It is now time to take a look at
Batman the Animated Series Episode 30 Perchance to Dream, where Bruce Wayne
wakes up in a world where he was never Batman, his parents were alive, and he
is engaged to marry Selina Kyle. It becomes apparent that this is too good to
be true and Bruce Wayne confronts the one man who might have some
answers…Batman. Batman the Animated Series Episode 30 Perchance to Dream aired
on October 19 1992 on FOX.
Batman
the Animated Series Episode 30 Perchance to Dream
This episode starts out as
normally as can be, with Batman chasing some thugs but he takes a nasty skill.
Then he wakes up in a world, where he was never Batman, his parents are very
much alive, and he is engaged to be married to Selina Kyle, who is of course,
Catwoman.
Obviously this episode is all of
a dream which most time does not work but it was the presentation of this
episode does not work. Bruce Wayne tries to come to terms with this, struggling
to figure out what happened. Perhaps the nightmare is over, or perhaps he is
just trapped into a different kind of nightmare, an ideal life that he’ll never
have.
I will say that you can read in
your dreams, trust me, I know. Although that could be Bruce’s mind fighting the
dream machine, trying to give him hints that things are not going to make
sense. Still there is going to be one person who can really going to give him
some answers and that man being Batman.
Yes indeed, Batman exists and the
confrontation between Batman and Bruce Wayne in the dream world still sends
chills down my spine. Especially the line, “you’re not well, Mr. Wayne”. They
have a battle and Batman is unmasked to reveal the return of the Mad Hatter,
the person who put Bruce Wayne in this dream world or his own personal
wonderland.
Bruce is frustrated about this
all and knows that there is one way out and its rather messy. As in, committing
suicide in the dream world. That was powerful. This little exchange is also
kind of powerful.
Hatter:
“Don’t
do anything foolish. This is no ordinary dream. What if you’re wrong?”
Bruce:
“Then
I’ll see you in my nightmares.”
Granted, there was a far more
powerful version of this exchange which would have made this episode the most
epic of all time, had Broadcast Standards and Practice allowed it but sadly
they shut it down.
Hatter:
“Don’t
do anything foolish. This is no ordinary dream. What if you’re wrong.”
Bruce:
“Then
I’ll see you in Hell!”
It was not to be but still what
they did worked out well but maybe not as well. Batman manages to wake up and
trash Hatter and his men. Hatter’s despair that despite Batman ruining his life
in his previous episode, he was willing to give Batman his own dream life, only
to keep Batman out of his.
Batman reflects on his own dream,
what might have been, but what can never be.
Also I want to give props to
Kevin Conroy for his great voice work in this episode, playing three
characters, Thomas Wayne, Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Evil Dream Batman. All while
switching up the voices effortlessly and not needing separate recording
sessions. You are Batman as far as animation is concerned good sir.
This is one of the best episodes
of Batman The Animated Series. Are there flaws? Yeah a couple of dodgy bits of
animation that might knock the score down. Still Batman the Animated Series
Episode 30 Perchance to Dream gets a 9/10
rating. You can check out this episode on Batman the Animated Series Volume
2 DVD or Batman the Animated Series the complete collection.
