# Best episode of Batman the Animated Series? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136 "2013-01-05T04:44:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cletus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@cletus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cletus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/1 "2013-01-05T04:44:36Z")
So somehow or another I happen to come across [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDix4E99HTw) Youtube video about Batman the Animated Series. I had completely forgotten about this show until seeing this video. Watching all those clips sure brings back a lot of memories. I used to watch it religiously when I was a kid. I think, for me, this is the definitive version of Batman. What would you say was the best episode of the series (including the sequel series)? To make it easy I’ll list the 11 episodes from the video as poll choices. If you don’t agree then tell us what you think. ---
**Author:** ![cletus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@cletus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cletus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/2 "2013-01-05T04:54:20Z")
By sequel series I’m referring to iirc The New Adventures of Batman and Robin. I don’t remember that one to clearly other then seeing Robin and Batwoman as supporting characters. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/3 "2013-01-05T05:10:26Z")
Don’t know from episodes… Robin: Didn’t you ever see “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Batman: I couldn’t get past the title. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/4 "2013-01-05T06:24:37Z")
> [@cletus](#): > > By sequel series I’m referring to iirc The New Adventures of Batman and Robin. I don’t remember that one to clearly other then seeing Robin and Batwoman as supporting characters. Batwoman was not a supporting character in The New Batman Adventures (The Adventures of Batman and Robin was the title of the third season of TAS) - she only appeared in Mystery of the Batwoman, several years after TNBA ended.\* (Though it kept the same character designs and general design aesthetic.) And Robin and Bat_girl_ were already supporting characters in TAS (though a different Robin - by TNBA, Dick had graduated to Nightwing). As to the best episode of TAS…of the ones you listed, Birds of A Feather. Others that deserve a nod, IMO: If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich (Riddler’s first appearance), Legends of the Dark Knight (From TNBA), Harley & Ivy, POV, and Tyger, Tyger. - Also, she is technically a they. There’s 3 women in the suit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/5 "2013-01-05T06:57:37Z")
The one where the girls are trying to kill The Joker and Bats has to speed away Mr. J’s unconscious body in the Batmobile. Did I mention that I have the original cel of the explosion over that scene. Yeah baby. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/6 "2013-01-05T08:07:45Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > The one where the girls are trying to kill The Joker and Bats has to speed away Mr. J’s unconscious body in the Batmobile. Did I mention that I have the original cel of the explosion over that scene. Yeah baby. I think that’s my favourite episode, _Harley and Ivy_. Which I thought was called _The Harley and the Ivy_, but apparently not. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/7 "2013-01-05T13:56:09Z")
> [@cletus](#): > > Watching all those clips sure brings back a lot of memories. I used to watch it religiously when I was a kid. I think, for me, this is the definitive version of Batman. It is the best incarnation of Batman in the last 25 years and a fine example of how well a 30 minute drama can work. I don’t read comics a whole lot any more but when I read Batman it’s Kevin Conroy’s voice I imagine as Bats and Mark Hamill as the Joker. My wife bought me the DVDs while I was recovering from having my wisdom teeth removed. I’m hard pressed to name the best episode. Instead I’m going to name the worst episode. The last season when Batman tangled with the farmer who was genetically altering animals. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/8 "2013-01-05T14:56:58Z")
Funny, I saw this thread on my phone and came downstairs to contribute because I wanted to write more than a few words. My original lede was “I don’t know about best-best, but _The Gray Ghost_ has persisted in my memories the most strongly.” I was tickled to see it in the poll and in the #1 slot. It may not be best as a standout Batman adventure, but the bittersweet note of Adam West playing a down-and-out fictional hero, and the way Bruce/Bats treated him, was so damned well done. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/9 "2013-01-05T18:33:23Z")
I never saw the show, but this past summer I took my brother (who is much more into comic books than I am) down to San Diego during the weekend of Comic-Con. We didn’t have Con tickets, but it was our understanding that there would be plenty of cool stuff happening outside the convention center. One of the “cool stuff happening” was a live interview: Kevin Smith interviewing Bruce Timm, creator of _Batman: The Animated Series_. It was pretty damn cool- and I say that without ever having been a Timmverse fan (oh, yeah, I learned the word “Timmverse”). The interview lasted about an hour, so it was very in depth. Timm seemed like a pretty amazing guy with strong vision. I see there are episodes available to view for free on The WB website. I’ll have to sit back and watch a few episodes sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/10 "2013-01-05T19:00:17Z")
Almost Got 'im, Trial, and The Grey Ghost are definitely the top three with Almost Got 'im being my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/11 "2013-01-05T19:48:45Z")
I used to watch it every afternoon and loved it; I’m pleased to see that it’s still well-received now that we’re all adults. The episode that stuck with me was Heart Of Ice. Boy was the movie Mr. Freeze a disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-episode-of-batman-the-animated-series/646136/12 "2013-01-05T21:25:30Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I think that’s my favourite episode, _Harley and Ivy_. Which I thought was called _The Harley and the Ivy_, but apparently not. Yep. > **[List of Batman: The Animated Series episodes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_and_Ivy#Season_One)** > > Batman: The Animated Series is an American television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Originally, 85 episodes aired on Fox from 1992 to 1995. A further 24 episodes were aired under the title The New Batman Adventures after the show moved to The WB. Both series have since aired together on various other networks, including Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Jetix, and The Hub. Each episode is a TV half-hour (22 minutes plus commercials). > Note: This a... And I was at least 30 years old when this came out. I’d sneak out of the office to watch it.