The Forgotten
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| Batman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "The Forgotten" | |
| Airdate: | October 8, 1992 |
| Production Number: | 8 |
| Airdate Order: | 23 |
| Animation Services by: | Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD. |
| Written by: | Jules Dennis, Richard Mueller and Sean Catherine Derek |
| Directed by: | Boyd Kirkland |
| Episode images (5) | |
"The Forgotten" is the twenty-third episode of Batman: The Animated Series. It depicts Bruce Wayne losing his memory and being turned into a slave. When indigent men start disappearing from the Bowery, Bruce goes undercover as lowlife Gaff Morgan to investigate. He soon ends up as an amnesia victim forced to work with other kidnapped men in a treacherous and remote mining camp.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
It's another peaceful day in Gotham City and Bruce Wayne goes to a soup kitchen to help out. The kitchen manager thanks Bruce for his help and mentions that people are disappearing, mainly homeless people but one of his volunteers has disappeared as well. Unfortunately, the police haven't bothered to look into the situation.
That night, Bruce Wayne dresses up in a shabby outfit (marked Gaff Morgan), white hair and fixes himself up to look older. As Gaff Morgan, he searches the city's slums and eventually a couple thugs that "offer" him a job. After a brief fight, Gaff manages to disable both thugs and watches a stray cat on the fence. However, this distraction is all that the thugs need to strike him over the head with a blackjack and knock him out.
Later, Gaff wakes up chained to a cot in a remote shack out in the middle of the desert. Two men, Dan Riley and Salvo Smith greet him and ask his name. Gaff, however claims not to know. The group goes to have their breakfast but the boss of the camp demands that they get to work or they'll "all end up like... him." An unfortunate man is pointed out at random and shoved into a small metal box, that magnifies the heat of the desert sun. Gaff tries to save the man but Riley stops him.
Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred greets Bruce but finds that he's not there. Finding this strange, Alfred starts to wonder what's happened.
Meanwhile, Gaff works away at a mine while he talks to his newfound friends. Unfortunately, he still can't remember anything but Riley tells him to hang onto his hope. Riley and Smith explain that they were both in the docks area and were kidnapped. Smith claims that he was unemployed while Riley was a steam fitter at the Gotham Navy Yard and a volunteer at the soup kitchen, the Dock Street Rescue mission, and was jumped. Gaff suddenly starts to remember something. Riley continues and mentions that he has a family. Just as the conversation finishes, there's a cave-in, a disaster that happens all too often.
Alfred continues to have problems as there are people who are asking for Bruce but he only tells them to call back another day. Looking to save his friend, Alfred checks the cars and sees that the Studebaker is gone. Using the tracking device, Alfred finds that it's in the Bowery.
Elsewhere, Gaff wanders a hall filed with funhouse mirrors. As he looks at one of his reflections he hears laughing. One of the mirrors has the image of Bruce Wayne who is laughing hysterically. Confused, Gaff looks at the image which turns into the Joker and pulls him from the building. Suddenly, Bruce is wandering through the slums and is crowded by homeless people who beg him for money. Just then, Gaff awakens in a cold sweat and recalls the Dock Street Rescue Mission.
Work continues in the mine and Smith makes the mistake of blowing a raspberry at the boss. As punishment he is sentenced to be thrown into the box but Gaff and Riley intervene. Though they fight well, they are soon overwhelmed and thrown into the ovens themselves.
Back in Gotham, Alfred finds Bruce’s car in a junkyard and takes the tracking device. There he sees two thugs get into a truck. Thinking that they might lead him to Bruce, Alfred plants the device on their truck and lets them go.
Out in the desert, Gaff and Riley sweat it out in the metal boxes. Time passes and Reily begins to lose his mind. Finally, he cries that he has lost his family. This sparks Gaff's memory and he remembers that he's actually Bruce/Batman. He shouts to Riley that they’ll escape and breaks his way out of the box. Gaff runs from the mine and is quickly pursued by the mine's guards. He makes his way into the box canyon, which is believed to be a dead-end, but Gaff begins to climb his way out.
Over the canyon, the Batwing flies, piloted by Alfred. The plane's autopilot seems to be superb but Alfred is getting sick. Finding the tracking device, Alfred orders the Batwing to land. Fortunately, Gaff is nearby and meets up with his friend.
Shortly thereafter, the mine guards run to the boss fearful of a giant bat. Batman makes his presence known and is attacked. The boss joins in on the chase, offering a thousand dollars to the man who kills Batman. In the darkness of the mine Batman easily manages to evade notice and disable the guards. The boss tries to escape but Batman is right after him. During the chase, the boss trips and drops his oil lamp onto crates filled with explosives. Batman shoves the man onto a water flue and dives into the river after him. He saves the boss and drags him off to prison, while the mine is destroyed in an explosion.
Back at home, Riley is reunited with his family and offers his home to Smith and Bruce. However, Bruce declines the offer and reveals his true identity, telling his friends that if they're looking for work, he can help. Bruce then heads for home, leaving Smith half-joking that maybe he can get amnesia and wake up a millionaire too.
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Production Inconsistencies
- The Batwing's hazardous landing in the canyon is inconsistent with other episodes showing it to be capable of hovering and descending in a straight vertical line, although it could be argued that as this is the first time the Batwing has been seen (production-wise), its hovering capability could have been added later.
[edit] Trivia
- This is the first animated episode where Batman is shown to be knocked unconscious and captured on screen. The previous episode, P.O.V., shows Batman captured, but it is left to imply that he was caught after the roof fell on him. Not only that, but it is strongly implied that he allowed himself to be captured.
- The idea for this episode was conceived when Bruce Timm and the writers wondered what Bruce Wayne would do if he lost his memory and was forced to find a solution without gadgets or his costume.
- Alfred makes a brief reference to Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who claimed what is now San Diego for Spain.
- Bruce Timm revealed in the DVD introduction for this episode that one of the main difficulties in using "one-shot" villains is that since they only make one appearance, it can be difficult to make them memorable. Thus, Biggis' trademark was to be fat and revolting. In fact, according to Timm, George Murdock (who portrayed Biggis) ate food as he read his lines. It worked so well, that the slurping gulping sounds he made were kept for the character as part of the soundtrack.
- Biggis' huge appetite, physique, and slobbering voice are very reminiscenent of Mr.Creosote from Monty Python and the Meaning of Life.
- One of Biggis' men is named Paur, a reference to series writer/director Frank Paur.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kevin Conroy | Batman |
| Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. | Alfred |
| Lorin Dreyfuss | Salvo |
| Dorian Harewood | Dan Riley |
| George Murdock | Boss Biggis |
| Ian Patrick Williams | Ivan |
| Richard Moll | Computer |
| Jay Thomas | Guard 1 |
[edit] Quotes
Alfred: That's odd. Only vampires loath daylight more than Batman. |
Riley: Hey, you can't give up hope. Down here it's all we've got to hang on to. |
Boss: (chewing noisily) I've never seen such lazy scum. |
Alfred: Take us down. |
Alfred: I-- I-- I claim this land for Spain. |
Smith: Hit me, Riley. |
| Previously produced episode: "P.O.V." | Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series | Next produced episode: "Be A Clown" |
| Previously aired episode: "Prophecy of Doom" | Next aired episode: "Mad as a Hatter" |
