Mad as a Hatter

Episode Summary & Review

Summary

Miserable Wayne Industries scientist Jervis Tetch is unable to pursue the girl he loves, Alice the secretary. When she splits up from her boyfriend, he makes an advance and develops a fast friendship with her, until her boyfriend reconciles with her and proposes to her. Enraged, Tetch decides to take matters into his own hands, and dons the mantle of the Mad Hatter, using his mind control devices to force those who have wronged him all his life to become his mindless slaves.

Our Take

A decent origin story that gives Jervis Tetch more sympathy than most villains get, though the creepy stalker angle gets uncomfortable fast. Roddy McDowall’s voice work is the highlight, but the pacing drags in the middle and the mind-control scenes feel rushed. Worth a watch if you like the show’s darker character studies, but it’s middle-tier Batman.