JTV

**"JTV"** is the third episode of the second season of *The Batman* and the sixteenth episode overall.

## "JTV"

### Episode

3 (production order)8 (airing order)
16 (overall)

## Synopsis

Joker takes over the airwaves of Gotham with an unlicensed TV channel, in order to broadcast his crimes to the people of the city. After Mayor Grange is captured to be his first "co-star", Yin's overzealous new partner, Detective Cash Tankenson, becomes his next target. Batman soon finds himself trying to track the hostages down and rescue them, but quickly discovers that Joker's TV signal is part of a much bigger plan that threatens the city, as his next broadcast will activate several Joker's Gas dispensers scattered across the city and release their contents upon the unsuspecting city, unless he can shut the signal down.

## Plot

One night at Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne is watching basketball with Alfred mentioning how much fun tonight's game is. The television suddenly becomes fuzzy and the Joker appears on the screen much to the shock of Gotham. He tells everyone that being a criminal mastermind does not cut it and introduces his "new show" called *Joker and the Mayor*. The villain says that it will air tonight, just as soon as he abducts his co-star which will be the Mayor. Wayne gets up from his seat to suit up causing Alfred to ask if he wants the show taped.

Batman suits up and drives away. In the city, Detective Yin is in a car driven by her new partner Cash Tankenson, who is an egoist and is driving badly to the mayor's office for back-up. He tells Yin that he won't go down like Ethan did, causing Yin to worry. Just as that, the Batwave alerts her.

In his office, the Mayor Grange believes he is safe from the Joker since he is guarded by several GCPD officers who swear to stop the clown. One of the guards begins to laugh insanely and he reveals himself to be the Joker. Joker sprays all of the officers with Joker Gas before pursuing the mayor.

After the Joker tackles Grange and ties him up, Tankenson and Yin enter with their guns drawn. Joker, unafraid of the cliché Detective Tankenson, sucker punches him into his new partner. They both lay on the ground confused as the villain places a Joker playing card next to Tankenson andleaves with the mayor in a limousine owned by Punch and Judy. They drive away,just as Batman arrives. Batman gives pursuit, with Tankenson following him with a bike. Yin is left behind, much to her frustration.

Batman catches up to the limousine and begins to fight Punch. In order to lose the hero, Joker pushes a glowing red button that splits the limo in two. Joker and the mayor escape in one half, and Batman crashes with the other. Joker then taunts Batman saying "Goodbye sparky".

The Dark Knight begins to get himself back up when he is greeted by Cash Tankenson. The detective has a gun pointed at the Batman and Tankenson is happy to have caught the legendary Batman saying how this is his lucky day. The hero tries to talk Tankenson into chasing after the mayor, but Tankenson is more content with the prize he has already.

Yin, arriving in a police car, sees Batman in trouble. She flashes the car's headlights really bright, causing Tankenson to flinch. Batman uses the opportunity to escape, and, when his vision reappears, Tankenson screams that Yin made him lose the Batman. Yin tells the he ditched her,something she wouldn't do,since she watches her partner's back.

In the Batcave, Alfred is monitoring the television for another one of Joker's interruptions and relaying the info to Bruce.

When the madman does appear on the TV, he is standing with a captured Mayor Grange. Joker sprays Grange with Joker Gas, leaving him with a large grin. Joker announces his next plan is to rob the Gotham National Bank. Alfred repeats all of the Joker's plans, and Batman moves out.

Batman, arriving soon after, is too late. The security guards are jokerized, and the vault is cleared out.

At the GCPD building, Detectives Yin and Tankenson are watching the Joker's broadcast. The villain says that his next co-star is going to be Tankenson. Unafraid of Joker's threat, Tankenson demands a challenge from the clown. Yin, trying to save her partner from doing something foolish, orders him to stay out of sight and out of duty until Joker is arrested so that he does not harm himself. Tankenson is displeased and leaves.

In the hallway, Tankenson takes out the Joker card he was given and decides to take matters into his own hands. He follows the instructions to Joker's lair on the back of the card and moves out hoping to capture Joker.

Meanwhile, Batman returns to the Batcave trying to link the Joker's signal. The villain returns on television to reveal a new show *Shades of Blue*. The star is none other than Cash Tankenson who is walking into a trap and doesn't know it.

Yin, watching the show though the GCPD buliding, calls Tankenson and tells him that he is walking into a trap. The man is too rash and says that it only means Joker will be defeated on television. Just as predicted by Yin, Tankenson is sucker punched in the back by Judy who was the camera man.

Now live on TV with Gotham watching, Joker is hosting a new show. It is a fundraiser for "Detective Shade's" life. Tankenson is held bound to a kangaroo standee. The clown states that, if he doesn't get one million dollars in donations, Tankenson will die live on air.

Not long after, Joker has only raised about $200 with one being from Cash's grandma. Frustrated that the detective did not raise much money, Joker gases the detective with Joker Gas. Tankenson laughs hysterically before passing out.

Batman arrives at the location of the filming, only for the Joker to have disappeared. Batman then realizes that Joker is using the abandoned Gotham Radio King Tower to broadcast his television shows for Gotham to see.

At the radio tower, Joker is already there. Batman arrives and is defeated by Punch. Joker states that his real plan is to wirelessly detonate multiple bombs around the city, each emitting tons of Joker Gas on all of the citizens. The cue for the bombs *was* going to be when Joker abducted Mayor Grange and Detective Tankenson, but a better ending would be a final match between Batman and the Joker. Joker's henchmen pick up Batman and toss him into a boxing ring. Joker hops in himself, preparing for an awesome fight.

As the cameras begin to roll, the Joker Gas around the city sets off. Joker tries to fight the Dark Knight, but Batman jumps out of the ring to save Grange and Tankenson who are tied to the radio tower. On the way up the tower, Punch and Judy arrive first and begin to fight. The Joker Gas around the city is already beginning to seep into people's homes.

After a quick fight, Batman breaks the antenna at the top of the tower and the Joker Gas, along with the television program, abruptly stops. The citizens of Gotham survive their small dose of Joker Gas.

Back at the tower, Joker is furious that he has lost but chooses to kill his hostages anyway. Batman stops the villain in time and handcuffs him to a pole. The Dark Knight is too late, however, and the mayor and detective's rope has snapped. Thankfully, Detective Yin arrives and grabs the rope. Then, Batman helps the police officer in pulling up the two hostages.

Later, in the GCPD, Tankenson, fully recovered, is watching the news report. Yin comes in, and Tankenson tells her that he wants to work in a desk job. He wants a break from the action saying it is not for him. Yin understands and says she prefers the strong silent type anyway. Batman is seen grappling away through the window.

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/Batman
* Alastair Duncan as Alfred Pennyworth
* Ming-Na as Detective Ellen Yin
* Kevin Michael Richardson as Joker
* Patrick Warburton as Detective Cash Tankenson
* Adam West as Mayor Grange
* Punch and Judy
* Ethan Bennett (mentioned)
* Gators and Tigers

## Events

- Character debuts:

* Cash Tankenson

## Trivia

* The part just before the last commercial break, Joker says "Same Joker Crime, same Joker Channel." It is actually a throwback to the two part episodes in the *1960's Batman* series where the plot of one episode would lead to the second, while the narrator would tell to audience to be there the next day, at the "Same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel."
* The fight sequence on the broadcast tower with Batman swapping punches with Punch and Judy is a parody of the old Adam West *Batman TV series*, where during a fight scene hitting someone made a large text displaying the sound effect appear; as in "Pow!", "Bang" etc...
* Joker interrupting regularly scheduled television programs with his own signal is a mainstay trademark seen in numerous incantations since the creation of the character in the 1940s, where began putting out terroristic threats over the radio.
* JTV stands for "**J**oker **T**ele**v**ision".
* The title is said by Joker at the beginning of the episode.
* When Joker shows old footage of him being dragged by the cops, he has his first costume rather than the second, implying that event took place in season one.
* This marks one of the few instances the word "die" is used. In this case, Joker says "deadpan".

## Errors

* The show says "Joker and the mayor" when the Joker says "me and the mayor".
* The title "Joker and the mayor" changed to "me and the mayor".