Batman the Animated Series Episode 26 Appointment in Crime Alley

It’s time to look at Batman the Animated Series Episode 26 Appointment in Crime Alley. Roland Daggett attempts to blow up Crime Alley, by any means, legally or otherwise, to put more money in his pocket. The people who live there are only an obstacle. Daggett’s unethical methods will not go unchecked if Batman has anything to do it but can Batman save the day, especially when an old friend gets trapped in Daggett’s schemes. Batman the Animated Series Episode 26 Appointment In Crime Alley aired on September 17th 1992 on FOX.


Batman the Animated Series Episode 26 Appointment in Crime Alley.

In the last episodes he appeared in, Daggett was responsible in part for Matt Hagen being transformed into Clayface and he nearly got away from framing Bruce Wayne for attempted murder, so he could take control of Wayne Enterprises. In this episode, he butts heads with Wayne again(and his alter ego as well), over Park Row or as it is better known as Crime Alley. The place where an eight year old Bruce Wayne’s parents were gunned down that lead him down the road to becoming Batman.

I think that in many ways, this episode does have a little action, but it’s mostly due to the powerful emotions that people are feeling. When big business gets involved, there is not much the common man can do, to get forced out of their homes. And if they don’t leave their homes willingly, they’ll be flattened or in the case of this episode, blown up. Daggett represents the most unethical and sordid side of corporate, the greed that drives man.

Bruce Wayne is driven by the deaths of his parents. A promise where no young boy will ever go through what he had to, to see his parents murdered right in front of him. He turned into Batman but he could have easily become the Joker or Two Face or indeed, Roland Daggett, had he not had the right kind of influences in his life. Obviously Alfred, would be the father figure, but Dr. Leslie Thompkins, who is right in the fire zone in Crime Alley, has to be some kind of maternal influence as this episode documents. And when she gets captured, that’s just powerful.

The two henchmen of Daggett, Nitro and Crocker, are good at their jobs, but no match for the Bat, who manages to shake them down for information, and manage to diffuse the bomb, before it causes too much damage, and save Dr. Thompkins, with only a few condemned buildings being sacrificed.
Daggett manages to get out of this mess, with his hands cleaned and likely might have gotten away with something worse, even if blood had stained his hands. Nitro and Crocker take the fall for Daggett’s devious schemes. Batman has an appointment to keep, even though he would like nothing better than to wring Daggett’s neck for what he did and the view can empathize with that point.
There was also a nice little reference to Jimmy Olsen of Superman fame. It’s brief but eagle eyed views will catch it.

Not the best action packed episode, but rather a powerful episode in a number of ways. 7.5/10 for Batman the Animated Series Episode 26 Appointment in Crime Alley.