"I Am the Night" Rewatch: "Showdown" & "Riddler's Reform"

Batman The Animated Series

So, the last time I posted on my blog was in April. Yikes. Life has been super crazy and stressful and sad and all the things. But, things are just starting to feel better and get back to normal, so I figured it was time to re-start the blog for the, let's see here, millionth time? I had found a really good groove before things went off the rails, so I'm ready to get back to it and why not re-start things with B: TAS. Here we go again.

Barmaid: "Good luck, Jonah Hex.

Jonah Hex: "Right nice sentiment, ma'am. But I never much cotton to luck. I like to make my own."

When the Dynamic Duo bust Ra's al Ghul kidnapping the resident of a Gotham City retirement community, they are in hot pursuit. As they go after him, Ra's spins the Caped Crusaders a tale from his centuries of life. A tale of the Old West and the bounty hunter, Jonah Hex. Will the surprising end to al Ghul's story allow him to escape Batman's justice once again?

I don't know. Do I have something on my face?

It's fun to imagine what it must have been like to be a writer for B: TAS. I just see Paul Dini and Bruce Timm sitting around and thinking you know, why don't we write an episode about Jonah Hex? But isn't this a show about Batman? Shrug. Yeah, we can make it work though. And you know what? They do. 

Using Ra's as the gateway character to tell this story is a great choice. He's got centuries of life to mine and this framing device is the perfect way for the writers to make this episode work. It's really cool to see the animators channel the distinct visual style and aesthetic of the show into the Old West. There is your usual Old West trappings i.e. tumbleweeds, saloons, swinging doors, the railroads, but there is also that sort of steampunk, semi-futurish touches that we've come to expect from B: TAS like the airship that is being constructed and the outfits that Ra's' workers are wearing.

The crux of the story is disfigured bounty hunter Jonah Hex pursuing Arkady Duvall. Duvall is wanted for doing something to a woman in another town and the barmaid hints at Duvall terrorizing her girls. This is another example of the show sort of leaning into the more adult aspects of things. The inference is that Duvall is possibly raping or committing violence against these Old West sex workers and it's heavy stuff for a kids show. 

Even though this is a flashback episode, the writers keep Ra's motivations in line with what we've seen of him up to this point. It's very much in character that he would take umbrage with the fledgling United States daring to desecrate the unspoiled West.

My one gripe about this episode is the resolution. The revelation that the person Ra's liberated from the home is Duvall and that Duvall is his son doesn't pack the emotional punch that I think they were hoping for. It just feels too pat. 

Overall though, this is a solid episode and though I don't think the show goes back to the "Ra's al Ghul Presents" well, it certainly could have.

Grade: B+

Brenda: "Where'd you find him, C.B.? He's so adorable!"

The Riddler: "Who? M-me?"

Brenda: [laughs] "Of course you, silly, and you're so smart! I just love a man with brains."

The Riddler: "Gee, I bet you say that to all the geniuses."

The Riddler has been paroled from Arkham Asylum and is giving up his life of crime. Batman is not convinced. Riddler has partnered with Wacko Toys and the outside world is eating up his puzzle toys. When an antiquities dealership is robbed and comments that Riddler made to Batman and Robin point to him being the culprit, Batman is bound and determined to prove that Edward Nygma hasn't changed his ways. Will Riddler end up in Arkham or will Batman end up with egg on his face?

Are you a Jim Carrey impersonator? Hot.

"Riddler's Reform" takes a pretty stock superhero story, the criminal gives up crime, but not really, schtick and uses it to great effect. This episode reminds me a lot of "House & Garden," when Poison Ivy went straight. That was an all-time great ep for Pamela Isley and this is probably the best episode that features Edward Nygma out of his three.

I love that this episode never tries to fool us. You never for a second believe that Nygma is actually going straight. It's very clear that even though he has all the tools to lead a successful, crime free life that he just can't do it. Nygma has a compulsion. He's always been the smartest guy in the room until he met Batman. Nygma loves being challenged by someone that he feels is on his level. He doesn't want to give that up. So, of course, he feels like the only way that he can actually be free of his compulsion and start over is to kill Batman. It makes perfect sense.

Season 2 of B: TAS has pushed this focus on Batman and Robin and it's fine. That being said, Robin is kind of in the way here. This is an episode for Batman and Riddler to go Mano a Mano so sidelining Robin early in the episode with an ankle injury is the way to go. There's a lot of great stuff in this episode. I love how it furthers this theme of society/business people partnering with members of Batman's Rogues Gallery to predictably disastrous effect. This ties into the theme that the majority of the upper echelon of Gotham are just dolts. There's also Batman being seemingly humiliated in front of these morons by Riddler only for it to turn out later that Batman was right along.

The icing on the cake is when Batman escapes Riddler's "unescapable" death trap. Nygma is happy to admit to everything and head back to Arkham if Batman will just tell him how he did it. Batman does not and this highlights a side of Batman that I really love. He likes playing sadistic mind games with his foes. I feel like it's part of how Batman stays sane and it just tickles me.

I do sort of wish that the show hadn't revealed how Batman escaped, because I think it would have been cool to have the audience be left in the same position as Riddler. I get why they didn't do that, but it's difficult for me to believe that Riddler wouldn't have taken that safe into account.

Riddler's B: TAS swan song is another standout episode for the series and for Riddler as a character.

Grade: A

Next up, Two-Face tries to go back to being plain ol' Harv and Harley has a day out.

That was fun! Let me know what. you guys thought of these episodes in the comments. Good episodes to return on? Are you not fans? I'd love to know.