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Revision as of 12:07, 30 November 2008
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"Over the Edge" is the eleventh episode of The New Batman Adventures, which originally aired on May 23rd, 1998. A war erupts between Batman and Commissioner Gordon when Gordon finds his daughter is Batman's fair Bat-Maiden seconds before her death at the hands of the Scarecrow.
Plot
Commissioner Gordon has Batman and Robin on this sight.
The Gotham City Police Department, lead by Commissioner Gordon, storms the Batcave and shoot at Batman and Robin. They tarnish Dick Grayson's old Robin suit and almost anything else that is caught in the gun fire. Gordon knows who Batman is and wants him taken down. The Dynamic Duo make a run for the Batmobile, but Gordon has it blown to bits. As they take cover behind the giant penny, Batman tells Robin to run for the hangar. To buy them some time, Batman tilts the giant penny over and rolls it toward the police, forcing them to fall back. Batman catches up with Robin, but Renee Montoya intercepts them. With Gordon and on their tail, Batman grabs Robin and takes a plunge into the dock, where the Batboat is moored. Gordon aims and is ready to shoot Batman. However, he misses when Alfred jumps on him. While Harvey Bullock manhandles the butler, the Batman and Robin escape in the Batboat. After exiting, a police boat pointlessly orders Batman to stop, and then fires four rockets at the Batboat. Just when the shooter is about to take one final shot at point-blank range, an explosion foils his efforts. Nightwing has come to Batman and Robin's rescue. The police opens fire at him as well, but Nightwing dodges the rocket and fires two torpedoes at them, bringing the police boat and the chase to a halt. He then leads the Dynamic Duo to a cave along the shore. There, Batman recalls the events that lead to this.
Commissioner Gordon finds out the horrible truth about Batgirl's identity.
- The Scarecrow had laid siege to Gotham City Hall. While Batman and Robin dealt with his henchman, Batgirl ran after the Scarecrow to an upper level. She struck at what she though was him only to find it was part of his clothing on an antenna. As she turns around, the Scarecrow hit her. She fell from the building and landed on the hood of a squad car carrying James Gordon and Harvey Bullock. Gordon ran to Batgirl and sent Harvey to call for an ambulance. However, as soon as she called him "Dad," Gordon realized in horror that the member of Batman's team who was dying in front of him was his own daughter. Seconds after Batgirl died, Batman descended and tried to comfort Gordon, but Gordon was angry because he was never told about this, and blamed Batman for her death. Before Batman could do anything else, Bullock held him at gunpoint and ordered the Dark Knight to give himself up. With Robin's timely intervention, the Dynamic Duo managed to flee. Bullock was prepared to throw the full weight of the police force after him, but Gordon stopped him — knowing that the effort was futile. They had to try a different approach.
- At Wayne Manor, Bruce, Tim, and Alfred were mourning over their loss when a call came from Commissioner Gordon. Bruce attempted to put on an act, but Gordon revealed that he'd been on Barbara's computer and knew the truth about his secret identity. Bruce tried to justify his vigilantism with his parents' brutal murder, but this only gave Gordon validation for his very own vendetta. As the police bursted down the door, Bruce opened the door into the Batcave for Tim and Alfred, and before going in himself, Bruce took a moment to look at his parents' portrait and ask for their forgiveness. The GCPD stormed Wayne Manor, leading to the fight in the Batcave and then back to the present.
Nightwing is taken in.
As Batman decides to remain hidden, Nightwing goes back to his loft for supplies, only to find Renee Montoya and other officers waiting for him. He resists arrest and fights his way out, but outside he is confronted by three police helicopters that open fire at him. He is eventually taken into custody and questioned by the police. After watching the news of his arrest, Tim wants to extricate both Nightwing and Alfred from jail. However, Batman calls it quits, admitting that Gordon's reaction may be warranted. He orders Tim to give himself up, believing he would not be blamed for what had happened. The two go on separate ways at that point.
Mayor Hamilton Hill talks with Gordon about the consequences of Barbara's connection to Batman being made public. He informs Gordon that the District Attorney's office wants to conduct an investigation, for which Gordon has to step down from his post of duty. During the discussion, Bullock and Montoya watch in total repulse a complaint made by Harley Quinn, the Mad Hatter, The Riddler, the Ventriloquist & Scarface who plan to launch a billion-dollar lawsuit against Bruce Wayne — now that they know that he's Batman. Hill and Gordon leave the office. Gordon realizes that if he doesn't resign now he'll face a grand jury hearing, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He meets with an inmate at Stonegate Penitentiary and bargains for his assistance in taking down Batman, in exchange for a commuted sentence. The inmate accepts the bargain.
At Barbara's funeral, Commissioner Gordon has officers on the lookout for Batman. As soon as they spot him, Gordon is alerted and goes after him. Batman jumps to the roof of police headquarters and is engaged by Bane. Bane conveys his pleasure in their mêlée, during which he taunts and torments Batman with a sociopathic relish, calling him a "killer of children." Batman is almost knocked out during the fight and Bane is ready to kill him — which was not part of the agreement. Commissioner Gordon shoots at Bane's feet and says he wants Batman alive to spend the rest of his life surrounded by his enemies in Arkham Asylum. Bane double crosses Gordon and tossing him to the ledge of the building. As he is about to send Gordon over the ledge he was hanging on, Batman tosses Bane into the Bat-Signal and tries to electrocute him with its circuitry.
Batman reaches his hand out to pull Gordon from the ledge and pleads him to accept his help "for Barbara." Gordon ultimately takes him hand, but before Batman could pull him up, Bane uses his last bit of strength to rip out the remains of the Bat-Signal and roll it toward Batman and Gordon. As they fall to their deaths, Barbara wakes up in the Batcave, revealing this was all part of a nightmarish hallucination.
She learns that she'd been asleep ever since the fight at City Hall. Scarecrow didn't actually hit her, but he did release one of his fear toxins, causing her to experience her worst fear: dying without ever telling her father about her secret identity. She tells Batman it's time to face her fear, to which Batman expresses understanding.
She then invites her father to her apartment for dinner and to talk to him. When she's about to open up, Gordon stops her and tells her that she is capable of making her own decisions and that he'll love her no matter what choice she made. He winks at her, and the two hug each other.
Background Information
Trivia
- It's interesting to note that despite being the villain who triggered all of this, the Scarecrow has no lines in this episode outside of his sinister laugh
- The lawyer hired by Harley Quinn, the Mad Hatter, The Riddler, the Ventriloquist & Scarface is the same one from "Joker's Millions." He is a parody on Johnny Cochran, one of the lawyers on O.J. Simpson's defense team during his trial. His "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit" line is parodied as "If the Bat's on a spree, Wayne must pay the fee."
- During the final scene it is implied that Commissioner Gordon knows that Barbara is Batgirl, further confirmed during the audio commentary included on the Batman: The Animated Series, Volume Four (DVD). However, Gotham Girls suggests that he is still in the dark about her secret.
- It is somewhat appropriate that the Mad Hatter would lead the lawsuit against Bruce Wayne, as he used to work for Wayne Enterprises before he went crazy in "Mad as a Hatter."
- The presence of Arnold Wesker as the Ventriloquist and Scarface is inconsistent with him having been cured in "Double Talk," however since it is a dream sequence it doesn't really violate continuity.
- The plot device of the main plot turning out to be an induced dream was also used in the Batman: The Animated Series episode, "Perchance to Dream." Coincidentally or not, the Mad Hatter is the only villain to appear in both episodes.
Cast
Quotes
Robin: We are gonna die. |
Commissioner Gordon: Oh no, Wayne. No vanishing act this time. |
Harvey Bullock: That's as far as you go, murderer. |
Commissioner Gordon: Ten minutes on Barbara's computer told me everything. Like a fool I allowed you to run wild on your private crusade. A psychotic misfit playing masked hero. Now I've paid for it with Barbara's life. |
Renee Montoya: Freeze!! Richard Grayson, you have the right to remain silent. |
Lawyer: If the bat's on a spree, Wayne must pay the fee. |
Bane: You would fight to the death? |
Commissioner Gordon: We had a deal! |
Bane: Please, give your dear Barbara a kiss from me. |
Bane: Time to die. |
Commissioner Gordon: Keep cooking like that and you'll have me looking like Harvey Bullock. |
Commissioner Gordon: Sweetheart, you're capable of making your own decisions. You don't need me to approve or even acknowledge them. And in this case, I can't. All you need to know is I love you. All of you. (kisses her) And that is all I have to say on the subject. |
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