Riddler in The Trial

[Karkull]

In the episode The Trial the Riddler can be seen in the jury box during the first two parts of the episode, but he seems...remote. He doesn't move or say anything...and he disappears completely (without comment) in act three. Now, the Riddler was needed in the episode because it was his riddle that led Batman to Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn's ambush, but it seems odd that he remained silent.

Well, I've thought about it for a while, and came up with a theory:

Prior to the episode, the Riddler was pardoned for his crimes (as seen in Riddler's Reform). He was set to leave, but the jailbreak occured before he could get out. He provided the riddle to lure Batman into the trap (Joker and the others can be hard to say no to), but he didn't want to compromise his freedom so he kept his mouth shut during his brief stint of "jury duty." He then slipped out before the trial ended (and before Gordon's men arrived). After the episode ended he called in Robin and tracked down the Riddler--the last missing Arkham inmate--which brings us to the events of Riddler's Reform.

Any thoughts?

[Toddman]

Another explanation could be that after the episode "What is Reality?" the Riddler's mind was pretty much French-fried. Maybe the Joker and company just stuck him on the jury as a sick joke.

I guess that doesn't really explain how the riddle was written, though. Y'know, it's been a while since I've seen "The Trial" and I didn't even remember him writing one.

Toddman

[DR. BELCH]

--how The Riddler could have been disconnected from his little electronic toy in "What is Reality?" without ill effects. Batman did imply that doing so could kill him, yet he seemed fine in "Reform". Then again, maybe he wasn't one hundred percent. I've suspected his baldness and thinness in the later eps was the result of chemo. Maybe exposure to his computer riddle word caused him to develop a brain tumor that had to be removed and left him sorely depleted-looking....

[optimal321]

Eh... i don't know. That very well could have something to do w/ it, but the producers probably just stuck him on there to fill the seats. And lest i be mistaken, he had a similar story as the Scarecrow, except he fought Batman a little. But no dialogue that i can remember.

[The Mad Hatter]

Here's a thought: "The Trial" was originally intended to be the first animated Batman movie, according to Cinefantistique. But apparently the decision was made to go with Mask of the Phantasm instead. Still, they didn't want to waste a good idea and made it an episode instead.

Now, I've never read the original treatment for "Trial," but I'd imagine that the Riddler's lines were just cut for time.

[DerekPowers]

Originally posted by Karkull
In the episode The Trial the Riddler can be seen in the jury box during the first two parts of the episode, but he seems...remote. He doesn't move or say anything...and he disappears completely (without comment) in act three. Now, the Riddler was needed in the episode because it was his riddle that led Batman to Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn's ambush, but it seems odd that he remained silent.


well, im not so sure the note was the riddler's doing. it wasnt too much of a riddle, and if you look at riddler's riddles from his episode apperences, the type of riddles he uses are completely different than that note. that note wasnt too much of a riddle and more a play on words. and the cutting out of letters thing, as we all know, is a technique used by all criminals.

but i think he just is silent (this goes for scarecrow too) because they need another villian to fill the jury seat, and the voice actor wasnt available. i think this is definately the case w/ scarecrow, because there were times when it was just awkward that he is completely silent, like on the stairs. maybe their voices happened to not be available, so they worked around it.

[Toddman]

Originally posted by DerekPowers


well, im not so sure the note was the riddler's doing. it wasnt too much of a riddle, and if you look at riddler's riddles from his episode apperences, the type of riddles he uses are completely different than that note. that note wasnt too much of a riddle and more a play on words. and the cutting out of letters thing, as we all know, is a technique used by all criminals.

Well in that case, I stand by my original theory that he was still pretty much brain dead and wasn't able to speak anyway.

but i think he just is silent (this goes for scarecrow too) because they need another villian to fill the jury seat, and the voice actor wasnt available. i think this is definately the case w/ scarecrow, because there were times when it was just awkward that he is completely silent, like on the stairs. maybe their voices happened to not be available, so they worked around it.

Another scenario could have been the budget. They were already paying for the voice talent for Joker, Harley, Ivy, Two-Face, Ventriloquist, Mad Hatter, and Croc. Cutting the lines of two characters may have saved them a little cash.

Toddman

[Toddman]

Whoops. I accidentally included part of my response in Derekpowers original quote. I just wanted to stand by my original theory that if the Riddler did not write the ransom note in "The Trial", then he may have still been in la-la land from his previous appearance in "What is Reality?".

Toddman

[Karkull]

Originally posted by Toddman
I just wanted to stand by my original theory that if the Riddler did not write the ransom note in "The Trial", then he may have still been in la-la land from his previous appearance in "What is Reality?".Toddman

I know that the reason that he (as well as the Scarecrow) were silent was probably due to the availability of the voice actors, but the fact remains that the Riddler disappeared in act three while the Scarecrow remained. True, he may have been still feeling the effects of the VR hookup from What is Reality, but it's probably unlikely because 1) he was disconnected from the computer and 2) he wasn't having any tremors. I stand by my theory.

[The Mad Hatter]

...or maybe it's just because ole Riddler just isn't physically imposing, and wouldn't have been able to do much in the fight, especially if the voice actor wasn't available. Gotta throw in them "oomphs!"

[Dark Knight]

All in all Im sure it was a matter of not wanting to pay the voice actor to be in the episode, but I must say this is just another example of the Riddler getting short changed in the Animated series. He never seemed to interact with the other villains much. I assume it just looked better to have him on the jury bench to even things out rather than two on top and three on the bottom (I mean it would have made even less sense to have Freeze or someone be there.) But it is pretty ridiculous that Riddler wouldnt be interested in the unmasking of Batman. That has always bugged me.

[Heehaw]

....or it could be that the episode was a complete piece of garbage and the inanimate Riddler is further proof of that fact. :)

[JusticeLeagueLegion]

Originally posted by Karkull
In the episode The Trial the Riddler can be seen in the jury box during the first two parts of the episode, but he seems...remote. He doesn't move or say anything...and he disappears completely (without comment) in act three. Now, the Riddler was needed in the episode because it was his riddle that led Batman to Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn's ambush, but it seems odd that he remained silent.

Well, I've thought about it for a while, and came up with a theory:

Prior to the episode, the Riddler was pardoned for his crimes (as seen in Riddler's Reform). He was set to leave, but the jailbreak occured before he could get out. He provided the riddle to lure Batman into the trap (Joker and the others can be hard to say no to), but he didn't want to compromise his freedom so he kept his mouth shut during his brief stint of "jury duty." He then slipped out before the trial ended (and before Gordon's men arrived). After the episode ended he called in Robin and tracked down the Riddler--the last missing Arkham inmate--which brings us to the events of Riddler's Reform.

Any thoughts?

That wouldn't work, "Riddler's Reform" came after "Trial."

[Karkull]

Uh...that's what I said.

[Naraht]

I think Capt. Kirk has infiltrated the forum...he's trying to destroy our computers!!!

[JusticeLeagueLegion]

Originally posted by Karkull
Uh...that's what I said.

Oh...sorry about that...guess I read it wrong.