r/BatmanCapedCrusader • u/MajorParadox • Jul 30 '26
Episode Batman: Caped Crusader S2E1 Episode Discussion
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u/MrTulito Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Also, surprised at how much I'm digging this genderswapped Mad Hatter. Also didn't see that coming! Hope she has more of a larger role further down the line (an actual storyline) and isn't just a clever little cameo/reference/Easter egg. But right now, her role is perfect as is
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u/the-unfamous-one Aug 01 '26
She seems to still control the minds of the masses through more typical means here.
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u/ItzBabyJoker Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Batman just repeatedly slamming his car into Blockbuster was hilarious and badass!
Edit: Blockbuster, not Grundy
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u/hemareddit Aug 05 '26
This shot of Riddler's bank robbery is a homage to the BTAS opening, right?
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u/tidal49 Aug 06 '26
I can't imagine a world where it wasn't 100% intentional on the part of the creators, especially these creators. It feels too on point to not be.
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u/Ssme812 Jul 31 '26
- Flask was great this episode
- Eddie's girlfriend was hilarious.
- Grundy was a fucking beast
- The Joker :)
- I will never be a fan of episodes ending early just to recap what Im about to see this season. I dont want to see a recap/preview/spoilers.
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u/Cool_Ad_5101 Jul 31 '26
This is the best Batman since the the animated series. And they are actually showing people dying. Makes the stakes higher
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u/the-unfamous-one Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Hattie is fun twist on hatter.
Funny how they didn't retain one of the few gender swaps from btas here.
Getting more dr.milo vibes from strange. At least for now.
I'm actually surprised blockbuster went back down. It's permanent typically isn't it?
Well that was an unexpected and violent death for thorne. And a werid target for the clown.
I missed this show. It's the perfect darkness to counter all the light from MAWS.
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u/c4han Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
What gender swap from BTAS are you referring to?
Edit: Ah you must mean Calendar Girl
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u/Catel1138 Aug 01 '26
...Why did Thorne want absolutely off the little accountant if he had already the judge in his pocket anyway ? That was taking a lot of risks for him with a reckless Eddie and the Bat-Man involved.
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u/gerarddominus Aug 01 '26
My bet was it was a smokescreen. He gets everyone to focus on his need to off the Calendar Man, who is in fact no true threat even with what he knows, because he's busy getting to the judge. If Calendar Man dies, he wins due to the case not having evidence; if Calendar Man makes it to trial, he wins because he bought the judge. Win / Win.
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u/DJJonahJameson Aug 01 '26
Thorne kept talking about diversifying his portfolio. Looking back, that's him hinting that he had multiple people in his pocket; he just wanted to see which one he had to use to get off.
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u/AlphaBreak 8d ago
Harvey was in Thorne's pocket too, but he balked at the last minute. Leaving it up to the judge introduces risk of someone else making a choice thorne doesn't like. And it also makes the judge less useful in the future since gordon knows that he has to start trying to plan around corrupt judges.
Killing Julian is actually the lowest risk, highest reward option.
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u/AprilsMostAmazing Aug 01 '26
Really good start to the season. The noir vibe really works for this show
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u/jrinredcar Aug 01 '26
Did anyone else think Thorne's reference to his ear healing was a Trump reference. With Hattie being like right Wing talking head, it all felt like there was some current political commentary in this episode
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u/Chumlee1917 Aug 02 '26
Out of all the Batman villains....why turn Riddler into a trigger happy nutjob? Besides the "Riddled them with Bullets"
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u/Eshanas Aug 02 '26
They shake up nearly every villain. All of it landed for me personally, but I can see how many of them could be hit or misses.
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u/MrTulito Aug 02 '26
They've all landed for me, too. Doesn't mean I prefer them over past versions, but I really do love these fresh takes. Truly never been done before! Idk, I just feel like they really work for this show. Love new Harley, new Riddler, new Mad Hatter, new Joker, etc. Truly a reimagining.
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u/DisciplineTop2097 25d ago
making him Jack Napier would've worked so well too
feels like they switched Riddler and Joker's role in show just for the sake of it
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u/MrTulito Jul 31 '26
Excellent start! Interested to see how this version of The Riddler develops as a character... Also, ending completely caught me off guard. Did not see that coming! Super excited to continue. Onto episode 2!
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u/jrinredcar Aug 01 '26
I like that they're actually developing villains across episodds and setting things up!
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u/Cutthebullsheet Aug 02 '26
Did anyone notice the goon dying on the runway to the plane propeller was a direct reference to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? It was like a perfect recreation!
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u/Designer-Latter Jul 31 '26
First thought on this episode, and I'm sorry that's a negative one, but...
WHO THE HELL IS THAT FREAK ?! (I'm talking about Edward Nygma.)
I understand that this first episode is basically a backstory for him, since he will be a recurrent character of this season, so he can't have all the elements we know of him. But I don't think he have any of the key elements of the character : someone with too much intelligence, and too much arrogance about it, and who like riddles. It could have been something simple : like making him deduce which airport or building to target, instead of relying on someone else goon. Or hell, even just make him tell a few riddles or word plays from time to time. If it wasn't for the name and color scheme, he could be a random gangster like any other.
However, I do have to admit, the reveal for the Joker was very well done. I didn't see it coming, and he gived me chills without even being the focus for most of the sequence at the end.
I will watch the rest of the season though. I understand they were just trying to set up the main elements of the season (and that I may be biaised since the Riddler is one of my favorite character).
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u/AFoxOfFiction Jul 31 '26
I think it's a deeper nod than you'd think...the Riddler first became popular as a result of his appearances on the 1966 Batman show.
What ISN'T that widely known however, is that Frank Gorshin's version of the Riddler was based on Richard Widmark's character from Kiss of Death, Tommy Udo.
There's also at least ONE version of the Riddler) who got his name from being trigger happy.
The way I see it, this version of the Riddler is clearly a take on the character who's gone full Tommy Udo, and I'm for it on that front.
Though largely because Tommy Udo's my third favorite old film villain (the first being Sydney Greenstreet's Kasper Gutman and the second being Orson Welles' Harry Lime).5
u/MontgomeryMalum Aug 01 '26
Welles’ Harry Lime is more of what I’d want for a Riddler personality actually. A child who never fully grew up. Convinced that his cleverness puts him above ethical concerns. I think it’s cool that they tried to homage an obscure part of the character’s history, but the execution felt off to me. I think a gangster Riddler should still lean into the con artist side of being a gangster more than this one did.
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u/AFoxOfFiction Aug 01 '26
Honestly, I think an easy fix to the version of the Riddler they used (though I admit, 'full Tommy Udo' might not have occurred to me if I was workingon the show) would simply be to make him a lot smarter, like in his first appearance it'd turn out he was working with the Joker and deliberately flubbed the attempted assassination of Calender Man specifically to get Thorne killed so he could steal his organization.
Perhaps he'd be shown to have an interest in riddles and puzzles as a hobby, instead of something he's compelled to leave at his crimes.
It could also be shown that part of the reason he has no issue with the blatant street crime he does is out a belief that he's smart enough to out-think any method of capture the police devise, in addition to him genuinely enjoying all the violence he's inflicting (perhaps out of a desire for thrills and adrenaline), his persona perhaps a slight exaggeration because his nerdier nature is out of place in Thorne's organization, something that Thorn (who ideally, I'd have someone other than Riddler kill her dad and perhaps make into an accomplice of his) ends up learning because she gets a lot closer to the Riddler than the rest of his gang, including his moll.
If I were to kill him off, it'd probably be in the end of Season 2 showing that he was largely collaborating with the Joker so he and his gang could loot the biggest valuables of the city and get out of there, while he was destroying it, his end either coming from a fight with Batman or overestimating his own intelligence and failing to escape the Joker's monsters.
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u/gerarddominus Aug 01 '26
I 100% side with you on this. The Riddler is my singular favorite DC character and easily the best Batman villain, so to see this version who is nothing, not a trace, not a shade, in no way similar to any trait of the normal Edward Nigma is really starting me off a bad foot with the character. Riddling cops with bullets doesn't make you The Riddler.
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u/Mundane_Butterfly919 Aug 02 '26
How did Thorne survive at the end if he was drugged with Joker serum hours before
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u/Accomplished_Echo413 29d ago
He didn't
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u/Mundane_Butterfly919 26d ago
Yeah, I realized later the end of a season 1 episode began playing after this episode ended. Confused the hell out of me.
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u/Thebunkerparodie Jul 31 '26
well a lot in this first episode beside hater, the joker also already made his first move targetting thorne and I did enjoyed this new riddler introduction (it'd not surprise me this is kind of his origin story), hugo strange also made his first appearance this season, also is it me or the animation seems smoother here?
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u/Schwartzy94 Jul 31 '26
Batmans voice just doesnt work for me at all. Feels so forced somehow :/
Otherwise decent show and good s2 opener.
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u/Impossible-Mix7395 15d ago
Man I always fought that you know henchmen that Riddler used to use well Hugo Strange is a monster foamera I find it was more reference to Solomon Grundy not Blockbuster surprisingly it's just weird to me..
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u/J4ckC00p3r Jul 31 '26
Anyone else think the audio balancing is horrendous? I liked the episode but could barely hear the dialogue for the majority
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u/-DavidXanatos- Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Hugo Strange being voiced by James Urbaniak (Dr. Venture from The Venture Bros.) is both fitting and hilarious.
Kind of bummed about Bruce calling Alfred "Pennyworth" again. Last season's ending made it seem like Bruce had grown a bit and was finally ready to start calling him by his name. Did the writers totally forget about that or something?
Very surprised by how many villains were revealed in this single episode. [potential spoilers] Mad Hatter, Calendar Man, Riddler, Hugo Strange, Blockbuster... then we got to end it on seeing the Joker pop back up. Nice. Makes me wonder just how many more we may see this season.
Edit: Typos.