The Lion and the Unicorn
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| Batman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "The Lion and the Unicorn" | |
| Airdate: | September 15, 1995 |
| Production Number: | 77 |
| Airdate Order: | 85 |
| Written by: | Diane Duane, Philip Morwood, & Steve Perry |
| Directed by: | Boyd Kirkland |
| Episode images (1) | |
"The Lion and the Unicorn" is the series finale of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on September 15, 1995.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
It's just another day in the Batcave: Bruce Wayne is hard at work on the Batcomputer, Dick Grayson is practicing a gymnastics routine, and Alfred is fussing over both of them.
This comfortable routine is interrupted when, upstairs in the Manor, Alfred receives an unexpected phone call from England: his "cousin," Frederick, who needs Alfred's help, immediately.
The next morning, Dick wakes and is surprised to see Alfred gone, having left a quick note of apology.
In London, Alfred is met at the airport by a pair of thugs. They claim that Frederick has sent them, but Alfred sees through them and fights them off. As he runs, more thugs arrive and take him prisoner, though he manages to call Gotham City and tell Bruce that he's in trouble.
Frederick has also been taken, and they are both introduced to their captor: Red Claw.
Bruce fills his astonished partner in on Alfred's background: before entering service with the Waynes, Alfred was a highly trained agent of the British government, expert at resolving diplomatic and military crises. Bruce also realizes that "cousin," is also espionage parlance for a fellow agent, and reasons that, whatever trouble Alfred is in, it is a cause for concern.
As Batman and Robin, they fly to London and drop in on a conference with three shadowy government ministers. Having learned of Frederick and Alfred's disappearance, the ministers know that the common point of their careers is a castle located on a remote Scottish island, with a concealed nuclear ballistic missile. It was intended as a weapon of last resort, and Alfred and Frederick are the only men alive who know the two-part launch code.
Red Claw has already taken the two men to the castle, and injected them with a truth serum. After some resistance, Frederick breaks down and gives his part of the code. Alfred resists longer, mumbling what sounds like nonsense phrases.
Nevertheless, Red Claw sends a message to London, threatening to plant the missile in the middle of London unless she is paid an enormous ransom.
Batman and Robin infiltrate the castle and fight their way through Red Claw's thugs to the upper levels. Just before they reach the control room, Red Claw realizes that one of Alfred's mumbled phrases is the code, and initiates the launch. Batman leaves Robin behind to free Alfred and Frederick and deal with the remaining thugs, while Batman jumps into the Batwing and flies after the missile.
Aboard the Batwing, Batman is about to fire a pair of missiles, but Red Claw grabs him from the rear seat, having sneaked about the plane. They struggle, and Batman is running out of time. He hits the eject button, sending Red Claw's shooting out of the cockpit to land in the ocean. With seconds to spare, Batman locks on to the missile and fires, destroying it before impact.
A crisis averted, everyone prepares to go home. Frederick tells Alfred that London would be thrilled to have him back, but Alfred says he's most needed at Wayne Manor.
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Production Inconsistencies
- In the credits, Roy Dotrice's name is misspelled "Doctrice."
- When Alfred tells Bruce he is in London, Bruce asks, "London, England?", to which Alfred replies, "There is only one." This is technically not true: there are several Londons throughout the United States, and one in Ontario, Canada.
[edit] Trivia
- While struggling with Batman from the seat behind his, Red Claw tears off his cowl. It is never made clear whether she gets a good look at his face before he ejects her.
- Ironically, this is the second time Alfred has been menaced by one of Batman's rogues for reasons having nothing to do with him being Batman; the first was in "Eternal Youth," when Poison Ivy sought revenge on Bruce Wayne for an environmental crime purportedly done by Wayne Enterprises.
- Similarly, he was attacked by Mr. Freeze in The New Batman Adventures, "Cold Comfort," because of his emotional importance to Bruce.
- Alfred refers to the smashed piece of furniture as a "Louis Quinze" (quinze being French for the number fifteen), indicating it was made in the period of design associated with King Louis XV of France.
- The ejection gag has been used in at least two James Bond movies: Goldfinger, when Bond (Sean Connery) ejects a thug holding him at gunpoint from the passenger seat of his car; and Tomorrow Never Dies, when Bond (Pierce Brosnan) ejects a pilot from the rear seat of a fighter jet.
- Batman repeated the attempt to shoot down a nuclear missile in the Justice League Unlimited episode, "The Doomsday Sanction."
[edit] Cast
[edit] Quotes
(Alfred knocks out a thug with an antique chair, breaking it) |
[edit] External links
- Episode Review on World's Finest: [1]
| Previously produced episode: "Baby Doll" | Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series | Next produced episode: "Showdown" |
| Previously aired episode: "A Bullet For Bullock" | Next aired episode: None |
