"I Am the Night" Rewatch: "Lock-Up" & "Make 'Em Laugh"

Batman The Animated Series

You may think that these two episodes of B: TAS have nothing in common, but you'd be wrong! They both feature obscure, somewhat ludicrous villains that are created for the show but eventually made their way into the comics. They may not have the recognition and longevity of Harley Quinn, but they are there goddamn it! This common thread may be so think its ready to break, but it exists!

Dick Grayson: "Another fine villain made possible by a grant from the Wayne Foundation."

[Batman glares at him]

Dick Grayson: "Only kidding."

The patients at Arkham Asylum are shaking in their boots. They are afraid. They don't want to go back and it's not the Bat that they are afraid of. It's Lyle Bolton, a new guard. After an investigation led by Bruce Wayne, reveals Bolton to be a sadistic crackpot with a twisted sense of justice, he's out on the street. Six months later, a new vigilante, Lock-Up, is on the streets, but it's not criminals he's going after. It's Commissioner Gordon, Summer Gleeson and Dr. Bartholomew from Arkham. Can the Dynamic Duo save the day and make sure that real justice is served?

Bane's joined the GCPD?

Do you ever watch something from a while ago and you're taken aback by how timely it still is. There is a lot in "Lock-Up" that you can relate to today's world. For all intents and purposes, Lock-Up is a whacked out cop, which we see a lot today. His hatred of the "permissive liberal media" is something you see all across social media nowadays thanks to our awesome president. Insert eye roll. There's a lot of rich material to be mined from someone who believes it's not just the criminals that need to be punished but the "inept" police department and the media he sees as glorifying them and making them celebrities.

Sadly, the script which features a story by Paul Dini and teleplay by Marty Isenberg & Robert N. Skir, doesn't do a lot with the concept. For Lock-Up to be a somewhat empathetic character, we need to be able to see where he's coming from. The script uses a lot of suppositions it hopes the audience has, rather than really try to to flesh Bolton out as a character. Within the first ten minutes, Bolton is shown as clearly sadistic, enough to get Batman to launch an inquisition and it doesn't take much for him to lose his shit in front of the very people he's trying to pull one over on. 

Lock-Up is a super generic villain right down to his armored policemen's uniform, but there is stuff to enjoy about this episode. This story did come from Paul Dini, after all. I'm always a big fan of Batman using Bruce Wayne to fight crime, which is exactly what happens in the beginning. The banter between Batman and Robin is choice with the exchange that opens this post being one of my favorite interactions with them of all time. Robin is just saying what we've all been thinking. There are some cool directing choices, like the zoom in on Lock-Up's crazy eyes that closes out the first act. 

All in all, a perfectly passable episode of B: TAS that doesn't live up to the potential of its premise.

Grade: B

Batmobile Receiver: "Disturbance reported at the Top of the Crown restaurant. Suspect is a male costume extremist armed with what appears to be a... ketchup gun."

Batman: "It's gonna be one of those nights."

A rash of ridiculous costumed villains (well, more ridiculous than usual) are popping up all over Gotham. And even stranger, they are all famous comedians. When the Dynamic Duo get down to investigating, all roads lead to the Mad Hatter. But could something else be going on?

This is definitely not Heinz and French's! Suckers!

This is a funny episode of B: TAS, and it should be. It's an episode that revolves around a comedy festival and comedians being brainwashed into being bad guys. So, if there wasn't humor in the episode it really would have fallen flat. Luckily, writers Paul Dini and Randy Rogel don't let us down. 

The comedy starts right from the jump. Condiment King's "attack" of the Top of the Crown restaurant is a gut buster from the moment he starts spraying Gotham's elite with ketchup and mustard. I love when the richie rich tries to stand up to him and gets hot sauce'd in the eyes. Immediately the rest of them start giving their valuables up. It's a really funny way to show how shook up by the rampant crime rate these people are. They probably know they could take this guy, but they aren't even going to risk it. 

I think we all see through the Mad Hatter red herring pretty clearly. This is clearly a Joker plot and it's a good one. The whole thing is pitch perfect for the Clown Prince of Crime and this is yet another example of how Dini has a masterful grip on this character, as if you needed more. It makes perfect sense that Joker would crash a contest naming Gotham's best comedian and swear revenge on the three judges who kick him out. 

The Joker isn't a physical character when it comes to fighting so I love how he double deals and uses his environment to get a leg up on Batman. The final fight on the Laff Off clown balloon is visually really appealing and a really exciting climax. It could be because I have the maturity level of a ten year old, but that whole image of Joker with his pants down around his ankles, polka dot boxers on display and the trophy on his head had me straight up cackling. 

I feel like I should mention Lisa Lorraine. The comedienne seems to be a direct lampoon of Roseanne Barr, who's eponymous sitcom was one of the top rated programs of the time. It's not a super flattering portrayal of her. She's basically a slob and the Joker kidnaps her with a pizza. Her "domestic goddess" schtick does not seem to be appreciated by the writers. That being said, there are some funny moments with her. When she's Mighty Mom and spanks Robin, was I the only one who thought that was funny and also oddly arousing? Probably. Or when she hits him after she's had the Hatter's microchip removed? His deadpan response of "Who can tell?" once she lets him know she's back to normal was another LOL moment for me. I'd probably be more offended by the Lisa Lorraine Roseanne send up, if the real Roseanne wasn't such a dumpster fire.

Dini scored another win here with a episode that is pure comedy from start to finish. Seriously, why does anyone even try to write the Joker?

Grade: A

Next time, we finish up season two with Mr. Freeze's swan song in the animated series and the return of Batgirl. 

What do you all think? Were you let down by "Lock-Up?" Is "Make 'Em Laugh" comedy gold? I'd love to hear from you. Hit the comments with your thoughts.