Batman 66 - Episodes 5-8 Reviews

For the second batch of episodes I'm looking at, we've got the Clown Prince Of Crime and a rather chilly customer making their debuts as the Caped Crusaders grapples with both them, the threat of their identities being public knowledge and saving a kidnapped sportsman.

1x05: The Joker Is Wild

I'm glad but not remotely surprised that it didn't take long for the Joker to pop up in the series and it should go without saying that outside of Mark Hamill's take on the role, Cesar Romero is one of the best versions we've had of the character. With this episode, the Joker audaciously breaks out of Gotham State Penitentiary and soon encounters both Batman and Robin during a robbery, until he's outsmarted by the Caped Crusader's utility. One thing I liked about this two parter (and I liked lots of stuff) was the Joker actually took the time to try and come up with his own utility belt and the cliffhanger where he nearly came close to revealing both Batman and Robin's secret identities to the whole country was rather clever. 8/10

1x06: Batman Is Riled

While the cliffhanger to the previous episode is resolved a little too quickly for my liking, this was another cracker of an episode though. Having failed to publicly expose the Caped Crusaders identity on live television, the Joker then decides to nab them during a christening of a boat in order to publicly execute them instead. It's just one extreme to another with the Clown Prince but while his plan was reasonably sound (for the Joker of course), Batman and Robin did manage to save themselves just in the nick of time. 7/10

1x07: Instant Freeze

This one is interesting but probably because it's one of three times we'd see the Dynamic Duo encounter Mr Freeze or Doctor Schievel as he was formerly known before conditions forced him to live in sub zero temperatures. Like another Rogues Gallery member, Freeze would be played by three different actors in the series, with this two parter featuring George Sanders as the chilly menace. This version looks closer to human than his later versions and there's a good cliffhanger here when he puts both Batman and Robin on ice. In the midst of that, there's also a plot to steal a diamond from the visiting Princess Sandra of Molino. 8/10

1x08: Rats Like Cheese

The second part of the first Freeze story, with again, a reasonably quick save for the frozen Dynamic Duo. If it sounds like I'm criticising, I'm not, it's just an observations. Anyways, this episode sees Freeze and his men kidnap baseball player Paul Diamante (Robert Hogan) before Batman trades himself in for the sportsman as part of Freeze's ultimate revenge plan. I have to point out here to liking the design of Freeze's chilly layer and the use of the red heat light during certain moments before Schieval is eventually apprehended. There's also an amusing last scene at a Wayne Manor party where Dick rejects the choice of Baked Alaska for dessert. 8/10

Next blog will delve into Zelda The Great/A Death Worse Than Fate and A Riddle A Day Keeps The Riddler Away/When the Rat's Away The Mice Will Play