The Big Chill

**"The Big Chill"** is the fifth episode of the first season of *The Batman* and the fifth episode overall.

## "The Big Chill"

### Episode

5 (production order)5 (overall)
6 (airing order)

## Synopsis

Batman discovers that a recent theft of jewels from a yacht in Gotham Bay was the work of a criminal with ice powers named Mr. Freeze, who is dependent on a cryogenic suit to survive. To his horror, Batman discovers that he was once an ordinary thief named Victor Fries that he had chased before, who fell into a cryogenic chamber during the pursuit, and was mutated as the result of a freak accident when the chamber cryogenically froze him at the same time that he was being electrocuted. Realising that Freeze's powers will allow him to take over Gotham, Batman finds himself trying to find a way to stop him.

## Plot

A cruise is sailing in a hot day in Gotham. Then the cruise encounters an iceberg. Mr. Freeze then appears and freezes a guest, and threatens to destroy him if the 2 women don't give him their jewelery. He then steals from the other guests and leaves.

At the Batcave, Bruce is working, but Alfred suggests that even Batman needs a break, and booked for him at a ski resort. The Batwave then goes off and Bruce sees the news about Mr. Freeze's attack. He suits up and leaves. At the harbor, the frozen man is recovering and Ethan and Yin appear to ask questions. Batman has been listening to the conversation, and uses infrared vision to see Freeze's trail. Freeze meanwhile is robbing a bank and goes to the vault. Batman then arrives. Batman throws three Batarangs at him, but Freeze freezes them. Freeze says that he's been looking forward to this reunion. Batman, however, is confused. Freeze then freezes the whole bank. Batman breaks Freeze's helmet, and realises that he's in fact Victor Fries. Freeze gets a hold of Batman and tries to freeze him completely.

Freeze then explains what happened to him. He was a simple bank robber, until he was finally able to steal jewels. Batman was chasing him. A man then came in Freeze's way, which forced him to drift and crash. Freeze then took the jewels and tried running from Batman. He ended up in a cryonics lab. He tries using the freezing pipes against Batman, but fails and brings down the platform. The pods become unstable, but Freeze goes to obtain the diamonds regardless. He fails and falls in a pod. Batman tries to save him, but the pod is electrified. Freeze gets electrocuted the moment he's frozen, transforming him from Victor Fries to Mr. Freeze. The experts would later keep him for studies, until he awakens, and would then force an expert to make a suit for him (end of flashback). Freeze is going for the kill, until the police stop him, Freeze quickly subdues them and flees. Ethan calls for medics, and Yin tries to unmask Batman. He quickly uses a flare to break free and calls the Batmobile. He escapes and rides the Batmobile home. He gets back to the Batcave, and Alfred finds him unconscious. Alfred helps Bruce, and Bruce then blames himself for creating Mr. Freeze. Bruce then thinks Batman should take a permanent vacation. During Batman's absence, Freeze commits crimes as he pleases. He then spots the man that caused him to drift back when he stole diamonds. Freeze shows no mercy and freezes the homeless man. At Wayne Manor, Bruce keeps blaming himself. He gets a flashback of his parents' death. He gets back to his senses and goes to the Batcave. Alfred made him a suit that'll help against Freeze, the Anti-Freeze suit. The Batwave goes off and Bruce sees Freeze's recent actions on the news. He suits up and goes to stop him. The detectives are at the scene at the park, and Batman arrives. He and Freeze fight. Batman overwhelms him, and Freeze tries to bury him in ice, but Batman kicks him. The two keep fighting, then Batman fights Freeze's ice with fire, then calls the Batmobile. The Batmobile jumps over Freeze, and Freeze thinks Batman missed, but the Batmobile then shoots him with its jet exhaust slits and knocks him to an ice pillar, defeating him. Batman gets back to the Batcave, and Alfred suggests some rest, until the Batwave goes off. Batman goes after the crime.

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
* Clancy Brown as Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze
* Alastair Duncan as Alfred Pennyworth
* Steve Harris as Detective Ethan Bennett
* Ming-Na as Detective Ellen Yin
* Cathy Cavadini as Wife, Moviestar and Reporter
* Nora Fries (photo;flashback)
* Thomas and Martha Wayne (flashback)
* Joe Chill (flashback)

## Events

- Charcter debuts:

* Mr. Freeze
* Nora Fries
* Joe Chill

- Freeze's origin is shown.

- Another portion of the murder of Bruce's parents is shown, albeit affected by the fever.

## Trivia

* The episode's title is the same as an alien Ben can turn into in *Ben 10: Alien Force/Ultimate Alien/Omniverse*, which is called Big Chill. His appearance is similar to the cryptid Moth Man, but is blue and has powers also similar to Mr. Freeze.
* This episode contains Easter egg references to the classic Christmas songs such as *Baby It’s Cold Outside* and *Let it Snow*.
* Freeze's method of transportation is similar to that traditionally used by Marvel's Iceman of the X-Men.
* In *Call of the Cobblepot*, Ethan is glad that criminals bring out Batman, and Bruce hopes it's not the other way around. Both happen here. Victor brings out Batman, and Batman then indirectly creates Mr. Freeze.
* All of the people on the yacht robbed by Mr. Freeze are based on the characters from "Gilligan's Island"
* The title was spoken by Mr. Freeze during his first encounter with Batman.
* The name of the boat from the opening screen is Olympia which was the sister ship of the Titanic.
* This episode uses a rare variation of the bat-transition at one scene. Instead of the typical black bats, they are white.
* This is one of the few times in the series where guns are fired.
* This is one of the rare instances in which the word "die" is used. In here, Freeze says "dead".
* It is unknown if Freeze killed the scientist that created his suit.

## Errors

* Freeze's jewels switch from his right hand to his left hand.
* Batman destroyed a block of ice by just running into it. Either that's an error, or he's that strong.