Trial
From DC Animated Universe Wiki, the DCAU Database
| Batman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "Trial" | |
| Airdate: | May 16, 1994 |
| Production Number: | 68 |
| Airdate Order: | 69 |
| Animation Services by: | Dong Yang Animation |
| Teleplay by: | Paul Dini |
| Story by: | Paul Dini & Bruce Timm |
| Directed by: | Dan Riba |
"Trial" is the ninth episode of the second season of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on May 16, 1994. In a bizarre parody of a trial, Batman is kidnapped by his entire Rogues gallery, and put on trial, with a district attorney who loathes him forced to act as his lawyer.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
At her latest trial, Poison Ivy is sentenced to be returned to Arkham Asylum yet again. Gotham City's newest District Attorney, Janet Van Dorn, presses for life imprisonment, but the court's hands are tied by the fact that Ivy was apprehended by Batman instead of a regular police officer.
As she leaves the courtroom, Janet is quoted on television as saying (again) that Batman is a disgrace; he is responsible for creating all the "supervillains" in his rogues’ gallery, and acts outside the law. She feels that Batman has made the city dependent on his myth, instead of facing the reality of what needs to be done to suppress crime.
When Ivy is returned to Arkham, Harley greets her enthusiastically, confiding that the inmates will be throwing a party soon – courtesy of The Mad Hatter, who has planted his mind control chips on the guards.
Ironically, Janet is also Bruce Wayne's latest girlfriend. He arrives at a restaurant to keep a dinner date with her, but she is called away by a phone call. A short time later, the Bat-Signal appears, and Batman receives a note from Gordon informing him that the kidnappers have Janet. He goes to the rendezvous, but is ambushed and knocked out.
Batman awakens in a straitjacket in a cell in Arkham. Two-Face informs Janet that, true to her words on television, Batman is going to be put on trial – by them. And she will be his attorney. If she succeeds in defending him, they both go free; fail, and they both die.
An impromptu courtroom is set up in the operating theater:
- The Accused: Batman
- Baliff: Ventriloquist & Scarface;
- Prosecutor: Two-Face
- Defense Attorney: Janet Van Dorn
- Jury: Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Riddler, and Harley Quinn
- Judge: Joker
The crime of which Batman is accused is "creating" each and every one of them: driving them to become criminals, freaks, and monsters. But Janet has studied the histories of the rogues thoroughly, and her defense is brilliant:
- Mad Hatter claims he was a harmless scientist, but admits that he was driven mad with love for his young assistant, Alice;
- Harley thanks Batman for creating her loyal "puddin'," which Janet undermines by revealing that the last time she escaped from Arkham, Joker ratted her out in hopes of reducing his own sentence;
- Ivy says it is Batman's fault she is a criminal, since her only crime would have been trying to kill Harvey Dent (now Two-Face); but Janet goads her into admitting the depth and violence of her botano-phile sentiments;
Batman urges her to keep the farce going, while elsewhere the police follow the clues he has left.
In her closing argument, Janet admits she was wrong: without Batman, the rogues would have turned out exactly the same way; in truth, they created him, not vice-versa. To her own astonishment, the jury feels it has no choice but to find Batman not guilty. Joker congratulates Janet, then merrily declares that they're going to execute them both anyway, being the rotten scum they are.
Batman is dragged into one of the treatment rooms and strapped to the electroshock couch. Before the switch is thrown, Joker, who has swapped his judge's robes for a priest's cassock, begins to unmask Batman. Just then, Janet remembers a batarang Batman dropped hidden in her pocket, and throws it at the ceiling light, plunging the room into darkness. The moment's confusion is all Batman needs to break them out.
As they make their way to the exit, the police storm in and hold the mob at bay. Joker pursues them outside, but is subdued after a brief fight.
As the new day dawns, Janet makes her peace with Batman, as they agree that what they both want most is a city that doesn't need him.
[edit] Continuity
- Killer Croc seems to have a fixation for throwing rocks at Batman; in "Almost Got 'Im," he considers it his finest hour to have thrown a really big one at him.
- Mad Hatter refers to his first criminal act in "Mad as a Hatter."
- Poison Ivy refers to the time she nearly assassinated Two-Face (back when he was still Harvey Dent) in "Pretty Poison."
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Trivia
- Stephanie Zimbalist replaces Lynette Mettey as the voice of Janet Van Dorn. Stephanie is probably best known as the lead of the television series Remington Steel. Stephanie is also the daughter of Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., who voices Alfred.
- Stephanie also attended the Julliard School for a year, at the same time Kevin Conroy was there.
- When Batman delivers the leader of the "Skulls" gang to Gordon, the man's t-shirt features a clear homage to the symbol used by Marvel Comics' The Punisher.
- In delivering his verdict, Joker gives an obvious parody of Warner Bros.' Porky Pig.
- Although he is initially seen on the jury, The Riddler disappears entirely from the episode after the return from the commercial break (the third act), with even his spot on the jury vacant. Even Scarecrow, who also didn’t have any lines, at least stayed until the end.
- Ironically, the best evidence of the rogues' case against Batman is the Joker himself, who never takes the stand; several episodes, including "The Man Who Killed Batman" confirm that the animated continuity follows the events of the 1989 Batman movie, in which gangster Jack Napier fell into a tank of acid after being chased by Batman, which both disfigured him and drove him insane.
- The plot of this episode was the original idea for the first DCAU Batman movie, but it was felt that it worked better in the half-hour format. Instead, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was made.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Uncredited Appearances
[edit] Quotes
Janet Van Dorn: Not only does Batman create these so called 'super criminals', he takes it upon himself to be their judge and jury with no regards to the legal system. |
Janet: You want to support law and order? You take off that mask and put on a uniform. |
Two-Face: You said it yourself, lady, Batman made every one of us. |
Scarface: Court is now in session! The Good People of Arkham Asylum vs. the self-righteous vigilante called Batman! Our prosecutor is ready, likewise our fair and impartial jury! |
Janet: I suppose you, like your friends, claim that Batman drove you to be a criminal? |
Janet: I object to this witness! She's obviously trying to influence the judge. |
Janet: And so it's Batman's fault you lead a life of crime? |
Janet: I used to believe Batman was responsible for you people but now I see nearly everyone here would have ended up exactly the same, Batman or not. Oh, the gimmicks might be different, but you'd all be out there in some form or another brings misery to Gotham. The truth is, you created him. |
Mad Hatter: Your Honor, in light of Ms. Van Dorn's stirring defense, we have no choice but to find the defendant. . . not guilty. |
Joker: Well done, counselor. You've proven that Batman didn't create us. That we in fact messed up our own rotten lives. And as we are so rotten, vile and depraved... we're going to waste you anyway! A-bi, a-bi, a-bi, that's all, folks! |
Joker: (bad Irish accent) And now the final confession, the secret you've kept hidden for so many years... |
Two-Face: Everyone spread out! Don't let him get away! |
Scarface: Watch out, you'll hit Croc! |
Janet: I see now there's a need for the things you do. But I'm still going to work towards a city that doesn't need Batman. |
[edit] External links
- Episode Review on World's Finest: [1]
| Previously produced episode: "A Bullet For Bullock" | Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series | Next produced episode: "Avatar" |
| Previously aired episode: "Avatar" | Next aired episode: "Harlequinade" |
