Trial

Season 2, Episode 10, Aired

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Batman's worst enemies kidnap him and put him on trial for crimes committed against them.
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Fan Episode Reviews (3)

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  • Another fine example.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By GarethPBarsby, Jun 15, 2011
    Janet Van Dorm has a strict anti-Batman stance. She belives that it was Batman that created Gotham's monsters and wants to see him taken down. Unfortuneately, she's been captured by the worst of Batman's rogues gallery, who want her to defend Batman on a trial they have created. Since they blame Batman for their troubles, they want to see him taken down.

    This was supposed to be the plot for the movie, but I actually thinks it works better in this condensed format. I actually enjoyed Van Dorm's character and her confrontations and relationships with Batman (and Bruce Wayne). The trial was well-written and there were some interesting testimonies from Harley and the Hatter. It also provided some insight into the villains' minds and how they blame Batman for their troubles when it was their fault to begin with.

    Just one thing - why was Scarecrow there? I thought he blamed the college professors and his firing for his descent into insanity, not Batman. Was it because Batman used his own weapon against him?

    Anyway, this was a great episode, and the closing lines were terrific as well.moreless

  • An okay episode, not without its flaws.

    6.6
    "Fair"
    By Sillicone, Sep 26, 2010
    PROS: First, the good parts of this episode. I really liked Janet van Dorn. She\'s a really strong and interesting character and I liked the way she gradually saw how the villains really were over the course of the episode. It was believable epiphany, without being insulting or condescending to either the viewers and the character herself.

    Joker, as usual, got a number of lines and really enjoyed himself in this episode. His act as the judge was pretty good, even though he was kind of lame near the end of the episode.

    "Here comes the judge..."

    CON: Unfortunately, apart from the things mentioned above, every other part of the episode seemed lackluster and forced. None of the villains could come with a single reason why the viewer should believe that they thought Batman was responsible for their insanity. In fact, the whole idea of a trial, while fun, was sort of artificial in this episode. With all the wild and chaotic personalities in Arkham, didn\'t it strike anyone as a bit risible that someone could get all of them to agree to do a mock-trial.

    That brings me to the another weakness of this episode. Most episodes of B:TAS flourish mainly on the power of their villains. Mad as a Hatter would be nothing if Jervis Tetch was just some common thief. Two-Face wouldn\'t mean anything if Harvey Dent hadn\'t been a powerful man with such grand ambitions. And pretty much any episode featuring the Joker buoys itself on his uncanny charisma and showmanship. However, in this episode, all of these villains in one place managed to suck out the ambience of the idea. Different tones rushed against one another, breaking apart and giving the episode a sort of cramped and frayed feeling, as if the writers were trying to do too much at once.

    Of course, there ARE episodes that have succeeded with a large cast of villains. Almost Got \'Im was one. But this episode lacked the style of that one, and most of the substance, too.moreless

  • Great episode...

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By green_arrow92, Dec 02, 2006
    I have this episode on the volume 3 dvd set and I really like it. A bunch of batman's enemies take over arkam asylum and kidnap him and the new district attorney that hates him and she has to defend batman in a trial that the villains put on. All she did was make them mad and they were going to unmask him and she distracted them and batman got loose and they all went back to Arckam. I really like the episodes where they have multiple batman villains in them. I wish that the scarecrow had a talking role. Later...moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (0)

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  • QUOTES (9)

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    • Joker: Look alive, Batman! Here comes the judge!

    • Two-Face: Don't let him get away! Batman: Who says I'm leaving?

    • Mad Hatter: Oop! I'd like that last statement stricken from the record, please! Joker: Record? Is someone supposed to be writing this down?

    • Scarface: Our prosecutor is ready, likewise our fair and impartial jury. Hatter: Hang him! Harley: Shoot him! Killer Croc: Hit him with a rock! Scarface: And now, all rise for the most honorable, most benevolent, most merciful Judge Joker! Joker: GUILTY!

    • Van Dorn: You want to support law and order? You take off that mask and put on a uniform.

    • Scarface: Stop shooting! You'll hit Croc! Joker: What's your point?!

    • Two-Face: You said it yourself, lady, Batman made every one of us. Hatter: So, we're facing him before the bar to face our justice. Van Dorn: And me? Two-Face: Basic fifty-fifty option. You get him off, you both go free. He goes down, you take the fall with him. Hatter: Amusing idea, what? Kidnapping you to be Batman's attorney? Two-Face: Personally, I suggested a quick slug between the eyes but I lost the coin toss.

    • Van Dorn: I used to believe Batman was responsible for you people but now I see nearly everyone here would have ended up exactly the same, Batman or not. Oh, the gimmicks might be different, but you'd all be out there in some form or another brings misery to Gotham. The truth is, you created him.

    • Van Dorn: I see now there's a need for what you do but I'm still going to work towards a city that doesn't need Batman. Batman: Me too.

  • NOTES (6)

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    • This episode is episode 12 on the Batman: The Animated Series Volume 3 DVD.

    • In the Batman Gotham Knights episode "Over the Edge" Harley Quinn, The Mad Hatter, The Riddler, and The Ventriloquist and Scarface again make the accusation that Batman led them to a life of crime.

    • Second time Batman is a prisoner in Arkham. The first was in "Dreams of Darkness" when he was temporarily institutionalized due to Scarecrow's fear drug.

    • The idea for the episode was originally developed for the feature-film "Mask of the Phantasm".

    • In this episode there is a small, non-speaking cameo of a trio of villains from The Batman Adventures comic book (the one adapted from the TV show). They are: Mastermind, a short guy with complicated yet accurate plans; The Professor, an old man who has calm attitude an a great deal of general knowledge; and Mr. Nice, a man with a moustache who is very reluctant to harm people. They have appeared in The Batman Adventures #10, #20, #30 and Batman: Gotham Adventures #13.

    • Almost every Batman's Super-villains can be seen in this episode, although not everyone speaks. The absentees are Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, Clayface, the Clock King and the Catwoman. Also, this episode does not feature Robin, Bullock, Montoya, Batgirl and Alfred.

  • ALLUSIONS (2)

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    • Killer Croc: Hit him with a rock! This alludes to the episode Almost Got Him, in which Croc's big AGH story ended abruptly with "I threw a rock at him!"

    • Joker: Here comes the judge! The Joker refers to a catch-phrase established in the 60's variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh In.

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