Baby Doll - Bat-May

[@jinpei05]

Like the most memorable villains in his rogues' gallery, Baby Doll reflects a facet of Batman's personality twisted to extremes. Where Bruce was robbed of his childhood, Mary Dahl was trapped in hers like a purgatory. But while Batman fights to prevent anyone else from suffering his fate, Baby Doll is obsessed with re-creating her past happiness and doesn't care who she hurts to preserve it.

[@doktordanomite9105]

The sad thing is, they are both just coping by playing dress up.

[@therealmckoy6772]

What other characters are like this?

[@Dhampir101980]

Couldn’t have said it better myself! That’s why I think it would have been more powerful if this had been Mary’s only appearance. Leaving her fate open ended could raise so many questions, like, did she end up in Arkham? If so, did that make her psychosis worse? Did Batman try to help her rehabilitate herself through his resources as Bruce? Did she ever find some semblance of a normal life after Batman stopped her? Her appearance in the new adventures episode “ Love’s a Croc” totally ruins her character by reducing her to the baby doll persona only. Her real self, Mary, was forgotten about, which made her less sympathetic here. I can understand why Croc wanted to kill her, even before the climax of the episode. Sometimes remaining a one off character is more effective in the long run.

[@doktordanomite9105]

@@therealmckoy6772 arguably the joker, the diffrence is out of all the people in mask hes the only one who seems too smell the latex.

[@Reagan1984]

@@therealmckoy6772 Most of Batman's best rogues are dark reflections on him

[@tvccreator_elysius]

The line "Why couldn't you just let me make believe?!" hurts so much. Mary Dahl was such a great villain.

[@bowmaj8666]

"*Sniff* I didn't mean to!" Get's me every time!

[@CatKun1234]

She’s almost of a tragic character then Mr. freeze …… Batman the animated series did a good job and I honestly feel sorry for her

[@CatKun1234]

@nemo pouncey what do you mean by that ? …….. the 34 thing anyway

[@CatKun1234]

@nemo pouncey I don’t know why but you saying that kind of remind me of when Aunt Sissy dared me to put hot sauce on cake …….. and I did

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

@@CatKun1234 rule 34 is "there is a sexy variant of everything on the internet. Yes even that"...

[@greendemon905]

Nice detail: The version of Baby Doll in the mirror isn't just a distortion effect. She's wearing different clothing, and has a different haircut. What we saw was how Baby Doll wanted to be seen, not how she saw herself.

[@Rhomega]

Also note the mirror doesn't change how her doll looks.

[@goteamslugs]

Perhaps . .

[@goteamslugs]

@@Rhomega Hmm . .

[@maryamzanana2630]

I noticed that too.

[@atavious2491]

The mirror scene by the end of the episode was later reused for Beast Boy at the series finale of Teen Titans

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

Wanna know something really messed up? I learned in a book based on the Mad Love story, Baby Doll could've been treated for her condition with hormone therapy, but her parents and agent kept the truth about it from her until it was too late all so they could keep profiting from her as long as possible. Kind of wish the series tackled that. Like as a follow up to this episode where Baby learns the truth and is now hunting down her parents and former agent for revenge.

[@disneyvillainsfan1666]

Wow that's horrifying.

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

@@disneyvillainsfan1666 Sadly a lot of child stars suffer that kind of fate.

[@thedarkestnightmare616]

Really? What book is this, and where does it mention Baby Doll's condition?

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

@@thedarkestnightmare616 DC Comic Novels Mad Love. Was also written by Paul Dini. I don't remember the page but it's during the period when Harley is still working at Arkham as opposed to being locked in it.

[@hissignaturestudios6869]

That would have been great.

[@Cloperella]

Something that I think gets overlooked a lot is the fact that Bruce Timm (and probably other staff) initially worked on Tiny Toons before Batman, and that is extremely apparent with Baby Doll's design-- she looks like she could be Elmyra's cousin or something. Just kind of impressive how they could give a character such a cartoony design and still make her so compelling.

[@magomandrake171]

Yeah. This episode always catched my eye for Baby Doll and the cousin character designs. They reminded me a lot of the more cartoony shows of WB at the time like Tiny Toons and Animaniacs.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

Then he just kind of forgot everything he knew when he redesigned all the characters for the "New" Adventures.

[@JP-1990]

And then WB sort of brings it back with the Darla Dimple character in "Cat's Fon't Dance"!

[@ShadowSkyX]

She's a literal loony toon. Loony as in crazy

[@jessedellross3245]

That ending……just damn. So heartbreaking. “I didn’t mean too”.

[@disneyvillainsfan1666]

The way Baby Doll said that usually cheerful line in her adult voice will never fail to bring a tear to my eye.

[@thenickhelms84]

@@disneyvillainsfan1666 I love the way Batman showed compassion towards her. The way he gently and calmly took the spent doll-pistol from her hands and mercifully placed a comforting hand upon her head as she tearfully clutched at his leg as she broke down.

[@philliptivis3082]

It's a masterful scene. It's the emotional antithesis of Catwoman's "Almost got 'em" from the episode of the same name. There you couldn't help but smile. Here you couldn't help but get an allergic reaction or something was in your eye. Yeah, that's what it was.

[@DasKame]

Needs more Urkel "Did iii do that?!"

[@UltimateGamerCC]

@@DasKame "YES!!!"

[@grimmthereapermoore2386]

I like how Batman treats this case, he understands Baby-Doll needs help and doesn’t just throw her in cuffs and send her off to arkham, he goes so far as to console her even.

[@mrcritical6751]

Hell he helps her enough that she’s put her life together and is working a 9 to 5 job in TNBA

[@fynnthefox9078]

Yeah, not every criminal he comes across needs to get their ass handed to them. Sometimes, the criminal is more tragic and in some cases, Batman understands them too well. Like Freeze for example, he knows what losing a loved one can do to someone.

[@oriontherealironman]

Reminds me of Ace and her story. Pretty much everyone was on board killing her but Batman treated her with respect and empathy. And stayed by her side until she died from the experiments Cadmus put her through.

[@Team_BaM]

@@oriontherealironman That story was so well told that it even made me like Amanda Waller as a character. Previously I viewed her as just a corrupt government official but after I began seeing her as someone who wanted to do what was best for her country but had sadly steeped herself too deeply in the dark so others wouldn't have to.

[@lainiwakura1776]

@nemo pouncey You don't need to tell everyone about this. Not everyone wants to have to use eye bleach.

[@dogzilla0578]

You know what I always thought made the last scene EVEN MORE powerful? Batman's gentle way he takes doll from her and comforting hand on BD. They could have easily had him just stand there looking menacing, similarly with Penguin at the end of Birds of a Feather. But no, they went out of their way to make Batman show sympathy, realize she's not as deranged as other villians, and have him pretty much say, "it's okay....I understand....."

[@revaslatts4301]

Makes sense because when you see why Baby Doll acts the way she does, you can't help but feel sorry for her.

[@anarky1765]

Some of the saddest lines in this series: “My fault…I didn’t get the joke…” “I can only beg your forgiveness, and pray you hear me somehow, someplace, where a warm hand waits for mine.” “Goodbye, Grace.” “Would not, could not…would not, could not…oh, could not join the dance.” “Hagen’s gone! Make him stop haunting me!” “Why couldn’t you just let me make-believe!?”

[@AnimatedTerror]

Man this episode. This is one of the best episodes for showcasing Batman as a character. Every time I see that ending I get chills man. So we’ll done.

[@masonr1666]

Totally agree with you, it started down the road to the ending with Ace.

[@AnimatedTerror]

@@masonr1666 I didn’t even consider the parallels between baby doll and ace. That’s actually really smart.

[@fictiontheorizer1991]

I love how even Batman can't help but treat her as a child. Refusing to hit her and treating her with kid gloves. It's a great hero and villain dynamic. I wish Love Is A Croc had pursued that route instead of what they wound up doing.

[@alexsilva28]

Ending was shocking for me as I don't recall seeing it on TV as a kid and when I got the DVD years later I was like "Fuuuuuuu-"

[@xxTC-96xx]

I always loved episodes like this that showed what really made this version of Batman the best one (to me at least) his humanity, the ability to show empathy for his villains. The other moment I'll always remember was from the Justice league cartoon with Ace's death

[@LucasTigy2]

your mention of the justice league also reminds me of the scene where the flash has a chat with the trickster at a bar. i believe the flash mainly needed information to catch another villain, but he talked to them as a friend. asking how they were doing and making sure they were doing well with their rehabilitation. the DC animated universe is overall still the best universe

[@munch631]

@@LucasTigy2 Thats one of the best parts of Flash and the Rogues. They may be enemies, but they also arent at the same time. Its a dynamic that very few heroes and their rogues work with, and that unique interaction enhances both Flash and the Rogues immensely. Batman definitely gets a similar approach with his rogues, but in a different way. Instead of that 'frenemy' approach like with Flash, his villains have become more sympathetic and you can see him wanting to help them overcome their troubles.

[@CinematicInsanity]

Yoooo! Your Mew and Mewtwo’s creator! Love your work!

[@TheFrugalVideoGamer]

@@LucasTigy2 With bonus points for the Trickster resembling, and being voiced by, Mark Hamill, who had played the role in a previous (and future) live-action adaptation of The Trickster.

[@bonbondurjdr6553]

Yeah, people focus too much in Batman's madness nowadays. Because it's "more adult". But frankly, the animated series Batman is the best Batman.

[@SeasideDetective2]

One of my favorite scenes in this episode comes toward the end, when all the children flock to Batman at the amusement park. There's something very touching to me about the idea that adults are afraid of Batman but children are not. That must be because children are kind and see Batman's goodness, while adults are too prejudiced to see anything but a scary image.

[@sarahsims6164]

Another fine example of showing children smarter than their parents.

[@troywright359]

It shows how perfect and innocent children are, and hoe stupid and afraid adults are. Man, adults suck! I think we should all stay like kids forever!

[@lisettegarcia7013]

I love that scene too. It's actually a great idea that Batman brought up in order to find Mary Dahl in the crowd of children. The kids, teenagers, and some adults who aren't on the rides at the amusement park get excited when they see Batman on the stand that they let everyone know that everyone's favorite superhero is at the amusement park. I also like the scene where Robin got a chuckle at the part where Mary was getting pushed into the cake by Cousin Spunky then he stopped and tried to act serious, before Batman told him that Mary had the biggest grudge towards Spunky after the birthday episode.

[@potsdam28]

One comic said it best “Batman scares the guilty not the innocent”

[@TheImaginator972]

I always feel sympathy for the villains like Baby Doll and Mr. Freeze from Batman Animated Series.

[@Team_BaM]

That's the best kind of villain. Someone you know is wrong and needs to be stopped but who you can see the humanity of.

[@balrighty3523]

Also Harley and the Penguin, from their respective attempted rehabilitation episodes.

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

Same

[@00ammy00]

Felt sorry for most of the villains in this show tbh, aside from Joker. Clayface and Two Face were two others I really felt bad for.

[@madzid1997]

@@00ammy00 batman animated series was written very well that last forever

[@Jaderabbit3485]

I absolutely love the first time you hear her real voice, it's the first time her sitcom dad calls out her act and fantasy that it was all smiles offset. Because it's a cartoon, it feels like the first time you realize that the character isn't a real perpetual child but rather an adult woman in a child's body and it's chilling.

[@bowmaj8666]

Dude, Robin grabbed a stick of dynamite and threw it away saving the lives of everyone at that table, AND HE DID IT WITH HIS TEETH! And STILL people see him as "Batman's stupid sidekick?" The kid is badass!

[@andrewdonnelly7201]

At first i thought it was actually batman in disguise

[@lisettegarcia7013]

Actually, I love Robin. I get mad when people make fun of him and see him as Batman's silly sidekick. I like all the different kind of Robins: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, and Carrie Kelly. I also like all three of the Batgirls: Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown, and Cassandra Cain. I love all the members of the Bat Family, I even count Catwoman, Alfred, Terry, Ace, and Zatanna as members. This is the reason why Batman is the best DC superhero: everything about his story, sidekicks, villains, items are cool!

[@pendragonxt3674]

@@lisettegarcia7013Yes Indeed! Each Robin had his or her own personality! Dick Grayson:The original. Jason Todd:The bad boy. Timothy Drake:The brains Damian Wayne:The new kid. Stephanie Brown:The spunky tomboy.

[@theguyinthere]

that last line where baby doll says "I didn't mean too" is a real heartbreaker.

[@DonniedrakoE]

Baby doll is such a amazingly tragic character that I’m surprised she want used more often. Really wish we got to see her character more. A woman who’s trapped in her childhood with the man who was both denied and defined by it is an interesting dynamic.

[@matsujonen]

She has been in a few comics and on one of the other Batman cartoons

[@filipvadas7602]

In all fairness ,I think that's what gives this episode its gravity. If Baby Doll appeared in episodes after this one, the gut punch at the end of this episode would mean less in retrospect

[@jp3813]

@@filipvadas7602 I believe she does reappear in later episodes.

[@fictiontheorizer1991]

@@filipvadas7602 Not if they did a good job. Love is a Croc doesn't really qualify though.

[@AngelCam7]

The sad thing is I bet this is what I would imagine how child actors went through after their careers ended way back when. Now voice acting is getting as much prestige as any other form of acting, if not more, in my view. I'd like to imagine Dahl having a career resurgence as a voice actress as some kind of happy epilogue for her.

[@MeepChangeling]

After kidnapping, attempted murder, and criminal conspiracy charges? Lol no. She's going to jail for life. As she should. It doesn't matter how you feel. You don't get to break the law and go unpunished. Sadly she cannot be executed, as Gotham is clearly in a no-kill state (otherwise, how the fuck would the Joke still be alive?).

[@JarethTheGoblinKingForever]

@@MeepChangeling Actually, she was rehabilitated at Arkham Asylum, not sent to jail for life. She reappears in The New Batman Adventures, working as a concierge at a motel. A drunk tourist recognizes her as Baby-Doll and harasses her, so she hits him with a book. She does end up going on another crime spree and even tries to cause a suicidal meltdown at a nuclear power station (which would've wiped out the city, so you might be right about jail at that point), but before all that, she was rehabilitated and given another chance at life.

[@jlev1028]

@@MeepChangeling It's not that Gotham is against killing so much as it considers the legally insane exempt from capital punishment. You sound like a Trumpist nut.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

​@@MeepChangeling Alec Baldwin's still free, and he shot someone to death due to his negligence. Victor Salva raped a boy on the set of his movie Clownhouse. While in prison, he wrote the script for Powder, which Disney hired him to direct after he was released. Salva then made the Jeepers Creepers movies. Salva is able to keep making movies thanks to support from Francis Ford Coppola. Oh, and the child actor that Salva raped was blacklisted from the industry for coming forward. John Hinkley, Jr., they guy who tried to assassinate President Regan to impress Jodie Foster, has been released and now has a KZbin channel. Regarding why the Joker hasn't been executed, even in states that have the death penalty, it is rarely carried out and even after getting a death sentence, it won't be carried out for several years. And Joker doesn't get the death penalty because he's ruled insane. That's why he ends up in Arkham rather than the regular prison (Stonegate, IIRC). And if Gotham is in the same state as Metropolis, then they do have the death penalty, as that one guy that figured out who Superman really was got executed.

[@slayer0235]

That would be honestly pretty cool

[@LucianoThePig]

I love when she gets serious in some scenes and her eyes are drawn with thick black outlines

[@cartoonmaster2401]

Kinda trying to show her adult side come out subtly.

[@camerongordon5914]

Almost like her performance makeup is starting to run . . .

[@Sojoboscribe]

@@camerongordon5914 Actually, it DOES start to run when she starts crying. If you look carefully, her tear streaks are black/dark grey.

[@MrBigtank78]

Growing up my grandmother would watch me as my mom and dad worked. BTAS was the show I watched out of school but my grandma wasn’t a big fan of him. Well Baby Doll came on the air and she watched the episode from beginning to end and teared up at the ending and it became her favorite episode of Batman. Even though she’s gone everytime I see this show I still feel her presence with me. This episode was a masterpiece 😭

[@madzid1997]

May her rest in peace my mom cried to but I was too young to understand now I cried after I watched again this animated series man

[@TBoring]

If Baby Doll’s Henchmen are modeled after Gilligan and the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island maybe her bodyguard is a more serious Ginger? Or maybe Wilma from the Flintstones with the “It’s a living,” line?

[@stephonmanny7555]

True

[@Arz2003]

Interesting 🤔

[@BeastWarsFan]

Her hair reminds me of Wilma so I agree. BWF

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Mmm. .. Sexy Secretary Wilma kicking butt and taking names! I like it! ❤

[@JarethTheGoblinKingForever]

I thought she was maybe making fun of shows like Charlie's Angels as well, these kind of kickass pretty lady characters of the 1970s who looked physically attractive but were as physically capable as their male co-characters. I was never sure.

[@jinpei05]

If you thought Heart of Ice was filled with pathos, Baby Doll says hold my beer.

[@disneyvillainsfan1666]

Or hold my Doll Gun.

[@bigtoblerone8446]

Hold my bottle 🍼

[@Tadicuslegion78]

One of the best Batman episodes period. Really if you were to ask me which had the bigger emotional gut punch ending, this or Heart of Ice, I couldn't tell you to be honest.

[@UltimateGamerCC]

or Feat of Clay part 1 to add to that list.

[@experiment0789]

Personally I think the two episodes have two different effects, While I love Heart of Ice and feel sorry for mister freeze, so much that I'm okay with Boil getting half frozen and later not thawed out by batman, but at the end of the day it's not as relatable as Baby Dolls plight. Now I don't know about her specific condition but having both the longing for obtaining something you will never have and the want of someone else's approval, are two very real things I imagine alot of people feel at some point, and as a pediatric brain cancer survivor I can relate to both. One of the effects of my radiation treatments is that I have a stunted spine, so my spine is the exact same size as when I was five, so not to her extent but I can understand where she is coming from. Also I think everybody seeks the approval of someone else at some point, friend, family, girl/boy friend. Incidentally, one of my favorite things from the Harry Potter movies was the mirror of Erised. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZyXc55siLCCbdGcttps://kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZyXc55siLCCbdE

[@AnimeAngel88]

It's sad that we only saw Baby Doll twice, but at the same time, understandable. Her story is great, her design is memorable but she's limited to what you can do with her without turning her into a cliché character that resembles Toy Man from Superman or making her a joke after such a heartbreaking episode.

[@SynthApprentice]

So what you're saying is, she peaked early?

[@fictiontheorizer1991]

You could totally do it if you leaned into the dependency angle. Have her being manipulated by fans or caretakers via her need for attention. It be dark, but it would work, and be more convincing than other characters who started out as either serial killers, comedic goofballs (or worse both).

[@jeffwolcott7815]

@@fictiontheorizer1991 That might just work.

[@velociraptor4you3291]

_”I didn’t mean to.”_ Man, that line gives one MAJOR feels!

[@LowellLucasJr.]

This episode had me in a limbo of emotions as a kid and that's what I truly respected about Batman TAS. It didn't talk down to the audience, and even though I was younger, I understood her plight, and yes, even shed a tear for the tragic character. Never underestimate the writting of Paul Dini, nor this wonderful crew!

[@KasumiKenshirou]

Baby Doll's TV dad was played by Alan Young, who played Wilbur, the owner of the titular talking horse in the sitcom Mr. Ed. (He was also the voice of Scrooge McDuck in Mickey's Christmas Carol and DuckTales, but Mr. Ed was probably why he was hired for this episode.)

[@JustinJack]

This is the one I’ve been waiting for since the beginning. This exemplifies what this show was capable of. Its not a cartoon, it is drama at its highest level and showing what animation is capable of.

[@wstine79]

"I'm not a children. I'm all growed up." Baby Doll is one of my favorite Batman villains.

[@ejay1118]

Is THAT what that's from? (Only saw this episode once.) Svengoulie, the TV horror host likes to use that sound bite.

[@fictiontheorizer1991]

@@ejay1118 Love is a Croc actually. Not nearly as good, but it still has some decent lines here and there.

[@toganium4175]

This episode makes me sad every time I watch it. It’s just so powerful.

[@cdcdrr]

I always wondered about the henchmen on this show and how some of them came to work for a bunch of really weird and deranged bosses. #1: So whose are we the guns for todays? #2: A little girls, calls herself Baby Doll. #1: Dollface, eh? I guess it's better than working for that clown. #2: No, I means an actual baby named Dahl. From the show Baby Doll? Didn't you watch sitcoms as a kid? #1: Wait, I'm confused. We're working for Mary Dahl of the Baby Doll show, whose also a little girl? #2: She's got stunted growth, made her go loony. Now she's playing make-believe. At least she pays well. #1: I'm beginning to miss working for that clown now.

[@kamikazelemming1552]

One of these days, someone has got to make a show about a bunch of goons working for parodies of DC and Marvel supervillains.

[@DasKame]

"Still better as Work for the Joker i guess"

[@KEWLV1C]

Juuuust sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of 2 henchman…

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

@@KEWLV1C lol

[@girperritodubidu]

@@kamikazelemming1552 venture bros has some of that

[@geminihero]

Not gonna lie…this is one of a small handful of episodes of the series that actually made me cry. I mean there’s just something about dividing villains into numerous categories. It’s always been one of my interests to discuss the philosophies and ideals of what is good and evil. Something that someone does that they think is good they actually be bad….. while someone doing something that he think is bad actually turns out to be good. But there’s just something about the philosophy that I find and villains so interesting… and how they make you think outside the box. I mean it’s hard to be sympathetic to someone who steals because they feel like the world owes them one. While comparing them to someone who steals because they feel like they have exhausted every rational way of doing things and are now desperate…. Like stealing food for their family. And let’s not kid ourselves when we believe that we live in a society that forgives and forgets. Let’s say someone commits a crime and go to jail when they were young and stupid now that they’re out of jail and have grown up a bit they are determined to work twice as hard to try to live a decent life. The problem is it’s easier said than done for some individuals. And I’ve heard stories of people who take advantage of people outside of prison by giving them unfair pay for the time they work…. And threatening them with being fired if they complain too much… banking on the fact that they are desperate for work and have nowhere else to go. I mean that’s just evil in my opinion. But like before baby doll is a villain summer to Mr. freeze who we supposed to see as the bad guy but at the same time or so eerily relatable… that we just can’t help but to relate and understand how they may feel. I mean it’s interesting to know that villains followed different categories. Some of them are enemies to the heroes…. And some turn out to be enemies of themselves. I mean if every villain was like the joker I don’t think they would be any sympathy.

[@Lrbearclaw]

This episode made my girlfriend cry when I introduced her to BTAS just a few months ago.

[@MeatSim9]

Definitely one of the most memorable episodes in the series.

[@darkaquaalxehanort9788]

7:55 The mirror scene was phenomenal. It was Tragic, revealing, and emotional. I remember crying while watching Baby doll when I was a kid in the 90s. This is why BTAS is a master piece when it comes to Comics.

[@geardog24]

A good example that not every Batman villain needs to be another Joker. Sometimes they actually do need savings themselves.

[@lisettegarcia7013]

I really like this episode. You really do feel sorry for Baby Doll. "I didn't mean to..."

[@renji90998]

This is why Batman has the best villains. Not because they’re the most dangerous, but because they’re the most broken. He knows to have sympathy for them in moments like these.

[@Vanic00]

This has always been one of my favorites. Baby Doll isn't evil, she's just damaged and alone. In the end, all she genuinely wanted was a friend, a family, and to be accepted for WHO she is, not how she looks. Hits deep in the soul of every child.

[@thefilmwatcher1216]

Man, this is a great episode. Baby Doll is a very interesting villain with a really tragic backstory that's very unique in terms of Batman villains. Alison LaPlaca does an incredible job of voicing the character, and she goes so far into the character's tragedy, sick sense of humor, and insanity.

[@fallingawayfromthenorm]

When I first watched this episode, I just sobbed. I wasn’t prepared for the ending. I still cry when I watch it years later. It’s so powerful of an ending and really makes you feel for Mary.

[@hitmanmonaghan6633]

I didn’t know she was an original character! I’m surprised we didn’t see her in the Arkham games. Her assistant would make a pretty good boss fight.

[@UltimateGamerCC]

nah, she deserves better than that, i'd like to think that she had a short stay in Arkham, but was released having been able to let go of the past that haunted her so.

[@supercloudreed]

@@UltimateGamerCC if i remember right there was a ep later on in witch we see her working at a inn or something like it, and in that ep she was good till a bad guy come and have her join him.

[@UltimateGamerCC]

@@supercloudreed much like Catwoman in the previous Bat-may.

[@hitmanmonaghan6633]

Oh! She teamed up with Killer Crock. But she approached him to go on a crime spree.

[@FlashQuatsch]

@@supercloudreed she breaks Croc out of Arkham and from her pov, they're kindred spirits because they're "different". She develops feelings for Croc, but he naturally doesn't reciprocate, specially since she kept the child act going. And after she finds Croc "cheating" she decides to have Croc and everyone in Gotham killed, including herself. I think it did reflect on her character of wanting to feel loved and like she belongs; wanting to play happy family again, but as a couple with Croc.

[@ChannelAwesome]

Apologies for the slight delay in upload- had it scheduled for tomorrow by mistake. Watch Bat-May 2021 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/emmqnJWMl8aXerc Watch Bat-May 2020 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmfPamd9jsR8oNU Follow Walter on Twitter - twitter.com/Awesome_Walter

[@deshawnedwards6412]

I still don't know why DC haven't consider bringing Baby Doll to main DC Universe. She would've been so great and find addition to Batman Rouge Gallery. If DC knew that she would have become this popular they would have. Also recently, the Red Claw, another villain who come from The Animated Series just debuted in the comics. Give Baby Doll the love and attention that she deserves and officially add her to the main DC Comics. Give her a solo story or something, do something with this not so underrated popular Bat-Rouge.

[@sarahsims6164]

@@deshawnedwards6412 there's an official DC video here on KZbin for "Top 10 Most Ridiculous Villains", and they had the GALL to put Baby Doll on it! 😤

[@pinoyjona]

When I was young, I thought this episode was weird and as I got older, I appreciate the episode more and more and what really stood out was that ending. Gave me the goosebumps and hits me deep emotionally when Baby Doll saw her reflection as the appearance she wanted before breaking down and holding Batman as Batman comfort her. Always enjoy seeing Batman comforting a child, even if Baby Doll isn’t a child but looks like one. And throwing it out there, wish Mariam had more appearances as Baby Doll’s bodyguard as she was pretty fun to physically go up against Batman and Robin.

[@DavidGonzales-rt7qd]

When I was young, I wasn’t too interested in Batman: TAS. I think the tone was too serious for me. But when I saw this episode, I was captivated. I couldn’t fully understand the themes within this episode, but it had my attention. It was so different. That ending still brings a tear to my eyes.

[@54raynor]

No BTAS episode receives a bigger lift from its ending than Baby Doll. Just a spectacular final act.

[@merlyworm]

This is my my top 10 episodes in the whole of the DCAU. That ending, just, man... I really love BTAS, and episodes likes this is why. Top tier writing.

[@shadowpuppet8192]

That shot where she fires at that one image of herself, unloads, and even keeps shooting despite her doll being empty as tears stream down her face. This whole episode is just so powerful. *THIS* was the episode that hit me the hardest.

[@hailmammonmoments7568]

Easily one of the top five episodes of the entire series. So… How. The heck. Did I not notice that her goons were the skipper an Gilligan?🤯😂

[@philliptivis3082]

Watched this episode with my 9 year old daughter about a month or so back. We were both in tears at the end. Such a powerful ending.

[@kidder83]

The build-up and the end genuinely brings me to tears, this is such a beautiful show. Easily one of the top five episodes. If u take out any joker episodes it’s top 3

[@AkuTenshiiZero]

I said before that I love how this show deals with villains who are victims of their own insanity. One of those is Scarface/Ventriloquist, the other is Baby Doll. I love this episode and this character, it's so uncanny and eerie every time her voice shifts between the cartoonish child and a normal woman. Though part of me does wish this was a one-off, that last moment of her just surrendering makes you think that maybe there's hope for her to get the help she needs, but then they went and brought her back later. That said, I do like her episode with Croc, their strange pairing made for an interesting episode.

[@weregryphion]

This always hurt me like hell when I watched it - it captures the pain of my dysmorphia so potently for me. This may have even been my first exposure (of embarrassingly few) to this sense of being trapped in a body that doesn't fit right, and being able to look at it and feel, I don't know... Just... Not alone in that pain.

[@TheCommenterDragon]

Ah Baby Doll, one of Batman's more pitiful and sympathetic villains. i mean the fact that she has a disease that causes her to be a grown woman in a little girls body that's pretty sad even i couldn't help but feel a little bad for her.

[@theponyofglory8545]

Yeah, i can't imagine being born with something like that.

[@sirkylanthered]

This is one of the best episodes of BTAS for me. Its because of her character. She did her best, worked, and worked. She TRIED! She did what society demanded of her and they metaphorically spat in her face. And we as an audience feel that. I can never hate this woman. I can never look at her and compare her to Ivy, or Quin, or most of the rest of Bat's rouge's gallery. Because she's the one that society broke. She tried, played by our rules, and still was shat on because of her appearance.

[@titanguy7316]

They did a great job fitting this character into the mold of a classic Batman villain (with all the psychological complexity and gimmicks to go with it) without betraying the tragedy of the verisimilitude behind this character archetype (typecast actor who cannot play other parts/mocked because physical deformity limits their range).

[@HangryOnPaws]

One of my favourite episodes reviewed by one of my favourite channels. Just what I needed!!

[@El.Rincon.Cinefilo]

It's a total shame that *Baby Doll* was never used again in any other Batman Media after the series, because She seem to be THE Perfect Batman Villain... She had a GREAT and interesting backstory, was a genius with weapons and gadgets, but Also a skill physical fighter, She managed to be very sympathetic, but also kind of intimidating showing the right amont of Craziness, she had a LOT of Potencial to be a Recurrent Character. If She appered in a Live-Action media? I would totally cast Julia Butters (The Little Girl from Once Upon a Time In Hollywood) to play Her!!💯

[@kamikazelemming1552]

It's for the best she never appeared in the comics. I have no doubts that some writer for some storyline would completely butcher her character.

[@robchuk4136]

I agree about Spunky's look, but it's the same with Baby Doll because she has a more cartoony design compared to other BTAS characters. She's basically Elmyra from Tiny Toon Adventures. I REALLY liked Mariam as Dahl's muscle, and i think she's only the second female henchwoman in the series, after Harley Quinn. All business, I figured she inspired the Mercy character for Lex Luthor.

[@Rosesnothorns]

they really should have added her in more episodes. her teaming up with the Mad Hatter by dressing up as Alice, or clayface with then both being actors. I can so see her showing up in the newer shows like Harley Quinn or Gotham.

[@Sojoboscribe]

Actually she DOES team up with the Mad Hatter in one story (according to something I read online). But it doesn't last, she find him "creepy". And ironically, Baby Doll may be too YOUNG for thew Mad Hatters tastes. Alice IS a child, but she is usually a much OLDER child than Baby appears to be. I am aware that, in some versions of the Batman universe, the Mad Hatter is supposed to be a pedophile, but even HE has his type, and Baby Doll isn't it.

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

That could have been amazingly messed up with Clayface and Mad Hatter!!!

[@Rosesnothorns]

@@Sojoboscribe I'm pretty sure that a fanfiction. And I never said a romantic/sexual partnership, just a criminal one to fit the asthetic. And she was only in a "relationship " with killer croc.

[@dreamsofparis5535]

When I first saw this as a little kid, I really didn't understand the emotional turmoil Mary Dahl was going through, but now as an adult it's heartbreaking as she desired to be a top actress outside of the sitcom she played in, yet she was denied that. This eternal youth has robbed her of true happiness.

[@JaxonHex]

That final scene will always be my second favorite Batman moment in the DCAU. He doesn't hurt her, threaten her, or anything. Just takes the gun away and let's her cry in his legs, patting her head to comfort her.The only scene that beats this for me is him and Ace from JLU.

[@arragon5481]

i always love when batman stops the villain not by attacking them, but by just being there for them. the way he comforts her when she said she didnt mean to hits even harder.

[@KeeKage37]

Baby-Doll is one of my favorites. From the sitcom tropes, to the dark and tragic story of Babby-Doll herself. She’s probably one of the best one shot villains Batman has had. Sure she shows up later making a Bonnie and Clyde like team up with Killer Croc. But that one never met the bar this episode set.

[@butwhy6543]

Been waiting for this one since the very beginning it's probably my all-time favorite episode. The final scene in the mirror house has always stuck with me and is in my opinion the best use of that sort of location I've ever seen

[@kaylaturnis9486]

One of my favorite episodes from Batman: TAS. The mirror scene in an episode of the classic Teen Titans episode where Beast Boy went out on a date with Terra and this happens while BB was fighting Deathstroke where Terra sees the scared refection of herself, indicating that she is alone. Similar how Baby Doll saw her true age in the mirror of how she would have looked like if it weren't for her condition!

[@MONGOOSE1ful]

First airing on October 1, 1994, "Baby Doll" from FOX's "BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES" was truly an exceptional episode, given that, in the world of The Dark Knight, The Batman has come up against a variety of colorful and demented villains, but this unique character, "Baby Doll", a former child actress with a rare disorder that condemns her to look like a child, is certainly an original in every sense of the word! Actress Alison La Placa, with a total of over 45 acting credits, and a producer, played the voice of this character, in what was very original and impressive, going from a child-like tone, to a dramatically mature woman, trapped in her own delusional world as a washed up child actress turned kidnapper and criminal, was again, a unique challenge to The Dark Knight. A later episode featured the return of "Baby Doll", who gets involved with "Killer Croc", but that episode just didn't hold that much quality since the first episode in 1994!

[@tajali8001]

Underrated episode ..the ending with the mirrors was very emotionally heavy..

[@claytonrios1]

I remember when the Critic covered this with Chad Rocco from Familiar Faces. It's definitely got one of the strongest endings in the series.

[@kevinmnich7140]

I remember the first time I watched this episode and how deeply it hit me on an emotional level. The story writing is phenomenal!

[@timothylewis2527]

Saw this episode countless times and that ending... Goosebumps every time.

[@kennethclark4599]

...I just want to give her a hug. That poor woman.

[@JeanetteIsabelle]

If Mary Dahl were an actress in our world, many people would probably want to express sympathy and give her hugs. However, if she wants to succeed in the industry, she may have to present herself differently to the public than how she feels inside. For instance, if her career requires her to maintain a childlike persona, we should treat her accordingly. This can be confusing and challenging for us.

[@OtakuSparrow]

Never fails to make shed a tear.

[@MrBird2007]

Easily one of the best episodes. I always reference this one whenever someone says Batman the Animated Series is simply just a "kids show".

[@Jokerman9540]

I loved how Miriam was designed. It’s kind of a reverse of characters who don’t have mouths (e.g Gromit) in how she really only has one part of her face to convey her emotions. Also the fact that she can go from being totally quiet and calm to a violent bodyguard really complements Dahl, in sort of a gender bent Scarface and The Ventriloquist except they’re almost on equal terms

[@Kentrc11]

Miriam is the Marcie to Baby Doll's Peppermint Patty.

[@motor4X4kombat]

wandavision: this girl is doing everything that i do baby doll: but better and in 25 minutes.

[@ShadowFallRising]

God, I love this episode so much! One of, if not my absolute favorite episode! Alison La Placa CRUSHED this role! The ending in the funhouse and that last line delivery? MWAH! Chef's kiss.

[@WhitieWu]

8:45 I really appreciate Batman's silence and the simple hand on the head to comfort her.

[@c.s.semple3626]

This is the one I was waiting for!

[@justmoonwithamustache]

Fun Fact: Bruce Timm is wondering why this episode gets so much hate,alongside "Tyger Tyger" and "Critters" And censors were strictly against the gun doll,but they somehow got around it And Baby Doll reminds me of Darla from "Cats don't dance"

[@Samaru163]

Who hates this episode or Tyger Tyger?

[@albertthepeacock8020]

Tyger Tyger is the episode where the writers were showing the fetish for furries

[@motor4X4kombat]

well critters is hated because come on, batman vs farmers with mutant animals and plants? and tyger tyger is hated because of the literal catwoman

[@justsomeokami8867]

I had a theory that Darla was suffering from Baby Doll’s condition too, but maybe not.

[@princessaur]

​@@justsomeokami8867 Nah Darla is just a spoiled brat I'm pretty sure.

[@tjgoebig7058]

Incredible episode. One that I remember all these years later

[@silentfox139]

I feel that the character miram eventually became the blue print to mercy in the Superman series. The lady that is often seen as led Luthor assistant and chauffeur

[@oberstul1941]

One of my favorite episodes. Man, that series was so good. I loved it! Cheers!

[@Ashurman666]

Oh hey look, it's my all time favorite character in all of Batman TAS! Though I kinda prefer the design she had later on in season...3 I think it was? TNBA. Not the design where she has twin pigtails but the design where she has her hair tied in a bun. Makes her look more mature and less...kiddy. And the glasses just ties it all together perfectly.

[@esmeblaise]

This is both the first episode I ever watched and my all time favorite, Im glad this review did it the justice it deserved

[@Dravenscrypt]

This show was hands down a masterpiece and should of won several awards.

[@reginaroadie]

I’ve been waiting for this episode of Bat-May since this started. Not only is this my favourite episode of the series, this episode I feel belongs in the canon of great television in general. It’s an all timer.

[@EmeraldeJade]

This is probably my favorite episode of this series.

[@GardenofEeyore]

As much as a Harley episode, Scarecrow or Joker episode does me in for a good watch. It was something about this episode that made me feel so sympathetic towards Baby Doll.and the fact she was a grown woman threw me a whole loop. When she saw herself in the mirror as a grown woman, I liked how that image was split from who she actually was. Baby Doll just breaks down still holding on to Mr. Happyhead pulling the trigger and nothing, but tears. No one takes her seriously as a person, cause all they see physically is a kid.

[@queendsheena1]

This episode is so heartrending. Thanks for watching and discussing.

[@TheTrueAdept]

As a long-time B:TAS fan (thanks Cartoon Network), I keep going back to this and Heart of Ice for my 'top five most gut-punching moments in B:TAS' list. Both of them are just phenomenal in that regard. Both feature characters that, well, need an actual second chance. Hell, I had sketch-notes for a fanfic where Bruce gives this villain a chance for an acting career via VA work... 😉

[@adamloga3788]

Not a bad idea, but given her cravings for attention, I'm not sure if that would help or just exacerbate her condition. Also, given the supposed time period, I don't think that voice acting was much of a thing yet.

[@Zorro3k6]

The climax with the mirrors always makes me cry. I really feel for Mary-Ann in that scene. It really does suck that her circumstances turned out the way that they did. It's the exact same feeling I had when they reinvented Mr. Freeze. When a writer can get me to truly care about a villain on an emotional level, you know you have a genuine master piece of story telling on your hands.

[@steelersguy74]

The amusement park/funhouse sequence is definitely a reference to The Dark Knight Returns.

[@generalesdeath5836]

That ending made me cry as a kid.

[@Ryu_D]

Thank you for the video.

[@trentonhamilton645]

Baby-Doll breaking down without whinnying out loud yet looking at her facial expression with anger and sheds a tear in silence let's the audience know she reached to that point. Well spot on

[@earnestbrown6524]

I have seen Mariam as the prototype for what became Mercy Graves. I love both of them as the strong henchwomen that they are.

[@WaTahBasTard]

The #1 thing I will always be drawn by when it comes to Batman is how this entire franchise leans so heavy into not just morality bit also mental illness and trauma. and with my recent learning of Green ribbons, well lets just say I would love to have a Bat symbol on my green ribbon.

[@williamcrowe2576]

I think the writers were also inspired by the stories of other former child actors such as Patty Duke Aston and Emanuel Lewis.

[@ThayneGill]

This one of the best btas episodes, it’s also one of the darkest imo. Apparently i did some digging and baby doll appeared on some episodes of the Batwoman tv show, and in the White Knight books.