Episode Title: The Penguin’s Nest
Original Airdate: December 7, 1966

I’ve talked before about how Batman and Robin are pretty good and catching and locking up Gotham’s crooks, but somehow the criminals always seem to make it out again. Today we see one of Batman’s arch foes back out on the street, but strangely he’s desperate to be behind bars again! Burgess Meredith returns as the Penguin in The Penguin’s Nest.

We begin at a fancy new restaurant atop a high rise building called The Penguin’s Nest. It’s being run by the Penguin himself, whose reformation has apparently impressed Warden Crichton at the state pen. All of Gotham’s richest citizens are attending the opening night, including Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Aunt Harriet, Chief O’Hara, and Commissioner Gordon. The place seems to be legit. The only oddity is that the patrons must write out their orders on slips of paper. But during dinner Penguin lifts Aunt Harriet’s diamond bracelet. O’Hara is anxious to haul the bird off to prison, but Bruce suggests that Batman be consulted first.

When Batman and Robin arrive they quickly determine that Penguin, for some reason, wants to be back behind bars. The Dynamic Duo, thus, decide not to haul Penguin off in the patty wagon, even after he nails Commissioner Gordon with a pie. After leaving, though, our heroes decide to climb up the side of the building so they can spy on Penguin from a window. Penguin is hip to their jive, though. He stages the murder of one of his henchmen (he actually shoots blanks) in another attempt to get locked up. Batman and Robin do haul him off to jail, but they put him in a petty crimes holding cell…not the state pen.

Back at the Batcave, our heroes determine that Penguin’s plot involves getting back to his reserved cell at the state pen, which happens to be next to the cell of an expert forger, Ballpoint Baxter. Penguin must be seeking to forge check in the names of Gotham’s wealthiest citizens. The best plot now seems to be to transfer Penguin to the state pen so they can catch him in the act. However, Penguin is already in the midst of a prison break which results in Chief O’Hara being taken as a hostage. Later, Penguin calls to tell Batman where to come for a fair showdown. Of course, Penguin has other plans in mind. O’Hara is trapped inside a trunk at the top of a swimming pool slide. When the Dynamic Duo arrive, O’Hara will go into the drink, Penguin’s men with open fire, our heroes will fall into the pool, and for good measure Penguin will electrify the water, just to be sure. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Cross-fire and electrocution!
Looks like the end!
Have our heroes ever been in a nastier spot??
For the chilling climax, tune in tomorrow…
Same bat-time, same bat-channel…
Batman and Robin…stay away!
For your own sakes, stay away!!!

Having Burgess Meredith back as the Penguin is always a treat, and this episode is a quirky opportunity for him to do his thing. The whole pre-credit sequence is pretty unique, what with Bruce and Dick interacting with the villain and speaking highly of his apparent new lease on life. It’s also fun to see Commissioner Gordon rush off to call Batman in a phone booth while in the booth right next to him Bruce is having Alfred patch the two calls together. Though I wonder if some clever person at the phone company could connect the dots and sell the story to the National Enquirer for big bucks.

Like most episode of this series, this installment is primarily comedic. However, it does have one strangely violent moment. I’m speaking, of course, of when Penguin appears to use his umbrella gun to shoot down one of his lackeys in cold blood. It doesn’t take long for us to realize he faked it, but the scene is still a bit jarring. Things quickly switch back to the comedic, especially when Batman books Pengy not for staging a murder, but for discharging an umbrella gun in the kitchen of a licensed restaurant…which is just a sanitary code violation.

One of the episode’s other strange moments is another window cameo. As our heroes climb up the side of the building, they are serenaded with harpsichord music. Then, popping out of the window is none other than Ted Cassidy, in character as Lurch from The Addams Family. Batman and Robin tell him not to be concerned and to go back to playing his music. Speaking of music, though, Lurch might want to start practicing for Batman and Robin’s funeral…since they are about to be electrocuted in a swimming pool. Find out what happens next time in The Bird’s Last Jest. Next week…same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
State Pen Occupancy Report
Direct Line to Warden Crighton State Penitentary
Bat Ropes

Holys:
Holy Straight Jacket
Holy Firing Squad
Holy Blank Cartridge

Episode Title: The Bird’s Last Jest
Original Airdate: December 6, 1966

Well folks, sorry for keeping you in suspense for an extra week on our latest Batman cliffhanger. If you remember, it’s a doozy. Penguin has nabbed Chief O’Hara and has him locked in a trunk which he intends to drop into a pool. Batman and Robin are on the way, but Penguin’s men stand ready to shower the Dynamic Duo with bullets before shoving them in the drink as well. Oh, and did I mention the pool is electrified? Let’s find out what happens in The Bird’s Last Jest.

Our heroes arrive on the scene and spot the trunk containing O’Hara perched atop a water slide. The trunk gets pushed in, but Batman quickly realizes it’s a trap. Our heroes whip out the Bat Shield while they figure out what to do. Batman uses an exploding Bat Pellet to keep Penguin from switching the power on to electrify the pool. They then advance toward the electric cables. Using a Bat Inverser, Batman reverse the polarity. So, when Penguin turns on the power, the trunk containing O’Hara is launched out of the pool. Soon the bad guys run out of bullets (which Batman, of course, has been counting) and are arrested.

This would seem to be the end, but Penguin has more tricks up his sleeve…er flipper. At the trial, which has Batman serving as prosecutor, the Penguin turns the tables. He accuses Batman of violating his rights as a law-breaking citizen when (in the previous episode) he was not locked up for stealing Aunt Harriet’s jewelry. Strangely the judge ends up agreeing with the waddling crook and the case is dismissed.

Batman now has to try and catch Penguin in the midst of his forgery scheme in order to get him behind bars where he belongs. Batman paints some false fingerprints on Alfred and sends him off to Penguin’s restaurant posing as Quillpen Quirch, a noted forger. Of course, when Penguin check the fingerprints, they are a match. However, in the course of chatting with “Quillpen,” Penguin recognizes Alfred as Bruce Wayne’s butler. He then decides to hold Alfred for ransom. Now get ready for this…he seals Alfred into a giant pie and carts him off to Wayne Manor. He then demands 1 million dollars from Bruce. This leads to Bruce and Dick having to do some tricky back and forth to assume their heroic identities without leading on to Penguin. After the obligatory fight, Alfred is freed and Pengy and his men get carted off to jail.

Though this episode has a few fun moments, it does run out of steam about midway through. We start with a wonderfully silly resolution to the cliffhanger and then go into the court room scene, which is also kind of looney. Not only was it a kick to see that Batman is apparently licensed to practice law, but the Penguin’s slick wordplay to convince the judge of his case is also a lot of fun. But then we go into Batman’s extremely convoluted plot to try and catch Penguin red-handed. I guess part of the problem is that logic doesn’t just go out the window…it climbs up on the roof and commits suicide. I mean, Penguin suddenly recognizes that Alfred works for Bruce Wayne and remembers having dealt with him before. So what does he conclude: that Wayne and a bunch of other bankers are plotting against him!?!!? Even a Kardashian would’ve started to think that maybe Bruce Wayne is Batman after ten…fifteen minutes or so!

The whole Alfred plot, though, does provide one of this episode’s crazier moments. After Batman and Robin rush back to the Batcave/Wayne Manor to rescue Alfred from being baked into a pie they have to switch costumes several times. Of course, the Automatic Costume Changer that the Batpoles are equipped with work in reverse when they pull the right switch. The classic moment, though, is when our heroes switch back into their capes and cowls and cover their tracks by shouting the following exchange:

Batman: Look, Dick! Good gravy, Dick! Coming through that window!
Robin: Why Bruce, isn’t that Batman and Robin, Bruce?
Batman: It certainly is, Dick.
Robin: Go out and get ‘em Batman and Robin! We’ll stay here so as not to be in you way!

These lines are delivered in a very stilted fashion. Batman may be capable of many things, but I dare say winning a Screen Actors Guild Award is not one of them.

This episode mainly gets by on the strength of Burgess Meredith, who is always a treat as the Penguin. I just wish his scheme had been a bit stronger this time around. Alfred being baked into a pie just wasn’t a very strong plot device for me…and I like pie! We’ll see if things get better next time as Julie Newmar returns as Catwoman in The Cat’s Meow. Same bat time, same bat channel (superhero)

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Shield
Bat Pellet
Bat Inverser

Holys:
Holy Davy Jones
Holy Guadalcanal
Holy Levitation
Holy Flip Flop
Holy Chocolate Eclair
:

Episode Title: The Cat’s Meow
Original Airdate: December 14, 1966

It’s been awhile since Gotham’s favorite feline purred her way through an episode. Other than a brief cameo in one of the Ma Parker episodes, we haven’t seen Julie Newmar’s Catwoman since episodes 3 and 4 of this season. Well, she’s up to her old tricks this week. Here she comes in The Cat’s Meow.

We begin on a local morning show TV broadcast where Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are guests; there to discuss some of the efforts of the Wayne Foundation. However, when the host pauses for a commercial, for Stay-Dry Umbrellas, something strange happens. First, he’s buzzed by an electric shock in the handle before losing his voice. When he opens the umbrella, papers with riddles on them fall out. Commissioner Gordon quickly calls our heroes into action, but all are confused about which villain is responsible. Umbrellas usually mean Penguin, the shocker seems like Joker, and the riddles point to the Riddler. No matter…Batman and Robin will get to the bottom of it. Strangely, though, right after our heroes leave Gordon is paid a visit by none other than Catwoman…who has recently been released and is going straight with a new musical act. In fact, they are scheduled to perform at the upcoming Police Benevolence Society Ball. None of this is known to Batman.

Later, at Catwoman’s lair inside a dance studio, we learn that she has actually stolen the voice of the TV announcer. She has it in a little black box. She next has in mind a bigger target. British singing act Chad and Jeremy are arriving in Gotham and she plans to steal their voices. Catwoman manages to get Commissioner Gordon to reveal that the duo is staying at the home of Bruce Wayne (where else) before stealing his voice over the phone with her little electronic device. Next thing we know, Catwoman has shown up at Wayne Manor in the guise of a nerdy dance instructor there to give Dick a dance lesson. Luckily, the dogwood flowers that Aunt Harriet has in the house causes Catwoman to sneeze her disguise off. She then gasses everyone before making a quick getaway.

At least now our heroes know who they are up against. Meanwhile, Chad and Jeremy safely arrive in Gotham. It’s up to Aunt Harriet to entertain them since Bruce and Dick head off to the dance studio as Batman and Robin to nab Catwoman. Though our heroes easily take care of Catwoman’s henchmen, she requests that she be allowed to powder her nose before they arrest her. Of course, the powder is a drug which she uses to knock our heroes out. Next thing we know, they are trapped inside a giant echo chamber. It will magnify every sound 10 million times. After a short time, a simple drip of water will cause their brains to turn to mush…turning Batman into Catwoman’s love slave. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Zounds!
What Sounds!
Will Batman be reduced to a handsome robot, fit only to serve Catwoman?
Is Robin to become little more than a cuddly teddy bear for Eenie?
The answer to these and other ear shattering questions tomorrow!!
Same cat-time!!
Same cat-channell!!!

This is a very interesting episode…especially from a, well, sexual standpoint. Even casual superhero fans know that there is often an element of romantic tension portrayed between Batman and Catwoman. That’s really only been hinted at so far on this series. Well, that’s all out the window this time around. There are scenes where both Batman and Catwoman express a bit of an attraction toward the other. Batman essentially stumbles his way through talking to Robin about how attractive and alluring Catwoman is. He eventually resorts to just telling Robin he’ll understand when he’s older. Much less subtle, though, is Newmar’s Catwoman who is almost orgasmic in a few scenes where she reflects on what a fine specimen Batman is. Not to mention that the cliffhanger is designed to turn Batman into her love slave. Even as she regrets turning his brain to sludge, she says, “With a built like yours who cares,” and she clearly takes a glance down at his crotch. She does so again when she says, “After all, one can’t have one’s cake and, uh, eat it to.” Man, did I miss a lot watching this when I was ten.

Julie Newmar is fantastic in this episode. She’s as slinky and sultry as Catwoman should be. It’s no wonder Commissioner Gordon is so easily suckered into believing she’s gone straight. Newmar is nothing short of hypnotic in this episode. Heck, she spends one scene floating back and forth across the room on a golden swing! Another scene has her on her back, legs in the air peddling as if on a bicycle. The woman should be on the US Olympic Gymnastics Team!  But, she also shows off some great comedic chops, especially in the scene where she poses as the awkward, but strangely sexy, dance instructor, Miss Klutz.

We also get a few fun cameos in this episode, starting with Chad and Jeremy. For those of you not up on 60’s British Invasion groups…yep, these guys were a real musical act. I’m spinning their Greatest Hits album on Spotify right now, in fact. Their scenes are clearly modeled after the Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night. They even hold an airport press conference where they toss out jokey responses to the reporters’ questions. Even better, though, is when they have tea with Aunt Harriet and explain that they both plan on going back to school someday. One of them, not sure if it’s Chad or Jeremy, says, “Just think of it, every record our fans buy brings me another notch closer to becoming a brain surgeon.” We also get a brief cameo from actor Joe Flynn as the man who runs the dance studio Catwoman is hiding out in. Flynn appeared in tons of those not-so-memorable Disney live action films in the 60’s and 70’s. You may recognize his voice as Mr. Snoops from Disney’s The Rescuers. Here he even gets involved in the fist fight with the Caped Crusaders…well, his stuntman does, anyway.

Speaking of the Caped Crusaders, things don’t look good for them. Their eardrums are about to burst! You’ll have to wait until next week to find out what happens in our next episode, The Bat’s Kow Tow. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Universal Drug Anditode
Master Batfile

Holys:
Holy Rip Van Winkle
Holy Heidelberg

Episode Title: The Bat’s Kow Tow
Original Airdate: December 15, 1966

When we last left Gotham City, Batman and Robin were about to have their eardrums turned to mush due to being trapped inside Catwoman’s giant echo chamber. They are mere seconds away from being driven completely mad! Let’s see what happens in this week’s conclusion, The Bat’s Kow Tow.

The slow drip of water being echoed millions upon millions of times is just about to do Batman and Robin in. However, Batman remembers that every room has it’s own sympathetic vibration…a pitch that can shatter glass. He determines that F sharp over high C will do the job, so our heroes start humming the pitch. Soon enough, the glass shatters and they are free from their trap. Before leaving Catwoman’s hideout, they find out from one of her lackeys (Joe Flynn repeating his role from the last episode) that she is off to steal the voices of British singers Chad and Jeremy.

Batman and Robin arrive at the performance just as Catwoman has stolen their voices. She then hits the lights and escapes, with the help of her cat-eye glasses. Rather than pursue, Batman determines that they need to stay and help keep the thousands of screaming teenage fans calm. The next morning, the Caped Crusaders appear with TV host Allen Stevens (played by Steve Allen) to assure everyone that Chad and Jeremy’s voices will be restored. Midway through the broadcast, however, Catwoman and her men come in to announce that they are holding Chad and Jeremy’s voices for ransom. They are demanding 8 million pounds (or $22,400,000 US) from the British government for the pop stars’ voices. After all, those two British mop tops pay so much in taxes that without their ability to make money Britain’s economy would collapse.

As Batman and Robin investigate, they find that Chief O’Hara has a recording of a phone call from Catwoman. They analyze the call and detect the sound of three hair dryers in the background. But with two thousand hair salons in Gotham there’s no way to find where Catwoman is. But then, Chad and Jeremy (who still have no voices) express that they wish to get their hair done at Mr. Oceanbrings Salon…which happens to have three hair dryers. Sure enough, that is Catwoman’s lair. Our heroes show up and fight with the baddies before Batman has to chase down Catwoman and the two exchange an intimate moment before she’s hauled off to the clink.

Last week’s episode was a lot of fun, but this one is a little bit of a letdown. It’s still got a lot of fun moments, but the story kind of hits a wall. Most of this episode seems like an excuse to string together a bunch of cameos before the obligatory final fight. And there are a lot of cameos in this episode. We have the return of Chad and Jeremy and this time we see them perform two songs, “Distant Shores” and “Teenage Failure.” Then we get an appearance by comedian, and former Tonight Show host, Steven Allen. His name here is Allen Stevens, which is a bit on the nose, but whatever. Allen’s part is short but it’s hard to resist his wisecracking when facing Catwoman’s armed goons. The strangest cameo, though, is this episode’s window cameo. In one sequence our heroes pay a visit to the British consulate and must exit out the window. On the way down, they are greeted by Hawaii’s favorite son Don Ho. What exactly he’s doing in the British embassy is never explained. I was just bummed that he didn’t get to sing “Tiny Bubbles.” The cameos are a kick, but the thin plotline of this episode gets a bit overshadowed by them.

Though the plot is weak this time, there is one element that was very nicely done…the ending. We get the standard fist fight between our heroes and the baddies, but as the fight is winding down Catwoman runs out. Batman chases her into an alley but quickly loses sight of her. She gets the jump on Batman and ends up with her sonic gun pointed at his head. However, she can’t bring herself to kill him. She sighs, “I can’t kill the only man I’ve…” Our imaginations are left to complete the sentence. But we don’t have to imagine that Batman and Catwoman nearly lock lips before Robin so rudely interrupts. This steamier aspect of the relationship between Batman and Catwoman was used quite nicely in these last two episodes.

And with that we’ve reached the midway point of Season 2. We kick off the second half of this massive season next time with an episode that was originally written for the Riddler, but when Frank Gorshin was not available to reprise his role, another DC villain was brought in to fill the gap. Maurice Evans…aka Planet of the Apes’ Dr. Zaius…appears as the Puzzler in The Puzzles are Coming. Next week…same bat time, same bat channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Sound Analyzer
Anti Bat Sonic Device
Bat Rope

Holys:
Holy Resourcefulness
Holy Mush

Episode Title: The Duo is Slumming
Original Airdate: December 22, 1966

When we last left Gotham City, our heroes had been captured by Riddler substitute the Puzzler (Maurice Evans) and are now tied up in the basket of a hot air balloon which is slowly rising higher and higher. Once it hits 20,000 feet, the basket will drop like a stone…and our heroes with it! How will they get out of this one? Let’s find out in today’s episode, The Duo is Slumming.

Just as the altimeter is getting dangerously close to 20,000, Batman looks down and notices a piece of chewing gum on the floor of the basket. This was actually set up at the end of last week’s episode, but I failed to mention it. One of Puzzler’s men offered the Dynamic Duo some gum because chewing helps your ears adjust to the altitude. When Puzzler scolds him for such a suggestion, the crook discards the gum. Robin then shouted, “Litterbug!” Now it seems that the gum will come in handy. Batman suggest that they use it to block the air hole of the altimeter as it will throw off the pressure and the reading will stay under 20,000. Robin manages to do just that and they avoid dropping.

Wait, there’s more! Now our heroes have to get down! Batman remembers reading in the paper that the “elusive and high-flying” Giant Red-eyed Hermit Nuthatch Birds are migrating south for the winter. Of course, Robin has been practicing bird calls (this was also in last week’s episode). He hasn’t done this one yet, though…so he has to improvise. He ends up summoning a bird who comes and pecks a hole in the balloon so that our heroes can slowly float to the surface. They end up landing in the middle of nowhere, but luckily right beside an emergency public telephone. This whole thing is perhaps the most epic and bonkers resolution to a cliffhanger we’ve seen on the series so far. Just that it took me two paragraphs to describe it proves that. What I really liked about it, though, is that it played off of several elements (the gum and the bird calls) that seemed so inconsequential in the previous episode but paid off in a big way here.

Continuing on, Batman and Robin immediately head to the balloon factory to nab Puzzler. However, the baddies manage to escape when they drop a ton of balloons on the Caped Crusaders. It looked like the moment that made Hillary bug her eyes out at the Democratic Convention last summer. Meanwhile, Puzzler’s lovely lady, Rocket, is working on millionaire Artemus Knab. She drugs him so Puzzler can break into his vault and snap photos of the plans for Knab’s plane, the Retsoor. This way he’ll be able to swipe it.

Back at City Hall, Gordon receives a package from Puzzler, containing a Rooster. Rooster, of course, is Retsoor backwards. Later, they find a note left with the unconscious Knab, that seems to be blank. However, our heroes find hidden print on it which somehow (I admit I don’t understand how) leads them to discover Puzzler’s phone number. They call and end up with one more riddle…er, I mean “puzzle.” Long story short, our heroes solve the puzzle and end up showing up in time to stop Puzzler from stealing the valuable plane.

This episode starts really strong but kind of fizzles out as it reaches its conclusion. As I said earlier, the resolution to the cliffhanger is just so fantastic! The whole thing gets more and more outlandish as it progresses. It’s also quite long; taking up nearly ⅓ of the entire episode. However, after such a strong opening, it’s understandable that it’s somewhat downhill from there. As things move on the episode does maintain a certain level of lunacy. I loved watching Batman and Robin have to try and fight their way through a shower of multi-colored and odd-shaped balloons. The bit with Batman using some huge headphones to try and determine if the package sent to Gordon is a bomb was also fun. Strangely, Batman has the headphones over the ears of his cowl, which are actually a good two inches or so above where his actual functioning ears would be. This is all crazy fun, but then we get to the riddles…sorry, “puzzles,” and things get really convoluted. The writers don’t even attempt to explain the solutions that Batman comes up with for some of these…we just have to accept that he’s THAT smart.

There is, however, one very bizarre moment that comes midway through the episode…another window cameo. The cameo is: Santa Claus! Now, it’s important to realize that this episode aired on December 22, 1966, just three days before Christmas. Even though we don’t see any other indications around Gotham City that the holidays are in full swing, apparently it’s Christmas time. So…the question is, who exactly is that behind the very fake looking white beard? It turns out that Santa is actually actor Andy Devine. He was known primarily for appearing in many many western films, including Stagecoach, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. You may recognize his voice as that of Friar Tuck in Disney’s Robin Hood. To be honest, he’s a little bit creepy as St. Nick.

Even though the climax of this episode fizzles, the opening alone makes it a very fun watch. On our next episode, we’re going to meet another new-to-the-series villain. Our heroes battle the Sandman! Wait! I thought Sandman was a Spider-Man baddie? It’s a different Sandman, folks. We’ll meet him next time in The Sandman Cometh. Same Bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Headphones
Bat Rope
Secret Writing Detector

Holys:
Holy Stratosphere
Holy Audubahn
Holy Crack up
Holy Ghost Writer
Holy Miracles

Episode Title: The Sandman Commeth
Original Airdate: December 28, 1966

When I hear the name Sadman used for a super villain I think of the shape shifting character from the world of Spider-Man. But in today’s episode of Batman we get a different Sandman. He’s brought to life actor Michael Rennie, who is probably most remembered for playing the role of Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still. But that’s not the only baddie we get in this episode! Julie Newmar’s Catwoman is also on hand for today’s episode The Sandman Commeth.

We begin in Catwoman’s lair, where she and Sandman are meeting to discuss a plan they will hatch together. Secretly, though, each one is planning on double crossing the other. That’s not all, though. It seems that one of Catwoman’s assistants is actually an undercover police officer. When she tries to call Commissioner Gordon, she gives herself away. Catwoman stops her, though, before she can deliver the message. Gordon has enough to realize that something is up, so he picks up the Bat Phone. Problem is, Bruce and Dick are off on a camping trip with a bunch of Dick’s pals. From the wilderness they spot the Bat Signal, but they can’t give themselves away with a quick getaway.

The next morning, an incident occurs at a local bed store. A young woman sleeping in the window display is kidnapped by a strange guy in pajamas…one of Sandman’s henchmen. The young woman isn’t actually an employee of the store, though, it’s really Catwoman. The media ends up referring to her as Sleeping Beauty, and after her “escape” she appears on TV. She explains that the reason she fell asleep in the store was that she was being treated by Dr. Somnambular, who can cure anyone of their sleeping problems. Of course, the doctor is really Sandman. The free promotion on TV leads to a call from rich and famous insomniac J. Pauline Spaghetty. Just what our villains planned.  After all this, Batman and Robin finally get away from the camping trip and get on the case.

Sandman pays the rich old woman a visit and hits her with some powder that puts her into a sort of sleepwalking state. He gets he to reveal where she keeps her financial records, which he photographs. Once she snaps out of it, Batman and Robin show up and declare that the Doctor. is really Sandman and that he is out to steal Spaghetty’s valuables. However, nothing is missing, so Batman has no case. Later, our heroes show up at the bed store to investigate and are ambushed by Sandman’s men. During the fight, Robin ends up getting gassed with the sleepwalking spray and Batman ends up under a pile of mattresses. Next thing we know, Batman is strapped to mattress about to be stitched into a quilt…and it’s Robin who pulls the lever! Cue the cliffhanger narration.

Cliffhanger Narration:
Are our eyes deceiving us??
Batman quilted to a mattress!!
Robin led away by the abominable sandman??
To be the sleeping pawn in Catwoman’s cat-and-mouse game??
Wait on pins and needles!!
You’ll find out tomorrow!!
Same Bat-time, same bat-channel!!!

Well…I have to start by saying this episode is awful. Just plain awful! Where do we begin? How about that we are introduced to perhaps the most uninteresting villain in the history of this series. Sandman appears in the opening scene as a guy with slicked back oily hair wearing a ridiculously huge fur coat. If you think we’re going to find out more about him as the episode continues, HA…dream on. Why is he called Sandman? What is his basic MO? We’re never told. Other villains have all been appropriately introduced in their episodes. We learn about Joker’s tricks…Penguin’s umbrellas…Mr. Freeze’s freeze rays…and so on. Here we just get some guy called Sandman with poor fashion sense. Plus, Michael Rennie brings absolutely nothing to the role.

This episode also has terrible story structure. Unlike most episodes, we don’t open with a crime being committed. We start with our two villains chit chatting for a bit. THEN, they come right out and tell us that the two baddies are actually plotting against each other. What happened to the element of surprise? The writers give away a story twist TWO MINUTES IN!! That should be grounds for banishment from the writer’s guild! But it goes beyond lazy writing to pure simple stupidity! Get this: when Batman feeds info into his Bat Computer, the way it reveals that Sandman may be after J. Pauline Spaghetty is by actually oozing bright purple spaghetti noodles. Why didn’t Steve Jobs ever thinking of putting that feature into Apple products!?!

The only thing I appreciated about this episode was the fight sequence. With it taking place in the bed store, pillows end up getting tossed around and bursting open. So the room fills with feathers slowly floating to the ground as our heroes fight. Robin also has a moment where he repeatedly punches one of the bad guys who keeps hitting the bed and bouncing back up. Those are this episode’s few fun moments.

Hopefully the next episode will turn out better. After how awful this installment was, though, I kind of hope Batman does get stitched into a giant Bat Quilt. Join us next time for The Catwoman Goeth (A Stitch in Time). Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Computer
Bat Rope

Holys:
Holy Alter Ego

Episode Title: The Catwoman Goeth
Original Airdate: December 29th, 1966

Last week’s episode of Batman featured a team up between a well-known villain, Catwoman (Julie Newmar) and a new villain, Sandman (Michael Rennie). The result was quite possibly one of the worst episodes in the history of the series. Can part two possibly recover? That may be a bigger cliffhanger than the actual one…which sees Batman about to be stitched into a giant quilt. Let’s see what happens in part two of our story, The Catwoman Goeth.

Somehow, Batman manages to maneuver one arm slightly so that his restraint on that arm is cut. Then with his free arm, he removes his utility belt and uses it to lasso the control lever and stop the machine. Meanwhile, Sandman takes the “sleepwalking” Robin off to Catwoman’s lair in the stolen Batmobile. He turns the Boy Wonder over to the feline villainess and leaves to continue his plot against pasta mogul J. Pauline Spaghetty. As for Catwoman, she decides to toy with Robin by sending into her deadly maze.

Now freed, Batman heads back to the Batcave. Without the Batmobile, though, he has to take the subway. He and Alfred decide to use the tracking device on the Batmobile to try and locate Robin and the villains. Guess Batman had GPS way back in the 60’s. After examining the map, Batman tracks the Batmobile to a district full of run-down factories (which even have signs stating such). To get there, he hitches a ride on the back of Alfred’s “Alf-cycle.”

Meanwhile, Sandman has reunited with J. Pauline Spaghetty, under the guise of Dr. Somnambular. But that’s not all, the two intend on getting married, which gives Sandman access to her huge fortune. As for Catwoman, Sandman has given the address of her hidden lair to Commissioner Gordon so as to completely cut her out of the loot. Batman then pays Catwoman a visit and gets her to reveal Robin’s whereabouts…though, we never see his actual rescue from the maze. Our heroes then jump the Batboat and head for Spaghetty’s private island where they do battle with Sandman and his men.

Well, this episode is an improvement over last week’s, but it’s still no great shakes. Sandman is just an incredibly boring villain. He has no gimmick or wild antics…so, appropriately I guess, he ends up putting the audience asleep. The presence of Julie Newmar’s Catwoman helps things slightly, but she’s not given a heck of a lot to do in this episode. She does have a nice scene with Batman, though, that continues to up the romantic tension between the two.

I did like the gimmick of Catwoman’s maze in this episode. It’s got electric walls and some other dangers which could’ve been exploited further…but oh well. Ultimately, the maze would’ve made a better cliffhanger than the whole quilting machine thing. It might’ve been better to have Robin thrown into the maze at the end of the last episode and then have him spend much of this episode trying to navigate his way through.

We do get a bit more comedy this time around.  This episode’s best moment comes about midway through when Batman goes to recover the Batmobile and is encountered by two police officers. One of them is new to the beat and has no idea who Batman is. He attempts to ticket the Caped Crusader for various parking violations. The other officer tries to explain, but it’s in one ear and out the other with this rookie cop. Batman, who always tries to cooperate with the police, ends up apologizing for the violations…even though the Batmobile was stolen and left illegally parked by Sandman. What a good citizen.

In the end, these two Sandman episodes were pretty bad. I’m glad this story represents the character’s only appearance of the series. Next time we have a villain who made several appearances on the show, though. David Wayne returns as the Mad Hatter in The Contaminated Cowl. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Batmobile Tracking Map

Holys:
Holy Voltage
Holy Rat Trap
Holy Sedative

Episode Title: The Contaminated Cowl
Original Airdate: January 4, 1967

So far in the Batman series I can only think of one villain who is regularly referred to by his real name by those around him. That villain is Jervis Tetch, aka the Mad Hatter. Actor David Wayne played the character for one story arc in the first season and is now back in today’s episode, the first of 1967, The Contaminated Cowl.

Our story begins at Bon Bon’s Box Boutique, a Gotham City store that sells only…boxes. The unique store is paid a visit by Mad Hatter and his men who promptly request 700 empty hat boxes. When the store owner asks, “cash or charge?” the hypnotic eyes pop out of his hat and zap the poor woman. The baddies have no trouble making off with the goods. Of course, it’s obvious to Commissioner Gordon who is responsible, so the Caped Crusaders are called into action.

Our heroes use the Batcomputer to find out where Mad Hatter will strike next. It turns out that there is a Charity Headdress Ball hosted by Haddie Hatfield. She is the owner of the famous Hatfield Ruby which must be what Mad Hatter is after. Actually, though, he has just one thing on his mind, finally getting Batman’s cowl for his collection. The villain shows up at the ball disguised as the Three-tailed Pasha of Panchagora. Right about the same time, Batman and Robin arrive, having scaled the side of the building. They try to not be noticed, but Batman accidentally bumps a service tray, which alerts Mad Hatter’s men to their presence, before they duck behind the buffet table. Just as Mad Hatter nabs the ruby from the hat of Hattie Hatfield, the Dynamic Duo leap out. A fight ensues, but the villain hits Batman with a radioactive spray before escaping. This turns Batman’s cowl bright pink!!

With all of Batman’s other cowls being cleaned, he needs to find a way to put things back to normal. He ends up enlisting the services of a nuclear scientist who has recently received a sizable check from the Wayne Foundation. However, this is just what Mad Hatter planned. The baddies follow our heroes to the Gotham City Atomic Energy Laboratory and then pose as workers. When Batman goes behind a screen to remove his cowl, he unwittingly hands it off to Mad Hatter disguised in a radiation suit. Robin tries to stop the villain but is unsuccessful. Then Batman emerges IN A FRESH COWL!?! “I’ll explain later,” says Batman…but he never does. Long story short, our heroes pursue but end up trapped inside a giant X-Ray device. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Is this to be believed??
In our scientific age??
First Batman’s cowl radio-activated!!
And now the Caped Crusaders fluoroscoped forever??
Keep framed to their framework!!
Tomorrow!
Same bat-time, same bat-channel

After a couple of truly dismal episodes it’s great to see a return to goofy fun on this show. Mad Hatter may not be as extreme of a villain as the Joker or the Riddler, but he’s still wonderfully outlandish. I love David Wayne’s prim and proper approach to the character, along with his bright red, curled up moustache, not to mention the extreme eyebrows and slightly strange glint in his eye. Wayne does a great job of making his role bizarre without going over-the-top. Plus, the weird little hypno-eyes that pop out of the top of his hat are just plain cooky. The icing on the cake is the weird BROING noise that we hear every time they spring up. I also really like that Mad Hatter’s scheme has nothing to do with some big crime, world domination, or whatever…he just wants Batman’s cowl for his collection.

One of this episode’s great charms, though, is the gimmick of having Batman’s cowl turn pink. First, I can’t quite get over how the so-called radioactive spray is not any big deal for our heroes. I mean, Batman got sprayed in the face with this stuff and all he has to worry about is that now his costume clashes. Oh, he took an Anti Radioactive Bat Pill, that makes it all ok. Dude’s lucky his face didn’t start melting off!

The pink cowl isn’t the only bit of silliness in this episode, though. After all, even with Batman’s incredible powers of deduction, not to mention his physical prowess, we see him give himself away to the bad guys by stumbling into a serving tray as if he were Jerry Lewis. This is followed up by the sight of Batman and Robin hiding behind the relish tray on the buffet table. This then leads into a punch out with the bad guys that deteriorates into a food fight! Priceless!

One of the few downsides of this episode, though, is the cliffhanger. I don’t exactly understand what is about to happen to our heroes inside this giant X-Ray machine. I guess we’ll find out next time in The Mad Hatter Runs Afoul. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Batcomputer
Bat Ropes
Anti Radioactive Bat Pill

Holys:
Holy Handiwork
Holy Fireworks
Holy Self Service

Episode Title: The Zodiac Crimes
Original Airdate: January 11, 1967

We’ve made it through 70 episodes of Batman, and so far they’ve all followed the same basic two-part story format. Producers decided to do something a bit different, though, to celebrate the one year anniversary of the show. Which brings us to the first of two three-part stories that would air during the show’s second season. For that, one villain would not be enough. So here come Special Guest Villain the Joker (Cesar Romero), as well as “Extra Special Guest Villain” the Penguin (Burgess Meredith) in The Zodiac Crimes.

As our story begin, Chief O’Hara is showing Commissioner Gordon the police force’s new Rare Art Map, which will help them keep track of valuable works of art around the city which theives may want to steal. Enter the Joker, who promptly steals the map and promises a string of twelve crimes. When called into action, Batman quickly determines that the Clown Prince of Crime is planning a series of crimes based on the signs of the zodiac. In fact, stealing the Rare Art Map was the first such crime. “Rare Art Map,” R-A-M…as in Aries the Ram.

Meanwhile, back at his lair, the Joker receives a large package. Inside is none other than the Penguin, who has just busted out of prison. Joker then calls Batman at Gordon’s office to drop a clue which points Batman to the zodiac sign of Gemini…the twins. Batman and Robin decide they need to go check out the singing duo known as “The Twins.” Turns out they are really members of Joker’s gang in disguise. They are surprised, though, when Penguin shows up on the scene. This is just a diversion, though. At the same time, Joker is stealing a pair of diamonds, known as “The Twins,” from a local diamond shop.

After examining some evidence, our heroes end up at Joker’s lair and encounter the girl of his gang, the lovely Venus (Terry Moore). She agrees to take them to the scene of Joker’s next crime, an opera performance by Leon Crustash (as in Crustacean…the crab). A fight against Joker, Penguin, and their goons breaks out in the middle of the performance. When all is said and done, Penguin is captured.

A short time later, the police receive a photo of a valuable statue on display at a Gotham museum. Joker must be planning to steal it…fitting the bill for the Virgo part of Joker’s zodiac crimes. The Caped Crusaders show up at the museum and a fight breaks out with Joker’s gang, including some disguised as statues. Also disguised as a statue is Venus, who uses some knock-out gas on the heroes. Next thing we know, Batman and Robin are tied up under a giant meteor which will drop on them when the rope supporting it burns through. Cue the cliffhanger narration:

Cliffhanger Narration:
Can it be?
The Dynamic Duo crushed to death by an eight ton meteoritte??
Will the Joker’s prophecy come true??
Are their horoscopes canceled??
Is this their last star…??
Tune in tomorrow!
Same time! Same channel! Same peril!!

One thing that is strange to consider with this episode is that just about two years after this episode aired a string of murders by a still unknown killer dubbed the Zodiac Killer began in California. The David Fincher film Zodiac was based on these events. Though the crimes in this episode are definitely more lighthearted, the actual Zodiac crimes do cast a bit of a shadow over this episode.

If for no other reason, this episode is worth a watch just for the joy of seeing Cesar Romero’s Joker and Burgess Meredith’s Penguin together. Of course the two had shared the screen in the Batman theatrical film the previous summer, but it’s great to see them together again. Both brought to life the definitive versions of these villains for a generation. Both expertly handle their roles and show off their comedic skills. Penguin does kind of get relegated to more of a supporting role in the whole plan, though. This doesn’t necessarily fit considering that in previous episodes the Penguin always came across as a bit craftier than Joker. Pengiun does get some good moments, though. At one point he uses his umbrella to snag a banner hanging over the street from a moving truck just as Batman and Robin are about to nab him.

The fight sequences in this episode are pretty nuts, as well. One happens on stage during an opera as the singer continues with the performances despite all that’s going on around him. The other in the art museum is also wild. At one point Joker and Batman duel with giant spears. Probably the craziest thing in this episode, though, is the sight, and sound, of Bruce Wayne’s youthful ward, Dick Grayson, struggling to learn how to play the tuba in the opening moments of the episode.

Sadly, the marching band might not get to benefit from Dick’s musical abilities. Being crushed by a giant meteor would kind of put a damper on that…don’t ya think? Join us next time to see how they get out of this one in The Joker’s Hard Times. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadget’s Used:
Bat Bug Detector
Bat Fire Extinguisher
Batanalyst

Holys:
Holy Astronomy
Holy Terminolog

Episode Title: The Joker’s Hard Times
Original Airdate: January 12, 1967

When we last left Gotham City, Batman and Robin were tied up underneath a giant meteorite that is just about to drop and squash them into pancakes. Meanwhile, Joker is out continuing his string of zodiac-themed crimes. Let’s see what happens next in part two of this three part story, The Joker’s Hard Times.

The rope holding the meteorite is dangerously close to burning through. But, Batman manages to wiggle his Batarang out of his utility belt. He times his throw precisely and knocks the flame away from the rope just long enough to cut the rest of the ropes. He and Robin leap away from danger just as the meteorite starts to fall. That was a close one! While all this is going on, Joker commits his next zodiac crime. Connecting with Libra (scales) he steals a valuable statue of Justice from right outside city hall. He then escapes in a police car, even using the radio to give false instructions to the other pursuing cops. Batman joins the pursuit, though, and warns the police of Joker’s trick.

Joker has more zodiac crimes to pull off, though. He sends his lovely, and morally conflicted, henchwoman Venus off to steal a jeweled scorpion for his Scorpio crime. Next on the list is Sagitarius, the Bowman. Batman figures the Joker must be planning to kidnap millionaire (and good friend of Bruce Wayne) Basil Bowman. Batman and Robin make it just in time to rescue the millionaire. Joker makes his escape by holding a knife at Venus’ throat, knowing Batman would never let harm come to a woman. After ending up in Batman’s arms, Venus agrees to help the Dynamic Duo catch Joker.

First Venus leads them to a record shop where Joker’s men are holding the opera singer kidnapped in the last episode.  They all fight by throwing records at each other. She then clues them in to Joker’s Pisces crime…stealing some rare fish from a Gotham fountain. A chase with Joker ensues and our heroes are led back to his hideout. Joker was counting on that, though. He springs a trap on our heroes, and nabs Venus as well. Now, all three are chained up in a large water tank with a giant monster clam ready to swallow them whole. He even gulps up Robin right before the cliffhanger narration.

Cliffhanger Narration:
Are our eyes deceiving us??
Has the giant clam really swallowed Robin??
With beautiful Venus next on his monstrous menu??
Leaving the Joker free to confuse, confound and control Gotham City??
Find out next week!
Same time!
Same channel…!

An interesting thing to note about this episode’s cliffhanger is that audiences would have to wait a lot longer to find out what happens. Batman aired two episodes a week on consecutive nights, so viewers only had to wait 23 ½ hours each week to find out if our heroes survived. This time, with a third part of the story, they’d have to wait a whole week! What makes it even better is that we actually see Robin slurped up by the clam. One leg is even left flopping out of the side of the creature’s mouth! The clam is fantastic looking, by the way. It actually bears a bit of a resemblance to Audrey II from the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Even a monster clam, though, can’t pull off stealing scenes from Cesar Romero as the Joker. I found myself really appreciating his performance in this one, even more so than in last week’s episode. He comes across as much more sinister this time. As he’s giving the obligatory speech before the cliffhanger, his delivery becomes quite dark. It actually succeeds in giving some dramatic weight to a sequence that is about to feature big green hairy clam with razor sharp teeth. The moment where he threatens Venus with a knife is also very effective. I’ve said before how Romero doesn’t get enough credit for his Joker performance. Too many are quick to categorize his take on the character as a cackling buffoon, but moments like these show that he did give his Joker a sinister edge, as well.

This episode’s most memorable moment, though, comes when Venus ends up in Batman’s arms after being discarded by Joker. She stares up at him and asks to help catch Joker with a breathy voice. You can practically see the steam seeping out of Batman’s cowl. He clenches his teeth as he tells her, “A crooked path can often be STRAIGHTENED, Venus.” Oh my!! The sequence is actually way more suggestive than any of the moments Batman has shared with Catwoman in previous episodes.

But there’s no time for love Dr. Jones! Robin’s already gotten a close-up view of that giant clam’s tonsils. Batman and Venus are next! Find out what happens next time in The Penguin Declines. Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel (Superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Batarang
Emergency Bat Turn Lever

Holys:
Holy Mashed Potatoes
Holy Sonic Booms
Holy Red Snapper

Episode Title: The Penguin Declines
Original Airdate: January 18, 1967

When we last left Gotham City, Batman, Robin, and the Joker’s former gal Venus had all been captured by the Clown Prince of Crime and chained up to be fed to a giant monster clam. In fact, Robin has already been slurped up by the creature. Let’s find out how they get out of this one in the conclusion of the series’ first three-part story, The Penguin Declines.

Just as the clam is about to try and grab Venus, Batman manages to break the chains around his wrists and muster enough strength to pry open the clam’s mouth and free Robin. So…uh…what!?!? Well, as Batman explains, “Every man has his own unknown inner strength in a time of crisis.” Okay, if you say so, Batman. With that, our heroes decide to head back to the Batcave to figure out Joker’s next step. To keep Venus safe, they drop her off at the rarely used downtown apartment of Batman’s good friend Bruce Wayne.

Meanwhile, back at the Joker’s hideout, he makes plans for the last two zodiac crimes. But, he needs a little help. This comes in the form of the Penguin, sprung from prison in a laundry van by Joker’s men. The next crime on the list has to do with Aquarius. Remember, in an earlier episode Joker tried to sabotage Gotham’s water and was foiled. This time, he plans on using some “Joker Jelly” to turn all of Gotham’s water into strawberry jelly. But where does Penguin come in? Well, Joker’s plan involves the waddling villain heading off to Bruce Wayne’s apartment to romance Venus. Meanwhile, Joker successfully dumps his “Joker Jelly” into the water supply.

Of course, Batman and Robin head off to fix the water, meanwhile, Penguin is putting the moves on Venus. Somehow, he convinces her to try and get Batman to take her to the Batcave. His purpose is to have her wipe all his old crime records from Batman’s computers. We then fast forward to Venus making her request to the Dynamic Duo. Batman agrees to take her to the Batcave, but he has to use some bat gas on her so she won’t see the location of the Batcave. Upon arrival in that most secret of locations, the trunk of the Batmobile pops open to reveal Penguin, Joker, and five of their goons. That’s a big trunk! As the villains celebrate their premature victory, Batman pulls a switch. He turns on the Bat Spectrograph Criminal Analyzer, which records valuable information on the criminals that will aide Batman in catching them in the future. See, he knew what they were up to all along. A big fight in the Batcave breaks out with the Dynamic Duo victorious once again.

I gotta admit, I don’t completely understand the finale of this episode. Batman uses his Bat Spectrograph Criminal Whatever-it-is on the bad guys…but so what? He’s about to catch them in a few minutes, so what’s he need that for?!? The fact that he feels the need to collect data on them to help with catching them in the future seems to indicate that he has no faith in the prison system. I guess that’s understandable, though, since all these villains keep busting out of prison to cause trouble week after week. Heck, in this three-part story alone Penguin busted out of the clink twice! Anyway, the finale of this story is a bit anti-climactic. Though, the Batcave fight is fun. A few of the crooks even take nasty dives off the second level of the Batcave’s nuclear power source.

The gimmick with turning the water into strawberry jelly is an appropriately silly thing for the Joker to do. My favorite moment of this whole jelly incident is seeing Chief O’Hara abruptly interrupted from singing “O Danny Boy” in the shower when red goo pours over him, making him look a bit like Sissy Spacek in Carrie. While we’re on the subject of this episode’s sillier moments, we should also address the resolution to the cliffhanger. Now, this “unknown inner strength” that Batman taps into to break his chains…couldn’t he have used this to get out of just about every other cliffhanger we’ve seen in this series so far? I guess it was a pretty big clam, though.

As for our villains, we’ve got two pros once again in Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith. Both do a fine job, but just like in the first part of this story, Penguin ends up getting the short end of the stick. In fact, in this episode it really feels like Penguin has been shoehorned in. Though, there is a great sequence where Joker and Penguin almost come to blows as they argue with each other over who is the greater criminal mastermind.

All in all, this is not exactly a spectacular end to our first three-parter, but this episode does have it where it counts. It was a big disappointment, though, that this episode does not exploit the seeds of romance between Batman and Venus that were planted in our last episode. Maybe the writers were afraid Catwoman would get jealous. Speaking of Catwoman, she’s back to cause trouble in our next episode, That Darn Catwoman. Same bat time, same bat channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Batcopter
Portable Bat Lab
Mobile Phone Bat Plugs
Special Exploding Batarang
Bat Gas
Bat Awake
Bat Spectrograph Criminal Analyzer
Negative Ion Attractor
Emergency Bat Trunk Lock

Holys:
Holy Human Pearls
Holy Jelly Molds
Holy Holocaust
Holy Gambles

Episode Title: That Darn Catwoman
Original Airdate: January 19, 1967

Batman always attracted some pretty big names to play the villains of the show. On today’s episode, though, we get a big guest star as a part of the villain’s gang. Singing star Lesley Gore joins up with Catwoman as Pussycat. She even gets to sing a song in today’s episode, That Darn Catwoman.

As our story begins, Robin is giving the commencement speech at Gotham’s Aaron Burr High School. Waiting in the wings, though, is Catwoman and her gang, which includes her new protege, and aspiring singer, Pussycat. The young feline slinks her way up to the Boy Wonder and promptly proclaims, “I want to be alone with you, Robin.” She then scratches him on the back of the neck with special claw. Next thing we know, Robin is pushing around Chief O’Hara (who just happens to be at the graduation) before heading off with Catwoman’s gang.

Batman is called into action, but while he’s off talking to Commissioner Gordon, Robin shows up with Catwoman and her gang at Wayne Manor. They tie up Alfred and Aunt Harriet and rob the safe of $100,000. It seems that Catwoman is trying to collect capital so she can purchase the plans to Gotham City Mint. She even calls Batman and informs him that she plans to commit more crimes…but if Batman stops her she’ll have Robin killed. She starts by robbing a rich local inventor, Pat Pending, who is working on a universal solvent. Then she shows up at a foreign embassy where money equaling the weight of the countries prince is about to be donated to orphans. But, when the crooks try to grab the dough, Batman shows up. He battles with the Catwoman’s henchmen for a moment, but the bad guys escape. Batman follows them back to Catwoman’s lair and is now faced with having to fight Robin. However, he can’t bring himself to lay a punch on his old chum. Robin quickly overcomes Batman and next thing we know, Batman is strapped to a giant rat trap. He is faced with a decision: join Catwoman or be sliced in half by the trap. Of course, he refuses to join the dark side…so Robin slowly starts to cut the rope. Cue the cliffhanger narration.

Cliffhanger Narration:
Holy bat-trap!
What a decision!
A life of crime or no life at all!!
There’s no way out!
Or is there??
Tune in next week for the shocking answer!!
Same cat-time!!
Same cat-channel!!

I admit, one of the big selling points of this series as a whole is the colorful collection of celebrities that fill up the rogue’s gallery. I’m certainly never one to complain about getting to see Julie Newmar as Catwoman, but I dare say she gets upstaged in this episode by the pint-sized Lesley Gore as Pussycat. Yeah, next to the statuesque Newmar, Gore looks like a munchkin. Prancing around in a pink leotard, fuzzy ears, and a bow around her neck, she’s both adorable and strangely seductive. In her big moment with Robin she purrs lines like, “I can see a very important part of your education has been grossly neglected.” Then she eyes him in the crotch and winkingly calls him “big boy.” This is all before the opening credits even roll. Plus, fans of Gore’s music will appreciate the sequence midway through the episode where she sings the song “California Nights.” After it appeared in this episode, the song climbed up the charts and became her first Top 40 single in over a year.

It’s a good thing that Gore makes such an impression in this episode, since, truth be told, the story itself is a bit lackluster. There’s not a whole heck of a lot of action in this episode. Catwoman and her gang pull a few robberies, but without any real resistance. Batman himself seems to vanish from extended sections as the episode focuses more on Catwoman and Pussycat. There aren’t even any bat gadgets used in this one. The episode also spends a bit of time setting up some things that I assume will pay off in the next installment. There’s an awful lot of talking about the universal solvent that Pat Pending is working on for it to not play into things later. I guess we’ll see.

One other highlight of this episode is the great joy Burt Ward seems to be having playing evil Robin. He seems to be channeling every teenage tough guy from those cheapo 60’s juvenille delinquent films that are so darn fun to watch. One thing’s for sure, though, Batman isn’t having much fun with this new and improved Robin. He’s about to be split in two at the hand of the Boy Wonder himself. Join us next time to see what happens in Scat! Darn Catwoman. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
NONE!

Holys:
Holy Knick of Time

Episode Title: Scat! Darn Catwoman
Original Airdate: January 25, 1967

When we last left Gotham City, Batman had been captured by Catwoman and is now strapped down to a giant rat trap. Robin, still under the control of Catwoman, is sawing away at the rope. Batman’s only hope is to agree to join up with Catwoman. What will happen? Let’s find out in Scat! Darn Catwoman.

With Robin about to slice through the rope, Catwoman gives Batman one last chance. He agrees to join up with Catwoman, not because he’s afraid of death, but because he doesn’t want Robin stuck with a murder rap. Now, of course, to make sure Batman isn’t faking, Catwoman insists on using her “Catatonic” drug on him. He agrees, but just before she administers it, he asks if he can take a bat pill since he’s feeling a bit woozy. She allows it, then she drugs Batman and he becomes her willing slave.

The duo then jump in the Batmobile and head across the bridge to the Old Criminals Home. There they pay a visit to a wheelchair bound gangster called Little Al. He’s played by the great character actor Allen Jenkins. In exchange for a million dollars, he gives Catwoman the plans to the Gotham Mint. Meanwhile, back at City Hall, Commissioner Gordon is dealing with all the reports that Batman has joined up with Catwoman. Just then, though, Chief O’Hara storms in with an anonymous tip as to where Catwoman’s lair is. They arrive to find Robin trying to get, shall we say cozy, with Pussycat. The youngsters both end up arrested.

Needing a new place to hideout, Catwoman convinces Batman to take her to the Batcave. Of course, Batman sprays her with Bat Sleep so she won’t know where the Batcave is. This also makes it clear to us that Batman is not really under her influence…as if we had any doubt (a bit woozy…seriously, Batman). While there, Batman leaves a note for Alfred instructing him to take some Bat Antidote Pills to Robin at City Hall.

That night, Batman, Catwoman and her men try to break into the mint. They bust open the safe and Robin busts out…now free from Catwoman’s spell thanks to Alfred. Batman then reveals that he was just acting the whole time. They then fight with Catwoman’s men, but she makes an escape in the Batmobile. Our heroes pursue in a police car. They then use a remote control to bring the Batmobile to a stop. Catwoman tries to escape, climbing atop of a warehouse building. Batman soon corners her, though, with no place to go but a deadly drop into the river. Just as it looks like Catwoman is going to agree to go straight, she tumbles off the roof…apparently to her death. But remember, cats have nine lives.

Watching evil Robin ham things up was one of the highlights of last week’s episode. This week we get drugged out Batman, and it’s just as fun. He keeps calling Catwoman sweetheart and cat-baby. What lessens the impact, though, is the fact that we know all along that he’s faking it. The Bat Pill thing sticks out like a sore thumb. I would’ve prefered it if he had revealed that he somehow snuck a bat pill down his throat at the climax. As for evil Robin, he does get to chew up the scenery in one scene where he gets a bit too handsy with Pussycat. The scene is actually borderline inappropriate as Robin comes across a bit like a drunk frat boy trying to score.

Lesley Gore once again appears as Pussycat. Unfortunately, her role is reduced quite a bit in this installment. Her best moment has her singing the song “Maybe Now” while staring longingly at a photo of Robin. She was just so darn adorable in the last episode that it’s more than a bit disappointing that she is relegated to a glorified cameo this time.

Speaking of cameos, the highlight of this episode for me was the brief appearance of Allen Jenkins as convalescent gangster Little Al. For over thirty years, Jenkins was one of those actors that made us exclaim, “Hey, it’s THAT guy again!” He’s got such a wonderful, distinct, New Yawk style voice. His role here is very short…but it was a treat to see him.

This episode is still a lot of fun, but it’s doesn’t quite match up to the previous installment. Next time we begin another three-part episode. After all, after doing it once they had to even things back out again. The Dynamic Duo face two villains…Burgess Meredith’s Penguin and Carolyn Jones back as Marsha Queen of Diamonds in Penguin is a Girl’s Best Friend. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Pill
Bat Sleep
Bat Wake
Automatic Batalarm for Detecting Phone Detecting Equipment
Diversionary Batphone Lines
Bat Antidote Pills
Batmobile Remote Control

Holys:
Holy Shucks
Holy Diversionary Tactics

Episode Title: Penguin is a Girl’s Best Friend
Original Airdate: January 26, 1967

A few weeks ago we had our first ever three-part story of Batman. When the episodes originally aired, that would’ve set off the show’s broadcast schedule. Usually it would’ve been part one of the story on one night, part two on the next. But our last two episodes aired a week apart. So, another three-parter was needed to get back on the right schedule. And just like last time we get not one, but two villains. Here come Burgess Meredith as the Penguin and Carolyn Jones making her second appearance as Marsha, Queen of Diamonds in Penguin is a Girl’s Best Friend.

As the episode opens, Batman and Robin are on their way to deliver a lecture for the Crime Prevention League when they must go to stop an armored-car robbery in broad daylight. Penguin and his men appear to be the culprits. Of course, fists fly but it turns out that Penguin is actually shooting a movie. He has a permit and everything. Rather than risk being sued, the Dynamic Duo end up signing a contract agreeing to be the stars of Penguin’s movie.

Later, Batman reveals that he knew it was a movie shoot all along, but figuring Penguin was up to no good, he figured this would be the best way to keep an eye on him. Uh-huh, you just keep telling yourself that, Batman. As for Penguin, he is in need of some serious capital to fund his film. The movies is an expensive business, after all. Enter Marsha, Queen of Diamonds. She agrees to fund the project, which is really a front for more criminal activity, as long as she gets to be female lead opposite Batman.

On the first day of shooting, Batman is due to shoot Scene 12 with Marsha. A scene which Batman thinks is in poor taste and which involves Marsha wearing nothing but her diamonds and taking a milk bath. Enter the Gotham City League of Film Decency, which Batman has alerted and which happens to be led by Aunt Harriet. Due to their protests Penguin switches gears and shoots a different scene, which still involves a passionate kiss between his two leads. Ever the perfectionist, the Kubreckian Penguin declares he’ll shoot the scene 100 times if needed to get it right.

On the next day they are due to shoot at a local art museum. Figuring Penguin intends to steal some of the art, Batman places homing devices on every item in the museum. On the day of the shoot, though, nothing is missing. That is, until the curator tells Batman that some chain-mail suits of armor are gone. Turns out, Penguin’s men are using them for the movie. Penguin films a fight between them and the Caped Crusaders, which the heroes easily win. But when Penguin shines a studio lamp in their eyes, the henchmen capture them. Next thing we know, our heroes are strapped to a giant catapult to be launched across Gotham…and Penguin plans to film the whole thing. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
The Caped Crusaders to end smashed flat?
While Pengy’s cameras record the splat?
Et tu, Pengy?
Friends, Romans, countrymen, find out next week!
Same bat-time, same bat-channel!!!

Being such a big movie fan, I found this episode completely irresistible. This episode is actually quite astute in pointing out the ridiculous excesses of Hollywood. This primarily plays out in a sequence where we see Penguin at work at his studio. He has a cavernous office with so much space between the door and his desk that Marsha has to ride on his “Pengy-mobile” to get to him. He also struggles with his large telephone, pushing buttons to try and talk with the prop department. By the time he finally reaches them, he’s forgotten why he wanted to talk to them. There’s even a moment where Marsha expresses interest in winning an Oscar, which disgusts Penguin. “You don’t want one of those!!” exclaims Meredith, who had yet to get an Oscar nomination himself at this point.

One thing I really appreciated about this episode was that Marsha comes off as a much stronger character than she did in her previous story. Carolyn Jones was a fine actress, not just for her work as Morticia on The Addams Family, but she didn’t leave a big impression on me in her first go-round as Marsha. Here she turns up the steam a bit and delves a bit more into Julie Newmar’s Catwoman playbook. It really works well. On a side note, Marsha does have a strange scene which I assume must be setting up something for one of the next few episodes. She pays a visit to her Aunt Hilda, the witch, once again played by Estelle Winwood. In Aunt Hilda’s cauldron is a strange puppet creature called Mortimer? Not sure why he’s there but I’m waiting for the payoff.

One problem I have, though, is with the cliffhanger. It kind of feels like there shouldn’t be a cliffhanger for this episode. After all, if Penguin’s plan involved having the Caped Crusaders in his movie, why is he trying to splat them on the streets of Gotham with a catapult? Other than that, this is a gem of an episode. You’ll have to wait until next week, though, to see how Batman gets out of this one. Join us next time for Penguin Sets a Trend. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Homing Device

Holys:
Holy Cinemascope
Holy Miscast
Holy Movie Moguls

Episode Title: Penguin Sets a Trend
Original Airdate: February 1, 1967

When we last left Gotham City, Batman and Robin had been tied up by the Penguin and placed on a giant catapult. The rope is slowing burning through. Soon the Caped Crusaders will sail across the sky and splat somewhere in downtown Gotham. Let’s see what happens next in Penguin Sets a Trend.

As our heroes wait for the rope to burn through, Batman begins some mathematical calculations. He soon figures that once they launch they will land 30 yards south of the intersection of Mulberry and 7th streets. He then activates the remote control on his wrist to send the Batmobile to that location. A net shoots out of the trunk and catches our heroes just in time.

Now, despite having almost been killed by Penguin, Batman decides that the best way to get to the bottom of his plan is to go back and ask to continue as the stars of Penguin’s movie. At first Penguin refuses, but Batman puts on an act that he has caught the acting bug and has dreams of being a star and winning Oscars. Penguin soon agrees to put them back in the film.

When filming resumes, Penguin has switched to a medeival setting. This will make for good use of the priceless suits of armor Penguin stole in our last episode. For the scene, he has Batman and Robin wearing suits of armor (not the ones from the museum, though), but little do our heroes realize that Penguin is up something. He uses a giant electric magnet to trap the Caped Crusaders while he and his men head off to the top secret government facility, the Hexagon. There, Penguin uses the promise of Hollywood stardom to convince a general to let him film at the site…in Room X. For you see, Room X is next to Room Y, and Room Y is next to Room Z…which contains items Penguins wishes to steal. Before long, Penguin’s men (wearing the suits of armor) bust in to rob the joint.

Meanwhile, Batman and Robin are still trapped by the magnet. Luckily, Batman finds a loose nut which he tosses into the socket of a lamp with no bulb which is still plugged in. Batman makes the shot which shorts out the fuse box and disables the magnet. Our heroes then head for the Hexagon, still in the suits of armor because they can’t waste the time it would take to remove them. They eventually corner Penguin outside of a warehouse, but he takes them out by rolling barrels at our heroes. Penguin then pays a scrap metal collector to pick up the “junk,” which includes the suits of armor containing the Dynamic Duo. Now Batman and Robin are about to be mashed up in a giant hydraulic scrap crusher. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
The Dynamic Duo a pair of paper weights??
This time the pressure is really on them!!
Tune in tomorrow for the crushing finish!!
Same bat-time, same bat-channel!!!

This is kind of an odd follow up to last week’s episode. Several of the the things I really enjoyed about part one are underplayed or just plain gone. The whole movie making angle is not played up as much as it was last time. Watching Penguin trying to be a movie mogul was a real hoot, but this time he’s much more focused on his criminal plans. We also get very little of this story’s second villain, Marsha, Queen of Diamonds. She and her Aunt Hilda (the witch) appear in just one short scene. They are at Gotham Central Park trying to catch some “old toads” that Hilda needs for one of her potions. This was mentioned briefly in last week’s episode. I assume this will pay off next time. Considering how much Carolyn Jones steamed things up last time as Marsha, though, it was disappointing that she has only a cameo this time.

Despite this episode’s shortcomings, there is still enough lunacy to make this one a real gem. To start with, the resolution to the cliffhanger is completely nuts! In no small part because the image of Batman and Robin flying through the air after being launched by the catapult is achieved by having dolls on wires fly past the camera. A few minutes later, Batman’s fake dismay over not being in Penguin’s film anymore is classic Adam West. While telling Robin how he has caught the acting bug he exclaims, “I’ve got it bad, Robin-baby.” The icing on the cake, though, is the Dynamic Duo clanking around Gotham in suits of armor. It would just take way too long to jump out of those suits, so they keep them on.

The script is pretty clever in this episode, with a number of quotable lines. It’s also got one or two unintentionally funny moments…like when the armor clad Batman diverts his course to run directly into a barrel that Penguin has rolled toward him. It had to be done, I guess, otherwise our heroes wouldn’t be stuck in a garbage masher. Come back next time to see how they get out of it in Penguin’s Disastrous End. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Batmobile Remote Control

Holys:
Holy Cliffhangers
Holy Sub-orbit
Holy History
Holy Catastrophes
Holy Bullseye

Episode Title: The Penguin’s Disastrous End
Original Airdate: February 2, 1967

Well, it’s time to wrap up this big three-part Batman story. When we last left Gotham, Batman and Robin, clad in suits of armor, had been knocked out by Penguin and loaded into a scrap metal truck. Now they are in the process of being compacted. Let’s see how they get out of this one in The Penguin’s Disastrous End.

Right after the credits finish, a large block of metal emerges from the machine. A piece is then cut open from the inside and our heroes emerge. They explain to the hapless junk man, who unwittingly dumped them into the machine, that they used their Emergency Bat Air Pumps to counter the pressure of the machine. This allowed them to survive long enough to use their Bat Cutting Torches to slice their way out.

Meanwhile, Penguin is stashing the stolen suits of armor from earlier into the vault in the cave of Marsha’s Aunt Hilda, the witch. Now armed with an old toad, Hilda can start working on a love potion that will be used to distract the guards keeping an eye on a large supply of gold bullion. Between the potion and Marsha’s “Dance of the Seven Veils,” the guards will be distracted while Penguin goes for the gold. Oh, and we do learn one more thing…Hilda’s supply of lizard’s have escaped.

When Batman and Robin hear from Gordon about lizards roaming the city, they immediatley think of Hilda. They find a manhole cover that witnesses reported lizards emerging from and follow the tunnel to Hilda’s lair. Only one of Penguin’s goons is there at the time and he says something about how Gotham City will be “in the soup.” That’s just the clue our heroes need. Soup…as in bullion. Penguin is after the gold!

Turns out that the plan is already in full swing, with Marsha doing her dance for the guards. At the same time, Penguin seems to be bringing things into the vault rather than out. When Batman shows up, all the baddies duck into the vault and lock themselves in. Knowing that there is a limited supply of air, our heroes decided to wait it out. But Penguin stays in longer than expected…three days in fact. You see, he brought in extra air canisters. He’s working on something in the vault, but none of us know what. Then, after days of waiting, Penguin busts out of the vault in a solid gold tank! You see, in a previous episode, he stole plans for a tank from the Hexagon. His men built the tank out of gold and now they’re all on the run. Too bad the tank is no match for the Batzooka. Once again, the Caped Crusaders are victorious.

This was a great conclusion to this three-part story. It was nice to get more of Carolyn Jones as Marsha this time. In part two she pretty much just had a cameo. Here she turns up the steam like she did in part one; doing a seductive dance to distract the guards. I do wish that Marsha had been a bit more involved with the scheming. Her role is pretty much just to sex things up a bit. Penguin is the one doing the plotting…and what a wild plot it is.

When Penguin locks himself and his gang in the vault, I really had no idea where this was going. All we the audience know is that he planned to be locked in and was working on something. When the tank bursts through the wall, it is completely out of left field. Even Batman and Robin can hardly believe it. The best moment of the tank chase, though, involves an incredible act of bravery by Chief O’Hara. He pulls his squad car right into the path of the tank, which promptly rolls right over him. The car is completely flattened. It plays out much like a cliffhanger that we would see at the end of an episode. When Batman and Robin move the flattened car, we see that it was right on top of a sewer grate and O’Hara somehow crawled into it and avoided being squished. It’s a better resolution than we’ve seen out of some of the show’s actual cliffhangers.

All this stuff makes for a wonderfully ridiculous episode. Even the ending has Bruce, Dick, Aunt Harriet and Alfred screening the movie footage that Penguin shot in the previous episodes. We’re told that Batman has donated it to the Wayne Federation of Boys Clubs. To cap it all off, we’re told that for some reason Aunt Hilda has gone back to teaching a cooking class at the Bruce Wayne School of Home Economics. While I’d love to enroll in a course there, I have no time with all these episodes to review. Speaking of which, next time a classic villain finally returns for his first, and only, season two story. It’s our old friend the Riddler…but looking a bit different this time. The Addams Family’s John Astin takes over for Frank Gorshin in Batman’s Anniversary. Same bat time, same bat channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Emergency Bat Air Pumps
Bat Cutting Torch
Bat Rope
Bat Cuffs
Batradar
Bat Sound Amplifier
Batzooka

Holys:
Holy Stereo
Holy Armadillos

Episode Title: Batman’s Anniversary
Original Airdate: February 8, 1967

I’ve said many times that the highlight of Batman season one was Frank Gorshin’s performance as The Riddler. He took this, at the time, relatively minor Batman comics villain and turned him into one of the top mischief makers in the Gotham rogues gallery. Have you noticed that 44 episodes into season two we have yet to see the Prince of Puzzlers? Well, Gorshin was unavailable to continue the role during season two. We’ve already seen where the producers reworked Riddler into a new villain. Remember the Puzzler? Well, eventually the producers decided to bring the character back, but they would have to use another actor. Enter John Astin of Addams Family fame in today’s episode, Batman’s Anniversary.

As we begin, Bruce Wayne is helping Dick Grayson with some homework when they are interrupted by the Batphone. Whatever is going on is so serious that Commissioner Gordon feels it best to not discuss it over the phone. He instructs the Caped Crusaders to head to a ballroom at a local hotel. Turns out there’s no criminal activity, rather a surprise anniversary party for Batman. The community leaders even present Batman with a golden calf filled with thousands of dollars which will be presented to his favorite charity. The festivities are interrupted, though, when the room fills with green smoke. Firefighters show up instantaneously, but it’s really the Riddler and his men. Batman and Robin pursue, but loose the villains.

Of course, Riddler left a clue for our heroes which takes them to the crossword puzzle in the daily paper. They find three words that interest them: Banquet, Basin, and Street. It just so happens that another banquet to honor Batman is about to take place at the Basin Street Hotel. But then, Commissioner Gordon calls up on the Bat Phone with news of a strange event where a local bank has been flooded. Batman then realizes the clue is not a “Banquet” but a “Bank Wet.” When our heroes arrive at the bank, they find Riddler and his men in scuba gear, and an underwater battle ensues. Once again, the baddies escape.

We then learn that Riddler is trying to gather funds to purchase a device so terrible that the Gotham City officials will give him anything so he won’t use it. Later, back at the Batcave, Alfred delivers news to our heroes that they are due at an appointment. The Gotham City Baker’s Guild has prepared a large cake in their honor and they are needed to pose for the lifesized marshmallow statues that will top the cake. When they arrive, they are lifted to the top of the cake, but when they stand on the top they find they can’t move their feet. Not only that, they are sinking. The Riddler is, in fact, behind the cake, which is made of quicksand. Soon our heroes will drown in a mountain of pink sand. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Can this be true?
Batman and Robin caught in a quicksand cake-mix?
Is the party really over?
Will Happy Anniversary be an epitaph for the Dynamic Duo?
To see if they sink or swim, tune in tomorrow.
Same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel!!!

Okay, let’s start with the elephant in the room. How does John Astin do filling Frank Gorshin’s shoes. This is no small task, mind you. Gorshin received the series’ only Emmy nomination in an acting category, after all. Having a role replaced is not unusual for this series. We’ve already seen two Mr. Freeze’s, and we’ll get a third in a few weeks. The next time we see Catwoman she’ll be different, too. But Gorshin’s Riddler is so iconic. Astin does a perfectly fine job, but with a very different approach. Gone are Gorshin’s cackling acrobatics. Astin’s Riddler is more theatrical and wild-eyed, whereas Gorshin is just plain manic. In the end, Astin’s biggest problem is that he does a solid job, but has an awfully big shadow blocking him.

Where this episode really succeeds, though, is with some truly looney scenarios. First, the episode does something unusual with the opening by not revealing who the villain is until after the opening credits. Usually the reveal happens in the prologue. As we move on we get one of the craziest sequences in the history of the series…an underwater fist fight. The effect is done with some wavy lighting and by photographing the scene through a water tank. Turn on the slow motion and it (kinda, sorta) looks like everyone is underwater. Plus, instead of graphic cards ready “Biff” or “Pow,” we get things like “Blurp” and “Bloop.”

I gotta admit, too, that this might be my favorite device for trying to kill Batman and Robin. A giant pink cake made out of quicksand! It’s absolutely genius! I can hardly wait to see how they get out of this one. Join us next time for A Riddling Controversy. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Respirators
Bat MO and ID Computer

Holys:
Holy Cryptology
Holy Trampoline
Holy Fork in the Road

Episode Title: A Riddling Controversy
Original Airdate: February 9, 1967

When we last saw Batman and Robin, they were sinking slowly into a giant pink cake made of quicksand. It seems like there will be nothing to stand in the Riddler’s way now. Let’s see what happens in the exciting conclusion, A Riddling Controversy.

As our heroes continue to sink, Robin starts to panic. Batman, however, reminds him that they have a better chance of surviving if they stay calm. They stop struggling and stop sinking just as they hit chin level. They then slowly reach down to their utility belts to activate the new, and untested, experimental heel and toe bat rockets. The rockets are activated and, with the help of some all too visible wires, our heroes shoot out of the top of the cake.

Now, using the last riddle the Riddler left, our heroes try to figure out where he’ll strike next. The riddle states, “when is an eagle’s nest blest best?” I won’t explain all the attempts at solving the riddle…but they soon realize that Riddler intends to rob latin millionaire Anthony Aquila (that’s spanish for Eagle). When the Caped Crusaders arrive at Aquila’s penthouse, they find Riddler and his men already robbing the joint. A fight breaks out but our heroes easily take care of the henchmen. Riddler is prepared, though. He has Aquila (who looks like Fidel Castro) trapped inside a strange puzzle cage with explosives attached. Our heroes must solve the puzzle before the bomb goes off. Riddler, of course, escapes while they try to figure it out. The puzzle is solved easily, and the bomb is just a fake…with a new riddle attached.

Back at his puzzle factory lair, Riddler now has the three million dollars he needs to purchase the de-molecularizer. The device is just the size of a flashlight pen, but it is able to cause things to disintegrate into nothing. Now Riddler can hold the city at ransom. He even hides the device in Commissioner Gordon’s office…if the demands aren’t met, the building will vanish into thin air. Batman, however, figures out the riddle and sets out to capture Riddler in the batcopter. However, he takes along a hefty helping of sodium dichloride. At the moment that police headquarters is due to vanish, a cloud appears in the sky and a lightning bolt strikes the building. It does not vanish, though. Well, it turns out that Batman and Robin used the chemicals, and some fancy calculations, to cause the lightning with some cloud seeding, thus disabling the tiny weapon. Our heroes then bust in the window and battle the crooks, winning the day once again.

We have some wild moments in this episode, but on a whole it feels kind of flat. Sadly I think that the material might have worked a bit better had our Riddler been Frank Gorshin rather than John Astin. Gorshin’s manic behavior has a way of intensifying everything. Astin just seems to be along for the ride in this one. It’s not helped by the fact that this could’ve been any villain in this particular chapter. There’s nothing about it that really screams “Riddler.” Even the riddles themselves are kind of lame and don’t really play into the story that much. Almost like they were tacked on at the last minute.

I did really dig the strange puzzle cage that Riddler locks up Senor Aquila in. It looks like some sort of psychedelic 60’s jungle gym. Though, I thought that Robin figured out the puzzle a bit too easily. Drawing out the suspense would’ve made the scene a bit better. There’s also a really cool gimmick that comes into play briefly in the final fight. When Batman and Robin bust through the window, they end up standing on top of a box with a puzzle-like design on top. The puzzle pieces then suddenly drop away, revealing spikes. Of course, our heroes manage to jump out of the way, but it was cool gimmick.

Ultimately, the best moment of this episode is the escape from the cliffhanger. It’s made even sweeter thanks to the very cheesy wires that are employed to create the effect of our heroes rocketing out of the top of the cake. There are a few bright spots along the way, but it’s mostly downhill from there. As for Riddlerhe next time we see him he will once again be played by Frank Gorshin. I don’t want to rag on John Astin too much. He’s a very skilled comedic actor, but the Riddler just wasn’t quite the right fit for him. On our next episode, though,we see the return of a classic villain, played by the man who has owned the role for this entire series. Cesar Romero is back as the Joker in The Joker’s Last Laugh. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Episode Title: The Joker’s Last Laugh
Original Airdate: February 15, 1967

Sometimes I think the citizens of Gotham are pretty stupid. I mean, they do have a couple of masked heroes to save them from all the villains, but somehow the powers that be allow those villains to continue escaping after being caught for the umpteenth time. This time we see their stupidity even further when people all over the city fall for counterfeit money so poorly made that the Parker Brothers wouldn’t put it in a Monopoly set. It’s all another trick of the Joker’s in today’s episode, The Joker’s Last Laugh.

As we begin, Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara are lamenting the rash of fake bills being passed by ordinary citizens. Then, Gordon’s office suddenly is filled with the sound of maniacal laughter. When Batman is called into action, he quickly finds that a small but sophisticated loudspeaker was planted on Gordon. Our heroes then decide to head for Gotham City National Bank, which is where the money seems to be coming from.

As for the Joker, he has taken up residence in the headquarters of a publishing company. Actually it’s called Penthouse Publishing (keep in mind, Penthouse Magazine was not yet available in the US at this point). We then learn that Joker’s latest project has been building some incredibly lifelike robots. Back at the bank, Batman and Robin soon discover that a robot has taken the place of one of the tellers. They discover this when Batman tells the fake teller a joke and he doesn’t laugh. A tweak to the machine’s nose by Batman causes it’s head to pop open and bunch of wires and springs to jump out.

There is, though, a tracking device in the robot. Joker, figuring Batman would discover the robot, plans on tracking the signal so he can find the location of the Batcave. Batman is on top of things, though, and uses a Bat Deflector to misdirect the cackling villain. Meanwhile, in the Batcave, our heroes analyze the robot. When Alfred notices some spots on the robot’s sleeve, they realize that it comes from ink used to print comic books. This leads them to Penthouse Publishers. But our heroes have no real evidence, so Batman decides to trap Joker in an elaborate plan. He goes to the publishers as Bruce Wayne. He claims to have gambled away money from the Wayne Foundation. He asks Joker to print up some fake money, in exchange Joker will be put on the board of the bank. As the printing begins, Robin busts in the window. A fight with Joker’s robots breaks out, most of which Bruce hides from (so not to reveal his identity). Our heroes end up overpowered, though. Now, Robin is tied to a conveyor belt, about to be pressed into a comic book…and Joker is going to make Bruce Wayne pull the lever. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Indignity of indignities!
Robin printed into a comic book!
Bruce Wayne his old chum’s killer?
For the crushing finale tune in tomorrow!
Same Bat-time, same bat-channel!!!

After a somewhat ho-hum story with a substitute Riddler, it’s nice to cleanse the palate with Cesar Romero’s mustachioed Joker. This episode actually gives us some interesting new elements to the character. Rather than having the traditional gang of henchmen, he has only one co-hort, the lovely Josie (Phyllis Douglas). The rest of his gang are lifelike robots, which the Joker informs us he learned how to make while in prison. If you haven’t questioned Warden Crichton’s rehabilitation programs yet, you might want to start now. The actors that play the robots definitely pull off being, well…robotic. One in particular is played to perfection by Lawrence Montaigne, who played a Vulcan on Star Trek this same year. Another Joker goodie in this episode is our first look at the Clown Prince of Crime’s “Joke Mobile.” This open-top buggy looks like what you might get if Liberace and Carrot Top were to design a car together. It even has a bust of the Joker on the front bumper!

There are certainly things about the story that don’t really add up. I don’t get why Joker felt the need to plant the tiny speaker on Commissioner Gordon, other than to just torment him with his incessant laughing. It doesn’t really play into the main plot at all, and it’s pretty impractical considering that Joker has to sit in front of a microphone laughing rather than using…oh, I don’t know…a recording!?! Batman’s plan to nab Joker doesn’t really add up either. Why not just show up as Batman? I mean, surely you’ll find the evidence you need to lock the clown up!

What really makes this episode a joy, though, is Cesar Romero’s performance. He is in peak form as the Joker, once again proving that Romero’s version of the character is not just a giggling buffoon. He’s both silly and sinister…and it’s so much fun to behold. Speaking of silly, Robin is about to turned into a comic book…and at the hand of Bruce. To find out what happens, join us next time for The Joker’s Epitaph. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Uses:
Bat Detector
Bat Deflector
Integro-differential Robot Analyzer
Bat-spot Analyzer
Criminal Business Index

Holys:
Holy Funny Bone
Holy Chutzpah
Holy Precision
Holy Clockworks
Holy Honey Horn
Holy Dead End

Episode Title: The Joker’s Epitaph
Original Airdate: February 16, 1967

When we last left Gotham, Robin was about to be pressed into a comic book…and none other than Bruce Wayne has his hand on the lever. It seems like Joker and his robot henchmen are about to be victorious. Let’s see what happens in part two of this story, The Joker’s Epitaph.

Bruce is doing all he can to resist pulling the lever that will cause the end of his old chum, but the strength of Joker’s robots is far too great. Luckily, it seems that Robin didn’t come to Joker’s lair alone, as we were previously led to believe. Down on the street is a figure who appears to be Batman! But how? Bruce Wayne is in the villain’s lair. Well, it’s none other than Alfred in a spare Batman costume. Unable to reach Robin on the radio, he climbs up the side of the building and jumps through the window. Before deploying some Bat Gas, Alfred even speaks in Batman’s voice. Through the blue smoke, the villains escape, however. Oh, and if you’re wondering how Alfred was able to speak with Batman’s voice, Bruce explains, “That was my own voice, Robin. Remember those lessons in ventriloquism?”

Although our heroes are safe, all is not well. It seems that as part of his ruse, Bruce drew up a document naming Joker (as Mr. W.C. Whiteface) as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Gotham National Bank. Joker managed to snatch the document during the melee, so now he is legally on the bank board. At the bank, things seem fine…except for having robots as tellers. Joker, however, has further plans involving Bruce Wayne. Later, at Wayne Manor, Joker tries to use a recording of Bruce trying to get counterfeit money to blackmail the millionaire into killing Batman and Robin for him. However, Bruce says he has nothing to do with violence since the death of his parents. So, Joker initiates plan B, which is to have his moll Josie marry Bruce. The marriage contract entitles Joker to three million bucks.

All of Gotham is shocked by the news of Bruce Wayne’s upcoming nuptials…especially Commissioner Gordon. He even gets a doctor to declare that Bruce is clinically insane for agreeing to marry such a villain as Josie…not to mention naming Joker to the board of the bank. Meanwhile, Batman and Robin hatch a plan to use the robot they captured in the previous episode to learn how to reprogram all of Joker’s mechanical henchmen. No sooner do they succeed in doing so, than Chief O’Hara arrives at Wayne manor to slap a straight-jacket on Bruce and haul him off. Robin and Alfred (once again disguised at Batman) have to pursue and bust Bruce out of the paddy wagon using a Bat Ray and super-powered magnet.

Now, our heroes have to stop Joker one and for all. They head to the bank where Gordon is attempting to remove Joker from the board because Bruce was not sane when he gave him the position. Then, one of the robots (reprogrammed by Batman) comes in and starts declaring that Josie is his wife. Since she is supposed to marry Bruce, Batman and Robin have the opportunity to arrest Joker. The charge: aiding and abetting attempted bigamy. Joker manages to regain control of his robots for the final fight, but our heroes come out on top in the end.

What a wonderfully ridiculous and convoluted episode this is! When it started with Alfred filling in for Batman, I knew things were off to a good start. Seeing the lanky Alan Napier doning the loose-fitting batsuit is perhaps one of the funniest images in the history of this series. He even gets to do the classic vertical climb up the side of the building. Adding a window cameo to the scene would’ve been great, but Robin only had a few seconds before being turned into a comic book. The line about Bruce having taken ventriloquism lessons, though, made a great sequence even better. I also love how Robin gets so frustrated with himself for not remembering that Bruce has that skill. The millionaire consoles him, though, by saying, “It’s sometimes difficult to think clearly when you’re strapped to a printing press.”

That’s all just in the first five minutes of the episode. What makes this episode so fantastic is that it gets even weirder from there! For example, we learn that in Gotham City a doctor can diagnose someone as insane without actually examining or even talking to the patient in person. Want more? Well, if seeing Alfred dressed as Batman once wasn’t enough, he does it again leading up to the episode’s climax. My favorite moment, though, is that after struggling for two episodes to find something concrete they could charge Joker with, the Dynamic Duo finally get him on bigamy-related charge. At least we now know that Gotham City is not in Utah.

This may be one of my favorite episodes of season two, thus far. The twists and turns are just so out there, and Adam West, Burt Ward, and Cesar Romero deliver spot-on comedic performances. Next time we have the return of another classic villain, Catwoman. But on a sad note, it’s the start of the last story that will feature Julie Newmar in the role. Join us next time for Catwoman goes to College. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel (superhero).

Bad Gadgets Used:
Bat Rope
Bat Gas
Bat Fan
Compressed Steam Bat Pole Lift
Bat Ray
Super-Powered Bat Magnet

Holys:
Holy Bankruptcy
Holy Stomach Ache
Holy Madness
Holy Frankenstein
Holy Wedding Cake