The Penguin Declines

Just caught the THREE episode arc to wrap up Season two and, may I say unironically it's a GAS, GAS, GAS!

The Joker devises a plan to commit twelve crimes, one for each sign of the Zodiac, starting with the theft of a Rare Art Map. Batman immediately recognizes the anagram (RAM as in Aries) and the caper is off and running!

Delicious performances by Burgess Meredith as the Penguin and Cesar Romero as the Joker (WHY did he refuse to shave his mustache again? 🤔) and a "Shocking Blue" turn by Terry Moore as Venus (who inspired the hit!) there lots of fun to go around. Even Stafford Rapp (Chief O'Hara) gets in on the fun taking a "jam" shower...in a TOWEL, no less! 😂

It all leads up to a HIGHLY improbable showdown in the Batcave (NEVER let 'em see your pad, man!) and proof that those gigantic cars really DID have Soprano-esque trunks!

Did I mention the giant clam? (I just did! 😂)

The finale of this arc may be the series highlight. #MustSeeTV.

While Batman, Robin and Venus escape Joker's trap, Joker manages to free Penguin again and they both set in motion a new plan: Joker pollutes Gotham City's water reservoir by turning it into strawberry jelly and Penguin convinces Venus to to ask Batman to visit the Batcave so that the villains can hide at that precise moment in the trunk and access the famous base of operations of the dynamic duo. Another script with scenes that are too silly. That 5 people hide in the trunk of the batmobile is neither ingenious nor camp but it is stupid, the Joker carries out the same plan as in the previous episode in terms of contaminating the water. The only thing that saves this episode besides the cliffhanger trap is the dynamic fight that takes place inside the batcave.

"The Penguin Declines" again brings back Burgess Meredith's feathered fink, missing from the previous chapter, for the final wrap up of The Joker's Zodiac crimes. Watching Robin get swallowed whole by Joker's giant clam inspires Batman to break free of his chains and pry open the huge maw (rather than clamp down, he'd prefer to clam up), although some in the audience might have wondered if the Boy Wonder's bromides would have given it indigestion! Joker's henchmen break Penguin out of prison, intending to transform Gotham City's water supply into jelly to accommodate Aquarius the Water Bearer, the ransom $10 million. As for Capricorn the Goat, Batman serves as the goat, the bait being Venus (Terry Moore), to be wooed by the more than willing Penguin. Rob Reiner, son of comic actor Carl Reiner and future co-star on ALL IN THE FAMILY, made only his fifth television appearance as Penguin's personal Delivery Boy, popping in and out as Venus is fooled into believing that he's turned over a new leaf but wants to destroy his file in the Batcave. The final showdown does indeed take place inside the Batcave, with both The Joker and Penguin foiled for the umpteenth time. All in all one of the second season's brightest, the verbal sparring between old pros Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith making one wish that they had been teamed a second time since the feature film. Penguin would return next week for another three part episode, opposite the less memorable Carolyn Jones as Marsha, Queen of Diamonds, while Joker would be back for a pair of two part episodes before the start of the third season. One final trivia note: this was only the second glimpse of the Batcopter (in brief stock footage from the feature film), not seen since it was introduced in the movie some six months earlier.

This second season grande finale is loaded with campy BATMAN material. BEST of it is the teaming of the Joker (Ceasar Romero, of course) and the Penguin (wild Burgess Meredith) ready, willing and most able to do in the caped crusaders --so they think!

The opening scene finds Batman, with lots of hidden strength, unlocking the giant clam jaws to free Robin, who was gobbled up in the last episode. Venus (played by Terry Moore), once faithful to the Joker, insists she is parting ways from the criminal world, which is good news. That said, there's bad news; the Penguin jumps into the story and both he and the Joker (armed with some nasty formula) manage to turn Gotham's water supply into a gooey red mess. Poor ole Inspector O'Hara just happens to be taking a shower at the police department and is covered with the glob... The Joker, Penguin and their "henchman" are wearing t-shirts that say "henchman"! --- and hide out in the Batmobile trunk (which has to be as deep as a pit), and surprise Batman and Robin in the Bat cave!

The K-POWW big fight is a camp classic.

Could you imagine the behind the scenes shop talk between Meredith and Romero, and how they played their roles. Must have been amazing. This was Moore's last appearance as Venus and, reportedly, the tv screen debut for Rob Reiner as a delivery man! Note, you can see Caesar Romero's real life moustache beneath his pancake white makeup. Something for every fan and historian. Remastered in beautiful color. And thank you to METV.