[Batman] Episodes 61 & 62: The Penguin's Nest/The Bird's Last Jest

[Ubiquitous]

:The Penguin, out on parole yet again, opens a swanky restaurant that seems
:to be wowing Gotham's elite, including millionaire Bruce Wayne, his youthful
:ward Dick Grayson, and Aunt Harriet. One oddity intrigues Bruce: guests are
:to write out their own orders. When The Penguin attempts to steal Harriet's
:bracelet right under the nose of Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara, Bruce
:smells a rat. Sure enough, the fiend is baiting the boys to arrest him so
:that he can get the orders in to famous forger Ballpoint Baxter back at the
:Gotham pokey. Batman's on to him though and refuses to send the bird back to
:the pen.

PE: Bruce Wayne looks like he's inebriated in that opening scene. I thought
it would end up being a dream sequence. After all, how many times are the
Gotham Gullible going to fall for this "Penguin's gone straight and he's a
great guy after all" schtick? I mean, I know he's paid his debt to society
(at least three months with time off for good behavior), but enough is
enough!

JS: I too thought everyone was just a little too cozy in a restaurant run by
a former criminal. And once he committed the crime, why couldn't they arrest
the Penguin AND contact Batman? But I forgive them that lapse of logic, since
it led to the adjacent phone booth scene when the Commissioner phones Batman.

PE: Batman unveils his newest super computer, The State Pen Occupancy Report
which, I'm sure, will go back into the mothballs after this episode. I
certainly wish we could keep the same decor in the batcave two arcs in a row.
Now the bat-diamond is gone and in its place is a bank of phones, including
the bat-transfer phone, just in time to intercept a call from Gordon while
Bruce is in the same room as the Commissioner. That'll be back in mothballs
next episode as well.

JS: That's the wonders of modular furniture for you. Think of it as the IKEA
of the 1960s. I was impressed that this episode features the fastest change
from Batman to Bruce Wayne. And Robin's tough guy salute to the Penguin when
he's in the low security lock-up... what was that all about?

PE Batman seems to finally be questioning Warden Creighton's rehabilitation
methods when the Warden reveals to the Caped Crusader that inmates have
access to blank checks through the prison printer!:

Batman: I see. Another first. Another of your... advanced penological
techniques.

Creighton: Right! Why? You think it's unwise, Batman?

Batman (stammering): I don't know... I've always had boundless
admiration for your efforts, Warden... but, something... I just don't
know.

PE: Vito Scotti (who plays henchman Maty Dee) was the veteran of hundreds of
TV episodes (including The Flying Nun, Love, American Style, The Rifleman,
Twilight Zone, and the Thriller episode, "A Third for Pinochle"), but he's
best known as Nazorine, the baker who pleads for help from The Godfather.

JS: That's right! He wanted Enzo the baker to stay so he could marry his
daughter. Wait, aren't we talking about Batman?

PE: So, Penguin wants to go to jail, he's in court and Batman's got a bout of
amnesia and can't remember exactly why Penguin wants to go back to prison.
Penguin argues why he shouldn't be going to jail, the judge listens and
releases him, and The Penguin's upset he's not going to the pen. I give up
trying to understand these things.

JS: Ted Cassidy is our latest drop in window guest star, and it was quite
nice that his appearance as Lurch was telegraphed by the sound of the Addam's
Family theme playing on the harpsichord as the dynamic duo scaled the wall.

PE: I hope Alan Napier was being paid a bit extra for these episodes where he
was playing more than one "role." Batman thinks he may have "made a mistake
sending Alfred to that devil's lair." Really? How long before one of these
super-villains puts two and two together and comes up with Bruce Wayne aka
Batman? These villains aren't as dumb as the elected officials, you know.
Hang on. Let me amend that after watching the scene where Bruce and Dick head
for their den and come back as the Dynamic Duo right under the Penguin's long
nose. And he suspects nothing.

JS: After Egghead had it all figured out, and then dropped it, I knew then
that their secret was safe forever.


PE Rating: 2.0 batsignals
JS Rating: 2.5 batsignals

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to see the president fail and to call every administration misstep a fiasco
risk letting their partisanship blind them to the demands not only of civic
responsibility but of basic decency.

[anim8rfsk]

This is probably the episode Adam was asking about last night.

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