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| episode = Love is a Croc |
| episode = Love is a Croc |
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| airdate = July 11th, 1998 |
| airdate = July 11th, 1998 |
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| − | | production = |
+ | | production = 13 |
| airedorder = 13 |
| airedorder = 13 |
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| animation = [[Koko Enterprise Co., LTD.|Koko]]/[[Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD.|Dong Yang]] |
| animation = [[Koko Enterprise Co., LTD.|Koko]]/[[Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD.|Dong Yang]] |
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Revision as of 07:37, 28 April 2013
 This article or section needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of article quality. |
"Love is a Croc" is the 13th and last episode of the first season of The New Batman Adventures.
Plot
On a rerun from "Love that Baby", a popular television show from the past, two people come home from the store with groceries, only to find that their entire house has been flooded with soapsuds. The rerun is airing on a television in a motel lobby.
A married couple currently staying in the motel walk in as the man complains about his back problems. The woman approaches the front desk employee to explain that her husband lost their room key. The motel employee reveals herself to be Mary Louise-Dahl, the former star of "Love that Baby". The husband rudely points out that she is a has-been, and insensitively talks about her condition that doesn't allow her to grow. He musses Dahl's hair and tells her to "Do something funny". She responds in kind by shoving his face into a book and slamming the cover on his head.
Dahl runs out of the lobby and into her room, where she goes into an emotional rage, lamenting how she's "just different" from everyone else. She then turns on the television and watches the live courtroom competency hearing of Killer Croc, who pleads to the judge that he has been the victim of persecution because he is "just different" from everyone else. Dahl lights up, believing she has found a kindred spirit. Unmoved by Croc's speech, the judge finds Croc mentally competent to stand trial for murder. Croc becomes enraged and breaks free from his straitjacket and shackles, causing a panic. Bailiffs and orderlies try to sedate Croc, but his savage strength easily overpowers them. Dahl cheers for him to escape. Croc jumps out a window and begins a rampage but Batman arrives and throws a Batarang at him. Croc catches it in his mouth and chews it up, spitting it out at Batman's feet. Croc then rips off part of a truck and hurls it at Batman. Batman continues to give chase and manages to tackle Croc. Dahl has left the motel and gone to the courtroom just in time to see Batman sedate Croc, recapturing him.
Later in jail, Croc is being held in a special water tank. A guard brings Dahl to see him as a visitor. Croc tells her to "get lost" at first, but Dahl gives him a whole cooked chicken, which he eats in one bite. This gesture convinces Croc to hear her out. Dahl tells Croc they are kindred spirits because they both know the pain of being "just different" from everyone else. Dahl feeds Croc a couple more chickens as she talks to keep his attention. Croc seems to warm up to her, suggesting that things might be different had he met her sooner, but then he tells her it doesn't matter because he's "Going up the river tomorrow". This news shocks and frightens Dahl.
By the next night, Mary Louise-Dahl has officially checked out and Baby-Doll is back. As authorities are taking Croc to another prison in a police van, Baby-Doll poses as a child in the middle of the road, causing them to swerve off the road and fall into the forest. Baby-Doll electrocutes the guards and liberates Croc. Baby-Doll hugs her "precious" and professes her love for him. Croc is confused, but he's not about to turn down a "get out of jail free" card.
Sometime later, Baby-Doll and Croc have made a home in the sewer, patterning it after a fifties family home. Croc, however, soon grows tired of the "mushy stuff" and shows her a newspaper that describes them as "Gotham's Bonnie and Clyde". Croc opens a cupboard containing piles of money and stashes some in his overcoat, telling her he'll be back for dinner. Baby-Doll tries to convince him to stay, but her nagging just pushes him out the door that much faster. Croc departs angry, leaving behind a sad and confused Baby-Doll.
Batman and Batgirl, riding in the Batboat, deduce that Baby-Doll is basing all of their crimes near water, playing to Croc's strengths. Batgirl wonders what they do on a date, to which Batman responds, "I don't want to think about it".
Meanwhile, on a luxury cruise liner, Baby-Doll distracts a security guard and Croc robs the casino on board. Croc and Baby-Doll empty the money into bags, and everyone in the casino runs out screaming. Batman and Batgirl come to stop Croc and Baby-Doll from making their escape, but Croc physically bests Batman by tossing a table at him. The table hits a hanging neon sign, causing it to fall and catch fire. Baby-Doll and Croc escape without the money, but Batman sees them going into the sewer.
Inside the sewer, Croc throws and breaks a lamp, angry with Batman. Baby-Doll tries to stop Croc from leaving again, but he slaps her out of the way. She follows him and finds out he's been sneaking out to see other women. Back at the hideout, she wakes him up to tell him that she's sorry for getting angry with him and that they have one more job to pull.
Later, Batman and Batgirl find the villains' "home" in the sewers to be empty, save for a booby-trap bomb that they narrowly escape. Before the sewer blew up, Batman managed to see that their next target is a nuclear power plant.
At the plant, Baby-Doll and Croc have incapacitated the guards, and she tells him how the reactor will blow up Gotham. He asks if they're going to demand a ransom payoff, but she reveals that she knows about his other girlfriends and that he doesn't really love her. Baby-Doll vows that they will both die together and take Gotham with them. Batman comes in and battles Croc while Batgirl captures Baby-Doll. The reactor is about to reach critical mass, but Batgirl succeeds in shutting it down safely. As Batman assigns Batgirl to stay put and keep an eye on the reactor, Baby-Doll and Croc both escape, with Batman in pursuit. Croc finds Baby-Doll and holds her over spinning blades. He drops her but Batman swings across on his Batline and saves her. Croc then punches Batman and holds him over the blades. Baby-Doll shoots Croc with the sedative, and Batman punches him. Croc drops Batman, who gets the upper hand. Croc grabs a valve and breaks it, causing scalding water to blast Croc and knock him unconscious. Baby-Doll runs over to Croc and tearfully laments how happy they could have been together, "just like on TV".
Continuity
- Picks up and refers to the events of "Baby-Doll".
Background information
Home video releases
Production notes
- When Baby-Doll's bouncing ball explodes, for one frame there is a flash of light that is reused footage from the gas canisters that Superman ignites in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "The Way of All Flesh".
- Likewise, when the bomb in Baby-Doll's lair blows up the ensuing explosion is reused footage from "My Girl" when Mr. Eelan blows a vat of hot led off its support. Right after that, there's another explosion that is reused footage from the scene of "World's Finest, Part III" in which two Wayne/Lex T-7 droids blow up after Batman electrocutes them.
- One of the stuffed animals on Mary Louise-Dahl's couch is Yogi Bear.
Production inconsistencies
- When Croc shows the Daily Planet article, a smaller headline on the page says, "Supermans hands are full". An apostrophe is missing. Another says, "when will it end" without a question mark.
- Jeff Glen Bennett's name is spelled with three f's in the credits.
- A poster of Killer Croc in the sewer hideout has "Killer Crock" in one scene and "Killer Croc" in another.
- Killer Croc is sentenced to Stonegate Penitentiary, but Baby-Doll meets with him in Arkham Asylum.
Trivia
- The episode's title is a pun on the proverb "Love is a crutch".
- Laraine Newman replaces Alison LaPlaca as the voice of Baby-Doll.
- Brooks Gardner replaces Aron Kincaid as the voice of Killer Croc.
Cast
Quotes
Baby-Doll: Why don't they ever understand? I'm not a baby. I'm not a child! I'm just... different! |
Baby-Doll: I heard what you said to the judge. I want you to know that I understand about being different. You've never let the way you look undermine your self-confidence. I admire that. I feel somehow that we're kindred spirits. |
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