Molls who were redeemed vs. those who weren't.

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Todd Smitts
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Molls who were redeemed vs. those who weren't.

Post by Todd Smitts »

(Just realized it's been six months shy of a decade since I posted something here).

Even as a kid in the early 90's, before I started showing interest in girls my own age, I was rather captivated by "molls" alongside the villain of the week, and was always bummed to see them sent to jail with the villain. It was a bit cathartic, however, one of them seemed to see the error of their ways and switch sides. Looking back, I can recall four major examples of this:

Blaze (False-Face) in "True or False Face" and "Holy Rat Race"
Finella (Penguin) in "Fine Finny Fiends" and "Batman Makes the Scenes"
Susie (Joker) in "Joker Goes to School" and "He Meets His Match, the Grizzly Ghoul"
Venus (Joker) in "The Zodiac Crimes", "The Joker's Hard Times", and "The Penguin Declines".

Finella was a bit odd on rewatch, since she seem to have no problem with the Penguin murdering Batman and Robin by suffocating them, but burst into tears after stealing some money. But whatever.

Actually, there was one thing I noticed, even as a kid. I don't know if this was intentional on the part of the writers, but in at least two of those cases, the villain's subsequent moll would show no remorse and would seem to be a hardened criminal:

After Venus, Joker returned with Josie, who was clearly more enthusiastic about his crimes and was later said to have a long rap sheep herself.

After Finella, Penguin's next appearance was the 2-parter where he ran for mayor and I don't believe he had a moll in that one (though I could be wrong, since it's been a while), but after that was Chickadee in "The Penguin's Nest" and "The Bird's Last Jest", who had the nerve to hold Aunt Harriet at gunpoint, only for a timely distraction by Alfred to allow Harriet to knock her out with a vase to the head (making her, I believe, the only girl to get hit in one of the fights).

I believe there were a couple of other molls who may have escapes arrest entirely, by fleeing during the final fight, or simply not being there at the time.

I distinctly remember one moll announcing her intention to run away, but I can't remember whom. Beyond that, I think Cornelia fled before the Joker was caught in "The Joker's Provokers", and I seem to recall Octavia being AWOL when the Minstrel was caught.

Thoughts?
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epaddon
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Re: Molls who were redeemed vs. those who weren't.

Post by epaddon »

There is a higher percentage of "redeemed" molls in Season 1 because they frequently used the moll's redemption as the basis for the final tag scene of an episode. And inevitably, these tag scenes would end with the same music cue, a soulful sounding one that you can hear for the episode with Blaze and Finella. This kind of structured ending was discarded entirely in Season 2 (and I don't think we ever heard that music cue again).
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BATWINGED HORNET
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Re: Molls who were redeemed vs. those who weren't.

Post by BATWINGED HORNET »

epaddon wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 12:18 am There is a higher percentage of "redeemed" molls in Season 1 because they frequently used the moll's redemption as the basis for the final tag scene of an episode. And inevitably, these tag scenes would end with the same music cue, a soulful sounding one that you can hear for the episode with Blaze and Finella. This kind of structured ending was discarded entirely in Season 2 (and I don't think we ever heard that music cue again).
I believe that music cue was used in the last scene of the final episode (Minerva), where Batman & Robin briefly discuss Batgirl disappearing again. That cue's use in a third season episode was just a reminder of far the show had fallen by that point. There was barely a resemblance between that episode and even the tail end of S1.
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High C
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Re: Molls who were redeemed vs. those who weren't.

Post by High C »

BATWINGED HORNET wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:54 am
epaddon wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 12:18 am There is a higher percentage of "redeemed" molls in Season 1 because they frequently used the moll's redemption as the basis for the final tag scene of an episode. And inevitably, these tag scenes would end with the same music cue, a soulful sounding one that you can hear for the episode with Blaze and Finella. This kind of structured ending was discarded entirely in Season 2 (and I don't think we ever heard that music cue again).
I believe that music cue was used in the last scene of the final episode (Minerva), where Batman & Robin briefly discuss Batgirl disappearing again. That cue's use in a third season episode was just a reminder of far the show had fallen by that point. There was barely a resemblance between that episode and even the tail end of S1.
Good call. It was. I had not remembered that. So it ended both Seasons 1 and 3.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'

My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.

'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
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