Episode 4: Holy Gimmick!: August 22, 2021

The Penguin’s a Jinx
January 20, 1966
"The Dynamic Duo are tricked into planning the Penguin's next crime, but the supervillain adds his own twist to the plan."
68 minutes

RD Drinks Less Than Chief O'Hara. Vince has a problem with this. RD reminds him he's a teetotaler. 

Unlike the Penguin's goons RD does not go to work wearing his name on his shirt and asking his subordinates to call him The Real Deal. Next he'll say he doesn't always wear a fur coat. He tellsVince to button up his shirt.

We get an early scan of the Batcave with everything still labelled while Alfred messes about. RD calls out his Co-Bro on not paying attention like he's Blade or something. (:03) Narrator: "PANDEMONIUM!" 

Vince shows his neat handwriting on a non-plate paper up to the camera so RD can read he had underlined World's Slowest Conveyor Belt. (:05) Vince gives Bruce two hours of slow movement while Penguin watches. During this the storefront front is still normally operational, despite the employees still wearing masks. This leads to the two discussing the Penguin's unique look. 

In the Batcave Alfred tells Robin not to worry about their bug not working due to sunspots, or sometimes "hotspots". In response Vince's Batphone alarm rings. (:09)

Bruce finally awakens due to his shoes catching fire. He pulls out a lighter which the Penguin immediate recognizes has a "lifetime supply" of butane gas inside it and when thrown explodes, somehow allowing Bruce to escape with only clothing damage. Penguin cannot go to the police about the intrusion or the bug due to being a criminal.

Robin considers calling Gordon to find Batman. Alfred: "They'll inaugurate a most effective search." Spoiler alert: they will never do so. (:14) Batman returns with a splashy swirl down the Batpole. 

Vince has his turn to call out RD on not paying attention by skipping Batman telling Alfred to fix his "rocky shape" clothes and Robin having to "muster all of our brain power". Unfortunately for him RD already knows about this. Unfortunately unfortunately Penguin has himself bugged the Batbrella in the totally not bug-protected Batcave. Vince gives him the intellectual edge over the Riddler because of this. 

Penguin: "Let's see how my gimmick is working!" (:19)

Vince thinks he's talking about his unit.

RD: "Maybe that's a Russo-ism. I have never once said "hey honey, you wanna see how my gimmick's working tonight?""
Vince: "Yeah, but you're not the Penguin!"
RD: "I'm apparently not Vince Russo either, thank God I don't know that I ever said that!"

Regardless the Dynamic Duo learn the Penguin will kidnap an actress named Dawn Robins in The Mockingbird produced by Ward Eagle staying in The Pelican Arms. (:21) Vince takes the opportunity to mock Randy Orton's current character, as you or I would do. He then discusses comic book Robin being bisexual and how this may relate to on-screen by saying the Batbrella looks pretty.

Vince shows his neat handwriting on a non-plate paper up to the camera so RD can read that Batman may have found Dawn's location due to being a STALKER (double underlined). (:27) RD thinks it can be written off as Bruce being a playboy (reading Funboy Magazine). Vince then wonders what birds reside in bushes.

Cut to the Penguin and co. in a "Criminal Storeroom". (:30) Vince think they flubbed filming by having an elevator descend before his goons could enter. RD didn't think they would expect people to analyze their episodes in detail 55 years later. Vince thinks the elevators didn't have that big of a capacity.

Vince remarks on Dawn "spilling cleavage" while photo-shooting at her room. He gives her 6 Batpoles. RD gives her 4 due to her weird eyebrows. (:32) Her IMDB profile (which also has her on The Original Series) lists her trademark "heart shaped mouth with full lips." RD thinks she is one of their battle-axe listeners. 

The Duo show up. Dawn: "Eeek! There's guys from outer space!" Robin is immediately "randy" for Dawn. Batman vows to "never lend himself to commercial enterprises." 

Meanwhile across the street the Penguin shoots a Penguin-line to cross the buildings. RD compares it to his umbrella ride in Returns and the bank heist in The Dark Knight. (:37) He immobilizes the Duo with magnets and takes Dawn away.

Narrator: "The Dynamic Duo's darkest hour: DAWN!"

The Penguin ransoms her for the low low price of $200,000. RD thinks he could have gone higher. The trade is to be made at Stately Wayne Manor despite the Penguin not knowing who Bruce Wayne was. At Police HQ RD thinks Gordon's unexplained disheveled look was due to some private action with someone involving his gimmick. They still cannot reach Bruce because he's gone "fishing". Vince calls him Jacques Cousteau. 

The Penguin overhears the Duo preparing to ambush him by his bug, so he has his goons gas Alfred who is confused of their presence despite being supposedly told. Vince thinks he was just play acting. Satisfied, Penguin takes his money and drops Dawn on Alfred's body for him to cuddle with...just as Aunt Harriet sees this and gets jealous.

Of course the two catch up, having used decoys due to learning about the bug. Batman: "You betrayed yourself in the penthouse!" Cue the big fight with fencing umbrellas, confusing RD. (:47) Afterwards back home Aunt Harriet is still angry at Alfred, before randomly going off on Dick eating too much shrimp. Russo notes the first token black couple appearing in the city.

Gordon finally has a good line: "Nothing so strikes terror into the criminal mind as the shape and shadow of a huge bat!"

Also Dawn is now head over heels for Batman...as Bruce is seen walking towards her as the episode ends. The two wonder if he would bury Batman to make her love him instead, perhaps with the use of his gimmick. (:53)

Russo repeats his thought that the Penguin was a slightly better villain "by a nose" than the Riddler so far based on his criminal masterminding. (:57) He gives Riddler a 4 for planning; RD gives him a 6 due to making Jill St. John look like Robin so well. Both give Penguin a 6.

RD has his space once more to shill. (:61) The two will also do another show called RD vs. Russo for the Patreoners to be recorded after the next show to discuss Jerry Lawler vs. Batman in Memphis. Vince hopes he can get his involvement on the show if in turn RD gets Bryan Alvarez, else they will discuss something else. The two virtual shake their hands around.

 

  • Special Guest Villain: The Penguin (Burgess Meredith)
 
  • SPEAKING OFs: 1. The Batbrella
  • RD Time Outs:
  • Brown Hornet Escapes: 1. Causing an explosion through butane gas.

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