This is a review of the eighth episode of Batman: The Animated Series. In this episode Bruce loses his memory and is forced to work in gold mines when he’s caught while investigating a series of kidnappings.
1. Placement
Something to really consider with this episode is where it’s placed in relation to other episodes. Whether this is a great episode or not, it’s another atypical story that’s following a couple other atypical stories. As a viewer the desire for a more traditional Batman story does weigh heavily on this episode as we’re only eight episodes into this series, and three of those are not traditional Batman stories, not to mention that those three have all been grouped together. It isn’t enough to completely hurt the episode but it should definitely be the last in this series of atypical episodes.
2. Holes ft. Batman
This is a weird one. Batman is kidnapped while going undercover as a homeless man to investigate recent disappearances. When he wakes up he’s got amnesia and is being forced to work in mines for the episode’s villain. This is weird because the setting seems to have shifted to a desert like area which is extremely hot and surrounded by canyons, yet we’re never given any indication that we’ve actually left Gotham. This would mean that this episode must take place in a New Mexico like desert in a New England state.
3. The Score
The score of this episode fits perfectly with the story being told but not with the series it’s being told within. It’s completely missing the dark and moody quality present in every episode’s score up unto this point, instead opting for an almost Indiana Jones like adventure theme. It’s initially jarring and consistently off-putting as it doesn’t jive with the show or the character. This doesn’t mean it’s completely bad though. The music is good and works as what it’s trying to be. It sets the tone of action adventure story in the desert and keeps you consistently invested in that story.
4. But…
Despite this episode having a weird placement, an odd setting, and an out-of-place score, it genuinely has an interesting plot. The story of Bruce losing his memories and having to serve as a slave laborer gives the writers a really interesting angle to depict the character from. It’s exactly this predicament which allows the question of who Bruce is without the history and tragedy baked in to be asked. We see that he’s a fighter who stands up for the little guy even without the tragedy. It’s an effective episode in emphasizing that Bruce is a hero in spite of his tragedy, and not because of it. Even in moments outside of this plot device we see Bruce genuinely reaching out to help people that most billionaire playboys wouldn’t even think about.
5. The Villain
The Villain in the episode is extremely one-note. He’s a caricature of a stereotype and the show does nothing new or surprising with this formula, however, they do the formula well. As much as this is something we’ve seen many times before the situation, voice acting, and animation combine to make this a particularly detestable and vile example of the stereotype. He isn’t a character you would come back for, but he does enough to keep the audience interested.
Conclusion
I want to add a conclusion to say that this is in no way a bad episode. It’s just off-putting because of its aesthetic inconsistency with the rest of the series.