Mad as a Hatter
From the DCAU Wiki, working on 1,309 articles
| Batman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "Mad as a Hatter" | |
| Airdate: | October 12, 1992 |
| Production Number: | 27 |
| Airdate Order: | 24 |
| Written by: | Paul Dini |
| Directed by: | Frank Paur |
"Mad as a Hatter" is the twenty-seventh episode of Batman: The Animated Series. It first aired on October 12, 1992.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
A small group of lab rats is given a miniature tea set and react to it much as any normal rat would. However, Jervis Tetch, an expert of neruo-technology at Wayne Enterprises activates a mind control device and the rats suddenly sit around the table and accept tea poured into their cups. Jervis is delighted with his success but a blonde coworker named Alice Pleasance runs in and warns Jervis that Dr. Marcia Cates and Mr. Wayne are arriving. Bruce asks Jervis about a proposed project on using microchips to increase the brain's potential. However, having been working on his mind-control device Jervis can only offer an excuse. Bruce is okay with it but Cates is not. As she's leaving the lab she warns Jervis "heads could roll if you slip up again." Alice kindly tries to cheer Jervis up but having a boyfriend, Billy, she considers him only as a friend.
Jervis thinks about leaving Alice alone or using his mind control device to make her love him, neither one of these ideas truly appeals to him. However, Jervis hears Alice crying and learns that after a fight, Billy up with her. Jervis sees this as an opportunity to woo her. He plans to takes her out on a magical date but can't figure out how he could impress her. He then notices his poster of Alice at the Mad Hatter's tea party and thoughtfully picks up his mind control devise.
That night, Jervis arrives at Alice's home dressed as The Mad Hatter character from "Alice in Wonderland" and invites her to go out on the town so she can see how "Gotham can be a wonderland."
Out in the park, a couple of thugs see Alice and Jervis and think that they've found some easy money. However, Jervis manages to put two of his mind control cards in their headbands and takes over their minds. He tells them to go jump in river.
The call goes out on the police band that there's a possible suicide and batman goes to investigate. He discovers the two muggers trying to jump off the Gotham Bridge. They are totally irresponsive to Batman even pushing him off the bridge trying to jump in the river. Batman manages to save them and discovers one of Jervis mind control cards.
Meanwhile, Jervis takes Alice to the Beret Rouge Club, there he uses his mind control device to make other people his servants and make Alice think that he is someone of the utmost importance.
After dinner, Jervis takes Alice to Storybook Land and tells her about how Alice and Wonderland was always his favorite story. He asks Alice to dance reciting the Mock Turtle's song “Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, join the dance?”
Having returned to the Batcave, Batman studies the mind control card and Alfred approaches him with a copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and opens to a picture of Alice at the Mad Hatter's tea party. Batman remembers that Jervis had the exact same picture in his lab and was also working on the same kind of technology.
Alice accepts Jervis' kind gestures as simply attempts to cheer her up. She comes home and finds Billy is there waiting for her. He apologizes and then proposes to her.
The next day, Jervis arrives at work feeling wonderful. However, he is infuriated to learn that Billy has proposed to Alice. He insists to himself that he can still fix the problem. To make matters worse, Cates arrives and starts badgering him because Bruce has asked to see him. Upset, Jervis places a mind control card on her head and leaves. Later, Bruce learns that Cates and Jervis left a while ago. However, before she can further explain things, she gets a call from Billy and immediately breaks out in tears. It's revealed however, that Jervis has captured Billy and used his mind control to force him to break up with Alice.
Alice returns home and discovers that Jervis is there waiting for her. However, Batman is also there and demands to know what Jervis did with Billy and Cates. However, The Mad Hatter calls in two thugs dressed as the Walrus and the Carpenter. While they attack Batman, Jervis places a card on Alice's head brain washing her and escaping. Batman continues to fight the duo but they eventually become docile and he discovers that they too were under mind control.
Batman learns where The Mad Hatter got the card and goes to Storybook Land where Mad Hatter sends several of his mind control victims after him. The Mad Hatter challenges Batman to harm innocent people to get at him. The group attacks with increased strength and Batman is nearly defeated. However, He manages to pull the helmet off of Bill the Lizard and discovers that he's actually Billy. He tells Billy that the people won't attack him. Billy removes the people's hats while the Mad Hatter runs into the card maze. Batman manages to reach The Mad Hatter and tells him that Alice has been reduced to a puppet. However, The Mad Hatter claims that it's Batman's fault and attacks him with an axe. Running back into the card maze, Jervis manages to trap Batman under some crdsa and prepares to cut off his head but Batman throws a batarang at a hanging statue of the Jabberwock causing it to fall onto Jervis. Alice is reunited with Billy while Jervis gazes from afar and recites, "Would not, could not, would not, could not, oh could not join the dance..."
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Trivia
- The chef that serves Jervis and Alice is the same one that served Harvey Dent, Bruce Wayne and Pamela Isley in the episode "Pretty Poison."
- The Mad Hatter's poem, "Twinkle twinkle little bat, how I wonder what you're at…" is spoken by the Door Mouse in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kevin Conroy | Batman |
| Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. | Alfred |
| Steve Bulen | Police Dispatcher |
| David Haskell | Billy |
| Roddy McDowall | Jervis Tetch / The Mad Hatter |
| Kimmy Robertson | Alice |
| Loretta Swit | Marcia Cates |
[edit] Quotes
Jervis Tetch: It's always been my philosophy that people should take what they want from life. |
Mad Hatter: Are you, the famous Batman, so intent upon destroying my happiness that you'll hurt these poor mind-warped innocents to get me? |
Mad Hatter: You're mighty in Gotham, Batman, but in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter reigns supreme. |
Mad Hatter: I'll cut that cowl off your neck before you take her! I've waited my whole lonely life for her! |
| Previously produced episode: "Eternal Youth" | Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series | Next produced episode: "Dreams in Darkness" |
| Previously aired episode: "The Forgotten" | Next aired episode: "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy" |
