Most Dramatic Moment

[High C]

This will sound obvious coming from me, but I always felt the most dramatic moment was Robin threatening to let The Siren fall from the ledge. Not because I really thought he would do it, but because it was a human reaction on his part, as opposed to the silliness we saw so often, even in supposed life or death situations.

Siren had mind controlled and nearly offed Robin's mentor, and he wasn't too pleased about that, to put it mildly. That's something we all can relate to. I know the brief glimpse of near-vigilantism was at odds with the usual tenor of the show, but I found it interesting. It was a nice change of pace to have one of the Duo react to a situation as a real person, rather than a cardboard caricature.

I also should point out that Burt Ward handled the scene quite well, both in showing anger and hinting at how much more lurked beneath the surface.

[Gorshin Romero]

How about when Catwoman is under arrest after Bruce Wayne failed to be a good parole officer? She turns to him and says: "I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne. I'd like to be your friend, but my heart belongs to Batman."

[JMS415]

The scene that always got me was when Molly slips and falls into the reactor, it seemed to shake Batman up. The dialogue between Bruce and Dick afterwards especially helped out with showing the pain.

Bruce Wayne: I have only one regret in the whole affair. One thing that makes me heartsick.

[as Bruce stares towards the window, a superimposed image of Molly appears shaped like a star]

Dick Grayson: Molly? You kind of liked her, didn't you?

Bruce Wayne: [turns around] If only I could have helped her somehow. Weened her from that tragic alliance with the underworld which led to...

Aunt Harriet: [Aunt Harriet comes in carrying a tray filled with milk, tea and cookies] Oh dear me, Bruce, I hope you're not speaking of any young lady we know. I mean the thought of young Dick being exposed to any criminal element is...

Bruce Wayne: Rest at ease, Aunt Harriet, the young lady won't trouble us. She's merely someone I passed like a ship in the night. Now vanished like a puff of smoke.

I pulled that from IMDB

[BATWINGED HORNET]

This will sound obvious coming from me, but I always felt the most dramatic moment was Robin threatening to let The Siren fall from the ledge. Not because I really thought he would do it, but because it was a human reaction on his part, as opposed to the silliness we saw so often, even in supposed life or death situations.

Siren had mind controlled and nearly offed Robin's mentor, and he wasn't too pleased about that, to put it mildly. That's something we all can relate to. I know the brief glimpse of near-vigilantism was at odds with the usual tenor of the show, but I found it interesting. It was a nice change of pace to have one of the Duo react to a situation as a real person, rather than a cardboard caricature.

I also should point out that Burt Ward handled the scene quite well, both in showing anger and hinting at how much more lurked beneath the surface.

Strong choice; that is one of the best moments of that season, and Robin comes off as a guy no one can underestimate, hence The Siren's genuine fear that he would allow her to fall.

Other dramatic moments:

The conclusion of "Instant Freeze" where the villain is toying with Batman--essentially saying it was not yet time to finish Batman off, only to freeze the relentless duo in place with that eerie glow. Mr. Freeze being so confident (not the usual matching wits seen with other villains) added as sense of doom.

A few years ago, there was a thread about best epilogues, and I thought my original choices fit the drama side, too:

1. Zelda's meeting with Bruce Wayne in "A Death Worse Than Fate." She was sympathetic, and one could see she truly considered her criminal life as something to regret. From Baxter's sad delivery, to West's great pause facing the camera--and in the moment, honoring Zelda's request to give the flower to Batman--by pining it to his lapel. Add the score* and that was a great, dramatic epilogue.

2. Another early 1st season story, "He Meets His Match, the Grisly Ghoul" concludes with more romance-lacing the scene--with the reformed Suzie showing regret for being such a little monster, but giving Dick a surprise kiss, when romance was not suggested as being a part of their relationship (at least from her POV). Perhaps the moment implied Suzie would have explored an interest in Dick--if she avoided the Joker business. Still, it shows the Boy Wonder's other half being sensitive, and not writing Suzie off as just another person deserving of a boot through the gates of Gotham State Prison (like just about every other criminal in town).

3. We are back to the jailhouse departures--again with Wayne--this time, Catwoman is the subject in the epilogue of "Batman Displays His Knowledge" as she effectively kills Bruce's notion of any sort of relationship with Catwoman as the real man, instead of the costumed man she desired. In hindsight, since this turned out to be Newmar's final series appearance as Catwoman, the dialogue served as a somewhat tender closing to her version of the character, not to mention the most "serious" romantic interest Wayne and/or Batman ever enjoyed over the span of all three seasons.


*The score for that scene is all the convincing anyone should need to produce a full series score.

[cammy85]

Ah yes, you can't help but feel sorry for Bruce and Batman in that final Julie Newmar Catwoman appearance. In that episode, Batman's switching the cats eye opals pushed Catwoman over the edge and while she did seduce Batman once again, she was wearing poisoned lipstick intent on killing him as well as preparing to fight him with karate. That epilogue just adds to all that. She feels regret and sadness for not reaching Batman and realizing that will never work again.

[High C]

This will sound obvious coming from me, but I always felt the most dramatic moment was Robin threatening to let The Siren fall from the ledge. Not because I really thought he would do it, but because it was a human reaction on his part, as opposed to the silliness we saw so often, even in supposed life or death situations.

Siren had mind controlled and nearly offed Robin's mentor, and he wasn't too pleased about that, to put it mildly. That's something we all can relate to. I know the brief glimpse of near-vigilantism was at odds with the usual tenor of the show, but I found it interesting. It was a nice change of pace to have one of the Duo react to a situation as a real person, rather than a cardboard caricature.

I also should point out that Burt Ward handled the scene quite well, both in showing anger and hinting at how much more lurked beneath the surface.

Strong choice; that is one of the best moments of that season, and Robin comes off as a guy no one can underestimate, hence The Siren's genuine fear that he would allow her to fall.

Thanks. I should add that's another good thing--it's a standout moment for a character that was marginalized that season. Yet despite that, Ward still gave it his all, and he deserves credit for that.

3. We are back to the jailhouse departures--again with Wayne--this time, Catwoman is the subject in the epilogue of "Batman Displays His Knowledge" as she effectively kills Bruce's notion of any sort of relationship with Catwoman as the real man, instead of the costumed man she desired. In hindsight, since this turned out to be Newmar's final series appearance as Catwoman, the dialogue served as a somewhat tender closing to her version of the character, not to mention the most "serious" romantic interest Wayne and/or Batman ever enjoyed over the span of all three seasons.

For someone who is on record as having hated the lovesick schoolgirl Catwoman, I think the way that scene was written by Ross and played by Newmar hints at what might have been--a more realistic yearning on CW's part for something that couldn't help but be unfulfilled. It was a more grownup take than some of the silliness.

[Pengy]

I think the rare time there was a death on the show was the most dramatic. Namely Molly's death.

[Progress Pigment]

I agree Pengy. That moment among others made the pilot the greatest Batman episode. The two mobsters machine-gunning one another in 'Zelda the Great', and the fellow frozen by Mr. Freeze and crashing to the ground are the only other deaths, I believe. The fake Commissioner Gordon assassination in "Bookworm" was less dramatic. It just didn't seen realistic.

[Dr. Shimel]

The fake Commissioner Gordon assassination in "Bookworm" was less dramatic. It just didn't seen realistic.

Especially since the recap shows "Gordon" lifting himself up so that he could fall from the bridge.

[Yellow Oval]

The scene that always got me was when Molly slips and falls into the reactor, it seemed to shake Batman up. The dialogue between Bruce and Dick afterwards especially helped out with showing the pain.

Bruce Wayne: I have only one regret in the whole affair. One thing that makes me heartsick.

[as Bruce stares towards the window, a superimposed image of Molly appears shaped like a star]

Dick Grayson: Molly? You kind of liked her, didn't you?

Bruce Wayne: [turns around] If only I could have helped her somehow. Weened her from that tragic alliance with the underworld which led to...

Aunt Harriet: [Aunt Harriet comes in carrying a tray filled with milk, tea and cookies] Oh dear me, Bruce, I hope you're not speaking of any young lady we know. I mean the thought of young Dick being exposed to any criminal element is...

Bruce Wayne: Rest at ease, Aunt Harriet, the young lady won't trouble us. She's merely someone I passed like a ship in the night. Now vanished like a puff of smoke.

I pulled that from IMDB

I would go with that image of Molly that appears as the one, powerful, brief moment in the series that really displayed a sentimental compassion. It makes the viewer really wish she had survived. It's too bad it was only in the very first episode that we saw this, although to be fair, they tended to show this same compassion with survivors Blaze, Susie the Cheerleader, and even Zelda the Great, at the end of the episodes. It was a trait they should have continued - that Batman and Robin never took it personally towards their adversaries.

The other powerful moment, but not for warm reasons, was Catwoman's screams when she fell into the cavernous depths at the end of her first episode. The whole look of the cave, the pit she tries to jump, her desperation and Batman's in trying to save her... When she falls and the screams echo away it truly is a horrifying sequence - even to this day! I find this gave the show more depth when it didn't always have a happy ending. It, like with Molly's ending (or the others mentioned), gave the viewer something to think about.

[High C]

The other powerful moment, but not for warm reasons, was Catwoman's screams when she fell into the cavernous depths at the end of her first episode. The whole look of the cave, the pit she tries to jump, her desperation and Batman's in trying to save her... When she falls and the screams echo away it truly is a horrifying sequence - even to this day! I find this gave the show more depth when it didn't always have a happy ending. It, like with Molly's ending (or the others mentioned), gave the viewer something to think about.

I agree that one had resonance and carried some weight because at that time, we had no idea the character would return. We really thought Catwoman was dead. Like a lot of tricks pulled once too often on the show, it didn't have the same impact when she fell into the water in season 2. We knew at that point she'd be back.

[JMS415]

The other powerful moment, but not for warm reasons, was Catwoman's screams when she fell into the cavernous depths at the end of her first episode. The whole look of the cave, the pit she tries to jump, her desperation and Batman's in trying to save her... When she falls and the screams echo away it truly is a horrifying sequence - even to this day! I find this gave the show more depth when it didn't always have a happy ending. It, like with Molly's ending (or the others mentioned), gave the viewer something to think about.

I agree that one had resonance and carried some weight because at that time, we had no idea the character would return. We really thought Catwoman was dead. Like a lot of tricks pulled once too often on the show, it didn't have the same impact when she fell into the water in season 2. We knew at that point she'd be back.

I just watched that episode, I forgot how choked up Batman got after she fell. My question is did she slip? Or intentionally jump?

[clavierankh]

She must have s;ipped. She seemed terribly frightened and not at all like someone who would jump.

[Dusty_Lane]

Season one will always be the best because they found the perfect balance of humor, action, adventure, suspense, etc. etc. Many of the cliffhangers were better executed if you'll pardon the expression. They scenarios were far more plausible. By season two the cliffhanger traps started getting sillier and sillier. As for the most dramatic moments in the series...>

The Purrr-fect Crime/Better Luck Next Time: Two scenes come to mind, the tiger cliffhanger at the end of part one, and the finale of Catwoman falling into the bottomless pit. These two episodes are kind of darkly lit and that adds to the mood of the overall atmosphere in this arc. It's by far one of my favorites, and the best Catwoman episode despite not having any sexual chemistry between Batman and Catwoman yet.

Instant Freeze/Rat's Like Cheese: Two moments come to mind. As someone pointed out the cliffhanger was very eerie with Batman and Robin being frozen solid. The music is rather ominous when Bill Dozier's "Has Batman Struck Out?...." narration starts. The entire climax of the second episode is also brilliant. Batman and Robin being treated to a last meal before their inevitable icy deaths. When Freeze is turning off the hot paths leaving only minimal space for the Caped Crusaders it's quite dramatic.

The Joker Goes To School/He Meet's His Match, The Grisly Ghoul and True or False Face/Holy Rat Race: Both of these two episodes have a very nice epilogue at the end of the second episode showing the female criminal accomplice on a path to redemption. It feels strong and completely sincere. The season finale showing Penguin's henchgirl seeing the error of her ways was kind of like this too, but not quite as strong I felt

Green Ice/Deep Freeze: Another Mr. Freeze episode, and even though it's from season two it definitely has some more dramatic moments. From the very opening with the Commissioner's office being frozen was rather frightening to me as a child. Also when the public being to think Batman and Robin are sell outs it's rather heartbreaking. Especially when that young boy says "Boo Batman", and Bruce says "Nothing has ever hurt me more acutely than that little boy's boo."

[Progress Pigment]

Green Ice/Deep Freeze: Another Mr. Freeze episode, and even though it's from season two it definitely has some more dramatic moments. From the very opening with the Commissioner's office being frozen was rather frightening to me as a child. Also when the public being to think Batman and Robin are sell outs it's rather heartbreaking. Especially when that young boy says "Boo Batman", and Bruce says "Nothing has ever hurt me more acutely than that little boy's boo."

I suppose that was meant to be "camp", but it was very effective. They walked a fine line very nicely in season one. And Dee Hartford was a very good anti-moll. Really a very good actress -- she did an interesting turn as an android in 'Lost is Space.' Her frozen in the solid block of ice was a creepy moment! It must have melted a bit if Otto could fit in there.