This episode goes to great length to showcase the sexiness of Jill St. John as Robin. She's initially posed in a suggestive manner in Robin's outfit. After Molly puts the mask on Burt Ward duplicates the seductive pose with a knowing smile. Robin even struts in a bubble gum walk in front of Riddler who then seemingly checks out his/her ass. They took care to dub Jill's voice over Ward's to complete the female effect. Considering producers insist upon including Robin because they believe children see themselves as Robin, it's quite mind blowing for a young boy to see that a beautiful voluptuous woman could be substituted for their proverbial stand-in by Batman's side. One can't help but wonder if an impressionable nine year old Frank Miller saw this episode and was later inspired to put a redheaded female Robin in his opus The Dark Knight Returns by the name of Carie Kelley.
Back to the plot, using the Bat-locator Batman is able to pinpoint Robin's location in a speeding van. Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson's sworn protector, proceeds to disable the van there by intentionally causing it to crash. The danger of this action is even emphasized by the show because The Riddler and Molly put on crash helmets anticipating the crash. With all the great pains even the first episode takes to mock how safety minded Batman is this course of action is especially out of line. This cartoon level of violence is par the course for this series though.
The most shocking thing about this episode, and of perhaps any of the Batman TV shows, is that Molly's character is killed off in a rather senseless fashion. Not only is just about the entire sequence especially jarring but it ends with a sexist pun, "What a way to Go-Go." It's somewhat amazing in today's culture that this episode is still aired and the show itself is considered safe for children. Perhaps it could be said that the death of Molly demonstrates the resolute of Batman to reject a female substitute as a partner. This theme is later explored with Catwoman. If the 60's taught kids anything it's that the female is an incomplete male.
The rest of the episode plays out rather like the rest of the show's episodes do; setting in stone the plot patterns. It's worth noting that Frank Gorshin gave a much wider range to the Riddler in this episode with many smaller details and subtler emotions. This second episode showcases Gorshin's finer touches better than the first. Gorshin is especially on the mark when on the set of the hideout menacing Robin. There is a moment, before Batman explodes into the Ridder's hideout, where Gorshin takes the character through apprehension, feigns control into total loss of emotional control. It is a subtle progression that the Riddler masks with apparent humor but is clearly about to turn violent. He his stopped before striking Robin by the explosion. This is a nice complex moment in what might otherwise have been a flat scene of pure anger with another actor. The mixtures of emotions is well measured and executed with camp perfection.
These first two episode came out of no where like a bolt of lightning from the sky and sent electricity coursing through the bodies of kids throughout the neighborhoods. They cemented the style of the show which remained nearly unchanged even by the end of the series's three year run. It was an ingenious two part episode that is not given enough credit for its challenging content and clever wit.
I remember how I felt when Molly died in the series, and it was on 13 January 1966. That night may have been the night that etched the deepest when it came to TV viewing in my life. Fifty years later, and I find that I would rather have Batman have a female partner! The episode itself remains a fantastic piece of TV work!
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