3x11: The Londinium Larcenies
It's rare for the show to take the action out of the city and for the second time in the show's three season run, we're in three part territory with a story that I'm going to be candid here, I'm not keen on. Aside from the fact that this story doesn't engage me enough to take over three episodes, I just don't greatly care for the villains of the piece - brother and sister act, Lord Marmaduke Ffogg (Rudy Vallée) and Lady Penelope Peasoup (Glynis Johns), who when they're not running a finishing school for lady thieves headed by their niece Prudence, are also out to steal the crown jewels as well. There's also the likes of Chuckingham Palace, Ireland Yard, Tower of Londinium etc to get one's head around as the Dynamic Duo, Barbara/Batgirl, Alfred and Commissioner Gordon all find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings. I also can't unsee that homage to Ringo courtesy of Dick at the beginning of this one too. 6/10
3x12: The Foggiest Notion
The middle part of this not so thrilling three part saga and it's a bit of a lacklustre affair. Batman gets himself tied up by a group of thugs at an East End so that Ffogg can briefly wipe away his memory while Robin and Batgirl find themselves at the mercy of both Prudence and Penelope at different points in the story. Robin even gets a moment where both him and Batman are nearly about to be stretched with a little help from the Londinium bridge as part of the cliffhanger for this particular episode. 5/10
3x13: The Bloody Tower
The ending to this disappointing three parter has a brief appearance from Aunt Harriet (who due to ill health in real life was only a guest star this season), Batgirl chained up for most of the episode as well as Robin getting mauled by Prudence's finishing school ladies when he wasn't near death's door over a beesting while Ffogg and Penelope's overall scheme to steal the crown jewels was undone by the end of this episode. While it was nice to experiment and take the action out of Gotham, this at best would've worked a single part story. I don't think it was engaging enough to have had three episodes dedicated to it and I just didn't find the main villains that fun compared to others. 6/10
3x14: Catwoman's Dressed To Kill
After a rather dull three parter, this was a welcomed return to form. If Gotham can give us three versions of Poison Ivy, this show did two better with three versions of Mr Freeze and now, Catwoman. Following Julie Newmar and briefly Lee Meriwether, it was time for a new Princess of Plunder and who better than Eartha Kitt to assume the role for five episodes this season? Tonally, she's different to her predecessors and while I am disappointed Catwoman's flirtation with Batman is toned down, the antagonism with her and Batgirl is pretty amusing, especially as the latter nearly became a pinafore until Alfred stepped in. Kitt is just superb in this role and I would've loved to have seen more of her, had the show gotten a fourth season. The plot with stealing Queen Bess golden fleece is amusing enough and there's a nice cameo appearance from fashion designer, Rudolf Gernreich in this overall stylish adventure. 8/10
Next blog I'll delve into The Ogg Couple, The Funny Feline Felonies/The Joke's on Catwoman and Louie's Lethal Lilac Time.
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