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Cowboys_and_Engines t1_isuxmhh wrote

Over the Edge is my favorite episode.
Short synopsis: Batgirl fucking DIES and the inevitable fallout ruins Batman’s life. Commissioner Gordon learns his daughter is Batgirl and it ruins his friendship/partnership with Batman. (As it should, because it’s a total dick move to keep that from someone you supposedly trust) And using his daughter’s computer Gordon learns that Bruce Wayne is Batman and the entire police force raids Wayne manor to arrest him. It’s a great fucking episode.

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MulciberTenebras t1_isuzwkh wrote

Ya know, if the Gotham PD went after the actual villains with the same ferocity they do Batman in this episode (or whenever he's wrongfully accused like in "Mask of the Phantasm" or "On Leather Wings")... they wouldn't need a Batman.

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DisturbedNocturne t1_iswk9v9 wrote

That ties into why they need Batman in the first place though. The GCPD is rampant with corruption and cops looking the other way. Of course, they're going to go much harder on the guy that's often rooting out that corruption and making them look bad than the actual villains they're often on the payroll of.

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RndySvgsMySprtAnml t1_isy10bk wrote

I mean, real cops are willing to kill other cops to keep them from squealing. So it’s pretty realistic.

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DeckardsDark t1_isxm4dh wrote

Gotham PD knows Batman won't kill them, and they also know the villains will

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ConnorMc1eod t1_isyd6wa wrote

That's... the entire point of Batman. In the 80's and 90's police corruption was so ridiculously rampant Batman turned into the caped crusader. A complete vigilante power fantasy that frequently saw himself in the crosshairs of dirty politicians, journalists, criminals AND cops. He was a one man force for good against a completely rotten, immoral society.

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dont_shoot_jr t1_iszqtgn wrote

Thank god we solved police corruption

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ConnorMc1eod t1_it06g2r wrote

Bless up thanks Batman

For real though, it's leagues better than it was when I was a kid.

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denizenKRIM t1_isv6zmy wrote

I've always thought this plot line would be a fucking amazing story to put on film one day.

Obviously much later down the line of any given iteration, but it felt like it actually had stakes. Ironic given how it ended.

But it still captures my imagination of what could be, several years later.

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Hirotrum t1_iswgod9 wrote

The DCAU always frusterated me by how often it dipped its toes only halfway into dark themes. Everything dramatic that happens always gets reset back to the status quo(everytime the show teases the possibility of harley having character development i want to scream) . And if something DOES change the status quo, it always happens offscreen, in between series (dick leaving, joker's death, ace's death) and is only shown in a flashback LONG AFTER youve already gotten used to the effects of that event, so nothing ever feels too groundbreaking; youre never left wondering what the hell is going to happen and what the reprocussions of what just happened are going to be.

It felt like the writers really wanted to make a serialized style of story, but were held back by the standards of the time.

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Mattyzooks t1_isy46ot wrote

Counterpoint though. Lex Luthor. Justice League wildly changed up his status quo a few times. His first appearance rocked his status quo as a billionaire philanthropist and CEO. He gets exposed, loses everything, and has cancer for the next few seasons. Forms an Injustice League. Actually finally goes to prison. Eventually gets a pardon. Pretends to be an upstanding citizen for a bit and runs for President but it's all a ruse to become a god. Achieves it via Brainiac. Then after being separated, suffers from hallucinations. Joins the Legion of Doom, slowly becoming pissed off on how it's run, shoots the head of the Legion at point blank in a meeting (becoming its leader). Then he fights in a Legion of Doom civil war, revives Darkseid, and ultimately sacrifices himself to save Superman and the planet from Darkseid while kinda achieving his goal of being 'beyond human.' Not all of these are dark changes to the status quo but they kept this character on an actual arc once they brought him over from STAS into JL and JLU.

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DisturbedNocturne t1_iswpq76 wrote

There are several episodes that would really make amazing movies, in my opinion.

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PhillyTaco t1_isz1hgd wrote

>I've always thought this plot line would be a fucking amazing story to put on film one day.

Part of me hoped they were gonna steal a little bit of it for Dark Knight Rises. Bane reveals Batman's true identity and Wayne goes on the lamb but still must save Gotham.

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jak_d_ripr t1_isvwuvo wrote

I love the scene at the end where Bane goes "to the death then?" and Bruce says something along the lines of it doesn't even matter. I don't know why but how understandably defeated he sounded there always stood out to me.

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Kbdiggity t1_isv617v wrote

And it was all a bad dream caused by Scarecrow's gas.

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anthonyg1500 t1_iswuwya wrote

Having Babs fall like 40 stories onto the hood of her dad’s car while he’s pretty casually driving by was a wild way to start an episode

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PapaMikeRomeo t1_isynduw wrote

The ending ends up highlighting that Barbara’s fears are unfounded though, right? That evening, after the Scarecrow’s fear toxin works it’s way out of her system, she has dinner with her father and seems ready to tell him the truth, only for him to ask her to hold her tongue and that he supports her decisions, and gives her a knowing wink that he seems to already KNOW her secret.

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ThrowawayScienceQues t1_isywgd3 wrote

> Over the Edge is my favorite episode. > Short synopsis: Batgirl fucking DIES and the inevitable fallout ruins Batman’s life. Commissioner Gordon learns his daughter is Batgirl and it ruins his friendship/partnership with Batman. (As it should, because it’s a total dick move to keep that from someone you supposedly trust) And using his daughter’s computer Gordon learns that Bruce Wayne is Batman and the entire police force raids Wayne manor to arrest him. It’s a great fucking episode.

Literally convinced me to go find and watch this right now.

Any other favorite episodes you can put on my radar?

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PhillyTaco t1_isz06a2 wrote

The introduction of Clayface, which I think is a two-parter. Tragic story, great animation, unbelievable score.

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JQuilty t1_it16ccv wrote

And that particular scene at the end of part 2 that's fucking nuts when you remember it was done by hand.

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Cowboys_and_Engines t1_isyz814 wrote

Heart of Ice is one of the most famous episodes. It turned Mr. Freeze from a campy 60s villain to a tragic figure. Most people don’t even know that Mr. Freeze’s sad origin story came from this episode.

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RedDurden_00 t1_iswylm2 wrote

I don’t remember that part where Jim discovers Bruce is Batman. Just that Jim randomly showed up at the manor with Gotham police

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Salarian_American t1_isxy78y wrote

Yeah they didn't show that happen, he just showed up and at some point said that "Five minutes on Barbara's computer told me everything" or something to that effect

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Cowboys_and_Engines t1_isxzvzk wrote

After learning his daughter was Batgirl he does some detective work. Apparently on Barbara’s computer was evidence of Batman’s identity.

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elscorcho91 t1_isy9urt wrote

Calm down lol, it’s a cartoon. You’re making this sound like it’s Citizen Kane

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Cowboys_and_Engines t1_isyf0dn wrote

Citizen Kane? Calm down dude that’s just a movie. You make it sound like it’s Macbeth or something.

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bloodyturtle t1_isyombv wrote

unga painted a lion on the cave wall you gotta check this shit out man

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elscorcho91 t1_isz19h1 wrote

We get it, you’re overly defensive about a cartoon because you have a funko collection and have to speak in hyperbolic terms about things you’re hyperfixated on

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Cowboys_and_Engines t1_isz1okp wrote

I’m being hyperbolic?
You’re the one that compared it to Citizen Kane.

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elscorcho91 t1_isz24s6 wrote

the "I know you are, but what am I" defense. Very bold.

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Cowboys_and_Engines t1_isz3uag wrote

Look, I get it. You don’t have a lot going on right now so you’re bored. Nobody invites you anywhere and you’re too shy to talk to women. You compensate for your lack of social life by making fun of others, even if that means joining a conversation about the Batman cartoon and acting like everyone else is childish for liking Batman cartoons.

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Englishgrinn t1_isz2jv5 wrote

We get it, people genuinely enjoying things shows a level of sincerity and vulnerability that makes you uncomfortable. Just pretend they're liking it "ironically".

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elscorcho91 t1_isz3fpi wrote

I'm all for enjoying things, but to act like it's a narrative marvel and pretend like it's something it's not is nostalgia nerdbaiting at its finest

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