Batman: The Animated Series

Avaitor · July 10, 2011, 08:02:18 PM

I do think that some episode can reach boring, like later on when Robin joins Batman full time, but when it's good, oh my god, does it get great.

I will say that recently I rewatched "Trial", an episode I previously disliked intensely, but found it to hold up better than I remembered. It actually gets pretty funny, which I didn't really recall. There weren't too many ensemble episodes with the villains, but I always felt like there was potential for more, considering how entertaining most of them were.

Dr. Ensatsu-ken · July 10, 2011, 08:15:18 PM

Quote from: Desensitized on July 10, 2011, 07:56:41 PM
As Avaitor knows, I've been watching the DVDs again.

I know some people like to bring up that the series wasn't always episodes like Heart Of Ice or Two Face, but in my mind... The show is very rarely boring. Even episodes like Night Of The Ninja I can still get some enjoyment out of, even if it isn't top tier. The only episodes (I'm smack in the middle of volume 2) I have outright skipped was Be A Clown and I've Got Batman In My Basement. They are awful, awful episodes, but outside of them I have gotten at least some enjoyment out of about every other episode.

IMO, it really does deserve the #2 spot on our list and claim of best action show. There's rarely ever an outright miss.

I actually really liked Night of the Ninja and its sequel episode Day of the Samurai. I think both episodes did a decent job of exploring parts of Bruce's past in relation to when he was in-training to become Batman. And that last fight in Day of the Samurai where Bruce's old rival accepts his defeat and bows to him before being consumed by the Volcano's eruption was pretty powerful stuff (at least for its time), IMO.

I don't quite remember Be A Clown but I completely agree with you about I've Got Batman In My Basement. That episode was HORRID, and felt so out of place for a BTAS episode. I don't necessarily mind when episodes are a bit sillier and less serious in tone like Almost Got'im, but the problem was that the episode was taking itself seriously but it was just so ridiculously stupid. Penguin could get Batman in a near-death state but couldn't get past a couple of stupid little kids hiding him in their basement? WTF were the writers thinking with that episode? Its not even good at being fun in a campy sort of way. Its just plain dumb.

Oh, BTW, I was wondering if anyone else besides me was ever creeped out by the ending of the episode House And Garden (which I mentioend about in my BTAS entry for our list). That episode is a top 10 for me, honestly, and that episode still kind of surprises me to this day. I was shocked when I saw it as a kid and I'm really surprised that they were able to get away with a dark twist like that, even given the series's numerous other dark twists and turns in other famous episodes.

Spark Of Spirit · July 10, 2011, 08:34:03 PM

Be A Clown is the one where the mayor's son teams up with Joker and the kid... Kinda doesn't really do anything. Lame episode all around.

House & Garden is, IMO, top tier and the best Poison Ivy episode. That episode gives me some chills.

Avaitor · July 10, 2011, 08:36:45 PM

"House & Garden" gets overlooked, but I think it's Ivy's best moment, by far. It is a good thing that she never showed up after that episode, or at least not for much longer than a cameo, since that was a good way to end her arc.

gunswordfist · July 10, 2011, 08:42:42 PM

Quote from: Ensatsu-ken on July 10, 2011, 08:15:18 PM
Quote from: Desensitized on July 10, 2011, 07:56:41 PM
As Avaitor knows, I've been watching the DVDs again.

I know some people like to bring up that the series wasn't always episodes like Heart Of Ice or Two Face, but in my mind... The show is very rarely boring. Even episodes like Night Of The Ninja I can still get some enjoyment out of, even if it isn't top tier. The only episodes (I'm smack in the middle of volume 2) I have outright skipped was Be A Clown and I've Got Batman In My Basement. They are awful, awful episodes, but outside of them I have gotten at least some enjoyment out of about every other episode.

IMO, it really does deserve the #2 spot on our list and claim of best action show. There's rarely ever an outright miss.

I actually really liked Night of the Ninja and its sequel episode Day of the Samurai. I think both episodes did a decent job of exploring parts of Bruce's past in relation to when he was in-training to become Batman. And that last fight in Day of the Samurai where Bruce's old rival accepts his defeat and bows to him before being consumed by the Volcano's eruption was pretty powerful stuff (at least for its time), IMO.

I don't quite remember Be A Clown but I completely agree with you about I've Got Batman In My Basement. That episode was HORRID, and felt so out of place for a BTAS episode. I don't necessarily mind when episodes are a bit sillier and less serious in tone like Almost Got'im, but the problem was that the episode was taking itself seriously but it was just so ridiculously stupid. Penguin could get Batman in a near-death state but couldn't get past a couple of stupid little kids hiding him in their basement? WTF were the writers thinking with that episode? Its not even good at being fun in a campy sort of way. Its just plain dumb.

Oh, BTW, I was wondering if anyone else besides me was ever creeped out by the ending of the episode House And Garden (which I mentioend about in my BTAS entry for our list). That episode is a top 10 for me, honestly, and that episode still kind of surprises me to this day. I was shocked when I saw it as a kid and I'm really surprised that they were able to get away with a dark twist like that, even given the series's numerous other dark twists and turns in other famous episodes.

I love Almost Got 'im so much.

Anyway, from the DVDs I got up to, there were about 5 bad episodes. I'll look them up to see which ones they were.

I have never seen or heard House And Garden until you mentioned it. I got to get around to that one.

Dr. Ensatsu-ken · July 10, 2011, 09:06:10 PM

Quote from: Avaitor on July 10, 2011, 08:36:45 PM
"House & Garden" gets overlooked, but I think it's Ivy's best moment, by far. It is a good thing that she never showed up after that episode, or at least not for much longer than a cameo, since that was a good way to end her arc.

Well, that's not entirely true. Chemisty also featured Poison Ivy, and although she was only revealed in a twist at the end her importance in the plot of that episode was a bit more than that of just a cameo. But for all intensive purposes, House And Garden was definitely her last primary episode (I think Harly and Ivy came after that but that was them being partnered than it being about just Ivy herself), and it was her best appearance in the series. Honestly, just because of that episode alone I'd say it made her my 4th favorite villain in the series (My favorite obviously being Joker, 2nd Mr. Freeze, and 3rd Two-Face). And just for the record my 5th favorite villain would be Clayface.

Spark Of Spirit · July 10, 2011, 09:15:12 PM

I'm watching Heart Of Steel.

Wow, even with robots I can't believe how far they were allowed to go. Some great action and choreography here, and a nice body snatcher style plot. Intense stuff.

Spark Of Spirit · July 10, 2011, 10:39:58 PM

Moon Of The Wolf...

Ugh. Talk about low level. The villain is so Saturday Morning cartoon. On the plus side, Bullock has a pretty good moment, but everything else is so hammy and cliched.

Spark Of Spirit · July 12, 2011, 09:25:01 PM

Volume 2 was even better, i think the only episodes I didn't like were Cat Scratch Fever, Tyger Tyger (poor Catwoman), and Moon Of The Wolf. Everything else was pretty freaking good.

Volume 3 started out strong, I'm up to Fire Of Olympus, and everything has been great. That said, I don't like this episode. Maxie Zeus annoys the hell out of me.

gunswordfist · July 13, 2011, 09:35:20 AM

How can you not like Cat Scratch Fever? Sure it was an episode about Batman looking for a cat but I thought it was a good Catwoman episode

Spark Of Spirit · July 13, 2011, 08:09:50 PM

Meh, it was dull. The villains were pretty lame, too. It's probably not outright crap like IGBIMB, but it isn't anything to special itself.

gunswordfist · July 14, 2011, 09:04:07 AM

I thought it was a nice little episode. Nothing groundbreaking but I would watch it everytime I would get the DVD

Spark Of Spirit · July 15, 2011, 03:51:59 PM

Yeah, after watching the whole thing short of volume 4, I'd say volume 3 is the best one and by far the most consistent as a whole. Volume 1 has the most duds, volume 2 probably has the most highs, but volume 3 is the most consistent.

Avaitor · July 15, 2011, 04:01:16 PM

I guess, but I still think that the show got a little more boring when it became TAOBAR. I'll say that the first few eps on the set, made before that happen, are just about all good, though.

Spark Of Spirit · July 15, 2011, 05:19:02 PM

I dunno, I didn't think it got boring at all. I enjoyed the Bruce and Dick relationship that got expanded on here. Though it is weird that Batgirl only had two appearances despite being so hyped up.

Plus you get a bunch of awesome Harley focused episodes. How cool is that?

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Batman: The Animated Series