After a much too long break (apologies, Christmas and life rather got in the way) Batman Fridays are back and which villain better to bring us back into the swing of things than that prince of puzzlers, that count of conundrums, the Riddler!
Our story begins at Gotham international airport where King Boris (not sure what country he's king of) is arriving to make a presentation in a few days time, he is handed a bunch of flowers by a young girl that is clearly a grown woman just dressed as a young girl. These flowers explode and a riddle drifts down from the air. At police headquarters the Commissioner and Chief are completely stumped by the riddle and know they must call Batman and Robin for assistance. At Stately Wayne Manor Bruce Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson are playing chess and Dick just lost, they receive the call and tell Aunt Harriet that they're going fishing (claiming Dick won the chess game and a bet) and the two rush off to action.
The duo discern from the riddle that the Riddler plans to steal the tiara from the Miss Galaxy Contest, Chief O'Hara is ready to have the place heavily guarded but Batman curtails this, he has another plan. At the contest the winner is crowned and the Riddler arrives to steal the tiara and seemingly gets away; Batman reveals he swapped the real tiara for a fake with a tracking device planted in it. However when our heroes get into the Batmobile to follow the signal the Riddler reveals he knew the tiara was a fake and was just toying with Batman, throwing the tiara back with another riddle attached.
The Riddle leads Batman to realise that the Riddler plans to kidnap king Boris and our heroes rush to the club where he is spending his evening but aren't in time to save him from being taken through a mysterious trapdoor. The Dynamic duo are quick to find the Riddler who had all along planned for them to and was just using King Boris as bait (although he also evidently did something to the statue he'll be presenting). Batman and Robin are captured in nets and tied to two giant generator shafts which will rotate so fast as to liquidate their bones and kill them.
BATMAN AND ROBIN TO DIE??!!
THINGS CERTAINLY ARE TURNING THE WRONG WAY FOR THEM!!
IS THIS REALLY THE END??
UNBELIEVABLE!!
IF YOU CARE FOR BATMAN AND ROBIN, KEEP HOPING 'TIL TOMORROW NIGHT!!
SAME TIME!! SAME BAT-CHANNEL!
Our story begins at Gotham international airport where King Boris (not sure what country he's king of) is arriving to make a presentation in a few days time, he is handed a bunch of flowers by a young girl that is clearly a grown woman just dressed as a young girl. These flowers explode and a riddle drifts down from the air. At police headquarters the Commissioner and Chief are completely stumped by the riddle and know they must call Batman and Robin for assistance. At Stately Wayne Manor Bruce Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson are playing chess and Dick just lost, they receive the call and tell Aunt Harriet that they're going fishing (claiming Dick won the chess game and a bet) and the two rush off to action.
The duo discern from the riddle that the Riddler plans to steal the tiara from the Miss Galaxy Contest, Chief O'Hara is ready to have the place heavily guarded but Batman curtails this, he has another plan. At the contest the winner is crowned and the Riddler arrives to steal the tiara and seemingly gets away; Batman reveals he swapped the real tiara for a fake with a tracking device planted in it. However when our heroes get into the Batmobile to follow the signal the Riddler reveals he knew the tiara was a fake and was just toying with Batman, throwing the tiara back with another riddle attached.
The Riddle leads Batman to realise that the Riddler plans to kidnap king Boris and our heroes rush to the club where he is spending his evening but aren't in time to save him from being taken through a mysterious trapdoor. The Dynamic duo are quick to find the Riddler who had all along planned for them to and was just using King Boris as bait (although he also evidently did something to the statue he'll be presenting). Batman and Robin are captured in nets and tied to two giant generator shafts which will rotate so fast as to liquidate their bones and kill them.
BATMAN AND ROBIN TO DIE??!!
THINGS CERTAINLY ARE TURNING THE WRONG WAY FOR THEM!!
IS THIS REALLY THE END??
UNBELIEVABLE!!
IF YOU CARE FOR BATMAN AND ROBIN, KEEP HOPING 'TIL TOMORROW NIGHT!!
SAME TIME!! SAME BAT-CHANNEL!
The second episode opens with Batman and Robin still spinning but Batman is able to use his blowtorch to short out the machinery and save the pair. Believing the dynamic duo to have perished in his death trap the Riddler begins his ultimate goal, the statue King Boris has is equipped with a time bomb and the Riddler will only disarm it for a million dollars, otherwise the Queen of Freedom monument will be blown sky-high. On the phone to Batman Commissioner Gordon decides they'll have to ask Bruce Wayne for the money as otherwise they won't be able to get it in time.
Bruce Wayne brings the money to Police Headquarters where they are suddenly visited by a rather portly looking Batman who informs them they should put the money in the Queen of Freedom monument and leave as he and Robin will handle it. Both the commissioner and Bruce Wayne seem convinced and agree to it.
At the Batcave Batman tells Robin of the encounter and they receive a call from the Commissioner who also wasn't convinced by the fake caped crusader but didn't let on to keep Bruce Wayne out of danger. The Dynamic Duo make their plan. Later that night the Riddler and his gang head to the monument only to find the statue is gone and the bag of money is filled only with a smoke bomb. Batman and Robin suddenly burst from a painting of themselves and reveal that they have disarmed the bomb and they fight the Riddler and his goons (seemingly destroying a lot of valuable artwork in the process) putting them behind bars once again.
The next day Aunt Harriet is about to head off to see the Queen of Freedom monument and asks Bruce and Dick if they'd like to join her; but the two readily make their excuses, Bruce has Wayne Foundation business to attend to and Dick needs to study his algebra. Bruce then makes sure Dick actually does study like the responsible adult he is.
Bruce Wayne brings the money to Police Headquarters where they are suddenly visited by a rather portly looking Batman who informs them they should put the money in the Queen of Freedom monument and leave as he and Robin will handle it. Both the commissioner and Bruce Wayne seem convinced and agree to it.
At the Batcave Batman tells Robin of the encounter and they receive a call from the Commissioner who also wasn't convinced by the fake caped crusader but didn't let on to keep Bruce Wayne out of danger. The Dynamic Duo make their plan. Later that night the Riddler and his gang head to the monument only to find the statue is gone and the bag of money is filled only with a smoke bomb. Batman and Robin suddenly burst from a painting of themselves and reveal that they have disarmed the bomb and they fight the Riddler and his goons (seemingly destroying a lot of valuable artwork in the process) putting them behind bars once again.
The next day Aunt Harriet is about to head off to see the Queen of Freedom monument and asks Bruce and Dick if they'd like to join her; but the two readily make their excuses, Bruce has Wayne Foundation business to attend to and Dick needs to study his algebra. Bruce then makes sure Dick actually does study like the responsible adult he is.
These episodes are as much fun as the series always is, the plot is filled with the usual twists and turns and Frank Gorshin is at times actually kind of frightening as the Riddler, really showing an actual insanity you might not expect from this show, this is what solidifies him as one of the all time great villains of the piece. Also of note is that Commissioner Gordon got to show some actual competence in how he handled the fake Batman situation, it's not a lot, but it shows at least some respect for the character. Nice touch.
Next week we shall be introduced to a new threat in the shape of the Mad Hatter!
Next week we shall be introduced to a new threat in the shape of the Mad Hatter!