| "Joker's Favor" | |||
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| Batman: The Animated Series episode | |||
| Episodeno. | Season 1 Episode 22 | ||
| Directed by | Boyd Kirkland | ||
| Written by | Paul Dini | ||
| Based on | Batman byBob Kane (credited) andBill Finger (uncredited) | ||
| Featured music | Michael McCuistion | ||
| Original air date | September 11, 1992 (1992-09-11) | ||
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"Joker's Favor" is the 22nd episode ofBatman: The Animated Series. It was directed byBoyd Kirkland and written byPaul Dini, and first aired on September 11, 1992.[1] The episode features the first appearance ofthe Joker's sidekick and love interestHarley Quinn, who was later introduced into theBatman comic book and eventually become a popular character in her own right.[2]Batman himself only appears briefly in the episode.[3]
Charlie Collins, a mild-manneredGotham City accountant, is coming home from a bad day at work when he curses at a bad driver who turns out to be the Joker. He tries to escape, but the Joker follows him, and he is forced into the woods, where his car stops. He gets out, thinking he has escaped, but the Joker suddenly appears. Pleading for his life, he promises the Joker he will do anything if only he lets him go. Joker agrees to let him go and makes Charlie promise to do him a favor in return, taking hisdriver's license.
Two years later, Charlie has moved toSpringdale, Ohio, and changed his name, but the Joker tracks him down to obtain the favor: helping him and Harley attack a testimonial dinner forCommissioner Gordon. He agrees, but sets up a makeshiftBat-Signal before the testimonial starts. The Joker and Harley arrive, the former hidden in a cake, and deploynerve gas to immobilize the police. They then place a bomb on Gordon's chest, then bid farewell to Charlie, whose hand is glued to the door handle.Batman arrives in time to get rid of the bomb, which destroys the Joker's getaway van. A small fight ensues between Batman, Joker's goons, and Harley before he faces off with the Joker, who tries setting off another bomb. Batman is able to throw the bomb underground before it detonates.
Joker escapes in the commotion, but Charlie confronts him in an alleyway, punching him in the stomach and threatening to kill them both with a Joker bomb that he stole. Batman arrives and tells Charlie to stop, but he declares that Joker will simply escape if he is jailed again. He tells the Joker that if he, Charlie kills him, the newspapers will say the Joker died at the hands of a nobody. Terrified, the Joker gives up all the information that he has on Charlie to stop him. Charlie throws the bomb at the Joker, but it turns out to be a harmless firework. Amused by Charlie's prank, Batman takes the Joker into custody, leaving Charlie to happily return to his family.
The episode has received good reviews from critics, even long after its initial airing. In 2012, Steven Padnick ofTor.com praises Mark Hamill's acting and cites Ed Begley Jr.’s "second great guest performance in a row" as Charlie.[1] Oliver Sava ofThe A.V. Club called it "the series’ first great Joker episode" and gave it a grade of A−.[4]
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