Okay, we'll forego discussing the rampant sexism and condescension in which this episode wallows. It's the main reason this episode has aged so badly, but not the only one. Taken in and of itself, this is still a poor episode, with plot holes up the wazoo and a lot of filler to pad it to twenty-two minutes.
The big problem is setup for the bat-deathtrap. Batgirl has held her own against trained fighters. She's even gone toe-to-toe with Catwoman, fer cryin' out loud--even if all she had to do was toss the Princess of Plunder into Chief O'Hara's waiting arms. But the second she's grabbed by Nora Clavicle, who has no fighting skills to speak of, she might as well be one of Nora's decorative henchwomen for all the fight she puts up.
There are lots of shots that seem unnecessary, usually of mice going all over the city--maybe the writers didn't think they had enough for a full episode? And then you have the usual third season problems--the low budget sets, the writing that was less phoned in than it was attached to a blind, arthritic turtle and aimed in the general direction of the studio, the lack of wit or genuine humor--and you have an unholy mess of an episode that is truly painful to watch.
All of these were problems throughout the season, but some of the episodes were still salvaged by old stalwarts Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Victor Buono, or especially Burgess Meredith (who could always be counted on for a good ad-lib or three), or by series newcomers like Eartha Kitt or Joan Collins. Unfortunately, the usually stellar Barbara Rush delivers the most uninspired performance of her career, partially because she's working with arguably the worst script in the series.
OK, OK, I lied. Let's talk about the sexism and the condescension. It's rampant, it's ridiculous, it's even worse than most of the series (and that's going some), and it turns the episode from painful to watch to impossible to watch. All in all, this was the low point for the series, and even with Penguin, Shame, and King Tut on the way, pretty much the kiss of death.
The big problem is setup for the bat-deathtrap. Batgirl has held her own against trained fighters. She's even gone toe-to-toe with Catwoman, fer cryin' out loud--even if all she had to do was toss the Princess of Plunder into Chief O'Hara's waiting arms. But the second she's grabbed by Nora Clavicle, who has no fighting skills to speak of, she might as well be one of Nora's decorative henchwomen for all the fight she puts up.
There are lots of shots that seem unnecessary, usually of mice going all over the city--maybe the writers didn't think they had enough for a full episode? And then you have the usual third season problems--the low budget sets, the writing that was less phoned in than it was attached to a blind, arthritic turtle and aimed in the general direction of the studio, the lack of wit or genuine humor--and you have an unholy mess of an episode that is truly painful to watch.
All of these were problems throughout the season, but some of the episodes were still salvaged by old stalwarts Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Victor Buono, or especially Burgess Meredith (who could always be counted on for a good ad-lib or three), or by series newcomers like Eartha Kitt or Joan Collins. Unfortunately, the usually stellar Barbara Rush delivers the most uninspired performance of her career, partially because she's working with arguably the worst script in the series.
OK, OK, I lied. Let's talk about the sexism and the condescension. It's rampant, it's ridiculous, it's even worse than most of the series (and that's going some), and it turns the episode from painful to watch to impossible to watch. All in all, this was the low point for the series, and even with Penguin, Shame, and King Tut on the way, pretty much the kiss of death.