The Laughing Cats

"**The Laughing Cats**" is the eighth episode of the third season of *The Batman* and the thirty-fourth episode overall.

## "The Laughing Cats"

### Episode

8 (production order)7 (airing order)
34 (overall)

## Synopsis

Catwoman seems to be the suspect in the theft of a rare Black Siberian Leopard, but it soon turns out that Joker is behind the theft when Batman and Batgirl investigate and attempt to protect a second leopard of the same breed, unaware that Catwoman is interested in the matter. When all three discover that the cats were stolen for Killgore Steed, the owner of several dangerous creatures, no one anticipates Joker double-crossing him and using his personal maze and creatures to put an end to Batman, Batgirl and Catwoman.

## Plot

Batman and Batgirl are seen investigating the theft of a Black Siberian Leopard. Batgirl thinks Catwoman did it, but he disagrees. They find a set of footprints, then Batman doubts that it's a coincidence the only other leopard of its kind arrives in Gotham tomorrow as part of Amazing Leslie's Animal Extravaganza. Later at the Gotham Symphony Hall Stage, Catwoman is seen trying to steal the other leopard.

Batman and Batgirl interrupt her, but she says it isn't how it looks like. She says she didn't steal the first leopard, but she is stealing this one. She fights them briefly, then frees gorillas to take care of them. Batman fights the gorillas, while Batgirl fights Catwoman. Catwoman hangs her over a ledge using her whip, and Batman puts the gorillas back in their cage. When he turns around, he finds the leopard stolen. As Catwoman escapes with the leopard, Joker stops her, and Judy gases her. At Joker's hideout, Joker tells Catwoman that he stole the leopards for Kilgore Steed, a man who hunts endangered animals on his private island, in exchange for hearing the cats squeal, as Joker despises the "mangy beasts". Joker then starts dropping her in a giant biting machine shaped like teeth.

Batman and Batgirl crash in with the Batmobile and smash the machine. As Batgirl frees Catwoman, the criminals flee away with the cats. Batman is about to arrest Catwoman, but she convinces not to by telling that she knows where Joker is headed. Joker approaches Steed's island, followed by the trio in the Batboat. Joker arrives at Steed's mansion and gives him the cats. Steed then gives him two hyenas. Judy and Punch subdue the henchmen, and Joker sprays Steed with laughing gas. He watches the Batboat approaching in the cameras. As the trio make their way in the island, Joker traps them.

Joker states some rules before beginning his game. The first rule allows no gadgets, or he'll kill the cats. The trio reluctantly gives up their equipment. Joker then releases a poisonous arachnid, seperates the trio, and starts the game. Each one of them narrowly escapes being crushed by a wall full of spikes. The spider follows Batgirl. Batman tries to climb his way out,but the walls are too slippery; Punch shoots acid at him ,but he dodges. He almost defeats Punch,but Judy stops him. The spider encounters Batgirl. Catwoman is running,until she finds Joker with Bud and Lou,the hyenas. He orders them to attack her, but Catwoman quickly befriends them, as hyenas seem to be closer to cats than dogs. Batman defeats Punch and Judy, then grabs a tracker they had to find the others. The spider latches onto Batgirl, but she throws it in another room, then finds Batman. Joker is fighting Catwoman with her whip and almost gases her until Batman interferes. Joker distracts them and runs away. Batman gives Batgirl the tracker to find the cats, and then follows Joker. Joker tries using Batman's belt, but he tells him it only responds to him. Batman knocks him out. Meanwhile, the two females free the cats. Batgirl suggests returning the cats to where they belong, but Catwoman locks her up and takes them for herself. The cats refuse to leave the island, and Catwoman flees away using Joker's boat. Batman then frees Batgirl, who is blaming herself for thinking there might have been some good in Catwoman, but Batman tells her that she's the one who initially didn't trust her in the first place.

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
* Danielle Judovits as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
* Kevin Michael Richardson as The Joker
* Gina Gershon as Catwoman
* Charles Napier as Kilgore Steed
* Punch and Judy
* The Penguin (Mentioned)
* Bud and Lou
* Kilgore's henchmen

## Events

- Character debuts:

* Kilgore Steed
* Kilgore's henchmen
* Bud and Lou

- Joker now has the two pets,Bud and Lou.

## Trivia

* Batman's belt responding only to him would later happen again in *Batman: Arkham City,* particularly in *Harley Quinn's Revenge*.
* This is the first episode that does not use the Batwave.
* This is also the first episode that doesn't use the bat-transition (*The Batman vs. Dracula* doesn't exactly count as it is a movie).
* Catwoman's eyelashes are longer in this episode.

## Errors

* After Batgirl gets out of the Batmobile, the scratches on her mask aren't visible. They're also permanently gone after the three use the Batboat.
* When Joker compliments Steed's decorations, his mouth does not move.
* After the Joker takes Batman, Catwoman, and Batgirl's equipment and belts, Batgirl is later drawn with her belt on for a second or two. It is fixed the next time we see her. The same happens with Catwoman, right before she is released into the maze she is seen with her whip, though just a moment earlier she handed it over to the Joker.