The Apprentice

"**The Apprentice**" is the tenth episode of the third season of *The Batman* and the thirty-sixth episode overall.

## "The Apprentice"

### Episode

10 (prodcution order)11 (airing order)
36 (overall)

## Synopsis

Upset that Batman and his new sidekick, Batgirl, are ruining his plans, Joker decides that he needs a partner of his own. He soon finds the right person in Donnie, a misguided prankster who attends classes at the same high school as Barbara. When she realises that Donnie is Joker's new sidekick called Prank, she and Batman find themselves trying to convince him that Joker is not a good role model to have.

## Plot

Mayor Grange is hosting the annual chili cook-off in the park, when Joker, Punch and Judy show up in a fire truck and sabotage the cook-off. Batman shows up and begins fighting Punch and Judy. Joker takes capture of the Mayor and prepares to gas him with laughing gas, but Batgirl shows up and stops Joker. Joker, Punch and Judy get away and regroup back at their hideout.

Joker is discussing how he wants a sidekick, because Batman has one. Meanwhile, at Barbara's school, a classmate named Donnie pulls two tricks on her. First, he shoots a spitball on her forehead when she turns around after doing a math problem on the board correctly. Then, as Barbara returns to her seat, Donnie puts a whoopee cushion on her chair. When she sits down, a loud noise is heard throughout the classroom, embarrassing Barbara. As a result, Donnie is given a week of detention.

Donnie then goes to a comedy club,Ha-Ha-Hacienda, and tries to prove his talent, but no one laughs. Joker then comes in and starts clapping. Joker says he has some real potential, and suggests that Donnie should be his sidekick. Donnie says he's not sure, but Joker suggests that he chew on it awhile, goes away and says he'll see him around.

Joker shows up at the school after Donnie is finished with his detention for the day, and pulls a prank that leaves Donnie's teacher stuck on a flagpole. Donnie and Joker laugh, and Donnie decides to become Joker's partner.

Batman is on the lookout on the top of a roof for Joker's next move. Batgirl soon comes afterwards and begins talking to Batman. Batman just ignores her and moves on. Meanwhile, Joker begins showing Donnie his hideout. Joker and Donnie come up with the idea of hitting the police with a giant gum ball. Joker then gives Donnie a new costume and the name of Prank.

Joker begins launching giant gum balls at the police when Batman and Batgirl show up as Prank emerges from a van. Batman gets stuck in bubble gum, but Batgirl manages to kick Prank and dodge the gum ball. Batgirl notices that Prank is Donnie when he begins laughing in an odd tone. From behind, Joker knocks out Batgirl with a punching glove and attaches her to one of the giant gum balls, planning to launch it and kill her.

Batman uses his freeze grenades to break out of the bubble gum, and throws a Batarang at the chain on the gum ball as it is being launched into the air. Batgirl manages to use her grappling hook to save herself, but Joker and Prank get away.

Joker is mad at Donnie/Prank for hesitating to kill Batgirl, so decides to try to drop him in the same vat of chemicals that he gained his perma-clown from. Joker tries to push Donnie off the edge and into the vat, but Donnie manages to hold onto the edge of the bridge. Batman and Batgirl then show up.

Batgirl tries to save Donnie from slipping into the vat of chemicals, but Joker throws a playing card at her grappling hook, which causes her to have to grab onto Donnie's legs in order to not fall into the vat of chemicals. Batman fights Joker and helps Donnie and Batgirl get up. When they get up, Joker holds a gun on Batman and Batgirl.

Donnie, traumatized by all the horrors he witnessed under the Joker, delivers the final blow to the Clown Prince of Crime and prevents him from shooting Batman and Batgirl. He then tells Joker the best punchline is the one you do not see coming.

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
* Danielle Judovits as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
* Kevin Michael Richardson as The Joker
* Michael Reisz as Donnie/Prank
* Adam West as Marion Grange
* Peter Lurie as Teacher
* Michael Sinterniklaas as Man screaming 'It's Joker'
* Punch and Judy
* Melanie's Cameraman
* Riddler (mentioned)
* Angel Rojas (mentioned;doll)

## Events

- Character debuts:

* Prank

- Donnie temporarily becomes Prank and Joker's sidekick.

## Trivia

* This episode could be an allegory for grooming, which is another term for when a person manipulates someone (usually a child) into doing things for their own personal gain. In this instance, Joker acts as the groomer and Donny acts as the victim.
* The episode shares the name with a two-parter from *Teen Titans.*
* The idea of Joker wanting a "Joker Junior" is likely a reference to the movie *Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker*. In *Return of the Joker*, Joker and Harley Quinn brainwash Tim Drake into being their "child" whom they call "Joker Junior".
* Joker's Bang! flag gun appears in this.
* The "*Too Riddler*" line Joker used while Prank was coming up with a joke to play on Gotham and Batman is the same line Joker used on *The New Batman Adventures'* *Mad Love*. He, too, was trying to come up with a joke to play on Batman.
* This is not the first time Joker causes havoc wearing a fireman outfit and driving a firetruck in a Batman cartoon. In the *Static Shock* episode titled *The Big Leagues*, he did the same thing. Even the firetruck looks similar to his on that show.
* When Donnie suggests trapping the Gotham PD in playing cards, Joker says "*Been there, done that.*" This is a reference to season one's episode *Topsy Turvy*.
* Despite Batgirl earning Batman's trust in the previous episode (going by the airing order), she is again seen with her homemade gear and is dismissed by him. This is an issue in the airing order.
* Ha-Ha-Hacienda, the club Donnie goes to, is in one of Joker's lines in the *Arkham* franchise.
* This is the first and only episode where Joker (briefly) is not wearing gloves. He appears without them during the scene where he gets Donny's teacher stuck on a flagpole.
* Chief Rojas appears as a toy and is mentioned during the scene where Joker and Prank are trying to come up with a scheme.

## Errors

* When Punch grabbed the mayor, his arm was incorrectly colored.
* After Donnie comes up with the gum plan, one of Judy's eyes is blue.
* Before Prank hops out of the van, Joker's finger is not layered correctly.
* After Punch punches Batman, his eyes are darker.
* When Prank prepares to launch Batgirl, her emblem is gone.Coloring error.Eye error.Finger error.Eyes error.Emblem error.