Review: BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER 1×06 – “Night Ride”
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Directed by: Christopher Berkeley
Written by: Marc Bernardin
Starring: Hamish Linklater, Diedrich Bader, Bumper Robinson, Jason Watkins, Cedric Yarbrough, Toby Stephens, Gaille Heideman, Jason Marsden, Kari Wahlgren
Reviewed by: Joshua Raynor
Summary
Batman: Caped Crusader 1×06 – After a series of robberies in Gotham, Batman wrestles with the possibility that the culprit might be from beyond the grave. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent’s morality is tested; a generous campaign donation comes in from a most nefarious source.
Positives
This episode gave us another horroresque story with the introduction of Gentleman Ghost. This is a character who’s been around almost since the beginning of DC, making his first appearance in an issue of Flash Comics back in 1947. But he wasn’t the only character brought in for this episode, as we also get an appearance from Papa Midnite. I was truly shocked when Midnite showed up, but was extremely happy to see him. Something I found interesting, though, was that Midnite’s outfit at the end was very close to the comic book outfit of Gentleman Ghost. I assume this was done on purpose, as it was hinted that these two characters have a history with one another, which is something I would love to see them explore more.
Throughout Batman’s attempts to take down the Gentleman Ghost, we learn that Alfred Pennyworth is actually a descendant of noble blood. This allows him to be used in a ritual to vanquish the Ghost, and Alfred is more than willing to put his life on the line. This is one of the reasons Alfred is such a fantastic character — he’s always got Bruce’s back and is willing to sacrifice himself to save him.
The other side of this episode saw Harvey Dent and his push toward becoming the new mayor of Gotham City. However, things aren’t going quite as he planned, and it looks like he’s going to have to get involved with notorious crime boss Rupert Thorne if he wants a shot at winning this race.
Negatives
While I really enjoyed this episode, it felt like something was missing. Perhaps I just needed more of the Gentleman Ghost story instead of the Harvey Dent stuff, but I understand why it’s in there, as it’s building toward his inevitable downfall and subsequent rise as Two-Face.
Verdict
Overall, this was another solid episode, bringing some fantastic characters into this world. I truly hope we get to see more of Papa Midnite, and I am looking forward to seeing how Harvey Dent’s choices lead him toward the path of villainy.
Score: 4.5/5
