Batman: The Animated Series – Episode #021 – Feat of Clay: Part 2

Episode #021 – Feat of Clay: Part 2
Original Airdate – September 9th, 1992

Clayface learns that Daggett is going to appear on TV to hype his new product, the same chemical that was his downfall, as a skin conditioner. Clayface takes the disguise of a woman and joins the audience of Summer Gleeson’s show. Batman is there, however, and a free-for-all in the Galaxy Broadcasting Building results.

Media by Borg4of3
Review by Robin III

Credits
Story Marv Wolfman & Michael Reaves
Teleplay Michael Reaves
Directed by Kevin Altieri
Music by Shirley Walker
Animation Services by Tokyo Movie Shinsha Co., LTD.

Voices
Kevin Conroy as Batman / Bruce Wayne
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred Pennyworth
Ed Asner as Roland Daggett
Ed Begley Jr. as Germs
Mari Devon as Summer Gleeson
Dick Gautier as Teddy
Ron Perlman as Matt Hagen / Clayface
Brock Peters as Lucius Fox

Screen Grabs:

Pans
    
  

Quotes

GERMS: [Gasps] Let me out of here! All these viruses and bacteria– I could be infected!
BATMAN: I know. Now… The man who impersonated Bruce Wayne– I want his name.
GERMS: I– I– I don’t know who, uh–
BATMAN PICKS UP A BEAKER.
BATMAN: Hmm… Crimson Fever. Lousy way to go.
BATMAN PLACES THE BEAKER ON A SHELF ABOUT GERMS.
BATMAN: The name!
GERMS: Okay, okay it was Hagen– Matt Hagen, the movie actor.
BATMAN PUNCHES THE WALL, CAUSING THE BEAKER TO INCH TOWARDS GERMS.
GERMS: I swear!
BATMAN: Then how did he fool Fox? He’s good, but no actor, no make-up, is that good.
GERMS: I– I don’t know.
BATMAN PUNCHES THE WALL AGAIN; THE BEAKER MOVES CLOSER.
GERMS: Oh, you’re crazy!
BATMAN: Last chance. Talk!
GERMS: All right! He had something, something nobody else had. He could–
CLAYFACE (as officer): Nice going, Batman, but I’ll take it from here.
BATMAN HITS THE WALL ONE LAST TIME. THE BEAKER FALLS AND BATMAN CATCHES IT RIGHT OVER GERMS’ HEAD. THE LABEL ON THE BEAKER READS “SEAWATER FOR ANALYSIS”.
—
WOMAN: I’d like to ask Mr. Daggett about the rumors I’ve heard. I hear he’s selling Renuyu through direct marketing because stores won’t carry it due to it’s harmful side effects.
DAGGETT: Well, that’s, uh, absolutely untrue.
WOMAN: What about the addictive properties of Renuyu, Mr. Daggett? Once you’re hooked, you can’t stop using it without horrible pain.
DAGGETT: No! I mean… That’s just not so!
WOMAN: Why don’t you show them what an overdose can do, Daggett? Why don’t you tell them about me?!
THE WOMAN TRANSFORMS INTO CLAYFACE.
—
BATMAN: I wouldn’t be surprised if the body they took to the morgue was only a shell. Don’t forget– First and foremost, Hagen was an actor. He said it himself, Alfred. He called it a scene. Maybe the greatest scene of his career.
TEDDY: See ya ’round, Matt.
BATMAN: A death scene so real it fooled us all.
CLAYFACE (as woman): Ha ha ha!

Review:

This episode has to be one of the classic Animated Series episodes. It if often underrated and forgotten. It combines Batman’s fighting, detective, fear and knowledge skills and puts them all together to make an outstanding piece of work.

This episode also features Batman’s second best interrogation scene, with Germs in the hospital. Batman uses a vial of crimson fever to scare the info out of Germs, but while the virus-fearing Germs is scarred out of his mind, the viewer discovers that the vial contains mere seawater.

Also, Batman uses his ‘powers’ as a psychiatrist to defeat Clayface in an excellent scene during the finale of the episode. This is then followed up with what I call a “traditional Batman ending” where the story is over, but the viewer knows there is going to be more. This time, Batman deduces that Clayface must still be alive, and he is shown to be in the body of a young woman.