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Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 Episode 27

The Underdwellers

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6.9

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/21/92

Batman stumbles onto a gang of runaways led by an adult madman who treats them less than human, but thinks he is doing right.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

More Gruel Please

9.0

By SFBarbear, Nov 25, 2012

This is basically a Batman in Oliver Twist story, plain and simple. There is a villain named Sewer-King and he is using homeless children to steal for him while he keeps them barely alive in his sewer lair. It's up to Bats to save the day and free the children, After he takes out those pesky alligators.
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A Good Story damaged by BS&P

7.0

By sonysunu, Nov 28, 2010

This was one of many episodes that was damaged by BS&P (Broadcasting Standards and Practices). Its not the fault of the writers who worked on this episode. BS&P demanded several changes. Bruce Timm was very upset about it. As for good points, I like the animation of this episode. I like the atmospheric touches Studio Junio gave to this episode. And I thought Sewer King was a good villain. But Sewer King would have been a far better villain if the writers had freedom to work properly on this episode. I gave it 8 out of 10, because of the animation and wonderful music score.moreless
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An underrated episode.

9.0

By Weezing101, Oct 02, 2010

I remember watching this very episode as a kid when it aired on tv. I saw nothing wrong with this episode, and even now when I rewatch the episode on dvd I still enjoy it. In fact I probably enjoy it more now at the age of 17 then I did at the age of 8. I can understand why people dislike this episode; Sewer King had a rather annoying voice, and his crime wasn't very diabolical, but I thought it was entertaining and brought something new to the table. I guess I cannot really think of any other reasons why I enjoy this episode as much as i do. This episode will always be one of my favorites of the series.moreless
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Oddest story and villain in the series

3.0

By SEAznDragon, Oct 02, 2010

"The Underdwellers" is without a doubt one of the most out of place stories in the series. Most of the episodes in the series deal either Batman defusing an end of the world situation or solving a mystery while beating up the bad guys. However in this episode Batman catches a juvenile purse snatcher and ends up liberating a number of child in Gotham City's sewers enslaved by a megalomaniac. Add a subplot involving Alfred having his hands full trying to corral the purse snatcher Batman caught and you have the weirdest story in the series.

Along with the story, the Sewer King is the oddest villain the writers created. While his delusion as a powerful king of the sewers and caregiver of his child slaves ranks him as one of Batman's crazier adversaries, quite frankly he's pathetic. All of his evil is concentrated in the fact he makes kids his slaves and forces them to steal for him. Granted that's bad, but he is doing nothing of life or death circumstance. He is just plain nuts.moreless
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A corny villain, child slavery, and domesticated alligators. Also many trains.

2.0

By nwfn, Oct 28, 2006

There is always one episode in any given TV show that one ends up seeing many more times than the average. For me, that episode is The Underdwellers. Back in the good ol' days when BTAS was still airing, this is the episode that always seemed to be on.

Too bad, then, that it isn't a better episode.

The villain is The Sewer King -- that should already be enough to warn you off, because sewer-related villains don't fly outside of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But let's not get ahead of ourselves! The episode starts out with two dumb kids playing chicken on top of a train. For some reason Batman takes time out of his night to save one of these Darwinian wonders when the kid's foot gets (unrealistically) stuck in some cables. Batman's first spoken line in this episode is, "You play chicken long enough, you fry." And here I thought this was BTAS, not the corny 60s live-action show.

This scene is indicative of the rest of the episode except that the average number of alligators (or crocodiles? I can't tell the difference) climbs steadily as the episode wears on. One would think Gotham City was located in Florida, not the northeast.

Other absurdities include:

1) Batman, the world's greatest detective, can't tell the difference between a kid in a green cloak and a leprechaun.

2) Batman has nothing better to do with his time than to spend it hunting a purse-snatcher.

3) Batman brings said purse-snatcher to the Batcave and then lets him go upstairs. What happened to protecting his secret identity? Why didn't he just turn the kid over to Social Services?

4) "Children and guns do not mix - ever!" Corny lines that hit viewers over the head with moral lessons are best left to Adam West.

5) The villain appears to have trained alligators/crocodiles. I'm sure the late Steve Irwin would like to have a word with the writers.

6) Trains are a menace to society. In twenty minutes, there are three close shaves involving people getting hit by trains.

Avoid this episode...unless you want to laugh at just how bad this usually solid cartoon can be.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	Alfred Pennyworth
Kevin Conroy	Bruce Wayne / Batman

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Victoria Carroll	Matron	Guest Star
Michael Pataki	Sewer King	Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- Alfred claims that he knows nothing about children despite the fact that he has taken care of Bruce since he was a child in the animated series.
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- There are 'Bat-signals" in the eyes of the police woman, just before the police car is going to hit Batman.
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- At one point, while dealing with the sewer alligators, Batman makes the comment "I thought you were endangered." American alligators were removed from the endangered species list in 1987, prior to the creation of this episode.
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QUOTES (4)
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- Alfred: Perhaps a vacation. Golf?
  Bruce: Sounds boring.
  Alfred: In the Bahamas?
  Bruce: Hot and boring. No, Alfred, I think this is a job for Batman.
  Alfred: You have a fine flair for dramatics, sir.
  Bruce: Why, thank you, Alfred.
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- Sewer King:(After being pulled from the tracks before the on-coming train hits him) Why? Why? WWWWhhhyyyy?!
  Batman: (angry) I don't pass sentence, that's for the courts! But, this time, this time, I am sorely tempted to do the job myself.
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- Batman: Children and guns do not mix... ever!
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- Batman: You think I'm crazy don't you?
  Alfred: In what sense, Master Bruce?
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NOTES (6)
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- According to Bruce Timm, BS&P took a lot out of this show. "Originally, the
  kids were to be victimized by the Sewer-King, but he was not allowed to be
  mean or torturous to any of them. The impact is watered down. If we were
  doing it today, we probably would have decided not to do the show."
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- This episode is episode 6 on the Batman: The Animated Series Volume 1 DVD.
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- In the new Gotham Knight straight to DVD anime movie, the story "In Darkness Dwells" written by David S. Goyer has similar story of the show.
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- This episode along with "P.O.V.", "The Forgotten" and "Be A Clown" was released on DVD as Batman The Animated Series: Tales Of The Dark Knight.
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- Though the Toon Disney airing has the scene with the kid pulling out the gun, the scene with it being pointed at Alfred is removed.
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- This is the only appearance of the Sewer King, the first original villain not adapted from the comics in the animated series.
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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