"Totally Schway" Re-Watch: "Hidden Agenda" & "Bloodsport"

 Batman Beyond

I feel like I'm being hard on "Batman Beyond?" Maybe too hard. I do like it but it's been a while since I've watched. Maybe things just get better later on? Maybe the movie is just so good that goodwill extends to the show? Let's get to it.

Terry McGinnis: "This could work out after all."

Max Gibson: "Just one thing, McGinnis: You ever call me "Robin," and I'm out of here."

Terry McGinnis: "No problem... Alfred."

Max Gibson: [confused] "Alfred"?"

There's a new Jokerz gang in town led by a man named Terminal. There is a connection to Hamilton Hill High. Tension is actually Carter Wilson. He becomes obsessed with Maxine "Max" Gibson who is ahead of him in the class rankings. Max is working on a way to find out who Batman is, but shifts that to figure out who the Hamilton Hill High Joker is and her main suspect is... Terry McGinnis.

Bad seeds.

They are really trying to make the Jokerz happen this season, aren't they? They were mentioned more in passing in season one. But they have been kind of a focal point in two out of six episodes so far this season. I'm sure I've said this before, but in theory, I really like the idea of the Jokerz. I think it makes total sense that certain kinds of young people would latch on to the idea of the Joker. I think that once enough time passes you can forget atrocities or glamorize them which is what the Jokerz are doing. But it doesn't feel like the show has found a way to capitalize on that in a real way. The episode earlier in the season was meh and this episode doesn't do much to show that the Jokerz can be compelling antagonists to Batman.

The opening of the episode kind of feels like a re-tread of the opening of the pilot episode. Jokerz terrorizing someone on a rain, but it's not Terry this time. It's like they are trying to set up that Terminal is this sadistic badass so the reveal that it is actually Carter Wilson, preppy Hamilton Hill High School student, is shocking. Except that reveal isn't shocking at all. You see it coming a mile away. I think the fact that he becomes a Joker because his rich mommy is mean to him because he is second in is class takes the wind out of the sails a little bit. It's just a big who cares over all.

We are introduced to Maxine "Max" Gibson. I like Max right away. She scores a perfect score on her GATs, which sound like future SATs. She's really cool. And you know she's really cool because she doesn't care about scoring top marks, which of course makes Carter even more upset. She's also created a program to try to figure out who the new Batman is and she's already figured out that he's a guy who is somehow connected to the school. That's bad news for Terry.

I think where things kind of fall apart for the Max storyline is after Batman saves her from Terminal and his Jokerz at the school. Immediately after Batman disappears, Terry shows up and he is really pressuring her to delete her Batman detection program after he pressured her to change it from a Batman detection program to a Jokerz detection program when she almost got hit by a cream pie in her locker. She is ready to do it and then realizes someone is copying her program and the name at the top of her suspect list is Terry. So, she becomes convinced that he is actually the leader of this Jokerz gang.

My biggest problem about this is that the show has to make this extremely smart character act stupid to make this plot line work. No matter what her program says, it doesn't make sense for her to suspect Terry as a Joker when it is so obvious he's Batman and should be the most obvious to super smart Max. Terry has been acting super sketch about Batman specifically since h heard about her program. I just hate stff like this because it not only makes Max look stupid it also sort of assumes the audience is stupid too.

In the end, Max figures out Terry's secret which I think is a good thing overall for the show despite how we got here. It's good that Terry now has someone close to him that knows his secret and can help him run interference. It'll be interesting to see how this changes the dynamics on the show going forward.

Grade: C+

Pie Joker: "Your money or a pie!"

Terry McGinnis: "Some other time."

[Terry hits him in the gut then Stalker pushes his head into the pie with his foot while running after Terry.]

Pie Joker: "That's not funny, man!"

There's a new villain in Neo Gotham. His name is Stalker, a big game hunter that was given enhancements after being attacked by a panther. He's looking for bigger and more dangerous prey and he has his sights set on Batman. And it looks like Matt, Terry's younger brother, might get caught in the crossfire.

I see red.

I feel like I'm hyperaware of it now so be ready to get Jokerz watch. Will they start appearing in some way, shape or form in every episode going forward? I will say that the Jokerz appearance here I think is the way they should do it. Just a min comic relief bit. I think that may be the way that works best for Jokerz.

I'm not sure how to feel about Stalker. There's a lot to unpack anytime a series that is written by white people decide to go the whole African tribal route. And it's rarely good. Just look at the season one "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episode, "The Pack." This episode has all the things that make this type of conceit super duper cringe. There is the African tribal music that play when Stalker is... stalking. I don't know if writer Rich Fogel thinks that it will shake things up by making Stalker African, but that just makes it even more cringe for me. Stalker is just kind of a fail or me all around when it comes to new "Batman Beyond" villains.

The episode tries to lean into Terry's home life but it doesn't really work. Terry's mom is taking classes to get a promotion and Terry can't be bothered to get milk or be on time to watch Matt. And he's not even really apologetic. He lashes out at his mom for trying to do things that will better all of their lives. Not a great look man. I do think it's wild that at the end of the episode, Mrs. McGinnis seems totally fine that her son was kidnapped by a crazy dude and then saved by Batman. Is she just hoping she'll be down a kid? Less mouths to feed and all that. 

My favorite part of this episode is probably the flashback to Stalker's origin. I think the way that it's all tinged in red and black is really cool and visually really stunning. Stalker's actual origin is not great. It's like he's a tribal Wolverine mixed with Kraven the Hunter, but not interesting. Also, is Max just going to be around to babysit or provide alibis for Terry when it comes to Dana? I really hope not.

There's not a lot more to talk about. Stalker is seemingly dead, so that's good. Let's hope the next episodes are a little better than these.

Grade: D

Next up, Ten from the Royal Flush Gang returns and when Hamilton Hill High students start falling into a coma, Batman thinks that Spellbinder is back.

What did you all think? Am I being too hard on "Batman Beyond?" Does anyone like the Jokerz? What about Stalker? Let me know in the comments.