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Batman: The Animated Series episode

"Joker's Favor"
Airdate:	September 11, 1992
Production Number:	22
Airdate Order:	7
Animation Services by:	Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD.
Written by:	Paul Dini
Directed by:	Boyd Kirkland
Episode images (8)

"Joker's Favor" is the seventh episode of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on September 11, 1992. When an ordinary man inadvertently crosses paths with the Joker, he is plunged into a nightmare. This episode marks the first appearance of Harley Quinn in any medium.

Plot Edit

Charlie Collins, a normal everyday guy, inadvertently cusses out a criminal mastermind, the Joker, when the latter's getaway car cuts him off on the highway after a particularly bad day. The Joker runs him off the road and corners him. Desperate to save his life, Charlie mentions he has a wife and son and promises to do anything the Joker asks of him. Joker takes him up on his offer, but decides not to put Charlie's promise to use just yet. He takes Charlie's driver's license and leaves.

Two years later, the Joker learns that Commissioner Gordon is to be given an award, and decides to call in the favor that Mr. Collins owes him. Joker has kept tabs on Charlie this time, even though Charlie has changed his name and moved to a new home in a different city. Charlie is terrified when the Joker calls him, and drops a thinly-veiled threat to his family's safety. Charlie has no choice but to travel to Gotham.

When he arrives, Charlie is surprised when he learns what the favor is to be: Holding a door open for Harley Quinn when she wheels a cake into Gordon's testimonial dinner. Nevertheless, the Joker promises to send Charlie home immediately afterwards.

Not knowing what the Joker is planning, but desperate to avoid it, Charlie fashions an impromptu Bat-signal, which is seen by Bruce Wayne as he is leaving the dinner. Just then, Charlie is called to hold up his end of the bargain. Charlie dutifully opens the door for Harley, but then finds that his hand has been glued to the handle. Harley slips Charlie a gas mask and dons one herself before the candles on the tables release a gas that paralyzes everybody else in the room. As the guests watch, immobile and helpless, the Joker enters the room in grand fashion and "congratulates" Gordon by pinning a miniature bomb on his lapel. Joker and Harley leave, explaining, to Charlie's horror, that the Joker does intend to let him go home, but not alive.

With only a few seconds left, Batman jumps down into the room. Acting upon Charlie's warning, Batman grabs the bomb and launches it outside with his grapple gun. Hearing an explosion from outside rather than inside, the Joker realizes something is amiss, but then sees that the bomb has blown up their getaway van.

Batman frees Charlie from the glue, while Charlie explains that the Joker called Charlie his "hobby", keeping watch on him for years and threatening his family.

Batman pursues the Joker through the building, dealing in turn with Harley and two thugs. The Joker manages to escape the building, only to then see Charlie waiting for him in an alley. The Joker laughs this off, but is surprised when Charlie belts him in the gut, knocking him into some garbage. In a rage, the Joker repeats his threat, but then Charlie holds up another one of the Joker's bombs, vowing to protect his family by doing them both in. Panicking, the Joker screams for Batman's help. Batman arrives and tries to persuade Charlie to back down, but Charlie refuses to listen, as he is sick and tired of being under the Joker's thumb. Believing that Charlie has lost it and feeling he has no other choice, the Joker gives up all the information he has on Charlie's family. After the Joker surrenders the information, Charlie tosses the bomb towards him anyway. The Joker screams and hides behind Batman, but the bomb is revealed to be a harmless firework. Batman laughs and promptly takes a greatly irritated Joker into custody. Free of the Joker, Charlie finally gets to go home, looking forward to his "ordinary" life more than he ever has before.

Background information Edit

Home video releases Edit

Production inconsistencies Edit

When Joker reads Charlie Collins' driver's license, he includes the middle name Michael; however, the name on the license is simply "Charles Collins".
Springdale, Ohio is an actual city (though it does not have a Marigold Lane), but the area code is 513, not 614 as listed on Joker's note.

Trivia Edit

This episode marks the first appearances of The Joker (air date-wise), and Harley Quinn.
The first-produced episode featuring the Joker was "Christmas With the Joker", but this was the first aired.
This episode is one of the few instances in the entire DCAU when Batman laughs, and the only time he laughs from genuine amusement. Batman later laughs sarcastically in The New Batman Adventures episode "Mad Love" in order to provoke Harley Quinn. Then in a scene from "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker", Terry McGinnis storms the Batcave to find a nearly-dead Bruce Wayne laughing after he had been attacked by the Joker and dosed with Joker venom.
The Peregrinators Club re-appears in "Harley and Ivy".
Charlie's drivers license (before leaving Gotham) includes one of several references in Batman related media to Gotham City (or in this case its suburbs) being located in the state of New York, possibly near New York City or a replacement section thereof.
While cheering for the Joker at the testimonial dinner, Harley mimics the trademark "woof-woof-woof" hand gesture of talk show host Arsenio Hall.
Harley's disguise as a chauffeur would later be used for Mercy Graves's design.
During the pan of Springdale, Ohio, background characters include Sherman Grant and Roberta from "I've Got Batman in My Basement".

Cast Edit

Actor	Role
Kevin Conroy	Batman/Bruce Wayne
Bob Hastings	Commissioner Gordon
Robert Costanzo	Harvey Bullock
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.	Alfred
Mark Hamill	The Joker
Arleen Sorkin	Harley Quinn
Ed Begley, Jr.	Charlie Collins

Uncredited appearances Edit

Quotes Edit

Joker: Now, look, my rude friend, we can't have people cursing at each on the freeway. It's simply not polite! (jumps and grabs Charlie) I'm just going to have to teach you some manners.

James Gordon: If anyone should be getting a testimonial, it's you.
Batman: I'm just the night shift. You deal with this mess twenty-four hours a day.

Joker: Jumping Jiminy Christmas! Charlie Collins. It’s been forever. How are you man? You look great! Lost a little weight. Lost a little hair, too.

Harley: Here's to Gotham's Commissioner G, you locked up the weirdos, the crooks, and the geeks. You're a hero to all the boys in blue, but this time, baby, the joke's on you.

Joker: Stop! You're crazy!
Charlie Collins: I had a good teacher. Say goodnight, Gracie.

Previously produced episode: "Feat of Clay (Part II)"	Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series	Next produced episode: "Vendetta"
Previously aired episode: "It's Never Too Late"	Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series	Next aired episode: "The Cat and the Claw (Part II)"

Wikia

Joker's Favor

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