Batman Beyond "Unmasked" Talkback (Spoiler)

[James Harvey]

Discuss the much anticipated episode of Batman Beyond - "Unmasked" here!


http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/beyond/episodes/unmasked/09.jpg

Episode #47 "Unmasked"
Original Airdate - December 18th, 2001 - Series Finale

Terry remembers a time, early in his Batman career, when he foolishly revealed his identity to a young boy -- leading to his being kidnapped by a cell of Kobra operatives.

Comments?

For previous user comments and detaild sysnopsis about this episode, click here (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=11322).

[Bruce Wayne]

cool. Just to make sure, it is today and on Cartoon Newtwork right? And uhh what time? My friend wont have a clue about it.

[Nightwing]

Tonight, Tuesday the 18th of December at 6:30PM EASTERN on Cartoon Network. I set my VCR about an hour ago....did you? :)

lol

[Justice League 2000]

I am going to miss unmasked tonight. when is a repeat of unmasked coming on? :(

[carsonm]

Originally posted by Pete
I am going to miss unmasked tonight. when is a repeat of unmasked coming on? :(

i dont know about a repeat, but i can send you a copy, free of charge, from one batfan to another! email me your address or something.

[Naraht]

Originally posted by carsonm


i dont know about a repeat, but i can send you a copy, free of charge, from one batfan to another! email me your address or something.

Umm, due to legal issues..they..uh...don't like that kind of talk around here....

They don't mind ppl randomly announceing their e-mail address though... =D

[Bruce Wayne]

It's on now!! NOW!!!

If you're reading this, get off the stupid computer and turn on your TV. Sadly, I cant, due to the LACK OF CABLE! ;_;

[Naraht]

Originally posted by Bruce Wayne
It's on now!! NOW!!!

If you're reading this, get off the stupid computer and turn on your TV. Sadly, I cant, due to the LACK OF CABLE! ;_;

I'm watching it...NOW!!

TV's next to the Computer =D

[Bruce Wayne]

Originally posted by naraht


I'm watching it...NOW!!

TV's next to the Computer =D

Yep, you're excused. Hey you, teh guy readng this, you have a computer near your TV set? No? Go and watch it! :)

[FLIPMODE]

That was it??

[Naraht]

Show's over, here's my thoughts...

Good Ep. Not The Best, Not Worst, and certainly not the one to go out on...

The story was good, and it'll add to the "Terry shouldn't be Batman" fire, but oh well. Two people die, always good =D

I dunno...discuss

[FLIPMODE]

Well it was'nt terrible.

But I guess I was just hoping for something else.

[Naraht]

Originally posted by FLIPMODE
That was it??

Yup.

[The Guard]

Well...

I guess it was another Batman Beyond episode. I didn't go in with any expectations. It was entertaining, but...

Why is Kobra a crappy street gang now?

Bruce didn't do much, which sucked.

All in all, another BB episode. I'll take the ROTJ as the end...

[TuffyCatt]

I liked it, which is pretty good since there's been so much anticipation around this episode. I really wish they'd make an episode or two to finish off the whole series with...

My younger brother, who doesn't watch BB too much watched it with me, and at the end of the episode said, and I quote "That was awwwwessooome!" So I guess he liked it too! ;)

[Bruce Wayne]

IMO, from what i've been hearing, its gonna be bad. I guess I'll still keep the tape from my friend, but it doesnt seem that good. What would've been better to end it was a movie. Where Terry's identity is revealed and so on.

[The Flash]

Good story but the animation was lacking a tad bit. Some of the plot gimmicks were a bit predictable, but still very enjoyable to watch!

[Failure]

I kept my expectations low, so I thought it was pretty good. It was fairly interesting, interesting to see what would happen if Terry exposed his identity. Not a great ep, but not bad. It'd definitely be a disappointment if you considered it as the series finale. I wish Bruce had more air time though.

I think this ep really cemented my dislike for Max. She doesnt think its a big deal to tell anyone? Geez, how stupid is she? Definitely the downfall of the show.

[a69a17]

it was never intended to be the last of the series, but that is how it turned out. i have to agree with most people, a good ep, but far from the best. max was very annoying. and the only regualar supporting character really shown, which was disappointing.
www.natvan.com

[Blight]

I thought this episode was pretty darn good. I was a bit dissapointed with some things, and it felt kind of short, but it was still an interesting episode. One of my favorite scenes was when Bruce was yelling at Terry. Some great interaction there. It was also nice to see Kobra leader again, as we haven't seen him since "Plague" (he was already dead in "Curse of the Kobra"). So, overall, it was a really good episode, but certainly not finale material. At least we have ROTJ as a possible finale! :)

See ya!
Blight

[RAMPAGE]

Who also thinks that Soldier Sam looks like a dark haired Chip Hazard?

[FLIPMODE]

Um 3 things.

Was Kobra in BTAS or only BB?

Second, was there a Last episode to TNBA? Like a Finale. It seems Supes had the only real knowledge that his show was going off, and thus had a real ending.

Third, I Liked the BB as a film, surprisingly better, than watching MOTP in Cinematic form. BB has a better Cinema feel to me, (NOT that I think ROTJ was a better movie, they're kinda equal in my book). BUT my point is, Ok the show is done. What's stopping them from Making another BB MOVIE/DVD? Obviously the sales were good. I say (and most companies do), as long as the sales are good, keep them coming.

BB does'nt HAVE to end like this, infact they can make a REAL ending on DVD. I dont doubt that will happen. It's very logical.

[Maxie Zeus]

Insta-reaction: Middling sort of action fare, and a feast for the anti-Max brigade. Is there any scene in the series more asinine than Max's gleeful "Let's go tell Dana!" That's the moment when it really hits: Max regards Terry's Batman identity as nothing more than really juicy gossip; probably she's been dying to tell someone--anyone--and that's why she's cracking stupid and obvious jokes about it.

[Naraht]

I think part of the problem with this ep...is that it falls somewhere in the middle of Seasons 2 & 3....Terry's comment about Bruce just getting back really stuck in my side, cause I really felt that this fell as the "show after the one where Max figures out Terry is Batman" ep.

Bruce leaving didn't happen till later...

I dunno

[Bird Boy]

Well..it was good....parts of it were sorta corny...but considering Hilary J. Badder wrote it...I'd say it was great for one of her story tellings.

-BB

[Fantasie117]

naraht: Bruce leaving didn't happen till later...

I thought Terry said, "He needed a ride. His back and all." Or something to that effect, meaning Bruce was having back trouble.

I enjoyed it. In no way was it series finale material, but it was a good enough episode.

Max was annoying. Normally, I'm okay with her, but she was just irritating. Though I did like the "Howie, is there a reason you can only carry a piece of crepe paper?"

I'm sad that it's all over. Before people mentioned how the WB considered BB dead, I thought "There's still 'Unmasked.'" Now, it's really over. :(

I was trying to end this on a happy note, but I'm watching Smallville now, and I just can't think of anything. ;)

[DR. BELCH]

Having read the script posted elsewhere here, I knew how it was going to come out...but it was still enjoyable.

Note the odd cutaway as Terry stabs the Kobra thug with his own poisoned claws. I presumed they pierced him either in his armpit or the pectoral muscle...and that close to the heart, a paralyzing venom would affect the cardiac muscles and kill the guy. Though there he was later on--unless that was a second ugly with a beard and black lipstick.

I'm inclined to think Max wants Terry to tell Dana about his night life, hoping she'll throw a fit and run out on him so she can swoop in and comfort him. I know they're just platonic, but...maybe she wants more? Unrequited love makes women--and men--do some pretty mad, bad things.

Where does this one come in continuity-wise? Terry first met Kobra during the ep with False Face and Stalker, yet the leader implied they'd had run-ins with the Bat before. They didn't look old enough to have tussled with Bruce thirty-odd years ago. Yet Tery says this was in his early Batdays....

A lot of scenes with the viper pit. A lackey is thrown in to die, and near the end the leader sacrifices himself for the glory of the group. Disturbed me a lot more than any exploding tower, to be honest. At least in a blow-up one dies fast...but to be slowly eaten alive by hundreds of squirming, hissing reptiles.... :eek:

I suppose I was expecting Soldier Sam to look more like a G.I. Joe doll--green plastic head with amorphous features.

Note that knowing look the boy gives Terry at the end. Was his mind really muddled by smoke and fear, or was he just playing possum, as it were?

[Failure]

I thought Soldier Sam looked kind of like Mad Stan.

[Figaro]

Well, it finally happened. "Unmasked," the final BATMAN BEYOND episode, aired on Cartoon Network. And I loved it. Many are the superheroes who go to great lengths to protect their identities, but rare is the costumed hero (that I've seen, anyway) who removes his mask without really thinking about the consequences (although this was a desperate situation). The animation and music, as always, were top-notch. I still cannot get the image of Batman walking through fire out of my head. And as sad as I am to see the series go, I think the fact that someone else knows Batman's identity is an interesting way to go out.

By thy side,

Figaro

[Portax]

While I was watching it, I kept wondering why WB didn't air it on Sept 14th. Then it got to the last few scenes and I finally understood. It makes perfect sense and now I'm glad WB didn't air it.

I thought it was a good episode. Miguel seemed like some stupid kid at first, but in the end he's redeemed and he's actually playing with other kids. I thought that was really cool. The creators did a lot with teenage problems and stuff and here they sort of dealt with childhood problems instead.

I still want more BB, though.

[Calhoun07]

For a regular Batman Beyond episode, it wasn't all that bad. And some of the action sequences in there were quite well done! But was this episode edited? Terry appeard to slice that Cobra member in the gut with his own claws, but yet you didn't see any blood, let alone the gash. Was there supposed to be something there?

[Houman]

I liked the episode a lot, although its also not my favorite. It seems like a lot of attention was paid to some of the details in this episode, like the way the smoke wraped around Batman as he walked through the fire, and the way he leaped into the moving Batjet.

The ending was a little predictable though, and I would have liked it if the kid imagined Bruce Wayne's picture, for some odd reason, and no one would believe it b/c he is too old. Wouldn't THAT be ironic!

[Mr. Obsession]

It' was ok. I'd say par for the course if it was a season 2 episode, but as an episode of the otherwise excellent season 3?

Like Dr. Belch pointed out there are continuity errors, big enough ones to make me cringe. Where to start? Batman first encountered Kobra in "Plague", and by that point Terry had been Batman for almost a year (I consider season's 1 & 2 to be Terry's year one, while season 3 and RotJ make up year 2). But according to the flashback sequence in "Unmasked" that particular encounter with Kobra takes place shortly after he became Batman. I guess it could work, maybe, but it's still a huge stretch. Add on to that the Kobra leader indicating that Batman and Kobra have faced of many times before. Blarg! :mad: And since when does Kobra, an international terrorist organization, need to rob a bank?

What can I say, I'm an anal retentive fanboy. :D

But still the story was decent, especially trying to show the effect of revealing ones secret identity. Along with some decent action sequences, and two deaths (one suicide and one murder committed by the Kobra cell leader).

Overall I'd give it :bosko::bosko::bosko: out of 5. Maybe I would have rated it higher out of anticipation if I hadn’t read the synopsis posted by Rampage (I think it was him) months ago. Then again, I might have rated it the same, simply for sympathy due to it being the last new BB ep.

Oh yes, after seeing this episode I'm convinced of two things. One, Miguel knows Terry's secret. And two, Hillary J. Badder(sp?) should be barred from anything related to Batman from now on.

[Sugar Daddy]

i think, since i havent seen rotj, that out of the past would ha ve been a better ending, since im considering unmasked to be the end

[Calico]

While I was excited at seeing something new, I wasn't overwhelmed by any stretch of the imagination.

Max...Ironically just earlier today I read the editorials on Max posted by Old Maid, and this episode just drives it all home. Max was a bad character choice. She had her moments no doubt, but none redeeming enough for this go-tell-it-on-the-mountain attitude she's got.

Not enough Bruce. 'Nuff said.

Camouflaged Batjet...I don't think I've seen this before. Looked cool.

'Thought reading device'? Should have been cool, but was too convenient for my taste.

Snakes...EWWWWWWW! :eek:

Miguel...The last scene was sweet. I liked that the kid knew, but was keeping quiet. Max could learn a few things from him.

Alas, we must bid farewell to Terry, Bruce, et al. *Sniff*

Calico

[Karkull]

It was okay. I've never really been too interested in Batman Beyond, but it was certainly interesting.

If Terry plans on staying with Dana for any length of time he probably better tell her anyway. I mean, the story he told was a real close call, but Max seems to be doing okay.

[Batman 80]

Good episode. The two deaths in this episode really surprised me. And once again, Max was her usually annoying self. She has to be the worst supporting character ever.

[Barb Gordon]

I didn't really know what to epect. It seemed like a good episode, like a lot of the other ones I have seen. Nothing special, jus.... there. I also thought that Terry said "his back and all". I like Max, but that whole thing with, let's go tell Dana! was very lame. Plus the way he told the story was kinda slow. What I mean is when they would show him and Max, it just didnt fit too well. Max obviously doesn't take him being Batman seriously at all. TThe action figure so looked like Mad Stan, it was funny. And the bad guy action figure resembled Batman alot. Miguel was adorable, and the ending was neat with him looking back at Terry with a smile.

Barb^-^

[Killtacular]

After seeing some of the content in this episode, it begs the question...

Why can't Justice League be like this? I'm sorry, but a guy falling to his death in "Enemy Down Below" doesn't hold a candle to a guy throwing himself into a pit of snakes. Not to mention this show has no problem with the words "kill" and "death", or having a little blood, while JL is deathly afraid of them(no pun intended).

Yeah, that's going off on a tangent. I thought the episode was good. I never really saw Beyond, but I liked what I saw. I obviously haven't seen enough of the series to judge characters, but Max certainly came off as annoying.. that's my small nitpick.

[Samhaine]

I found myself enjoying this episode very much.

I didn't find the digital coloring, at least in the Batman sequences, to be as garish as it was alot of the time in Beyond, and sometimes in JL. It almost seemed like traditional painted cells.

I really liked the last fight scene. It had some pizzazz to it, I dunno how to describe it.

I did see the ending, the part with the picture, coming from the moment they introduced the Thought Scanner. Argh, Bader throws in some of the worst ideas along with great ones.

No, this isn't a good last ep for BB, but it was a good ep, which was what it was, just a normal ep. And I liked it.

[Calhoun07]

The whole bit where the kid saw Terry as looking like that action figure was so easy to figure out. I knew they were going to do that as soon as they decided to target the boy. It was too easy of a way out.

Wasn't Bruce a bit harsh on Terry for taking off his mask? Seriously, what would Bruce have done? He said there were other ways? What other ways? That kid was going to die! I felt Bruce was very unfair on Terry.

And as for Max....do you suppose Terry ever regrets the fact that she knows his secret. I sure do.

[Samhaine]

Originally posted by calhoun07
Wasn't Bruce a bit harsh on Terry for taking off his mask? Seriously, what would Bruce have done? He said there were other ways? What other ways? That kid was going to die! I felt Bruce was very unfair on Terry.
Well, Terry could have let go of his rope, grab the boy, and use his jet boots to propell them to safety. Or he could have given himself a bit more slack, so that he was closer and could just grab him. Bruce was right, there was another way. In fact, more than one.


calhoun07 also said
And as for Max....do you suppose Terry ever regrets the fact that she knows his secret. I sure do.
I'm sure he likes that he's able to tell somebody about it, no matter who. Bruce at least had Alfred. Terry, he had no one til Max came along. I guess that's her purpose: moral support for Terry.

[Tim Drake]

It was a really fun episode. The animation was consistent and had some very nice pan shots. Story wasn't spectacular but I enjoyed it. It was really nice to see a new episode even though it did nothing to wrap up the series. Ah well such is life.

[Kal-el]

Overall, this was a middle of the road episode for me. I really did enjoy the fight scenes...they were action packed. The story was predictable, though I really didn't expect much. Max was annoying as ever, with her only redeeming quality being the ever tight yellow top of hers.
I realize that this wasn't really supposed to be a "finale" for BB. It is too bad the show couldn't have ended on a higher note, with ROTJ, Out of the Past (change to a multi-part ep), or even The Call would have made for a more fitting finale. Oh well. The fat lady is now done singing. BB still has potential, and I'd love to see a BB DTV at some time (wishful thinking on my part).
At least there's reruns.

[Golden Age Flash]

I really enjoyed the episode. I'm glad that they waited to air it.
......And for everyone who finds Max annoying (including me), I guess we just feel the same way that Bruce does :)

[batE]

The ep was OK. Not good, not great. Though the only surprise for me was at the beginning when they threw the first KOBRA agent into the snakepit for telling his brother about the planned robbery.



And as for Max....do you suppose Terry ever regrets the fact that she knows his secret. I sure do.


As soon as the "joke" scene came out, I knew I'd come to the board and find the Max-haters out in full force. Since I know it's gonna be a losing battle, I've decided to head off the boards, because arguing the same points again and again is tiresome. She was annoying in that one part, yes, but the "Let's tell Dana" stuff was Max trying to be a FRIEND. In Inqueling, Max tells Terry that heneeds to pay more attention to Dana. In Unmasked, she honsetly sees telling Dana as a good option (and maybe the only one) to keeping the relationship alive. I don't think she'd suggest it to Terry if a) she thought it would put Dana in real danger or b) She didn't think Dana could handle it.

Max is the most maligned character in BB, and it's not fair. It just isn't. From the first, she's tried to be helpful. I'm sure he didn't regret her knowing his secret when she located and diffused the bomb in Final Cut. Or when she kicked Spellbinder's butt for him in Hooked Up, or when she helped save Bruce's butt AND his in Where's Terry.

But again, it's hopeless. Max haters will be Max haters.

Later,
batE

[Bird Boy]

Originally posted by batE
But again, it's hopeless. Max haters will be Max haters.

Later,
batE

Yeah, I know I diss Max, but she isn't ALL bad..in fact, she was starting to grow on me until that line she uttered in Kurse of the Kobra Pt. 1 (I will NOT mention that line..you know what it is).

Alas, the series has ended. It's over...Heck, I'd take a full show of just MAX if Batman was in it...course, that's sorta like saying I'd take a full show of ZETA if Batman was in it (and he was)....

I guess ZETA is our last hope for any more glimpses of the Future Knight..

-BB

[The New Batman]

The episode was barely OK.

[Trent Lane]

Not too shabby. A decent way to go out, not spectacular but it's all we got. Max, I don't mind her, but had Terry killed her in the eppy I think it would have been justified. The kid didn't come off as corny as I thought he would, it was weird, though: in that last scene he looked a bit like Tim Drake (TNBA). Maybe that's just me though...

[mentadent9]

for some unapparent reason, the only thing on cartoon network at 6:30pm on Tuesday was Dragon Ball Z. Now, this made me very unhappy, as i have been waiting for this since before sept. 11th. If anyone knows when it will be shown again, or any way to purchase it or something along those lines, please let me know!

Help a fellow Batfan!

-TiJ

[Bird Boy]

Originally posted by mentadent9
for some unapparent reason, the only thing on cartoon network at 6:30pm on Tuesday was Dragon Ball Z. Now, this made me very unhappy, as i have been waiting for this since before sept. 11th. If anyone knows when it will be shown again, or any way to purchase it or something along those lines, please let me know!

Help a fellow Batfan!

-TiJ

must've been on at 7:30pm then. What time is BB usually on where you live?

As for knowing when it'll air again....who knows. it's a long way off.

Also, if you're looking to acquire it, I'm sure some place has it for download (No, i don't know of one, I'm just saying that). ...or you could wait for the DVD's to be released (and those haven't been announced yet)

-BB

[The Penguin]

I thought it was a good episode, but it didn't really "wow" me. I had trouble figuring out why the WB wouldn't air it. There was the exploding building but otherwise I just didn't see it.

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by The Penguin
I thought it was a good episode, but it didn't really "wow" me. I had trouble figuring out why the WB wouldn't air it. There was the exploding building but otherwise I just didn't see it.

Who knows. Everybody was being overly sensitive following the events of September 11th. Heck, anybody remember that song list of songs that shouldn't be played on the radio anymore? Any radio station out there still following that?

I agree, the episode wasn't all that. In fact, I can't say it was worth the wait to see it.

[Sugar Daddy]

Originally posted by calhoun07

I agree, the episode wasn't all that. In fact, I can't say it was worth the wait to see it.

i agree. i watched it because it was the last bb episode probably 4ever, but the story was below average

[Toddman]

Originally posted by The Penguin
I thought it was a good episode, but it didn't really "wow" me. I had trouble figuring out why the WB wouldn't air it. There was the exploding building but otherwise I just didn't see it.

Hmmm...a young boy trapped on structure engulfed in flames that is continually referred to as a "tower." Then he is kidnapped by a terrorist organization.

All of this was to be aired THREE days after the single biggest terrorist attack in history and the destruction of the tallest buildings in the country's largest city.

I can see why waiting 12 weeks or so might be appropriate.

Toddman

[Majin Vegeta]

IMO it was a lousy wrap up for such a great series. At least they could have had a dramatic ending, w/ all of the characters involved in some action or something. Now a six-year-old kind finding out who Batman is, and ending the series there... that's too big of a cliffhanger.

[Majin Vegeta]

BTW that was my first post and I'm trying to get ten posts asap so i can get my avatar...

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by VegetaInsane
IMO it was a lousy wrap up for such a great series. At least they could have had a dramatic ending, w/ all of the characters involved in some action or something. Now a six-year-old kind finding out who Batman is, and ending the series there... that's too big of a cliffhanger.

They didn't know the series wasn't being picked up for another season, and this wasn't the last episode of the season, the Call part 2 was. This was just the last new episode aired. So the creators of this show really had no way to deliver to us a great finale to the series, as WB pulled the plug rather abruptly.

[Cyclops]

I recorde it, and just saw it. It was OK, not the best, or the worst either. It was just there.

[Naraht]

I think one of the reasons it might have been pulled, in addition to those mentioned, might be the fact that a couple of people die (offscreen) which for Kids WB is pretty extreme...

[Toddman]

Originally posted by naraht
I think one of the reasons it might have been pulled, in addition to those mentioned, might be the fact that a couple of people die (offscreen) which for Kids WB is pretty extreme...

If you're saying that KidsWB decided that the deaths would have a more disturbing effect on young viewers so soon after Sept. 11th, you're probably right.

But KidsWB didn't seem to have a problem with it before then. It was supposed to air on the 14th on the regular network.

Toddman

[Naraht]

Originally posted by Toddman


If you're saying that KidsWB decided that the deaths would have a more disturbing effect on young viewers so soon after Sept. 11th, you're probably right.

But KidsWB didn't seem to have a problem with it before then. It was supposed to air on the 14th on the regular network.

Toddman

Just cause they were gonna air it, doesn't mean they were behind it 100%. Kids WB is becoming more Kids every day..
BB was to adult for them, and the show was already on the way out. They probably were under contract to air the ep, and the Sept. 11th probably gave them an easy out.

[superfreak]

WB should have aired Unmasked earlier and in order.

[n2Deepeth]

I thought that after JLA, there were going to be new episodes and "Unmasked" shouldn't be taken as a series finale. And when will the uncut version of ROTJ come out? Did it already? I know it did in Europe, but I'm not sure about here.

[Naraht]

Originally posted by n2Deepeth
I thought that after JLA, there were going to be new episodes and "Unmasked" shouldn't be taken as a series finale. And when will the uncut version of ROTJ come out? Did it already? I know it did in Europe, but I'm not sure about here.

Umm, welcome to the boards n2Deepeth...
it's already been discussed, but I'll repost..
ROTJ Uncut should be released here in the states April 2002..
BB Unmasked isn't the true series finale, but it is the last episode we'll get to see.

There has been talks of more DTV/DTDVDs, but it looks unlikey. There may be some B:TAS DTVs though.

[Golden Age Flash]

I gotta tell ya, after watching The Call Pt 1 again yesterday, the Unmasked sept 11 type of references are a stretch at best. I could really understand the network holding back on the stuff that happened to the JLU & the city if THAT would have been the unaired episode....

[James Harvey]

I finally say Unmasked today and I really can't see why it was pulled back. The only reason I could think of was that Kobra is a terrorist group...yet neither Bruce nor Batman even mention that. For all viewers know, they're a gang like RFG - but bigger. I thought the episode was pretty good, but not great. Granted if we say the episode when it was supposed to air, that may have changed my opinion a bit. I may have likled it more. But waiting eight months to see this episode? Bit of a let down.

[Naraht]

ok...here's my take....
It was a kneejerk reaction...
nerves were raw, times were hard, looking back @ the shows in the here & now, it's easy to nitpick the desisions that were made, but I remember back in mid september, programming was hell. For the big networks (NBC, ABC, CBS & Fox) all programming was preempted for like three whole days...and then getting back to the normal routine...there were alot of false starts...
I remember tensions were high, as traffic would want us to go back to routine programming, news kept having special reports, advertisers were getting anxoius..(between the attacks till about 9/15 I don't think we aired a comercial...at all...ever...that just doesn't happen @ a Network TV Station)
I can see how the WB execs saw a cartoon with a building being blown up, and suddenly going...NO! Frankly, the fact that they aired cartoons at all is amazing...

course..WB doesn't have a new dept...

loosers >=] (wait, locally...we own the WB station...hrm..[we didn't @ the time of the attack...there was no local WB])


Anyway...now we think it's silly, but back then....things were diffrent.

[n2Deepeth]

Thank goodness the uncut version is going to come out. I wanted to see fight scenes that got cut out, including the 360 degree one. Plus, the way the Joker died kind off blew.
And finally, I don't want to see Batman be taken down with one punch ever again. I think he'd probably get up from a punch from Superman faster than that.

[James Harvey]

Batman taken out in one punch? I don't remember that in "Unmasked". I may have to watch the episode again...

[DerekPowers]

well i didnt care for this ep too much. i dont know, i was just weirdly put together. max was totally out of character, especially, oh, you know the line.

and it was kind of just blah, you know. nothing too spectacular, yet alittle too much of a stray from the regular format of the show to really be good unless they put more time and thought into the story. it was just kind of whatever. like the whole snake pit thing, its like, okay, whatever. first of all the guy being thrown into such a small pit would just crush the snakes, and the snakes that survived would just kill him from poison, theres no way they'd consume him. so it was just too cartoony and cliche for my tastes. plus no dana, they teased us and spoke alot of her, but never showed her. bummer.

and the whole reading your thoughts machine seemed too cliche too, although i didnt mind it too much.

but i did really apprieciate the two fatalities in it. that was nice. and the scene at the end where they see the kid playing soccar was cool too.

i give it a 5 out of 10, 10 being shriek, and 1 being the last resort. peace!!

[James Harvey]

It was generally run of the mill. If it was shown in order (like it was supposed to) then it would have been...well...better I think. But having to wait nine months for the episode just. The more I watch the episode, the more it plays out like a "by the numbers" episode with no real thought put into it. And the infamous Max line...gah...

[Calhoun07]

I think being made to wait for this episode hurt it even more, really. People were expecting so much more, speculating what it could be. It had enough time to build the hype of a big movie release, but it couldn't even deliver near what kind of hype it was getting. Which is why I stayed out of the hype, and I still thought it was a decent episode. Really, it didn't let me down.

[n2Deepeth]

Oh, I meant in ROTJ. Batman was taken down with one punch by the Joker after Batman manhandled him. That's one of the reasons why ROTJ edited was such a disappointment. I still wonder why the prostitutes were a source of information in the uneidted version. Anyway, more adult stuff fo us teenagers. Someone in my class thinks Terry's hot. I don't blame her.

[Trigger]

It was good.

[The Penguin]

Today at 6 p.m. ET Cartoon Network airs the Batman Beyond episode, Unmasked. This episode was delayed by Kid's WB after the events of 9-11 and first aired during the show's initial run on Cartoon Network. Here is your official talkback thread and the episode synopsis.


http://wf.toonzone.net/WF/beyond/episodes/Unmasked/06.jpgBatman Beyond # 47 - Unmasked
Written by Hilary J. Bader - Directed by Kyung Won-Lim
Original Airdate - December 18, 2001 - Series Finale.
Terry remembers a time, early in his Batman career, when he foolishly revealed his identity to a young boy -- leading to his being kidnapped by a cell of Kobra operatives.

[Nik Jam]

Not what I expected. But good. B+

[The Detective]

It wasn't all that great. I don't really have much to say. It just seemed kind of bland. I saw that plot point where the kids imagines Terry's face as Soldier Sam coming a mile away.

[James Harvey]

I caught this episode today and...it doesn't get better with time. It was a simple mediocre episode that plagued most of <i>Batman Beyond</i>'s second season. Overall dissapointing and nothing really special. A filler. Nothing more.

[Spidey2099]

I really hated all the episodes with Kobra in them, and this one didn't redeem them any more in my eyes. Were they an original idea created for the series, or were they taken from the mainstream comics?

[katfairy]

As an episode, it wasn't bad, though a little lacking. As a finale... bleah.

I think Terry overreacted to Max's Batman crack. It's the kind of remark anyone could have made, even if they didn't know his secret. I wouldn't have been at all surprised if Dana had said the same thing at some point. Also, while Max doesn't seem to grasp how serious the danger can be at times, she does have a point: Terry needs people he can talk to.

[James Harvey]

A poll has been added to this thread.

Much like Legacy or Mad Love, this episode was never meant to be the finale - it just ended up that way do to scheduling and some rathar tragic events. If the show aired when it was supposed to, then I think people would approach it differently. It will always have the stigma of being the last new Batman Beyond episode.

[oranthal]

i can't believe Max made a joke about Terry being batman to some the other highschoolers. isn't this just one of things why people hate her?

[katfairy]

She didn't make a joke about Terry being Batman. She merely said that the school sees more of Batman than of Terry. It was a remark that anyone could have made, regardless of whether they knew his secret. Terry overreacted. If he'd just brushed it off it would have been a lot less suspicious than what he did do: namely, blowing his stack and hauling Max off so he could yell at her. Yes, it was careless of her, but it was hardly worth building an episode around.

[Wolf Boy2]

This episode should have been called "I've got Batman in my Memory."

Another "stupid child" with a lousy child actor and poorly written dialogue. I just saw a recording of it tonight (May 4, 2006) and I am SO glad I was unaware of it back in the day. To wait for this episode would've caused a MAJOR dissapointment.

The digital colors were much to Zeta-looking IMO, but I've been told that by the time "Unmasked" was made, the colors had already been toned down. I don't remember the 2nd and 3rd seasons of BB (except for "King's Ransom", "Out of the Past" and "Lost Soul"), but judging from what I see here (and what I've heard), I'm not sure I'm gonna enjoy them as much as Season 1.

I really have nothing else to say about "Unmasked." Now that "Epilogue" has been shown, "Unmasked" no longer bears the stigma of being the BB finale. The BB book is finally closed.

I feel what that one guy said about blood and death on BB, as compared to JL. I only watched Batman Beyond during its Kids WB run (which I think ended in spring 2001) and I didn't see JL until early 2005 ("Injustice For All" on DVD was my first). To watch the two together must've been jarring.

I have just bought the season box sets, and there is a MAJOR contrast. Batman Beyond season 1 was probably the MOST VIOLENT season of the entire DCAU (except maybe for seasons 2 and 3 of JLU). Season 1 of JL was the absolute CLEANEST, LEAST VIOLENT season of them ALL. But, then again, who would've thought it would end JL season 1 with the violence of World War II, and even show a hero (Green Lantern) kill an enemy soldier with a GUN? Gotta love the DCAU. They always keep you guessing.

[SilentBat18]

:crying: what a way to end the show. wasnt one of my favorite episodes and i thought it was kinda shaky.... they could have done a better episode to end the series.... still sad the show ended... on TV.... but its alive in my notebooks as i write my fanfics :D yes thats right, I'm a die hard fan

[sdp]

I always assumed this episode was "sneak peek" since he is "unmasked" so to speak in that episode. And I thought that was an good season finale since its a good episode.


However after buying the set and finding out I was wrong, I can understand this was a rather lame finale and even lamest average episode from the whole third season.

BTW not sure if anyone caught this but Miguels last name was Diaz, which is not a common hispanic last name however it is Wayne's official Spanish name. It might be a coincidence but this is a neat tidbit for those who don't know Diaz is Batmans name in Spanish.

[Revelator]

A stupid gimmick masquerading as an episode. Two points:

* If Miguel is the same age as Terry's brother, and Terry's brother is a big Batman fan, why is Miguel so scared of Batman? And since Batman merchandise is shown existing in the future, it's not too far of a stretch to think that an action-figure nut like Miguel would have even seen Batman action figures.

* Terry's wrong--the smart thing to do would have been to allow jokes. When people joke about X being Y, it usually means that the very idea is too absurd to take seriously. As usual, Terry proves himself a lousy psychologist.

[Aizen]

As usual, Terry proves himself a lousy psychologist.
Well he aint exactly a psychologist in the first place. :p

[Caswin]

:crying: what a way to end the show. wasnt one of my favorite episodes and i thought it was kinda shaky.... they could have done a better episode to end the series.... still sad the show ended... on TV.... but its alive in my notebooks as i write my fanfics :D yes thats right, I'm a die hard fanActually, Return of the Joker is usually considered the true series finale, barring "Epilogue".

What always got me is how "Countdown" and "Unmasked", when you're just reading an episode list, look so much like a two-part finale.

[Wolf Boy2]

As Bruce Timm said on the DVD commentary, there was no "ending" for BB anymore than there had been for BTAS or TNBA. STAS was an anomaly with "Legacy", though even that episode was not intended to be a finale (it was originally meant to be a season premiere). Shows didn't get an "ending" back then, they just reached a point where they stopped making episodes. Shows were not serialized in those days. This was not a series finale, just a random show that happened to be last.

ROTJ would've fit just fine as an ending to BB, though I like Epilogue as the true finale.

[Caswin]

Shows didn't get an "ending" back then, they just reached a point where they stopped making episodes.Except for - off the top of my head - Biker Mice from Mars, Mighty Max, SWAT Kats (the first season, at least), Gargoyles, and practically every Marvel cartoon, right?

I could go on, easily; I've got a full-blown list on my computer, but I think I've made my point. Besides, Batman Beyond itself had a very clear-cut first season finale in "Ascension", so there goes that.

[Wolf Boy2]

Except for - off the top of my head - Biker Mice from Mars, Mighty Max, SWAT Kats (the first season, at least), Gargoyles, and practically every Marvel cartoon, right?

I could go on, easily; I've got a full-blown list on my computer, but I think I've made my point. Besides, Batman Beyond itself had a very clear-cut first season finale in "Ascension", so there goes that.
Well, tell Bruce Timm, not me (I was quoting him).

Never saw Biker Mice from Mars (the name was so bad that even at 9 years old I ignored it) or any of those others except Gargoyles. And Gargoyles didnt really get an ending, it petered out in the Goliath Chronicles and now the story is being continued in comics (with only the first GC episode being canon).

[Caswin]

And Gargoyles didnt really get an ending, it petered out in the Goliath Chronicles and now the story is being continued in comics (with only the first GC episode being canon).The series proper ended with the three-part finale "Hunter's Moon" - Goliath saved the world, the feud with Xanatos ended, et cetera. The Chronicles were almost something different altogether, but even they had a clear-cut (not to say good, but very clear) ending in "Angels in the Night".

[Antiyonder]

To be honest, one thing I like about JLU's Epilogue is how we find that Dana is no longer in the dark about the secret.

But this episode's explaination never sat well with me.

Bruce's rationalization is that the boy was in danger for knowing Terry's ID, when all that really put him in danger was that he blabbed on the news "I know who Batman is".

Frankly, I imagine that when Dana was eventually told, that she wouldn't go telling people that she knows who Batman is.