It's Never Too Late
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| Batman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "It's Never Too Late" | |
| Airdate: | September 10, 1992 |
| Production Number: | 11 |
| Airdate Order: | 6 |
| Animation Services by: | Spectrum Animation Studio |
| Teleplay by: | Garin Wolf |
| Story by: | Tom Ruegger |
| Directed by: | Boyd Kirkland |
| Episode images (6) | |
"It's Never Too Late" is the sixth episode of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on September 10, 1992. It depicts the building gang warfare between rival Gotham City bosses Arnold Stromwell and Rupert Thorne. Sensing an opportunity to resolve it peaceably, Batman attempts to convince Stromwell to retire.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
[edit] Act One
In his estate, Arnold Stromwell, Gotham's reigning crime boss, is watching the evening news. The lead item is the worsening conflict between himself and upcoming boss Rupert Thorne. That much he knows, but he is shocked to hear on the news that his son, Joey, has been missing for days. He and his son were estranged, but Stromwell is convinced that Thorne is behind this. He orders his men to set up a meeting with Thorne.
Batman, disguised as a hobo is eavesdropping on Thorne when he receives Stromwell's message, and plots to assassinate Stromwell.
On the way to the meeting, Stromwell passes an old rail yard, and has a flashback: two young boys, Arnie and Michael, are arguing on their way home. Arnie has stolen a handful of candy, and Michael refuses to take any. Arnie swears that one day he will "own" Gotham. But as they walk home, a train roars up the tracks at the boys. Michael dives out of the way, but Arnie's shoe is stuck...
Shaking off the memory, Stromwell enters a deli controlled by Thorne for the meeting.
Elsewhere, Batman approaches an elderly priest and asks for his help.
Thorne acts affable, but Stromwell seizes him and demands to know where his son is. Seeming genuinely surprised, Thorne swears he had nothing to do with Joey's disappearance. Calming down, Stromwell accepts Thorne's invitation to sit - then realizes he has been set up as Thorne and the deli owner run out the back. A bomb inside the deli explodes.
[edit] Act Two
Stromwell is knocked unconscious, and trapped by the flames, but Batman enters and pulls him free. When Stromwell regains consciousness, Batman confronts him, asking him to give up his criminal ways and turn state's evidence. Stromwell acts defiant, but Batman decides to take him on a "tour" - first to Arnie's old neighborhood, where he started as an ordinary drug peddler, then to Sunrise Foundation, a drug rehabilitation center. Inside, Stromwell is shocked to find his estranged wife, Connie, who is attending to Joey, suffering from severe drug withdrawal pains. Stromwell rages, but is brought up short when Connie said it was one of his own dealers who got Joey addicted.
Appearing contrite, Stromwell agrees to hand over files incriminating himself and Thorne to Batman. But at the empty office he leads Batman to, Stromwell slips Batman a stack of dummy files, and uses his distraction to grab a gun, saying he won't go down so easily, and once he's finished with Thorne, he'll "rescue" Joey from the rehab center. Then they are both attacked by Thorne and his gang, who overheard a bum that witnessed Stromwell's escape at Batman's hands.
[edit] Act Three
Batman subdues Thorne's thugs, while Stromwell flees, with Thorne himself in pursuit. As Stromwell runs, he finds himself back at the old rail yard, and remembers the rest of the flashback: Just before the train hits, Arnie manages to get his shoe free, and stumbles out of the way - straight onto the next track as a second train is bearing down on him. Michael pushes Arnie out of the way, and the train roars over him, Arnie screaming "Michael! Michael...!"
Stromwell collapses, sobbing "Michael... Michael..." A voice answers, "I'm here, Arnie." The old priest steps into the light - Father Michael Stromwell. He wasn't killed, but lost a leg - something for which Arnie never forgave himself. Out of guilt, he angrily says he doesn't need Michael's help, to which Michael reminds him of the current dismal state of his life: his family is broken, his son is gravely ill, his empire is crumbling, and his enemies are closing in. Michael appeals to Arnie, asking him to do the right thing: "[F]or yourself, for your son, for me, your little brother." Arnie hugs his brother, sobbing.
Then both of them are menaced by Thorne, with a gun, but Batman arrives just in time to save them. The police arrive on the scene. Thorne is arrested, and Arnie, arm in arm with his brother, prepares to give a statement to the police. Batman, his work done, slips away into the night.
[edit] Continuity
- Stromwell apparently makes good on his promise to retire, since after this episode Thorne is Gotham's reigning crime boss.
- Stromwell appears only once more in the series, in "Robin's Reckoning", in flashbacks that take place before the events of this episode.
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Production Inconsistencies
- Rupert Thorne's eyebrows are black, but toward the end of this episode there is a closeup of his face and his eyebrows are as white as his hair.
[edit] Trivia
- There is some similarity between this episode and the stories of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and the film "It's A Wonderful Life," with Batman acting as an "angel" showing a man familiar places, and jogging memories of his past life in an effort to change his mind.
- We learn that Thorne claims not to mess with an enemy's family.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Uncredited Appearances
[edit] Quotes
Commissioner Gordon: What we have here is an older crime boss and his younger rival for control of the rackets in Gotham. And in this case, it looks like youth has the edge. I'd say Stromwell is about to be retired. |
Young Arnold: You gotta swear that you won't squeal on me Mike. |
Arnie: What is this place? |
Connie Stromwell: I left you to get away from what you do. But our son wasn't so lucky. |
Batman: Help stop it, Stromwell. All your power and money has brought you is an empire of misery. |
Michael: An empire crumbling, a marriage shattered, a son lost? Sure, you're doing fine. |
Arnie: Stay away, Michael! Last time you helped me, it cost you your leg. |
| Previously produced episode: "Two-Face (Part I)" | Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series | Next produced episode: "I've Got Batman in My Basement" |
| Previously aired episode: "Feat of Clay (Part II)" | Next aired episode: "Joker's Favor" |
