[7.9/10] Oh man, this one had me fooled. I was nearly cringing for the first part of the episode, when it seemed like we were going to get a story about Mayan native voodoo or some other unfortunate take on ancient (and modern!) civilizations turned into generic villainy. But I love the swerve we get instead! The Mad Hatter using Mayan culture as a cover for his bargain basement thievery adds another layer of insidiousness to his scheme, and helps throw the audience (or at least me) off the scent for the opening act.
There’s also some subtle social commentary there, with Tetch commandeering this garb and paraphernalia for ill, and socialite Veronica Vreeland completely falling for it, while the actual local man is a decent guy who just wants to go home. Having a bunch of Gotham bigwigs borrow some spiritual idea from a foreign nation and turn them into souvenirs and kitschy miracle cures adds a layer to the world that Bruce Wayne operates in and the plan that Batman has to foil.
“The Worry Men” also feels like something of a season finale for B:TAS. I’m not sure what the show’s actually production schedule was, but 65 episodes was the standard order for kids shows back then. The fact that story editor Paul Dini penned the episode also adds to the sense that this is the show making something of an exit.
That also comes through in the great visual set pieces though. While Mad Hatter is the only villain actually in play, the way he uses the costume shop to make mock-ups and marionettes of Batman’s other foes gives the episode a sense of remembering its world. Those fight scenes themselves are a ton of fun, leaning into the art deco and outsized reality of the series that’s borne out in its aesthetic.
I also enjoyed the way Batman gets out of this scrape. For one thing, the show manages to wring tension from a guillotine drop that we know can’t possibly come to fruition. And Batman freeing Tetch’s goons from their mind control, only to have them turn on him when they remember what he said about them in their hypnotized state is nice comeuppance. Plus, Batman turning the tables on The Mad Matter with a game of shadows and puppets and distractions of his own adds a touch of poetry to the proceedings. The Batman “worry man” is the icing on the cake..
Overall, this is a delightful way to end this batch of B:TAS episodes: bringing back a classic villain, only unveiling his scheme with a good twist, and then throwing some well-designed and animated action to boot.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-01-18T19:01:49Z
[7.9/10] Oh man, this one had me fooled. I was nearly cringing for the first part of the episode, when it seemed like we were going to get a story about Mayan native voodoo or some other unfortunate take on ancient (and modern!) civilizations turned into generic villainy. But I love the swerve we get instead! The Mad Hatter using Mayan culture as a cover for his bargain basement thievery adds another layer of insidiousness to his scheme, and helps throw the audience (or at least me) off the scent for the opening act.
There’s also some subtle social commentary there, with Tetch commandeering this garb and paraphernalia for ill, and socialite Veronica Vreeland completely falling for it, while the actual local man is a decent guy who just wants to go home. Having a bunch of Gotham bigwigs borrow some spiritual idea from a foreign nation and turn them into souvenirs and kitschy miracle cures adds a layer to the world that Bruce Wayne operates in and the plan that Batman has to foil.
“The Worry Men” also feels like something of a season finale for B:TAS. I’m not sure what the show’s actually production schedule was, but 65 episodes was the standard order for kids shows back then. The fact that story editor Paul Dini penned the episode also adds to the sense that this is the show making something of an exit.
That also comes through in the great visual set pieces though. While Mad Hatter is the only villain actually in play, the way he uses the costume shop to make mock-ups and marionettes of Batman’s other foes gives the episode a sense of remembering its world. Those fight scenes themselves are a ton of fun, leaning into the art deco and outsized reality of the series that’s borne out in its aesthetic.
I also enjoyed the way Batman gets out of this scrape. For one thing, the show manages to wring tension from a guillotine drop that we know can’t possibly come to fruition. And Batman freeing Tetch’s goons from their mind control, only to have them turn on him when they remember what he said about them in their hypnotized state is nice comeuppance. Plus, Batman turning the tables on The Mad Matter with a game of shadows and puppets and distractions of his own adds a touch of poetry to the proceedings. The Batman “worry man” is the icing on the cake..
Overall, this is a delightful way to end this batch of B:TAS episodes: bringing back a classic villain, only unveiling his scheme with a good twist, and then throwing some well-designed and animated action to boot.