I understand this one threw some viewers a bit of a curveball…at least those unfamiliar with Timm’s work beyond the original Batman series. From just looking at it, Batman: Caped Crusader most resembles the retro-futuristic, Art Deco stylings of the 1992 original, and not the more angular, shinier revisions that would come with the move to The WB and Cartoon Network. The original BTAS was more of a grounded series, with none of the more out-there elements of comic book universes poking their heads in. No magicians, no ghosts, no spells, nothing that couldn’t actually happen. The most wild elements, like Lazarus Pits or evil robots, had to be grounded in sci-fi.
I suspect this was all suppression on Fox’s part (similar to their eventual insistence that Robin be in every episode) and we didn’t get the true Bruce Timm until his new overlords at Kids WB were more hands-off. Then, suddenly, Klarion the Witch Boy turned up, Zatanna wasn’t just a stage magician, and Gotham’s doors fully opened to the supernatural.
So six episodes in, we meet a ghost. The Gentleman Ghost, to be specific. It’s not a guy dressing up as a ghost, it’s not some kind of holographic Scooby Doo trick, it’s an ACTUAL GHOST. Not even Batman believes this at first. But it becomes an undeniable fact eventually. There are ghosts in Gotham. Deal with it, America.
“Gentleman” is what he calls himself, but it’s hardly true — the Gentleman Ghost is a jerk. Possibly the biggest jerk that’s been on this show to date. The opening sequence has him shooting at an armored truck carrying money to a charity organization. The truck flips upside-down, and though the guards inside survive the crash, the money vanishes as quickly as the Gentleman Ghost does.
The following day, Bruce Wayne is in a meeting with Lucius Fox about his finances, but this story in the papers about the ghost robber has all his attention. Wayne is certain it’s a man in a costume because “after all, what would a ghost want with money?” Alfred interrupts, admitting he does believe in ghosts and that his uncle swears he saw the spirit of his dead wife “wandering the moors.” Wayne scoffs at this.
Before Lucius leaves, he mentions he’s moving forward with the purchase of the property on Heritage Hill, where a rickety old mansion now sits. The plans are to build “Gotham Gardens” — a new community of low-income housing and public parks — on that plot of land. Though Lucius handles most of Wayne’s fortunes, there’s a portion of it that’s off-limits, and “I don’t even want to know what that’s for,” he tells him. “Trust me, you don’t,” says Bruce.
Elsewhere in the city, Harvey Dent is ramping up his election campaign, but early polls are not in his favor. For now, he has noble intentions…he wants to rid the city of the corruption that’s been allowed under Mayor Jessup. He faces his first real temptation when he’s ordered inside a limo, where mobster Rupert Thorne sits. Thorne offers a “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” kind of deal, but Dent refuses, and says to Thorne’s face he’s going to “save this city” from people like him. This guy’s downfall is gonna be painful.
In the Batcave, Batman reflects on the fact that there were four other armored cash trucks driving around Gotham the previous night. The Gentleman Ghost picked the one with the least amount of cash. If it wasn’t random, what motive could he possibly have? Maybe he’s just dumb.
At that moment, the Ghost has picked his next target: the passengers of the Gotham rail system. Harvey Dent happens to be in that car, trying to convince the citizens he’s on their side. They all look skeptical. When the Ghost shows up and demands all their money, Harvey stands in front of them and offers the cash in his wallet instead. Weirdly, the Ghost refuses, insisting he rob the passenger behind him instead. If this makes Dent and the Ghost look like partners, that’ll sink his polls even further.
The Ghost gallops away, but Batman is onto him and the Batmobile is now in pursuit. Try as he might, the Galloping Ghost’s ghost-horse doesn’t have the ghost-horsepower to match a motor vehicle, so instead he turns down an alley and slips through a wall. By doing this he can’t take the money, and it burns up on impact. Batman just sits there, baffled at what just happened.
He did notice a coat of arms on GG’s sack, and right now it’s his only lead. In Bruce Wayne mode, he visits the Gotham Library, where the librarian tells him all about the infamous man that coat of arms symbolized. James Craddock, once called “Gentleman Jim,” was one of Gotham’s founding fathers. He was once wealthy, but lost most of his fortune to a gambling addiction. A thoroughly classist man who was still loyal to the British during the Revolution, he blamed freedom and democracy for his problems, and started riding the streets on horseback, robbing from the poor to give to himself. He was eventually hanged for his crimes, but….it appears he’s still around?
Either that, or someone’s a fan and a cosplayer. Wayne is still holding onto his skepticism and believes the latter. He now knows the Ghost’s next target will be Lucius Fox because the Gotham Gardens land once belonged to Craddock. Racing to the estate, he’s too late to stop the sale, but not too late to prevent the Ghost from attacking his friend. Batman bursts through the window and throws at Bat-Bolo at Craddock. It goes right through. Batman tries punching him next — and his fist gets frozen in a block of ice! How much more convincing do you need?
Okay fine, so this is really a ghost. Batman’s willing to accept it now. But if so, what can he really do about it? None of his tricks are going to work against something with no physical form. Alfred, at this moment, suggests the services of an old friend…
It’s Dr. Midnite, or Linton Midnite, making his animation debut. Midnite tells Batman only a specific ritual can get rid of Craddock: it involves the original deed to Heritage Hill and the blood of a nobleman. The deed is easy to obtain, but where can Batman find a nobileman? At that moment Alfred clears his throat. He’s had noble lineage this whole time, but “you never asked.” Batman warns Alfred that this ritual could be dangerous. “By now, Master Bruce, you should know I don’t frighten easily…”
Now at the cemetery, Batman and Alfred are completing the ritual. The final step is to burn the blood-soaked deed, but….Gentleman Ghost doesn’t like that! He rushes in out of nowhere screaming “NOOOOOOOO” and body-tackles Bats into a headstone. With Bats occupied, it’s up to Alfred to burn the deed. He sets it aflame, GG turns into a skeleton and evaporates, and it all seems over….but then suddenly, GG possesses Alfred.
GG tackles Batman in Alfred’s body and moves in for the kill. Batman can’t hurt Alfred, so how does he resolve this? That’s when he notices the deed was only half-burned…so he fires one of his toys at it and it burns up completely. GG’s spirit vacates Alfred’s body and turns into a dark cloud. Batman holds up a vial that Dr. Midnite gave him, and the spirit is sucked inside it, seemingly for good.
What would Dr. Midnite want with Craddock’s spirit? We never find out, but Craddock is sure horrified to find he’s now in the possession of this guy. “Nooo, I’ll do anything! Just don’t leave me with this man!” Craddock pleads from inside the vial. Dr. Midnite says Batman “doesn’t want to know” what’s up right now, but it couldn’t be happening to a more deserving creep.
The final scene is Harvey Dent back at his office, furious after taking in the latest poll numbers. They sure did think he was in league with that ghost. Even his biggest financial backers have stopped supporting his campaign. His only remaining option? To call in that favor from Thorne….
