Editor’s Note: This is the first episode of Beware the Batman that was not previously aired during it’s original run on Cartoon Network late last year. No official screens or videos have been released by WB for the remaining episodes.
Everyone’s favorite candy-loving, muscular mass of stupidity is back. Lughead returns to begin episode twelve. This time, we see him walking around carrying a taxi above his head. Upon discovering this, Batman and Katana race to Lughead. Katana drives right up to him and almost gets flattened by an airborne taxi flung her way by Lughead. Batman, however, takes a more cautious approach and is able to successfully sneak up on and subdue Lughead.
They take him back to Blackgate Prison, where Lughead is placed in a cell next to Magpie, the bird-like villainess featured in episode two. Seeing Batman with Katana, another female, Magpie, still smitten with Batman, flies into a jealous rage. Batman tries to calm her down, but he is unsuccessful by the time he needs to leave, in order to flee the GCPD.
Once he leaves, Magpie decides she needs to save Batman from Katana. Bribing Lughead with the promise of candy, Magpie is able to leave, escape Blackgate and rush to save Batman. She catches up with Batman and Katana and begins her attempt to free Batman from Katana. This sparks an intense battle between Katana and Magpie. Batman sees the futility in this and breaks up the fight. Magpie then realizes that she should enjoy her freedom. She then goes on a crime spree, leaving objects behind at each crime scene in the shape of a bat.
The writers have another episode where they leave a lot of plot holes in their episode. First of all, Batman and Katana were on their motorcycles when they confronted Lughead. How were they able to transport him to Blackgate? Furthermore, when did Batman earn the privilege to just waltz into Blackgate whenever he wants? In this episode, he is able to deposit Lughead, who had not been convicted of anything, in prison and accompany him to a cell without causing alarm from the staff. He is still wanted by the police; Katana and he had to leave before the police arrived, so clearly he is not in good standing with the legal system. What gives? Another confusing aspect of the inner workings of Blackgate is that Lughead is not placed in a special cell that can withstand escape attempts from someone of his unusual strength. More puzzling is the prison’s system of assigning cells. What prison houses both female and male prisoners in the same prison, especially next to one another. Next, we are expected to believe Magpie can break out of Blackgate and chase down Katana and Batman on foot. Katana and Batman were on their motorcycles. How was she able to cover that much ground in that short of time. If there was a passage of time, how were we to know?
Previously, similarities between Magpie and Catwoman have been noted. There are elements of this in “Attraction”, but for the most part, the writers do a good job of creating a story that is unique to Magpie, including a dramatic concluding scene in a cemetery that is definitely unique to this character. It is also important to note that Magpie is less annoying in this episode than in the first episode featuring Magpie.
The ludicrous character of Lughead and the many inexcusable plot holes do create a drag on the beginning this episode, but after Lughead exits and the main thrust of the story takes flight, the episode recovers. We end up seeing a decent episode. With a show that presents mediocre episode after mediocre episode, this episode was a pleasant departure from the usual. While not a great episode, it is far more enjoyable than most episodes of Beware the Batman.
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