this episode, he's had other actors play him in this show, and his name isn't what I had thought it was going to be. I suppose another name change came in the animated show a couple decades later, since he's called Dr. Schivel here and I was under the impression his name was Victor Fries. He's a standout villain because he actually has a (vague but existing) backstory, he got into a fight with Batman in his lab, Batman spilled some freeze science liquid on him, now he can only survive in extreme freezing temperatures. It adds a layer of interest for me, since his relationship with Batman is more complicated than those we've seen. Although it was an accident, Bruce really feels it's his duty to help Freeze and cure him, which in turn makes him a more interesting hero to me. He's a man who cares for the greater good of everyone, with his reminders to Dick about how important world peace is, his prioritization for the safety of others even above his goal of catching the villain, his never allowing himself to be put above the law, he's simply a good man, through and through. This personal connection between him and Freeze is what made this episode more interesting to me, it's not a simple evildoer steals and good guy stops. For the plot, the baseball and diamonds connection is there from the very beginning! Excellent, I did enjoy this Mr. Freeze a good bit.
July 6, 2023 (watched July 5, 2023)
An issue that was only minor in the past few episodes is placed front and center here given that the big villain this week is a woman. I suppose since I've been introducing all villains like this, I must do it for her as well, Anne Baxter plays Zelda the Great, a desperate magician driven to crime. With the previous henchladies, you can see where this is going, as Zelda is stripped of her agency and is simply a mislead woman. I like a villain with a good motive, one which can garner inner conflict, but this is every single woman. All of them are portrayed as tragic, mislead figures, each time the focus of this is on the fact they are women. No other henchmen are given this treatment previously, the women are given this treatment, a way to keep them innocent of their criminal actions. Zelda would have been a great character if this show wasn't treating women like this again and again! Zelda is a magician, driven to steal in order to pay the man who creates her escape tricks. She's portrayed as sympathetic and I just wish the story took a different tone with her. Her dilemma seems more like an excuse for a woman committing a crime than a genuine tragedy. The episode ends with her in prison but Bruce offering her a job once she got out. It's a... nice ending? Would bittersweet fit?
July 6, 2023 (watched July 5, 2023)
Unlike Mr. Freeze's earlier episode, this title actually has a reason for mentioning rats. The Riddler is back and he's taken up with the River Rat gang, who like cheese and hang out in the sewers wearing hoodies (except Mousey, who has some fashion taste thank God). I do adore the Riddler, you ought to know that by now, especially Frank Gorshin's Riddler, running around like a wild pixie. The plot is... nothing much, nonsensical as usual, or maybe it's too smart for all of us. What I enjoyed the most here though is Riddler and Batman, I like characters above all else. There's a moment where the Riddler, believing he just killed Batman, is celebrating himself in his own? way. His henchmen are congratulating him, and one mentions something like how there will be no one to outwit. At this, the Riddler's face somewhat drops, but then he moves quickly into telling a riddle! Which the Rats cannot figure out quickly. It just shows that even though Batman is his enemy, he needs him there. They have an odd relationship that I may just lose my mind over someday.
Oh, remember last episode? I bemoaned the lack of fully villainous women? I thought perhaps Mousey, the henchlady here who I simply adored she had such a cute voice and outfits, would finally be this girl. I was close to celebrations at the end where she said she was a criminal for kicks! This was it! And then she mentions that she didn't have many kicks after she dropped out of high school. My GOD. JUST HAD TO SHOVE THAT IN THERE, DID YOU? See! See! She's innocent and mislead! Just let her be a criminal I beg.
July 13, 2023 (watched July 10, 2023)
This episode, Batman faces the Mad Hatter, played by David Wayne. Little does he, or anyone until the 80s, know, this isn't the real Mad Hatter. Let's get into the comic history. The original Mad Hatter was introduced in a comic during the 40s, in his next appearanced he appeared different than that first one, much like how he appears here. Fast forward to the 80s, someone decided that from that second appearance, it was a different man. So technically this isn't Jervis Tetch, but some other guy. Here he's not Alice focused, but hat focused, you know stealing hats, planning on turning Batman into a hat, the usual. He did plan on turning Batman into a hat, going into a strangely gory description of each part of his hat making machine. Honestly I was a bit disappointed that the machine was such a let down. Robin falls onto it at some point, you expect the worst! Until the blades at the beginning don't even touch him. I was promised gore! Give it to me! Or at least treat it as a real threat by God. Also, the Mad Hatter's plan made like no sense in the end. He kidnapped people who got him into jail in the first place (and stole their hats the fiend), was planning on unmasking Batman, and this would end up with him getting this collection of presidents' hats. I don't know how he was going to go about this, generally the plots don't make much sense in this show and I ought to accept that. Also his hair is so orange, off topic but I know he dyes it or something I mean his eyebrows are so dark and his hair is so orange.
July 19, 2023 (watched July 17, 2023)
I don't know if it's calling Joker the grisly ghoul, cause there was no other ghouls of any type to be seen. You know how it is with these episode names, they really don't make much sense. Anyways, the Joker has returned! And he's putting money in the milk machine! That's literally what he's doing, he's putting money in school vending machines. He's also sticking up this one bar using a rigged jukebox with a gun in it. You'd think after the first time this happened they would replace that but no. The gun jokebox is still there. Well why is the Joker putting money in the vending machines? You see, the kids will get used to the easy money and not try at school and then drop out and then be forced into a life of crime! This totally makes sense shut up. It's not even like lots of cash it's like some coins at best, some stocks in one machine. This plan sucks, but they take it super seriously! It's a unique plot I must admit, and the cops think it just SCREAMS Joker for some reason. I don't know, couldn't tell you why. I really did enjoy this episode, the stupid plot is endearing and the Joker is really fun here. It stands out I suppose, it's not just a simple robbery. The henchgirl isn't just a simple romantic lady who admires the villain but feels that that Batman sure is quite the guy! No, here we have Susie, who was not introduced as a henchgirl, but introduced as a cheerleader that Dick has kinda eyes for. That's because they go to school together (yes Dick actually goes to school I was also surprised) and Susie is the inside girl. The henchladies are usually a fond partner to the villain, so having this girl be the hench of the episode was a nice change. She even has some personality, holding her own in a way with the Joker, demanding her riches before handing over her part of the bargain. As usual, they do cram in at the end that her, and I quote, "unhappy childhood" and "broken home" led her to this life, but given the difference between her and other one episode girls I can let it slide. Perhaps she saw the Joker as a father figure or hoped that nice and pretty things could make her happy, I don't know. I was kinda pissed that Joker did try and kill her, no reason to do that!
July 19, 2023
Counterfeiting plans don't make sense to me cause I don't understand how the economy works. To be fair the people who come up with these plots may also not know how plots work, so it evens out. So this episode we have False Face, a guy who appeared in comics but I couldn't tell you about them and he's probably faded into comic obscurity. He's a master of disguise, when he's not disguised he's still disguised by wearing a mask that looks like the one from Alice Sweet Alice and it's weird. He didn't really do it for me! He just didn't. He's not interesting to me. At first, him and his partner Blaze were a fun pair, but grew old. I find imposters fun, and that's what False Face does! So why did I not care? I'm not sure, and not really interested in on the fly analysis with no form. I know it's just a fun show, not that deep and all, but there's a part of me that kind of wishes it would go a little deeper. Here we have a false man, who makes fake money and misquotes quotes on purpose, who never reveals his true face, always being someone else. Would it trouble Batman? This idea of acting as someone else. Would it make him think of himself and of Bruce Wayne? That little idea is what would interest me.
July 19, 2023
Perhaps my favorite episode yet. It's Catwoman! She's played by Julie Newmar and she's just such a great force against Batman. She's just a woman who's greedy and does crime and I love her for that. No tragic backstory for her! She's just meowing and stealing with her two strange henchmen. And her plan makes sense, she's a real threat for Batman and Robin, she's alluring, she's Catwoman. That's my review because right now I can't remember anything.
I don't know man I lost track of time. August 29, 2023
So. I really haven't updated in a while. I think I watched this in July. I don't quite know for sure. I'm still figuring out this whole review thing, what I'd like to do. Also I have ADHD so that makes TV shows difficult for me. My review for this episode: you introduce the penguin like that and expect me to believe he'd marry a woman? That's a gay man, that's a whole homosexual. Thank you, goodnight.